Aditi's point of view
"Aditi please tell me this trigonometric equation again. I can't understand it." Divya asked me while showing her notebook to me.
I was in Divya's home. She insisted me to teach her trigonometry because we have test in maths tomorrow. So I came to her home at evening. Now days, school is busy.
Farewell party preparations started. All juniors are giving the farewell party to seniors so we have to manage between our studies and party preparations. Sometimes we also missed are lunch. I like to do party preparations, like decorations, hand made invitation cards, making rangoli everything. It give me a chance to divert my mind from all the negativity around me.
I took the notebook from her and look at the situation. It was a smiple equation she just has to break tan and cot into sin and cos and after applying the formula she can solved it easily.
"First break them into sin and cos and after that apply the formula, which make them 1. Then you will got your answer." I make her understand the equation.
Divya took the notebook and started solving the equation. Her parents went to some relatives house so today we both are studying in livingroom instead of her room. When Divya were busy solving the question I roam my eyes around the hall, hoping he will come out from his room and I can see him. But I know he won't come.
Last I saw him three nights ago. He was standing outside his house, late at night and looking at me with different emotions when we both locked our gaze. That day I was missing Atul bhiya and how he leave without hugging me. I was also sad because Dhruv's ignorance. My heart was crying for his one glimpse and he didn't even look at me, not even unintentionally like he used to do, since that day.
Whole month passed and I was waiting for him on my terrace and school just get his one glimpse he didn't come out from his house. Mummy was also being grumpy and was throwing his wrath on me because she was missing her son and Papa's absence making worst for her.
That day tears welled up in my eyes when I saw him outside his house and looking towards me, like he want to say something. But again it maybe an illusion of my eyes. He must be missing Atul bhiya too. Before tears leave from my eyes I went inside my room.
A month passed when Atul bhiya leave for college. Papa came after a week, after settling Atul bhiya in college. Now everything is silent in my house. When Atul bhiya live with us, mummy, papa used to talk and laugh with him but now they just talk to eachother and leave for their room after dinner. No one talks to me. I was like, didn't exist for them in house.
But when I saw Dhruv three nights ago outside his house, havoc in my heart get calm and I started feeling myself again.
"Aditi.." I turn to Divya when she called me.
"Will you please bring my geography book from Dhruv's bhiya room. He took from me yesterday and didn't return it yet." I looked at her with shock.
How could I go to his room. I mean yes, I want to see him but I can't go in his room. I am happy to admire him from afar.
"Bu....but..how...could I." I stammered.
"I would go myself but he doesn't like when someone disturb him while he was studying. He can't say anything to you because you are our neighbor." She stated while giving her puppy eyes.
"But..."
"I will buy you an icecream. Please. " she gave me her innocent puppy eyes which no one can refuse and she trapped me well.
I also don't want to go into lion's den but I have no choice. She will keep insisting me until I bring her book from his room.
"Okay.." I sighed and she grin while showing me her teeth.
I got up from the couch and walked towards lion's den. If Divya said he doesn't like disturbing him while he was studying means he also doesn't like my presence in his room when he is busy. My mind was saying to go back to my home and give Divya my geography book but my heart was saying this is the golden chance to see my handsome neighbor.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize, I was standing infront of his room. I think once again of my decision before knocking his door and finally after collecting lot of courage I knocked on his door.
Knock..knock
I was stood there waiting for his reply from inside. I was nervous and excited too because I never been in his room before. This is the first time I will see his room.
No one speak from inside. So after waiting few more minutes, I knocked on his door again.
Knock..knock
Again no one speak from inside. He must be in washroom, thinking this I opened the door with lots of courage.
As I open the door, my eyes immidately reach to his bed and there I saw him. He was lying on his bed while covering his eyes with his right hand. My heart loose it's calmness and it start beating faster after seeing him after three days. He must be tired, that's why he was resting. I shouldn't have come in his room. I turn to leave when I heard his voice.
"Since when you started knock my door." He asked me, still closing his eyes.
But why he said that. It is my first time in his room. Then it clicks me, he must be thinking me as Divya.
"Wo..I ..I came here.."
He removed his hand from his eyes, after hearing my stammering voice and looked at me.
He immediately got up from bed, seeing me in his room.
