Instead of going straight to her usual table in the canteen and sitting at her usual place, opposite to Aditi, Palak went to a corner first and then quickly called up Veer, checking the time, hoping that he was not in class.
It should be break for them too...Palak thought.
"Hello? Palak?" Veer's soft yet deep voice set the butterflies free in her stomach.
Focus Palak...Focus
"I hope that I am not disturbing you..."
"No no, not at all...go on"
"Are you feeling okay right now? Last night your temperature was a bit high...though in the morning it had subsided, but now do you again feel feverish or any sort of symptoms like that?"
"no... I am completely fine! You don't have to worry at all! I don't feel any fever symptoms...I think last night's fever was only because of getting wet in rain...I am perfectly alright Palak!"
"I am believing you...hope that you are not lying to me.."
"No...no, I am not lying to you...I will not lie to you about anything...I am actually alright"
"Okay then...I am hanging up for now, don't forget to take the medicine, if you feel anything okay??"
"Of course maam! Okay maam I will follow your words! Bye!"
Palak let out a small giggle after hanging up. This boy....
As soon as she came and sat down on her chair...Aditi put down her phone aside and narrowed her eyes at her.
"What?!" Palak asked dumbfounded.
Slowly...Aditi got up and placed her chair just beside Palak's.
"Oh wow Palak! Your cheeks are pinkish...ears are red, you coming late to canteen...Come on, tell me! who got you blushing like that? Any mysterious man that I don't know about?" Aditi teased her and then wrapped her arm around Palak's shoulders.
Palak's eyes went wide...she didn't even realize that she was blushing so hard after just merely talking to Veer on the phone.
"What are you tal-talking about? Its no- nobody!" Palak said hurriedly, trying to avoid Aditi's hawk like eyes staring at her.
"See you are stuttering also! come on tell me! Who is it?!"
"How can I not stutter when you are watching me like a hawk?!" saying this Palak shoved Aditi's arm off her shoulders.
"I don't believe you- wait! Is it Veer? your 'childhood friend'?" Aditi said with a small smirk.
"What- No no...What are you even thinking! if you keep on teasing me I would stop talking!!" Palak cried out, trying hard...so hard to avoid the fluttery feeling on hearing Veer's name.
"Ok ok fine- I am not going to that path again..." she said and Palak heaved out a sigh. But suddenly she spoke out, "I have to go...Mrs patil just called me before you came and she said that she has to tell me something important, but....before I go I want to say this to you...Face your heart Pallu, Don't hide...Its evident...You know, I would be the happiest, If that happens"
Giving her a small slight smile, Aditi got up and went out . Palak was almost frozen on realizing what she meant...
She knew....It was so evident...
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"So...Veer, Krish and Mahira...Here I am handing you the names of all the others who would join you..."
Veer took the paper that was handed to him and the others. There were four other people who would join them for this presentation. The names were known to him, but the faces unknown. Veer didn't pay much attention to others, aside Krish and Palak...
Palak
He was surprised when she had called her in the morning. Even though he would never like to admit it, seeing her so much concerned about him, made him feel giddy inside.
"Veer?" His professor's voice shifted his attention from his thoughts.
"Yes sir?"
"You seemed a bit out right now...did you hear what I said?"
"Yes sir...that we need to start our work from this weekend and contact with the others as soon as possible.."
"Yes...and, I want this presentation to be the best among all...You three understood na?"
"Yes sir!" they all said in unison.
After coming out of the class, Krish took out the papers surveying the names again.
"I am sure that you don't know anybody from this list..." Krish said with a slight smirk.
"Well...Its not like that...I -- know them-"
"Really? Okay...tell me how does Riya look like?" Krish asked raising an eyebrow at him.
"Umm- well- She-"
"See...you don't even know her! its not even that she is in a different year or something...besides she is the most beautiful girl of the campus..! Everybody knows her!"
Veer didn't know what to say. Was it really his fault if he liked to quietly finish his own work and was not really interested in other matters? Well...maybe it was.
"It doesn't matter! now I would know her through this project right?"
