We Never Knew [ON HOLD]

Chapter : 2

Chapter: Two   

The spacious living room echoed with the lyrics of the song as the laptop streamed a famous track from Arijit Singh's album. Paras bobbed his knee up and down in a rhythm that matched the song's beat as he scribbled words on the paper; working on his English Assignment.

"Abhi, don't disturb me, please!" Paras grumbled at Abhimanyu when he picked the reference book up from the table swiftly.

"Dude, learn to write the answers on your own," Abhimanyu retorted as he shut the reference book and threw it across the room. The thick book landed on the purple bean bag, making a soft and safe landing.

"Not everyone's a talented hand, mister," Paras muttered as he turned back to his assignment on the coffee table.

"It's not about talent, my friend," Abhi spoke as he jumped up on the short coffee table, earning a death glare from Paras.

"Literature is... like love," Abhimanyu spoke, transforming his emotions into words. Paras only raised an eyebrow as if to ask 'really now?'

"You feel it surge from your heart and then it just flows out of you the way emotions do," Abhi went on as if he were speaking onstage, "It's the sole way your soul speaks and the world hears you. Every syllable, every word has a deep meaning hidden behind it,"

Finishing his rant with a satisfactory smile, Abhimanyu looked down to find Paras drooping down on the English Assignment, scribbling down the answers, all the while ignoring Abhi. The microwave in the kitchen-cum-dining area went off with a ping, stopping Abhimanyu short on his lecture about Paras missing out the most valuable knowledge of the world.

"Dinner!" Paras spoke in a relieved tone as he scurried out of the living room to reach the microwave.

"You just missed the best speech of the universe!" Abhi called after Paras with fake hurt, only to be ignored.

Abhimanyu jumped down the coffee table and reached for the main door when the calling bell rang once. Expecting it to be Shruti and Jiya, he put on the ghastly mask he had bought just today. He had planned on scaring the girls when they reached home from tuitions with that mask.

Holding the doorknob, he adjusted the mask with his free hand and flung open the door with a hilarious evil laugh as he leaped out in an attempt to scare the girls. The very next moment he regretted his actions when, instead of afraid squeals, he received a hard punch on his nose. Even the mask didn't help in saving his face underneath.

"Whoa!" A familiar voice reached Abhimanyu's ears as he pulled off the mask and roughly rubbed off the tears that pooled his eyes as an outcome of the assault on his face.

Squinting up he frowned when he met a pair of chocolate brown eyes and a slender, small face. For a moment he wondered who the girl was until he heard the claps echoing in the empty hall as Sekhar went on laughing.

"I'm proud of you Kirts!" Sekhar applauded one last time as he patted the girl's back with a smile.

"What?" Abhimanyu asked, feeling a numbness persist on his face, at the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, um... You're..." Kirti fumbled with her words as she gestured at his nose with a guilty face.

Bringing his finger over to his nose, Abhi raised his eyebrows when dark red liquid smeared over his hand as he wiped the sudden warmth from his nose. Kirti tried to speak and apologise for the punch but Sekhar had already took hold of the situation.

"Go get your nose washed up now. Don't ever try to scare anyone with that lame little trick for the sake of your handsome face," Sekhar commanded, gesturing towards Kirti.