"Hey..I thought, it's Divya." He said while walking towards me and stopped few feet away from me.
"I came here to take Divya's geography book." I said while looking down, tucking a loose strand behind my ear.
He walked to his study table and started searching for her book. Then I noticed his room. It was painted in light blue with white ceilings. There were no pictures hanging on his wall, except one motivated poster with a motivational quote. His books were spreading everywhere, few books on his bed, bedside table and his study table is a mess. His room is look like a war zone. He also has the mini library at the corner of his room. There is another door at the left side of his room, which I guess was the washroom. Though his room was mess but it is bigger than mine. I was adoring his room when my eyes fell on his window which opened towards my room and still covered with curtains, where from the other side I stood there in a hope that he will remove the curtains from the window and I can see him.
"I put it here but I can't find it right now." He said while looking Divya's book on his bed.
"I am sorry for the messy room. Mummy was behind me for a while to clean it up but I was too lazy to do it." He said while looking at me apologetically and rubbed the back of his neck.
His ears turned red in embarrassment and he was looking so cute that I want to pull his both cheeks. I pressed my lips together to suppress my laugh.
I don't know my handsome neighbor can blush also.
"It's okay..I will help you to clean up." Before he could stop me, I started collecting his books from bed and walked to his mini library. I started arranging the books according to their subjects so he can find his books easily and all the while I can feel his eyes on me.
Oh! My god...I will go crazy if he keep looking at me like that.
After arranging the bookes in his library I started cleaning up his study table. I put all pen, highlighters and pencil in the penholder. Arranged his books, which were on his study table and dusted it with dirty cloth which I found it inside his washroom.
Dhruv was standing near the window, leaning on it while folding his both hands on his chest and looking at my every action. I have goosebumps all over my body.
Why he is looking at me like this today?
Did he enjoy, seeing me clean his room?
Who knows?
I ignore his gaze on me and keep doing my work. I look towards his bed and the bedsheets really needs to change.
"Can I change the bedsheet." I said looking at him but soon looked down when I saw him grinning.
Why is he smiling?
Do I have something on my face?
"If you don't mind." He said still looking at me with his dreamy smile.
I nodded my head and took out the plane blue bedsheet from his cupboard. This bedsheet matched with his room's paint and it will look beautiful on his bed.
I removed the dirty bedsheets from bed along with pillow covers and put them in his laundry basket. I spread the bedsheet roughly on bed and was about to go to other side of the bed to correct it from both side when Dhruv came for my help. Without saying anything he tucked the bedsheet inside bed from other side and I tucked it from my side. I and Dhruv took each pillow and covered them with new pillow covers. After satisfying our work we both walked to the front of bed and stood there. There is different kind of silent between us. It wasn't a uncomfortable one but not the comfortable one also.
I looked around his room again and it's look more beautiful and big after I clean up.
"Your room is beautiful." I whispered out my thoughts while looking at him. I looked down immediately when I saw he was already looking at me.
"You make it." I raised my head and looked at him when he whispered out, looking at me like he can see through my eyes.
I gave him a small smile and looked down while tucking a loose strand behind my ear.
I was grinning to myself while looking down. Butterflies dancing inside my stomach, thinking that, tiday I clean my handsome neighbor's room.
"Thankyou.." I again raised my head, looked at him when he thanked me.
He never talk much and end the conversation as soon a s possible. But today he, himself initiating the conversation.
"Please don't be. It was nothing." I said while looking around his room and then him but he shake his head and said, "for everything."
I looked at him in confusion when he said that. I did nothing for him then why he is thanking me for everything.
"I never get a time to talk Divya about her studies, I never asked her about her school life but you always there for her. You are tutoring Divya because she is weak in maths. I should be the one who teach her maths and take care of her studies but you are doing it without any complain."
I never heard him saying this much long sentence before. His answers were limited in three or four words. But when he said with so much intensity it was directly reaching to my heart. I was feeling overwhelmed.
No one thanked me for anything before. No matter what I did for them but here my handsome neighbor is thanking me for small thing. I know it wasn't good if you expect a thankyou for doing a kind work but sometime a little thankyou from the other person make you feel happy that someone appreciated your help. It will give you little satisfaction that you did something good for anyone and motivate to help the people in future.
Divya is my sister which I never had. Though we both are same age but she is like my little sister who is one month younger than me.
"Divya is like my sister." I said from my heart while looking at him.
He also looking at me with intensity. Today he let down his walls around him and I can read his eyes clearly. I can read the intensity in his eyes. The was he is looking at me telling me that he can't believe my words but at the same time he was appreciating it and thanking me silently. When I looked into his eyes, it was like he wants to say something more but something is holding him back.
We both stood in silence and now we have uncomfortable silence between us. None of us speak anything but I wanted to get rid off this silence. He was looking at the wall behind me blankly like he was lost in his deep thoughts. I can see the invisible pain behind his beautiful black orbs. Sometime when I saw in his eyes, I saw pain in them like he was battling with his inner demons. I don't know what is bothering him so much his eyes fill with pain but I wanted to take all of his pain and give all the happiness which God written in my fate.
"I think, I should go." I said while pulling him out from his painful dream. His eyes met with mine and he blink many time to clear his head.
I gave him small smile and turn to leave his room.
"Aditi.." I stopped in my track and out my hand on my chest to calm my heart beats when I heard my name from his beautiful voice. My name sounds beautiful from him. My stomach churned in excitement and I clutched my dupatta from side.
I slowly turn on my place and looked at him. He went to his study table and started finding something. When he didn't find what he is looking for he went to his cupboard, pull out his school bag from cupboard and started looking again in it.
He pulled out a book from it which looked like a Geography book and walked to me.
"Here..." He said while handing me Divya's book. I took the book from him annd after giving him a small smile I walked out from his room.
*******
When I came downstairs, Divya was busy, solving the maths problem. Thankgod, she didn't realize my delay to take her book from her brother's room.
I put the book and set beside on her and take my chemistry book to read it but my mind was fill with his thoughts.
This is the second time I talked to him but I don't know why, whenever I talked to him it felt like he wanted to say something else but he can't. Today when he thanked it didn't seems like he just wanted to thank me for tutoring Divya. It feels like there is something more which he wanted to thank.
Is he like this with everyone or I am on his special list.
What is going inside my handsome neighbor?
I was thinking about him when someone climbed down the stairs and my eyes met with him. He was looking down on his phone while walking and my eyes were sticking on him. My clam heart now started beating fast and I couldn't help, just to look at him like my whole world was walking infront of me. He was looking breathtaking in his black shirt and khaki jeans with dark shoes and walking like he doesn't care about his surroundings.
Why he always keep looking at his phone when I was around?
One day I will surely break. Atleast then he look at me and notice how someone wait for him till hours just to see him.
"Aditi.." Then he raised his head from his phone, after hearing my name from Divya and noticed my presence in the livingroom.
We both keep looking at eachother till he crossed the sitting area still looking at me. My heart was beating like crazy and heat was radiating from my cheek when he was holding my gaze with him.
"Aditi..."
Divya pulled me back from my dreamland and I looked at her dumbly. My cheeks turn into hot red in embarrassment when I was looking at her.
"What..?" My voice sounds foriegn to myself. I cleared my throat and asked her again.
"I'm getting bore let's watch some movie." She suggested and I also like the idea.
"Which one?" I asked her while closing our books and put them aside on the table.
"I don't know you choose." She said while leaning back on the couch.
"You choose, till then I bring some snacks for us." I said while getting up from the couch.
"Don't blame me, later if I choose of Siddharth's Malhotra movies." She warned me and I laughed.
"Okay.. I won't say anything." I said while chuckling and shake my head in amusement.
I was about to go when Divya called me, "Aditi, there is cake in the fridge. Will you also bring that for me."
She showed me her puppy eyes and and I nodded my head while giving her small smile.
I was walking while looking down and about to enter the kitchen when my head hit someone's hard chest. I looked up and there he was standing looking at me.
Did I just bumped to Dhruv?
My cheeks turned into pink when I realized, I actually hit him. He was looking down at me with his deep orbs, making my stomach churned into excitement.
I can smell his cologne, making my mind dizzy with it's amazing fragrance.
My face touched to his chest. I am not going to wash my face for week atleast.
"Careful..." After saying this he walked away from there.
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I hope you like the chapter.
It's an early update. I write this chapter in one day. Please appreciate my hard work and do lots of and long comments.
I may give next update soon.
Thankyou...