"Well, I am just trying to make you understand that there are other things in the world except books, studies and your grumpiness...open your eyes and see! socialize!"
"I am perfectly comfortable with how I am...You are my friend right! I don't need anybody else!"
Oh and Palak of course..
"See this is why you would never get a girl...you are blind! You don't see it....but so many girls everyday gush at you! Those poor souls! They don't know that you are a monk!"
"If you don't have anything better to say...I am going home...Goodbye Krish!"
"WAIT-- I also wanted to ask you something...I have been observing you recently...You seem lost in thoughts sometimes, and I have to nudge you...to wake you up, then, you are always in a hurry to go home these days...other than that....that day you asked me a weird question, stopped me from visiting your flat and today I saw you giggling with someone on phone....Are you hiding something Veer?" Krish asked, suspicion clear on his face.
Veer froze for a moment. Krish didn't know that he was living with Palak. Shit! He should have told him beforehand only. It was natural for him to sense something...sense the change in him. But, knowing how big of a exaggeration king Krish was...He needed to choose a perfect day and a perfect moment to tell him. He needed to tell him soon, But not just today...
"What! I was talking to my-- my mom! and that day... I told you I was stressed regarding the choices..."
Veer felt bad for not telling him. He needed to know, but he was not just ready to tell him yet. It was a problem Veer faced a lot since childhood. He could have regular conversations with his friends...but was never able to really talk about his actual feelings or secrets. It was something he envied Palak for, who was always so outgoing. Krish was still eyeing him suspiciously...but after sometime he gave up and sighed.
"Fine I believe you...its not like you would do what I was actually hoping for!"
Veer made up his mind. This couldn't go on, He needed to tell him soon...tell him about his living together with Palak.
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The ringing doorbell surprised both Palak and Veer. There was no one there who would come and visit them. Palak was sure that it won't be Aditi because she knew that Aditi would not turn up uninvited in Veer's flat.
Was it Krish then? Veer thought. Would he come here to confirm his morning suspicion? No...That was not possible. But, If it was really Krish...then Veer was about to land in a huge problem.
"You don't have to get up...Let me see who is it" Palak pushed Veer back down, who was getting up and herself got up to go and open the door.
Shit....if it was really Krish, and if he saw a girl opening the door-
Veer was about to land in a very uncomfortable situation...
As soon as Palak opened the door, she was greeted by a girl standing on the other side of the doorway. She was really pretty and was so perfectly dressed that in front of her Palak felt as if she was a homeless wannabe. As soon as the girl saw her, her wide smile changed into a small, slight and a forced one.
"Is Veer there?" she asked and Palak nodded yes, dumbfoundedly.
"Good then..." saying this she strolled inside...as if she owned the flat, not even paying a second glance to Palak standing there. If she wouldn't have been a non- violent person...Palak would surely have taught her some proper manners...In the proper way.
Who was she? It was as if she had known Veer since a long time...
was she...by chance...his girlfriend?
Palak couldn't ignore how her heart sank on the thought...If it was true, she would surely move out, without a second thought. She didn't want to be the cause of break up for them. She slowly closed the door and followed her inside with a heavy heart.
Veer slowly got up from the sofa, seeing a girl come up to greet him, really thankful to god that it was not Krish. Her face was familiar...he had seen it somewhere before. He tried to remember where...but failed. The girl had a wide smile on, but his gaze landed on Palak behind her. She was eyeing him curiously. He was suddenly feeling nervous.
"Hi Veer! I am Riya...Riya Gupta.." she introduced herself smiling and held out her hand for a handshake. The name seemed familiar...
"you don't even know Riya?"
Oh... this was that girl Krish was talking about. But, what was she doing here? Veer took her hands for a polite handshake.
"Actually, I know this is a bit sudden...That I am here in your flat, but I actually live in the second floor. I just recently moved here. I got the names from professor Vantika, there I saw that you are also selected for the presentation...so I thought that it was a good chance for me to come and say hi! It will make it easier for us to work together.."
Veer then remembered. The day he came back from Kolkata, he saw two girls in the lift. One of them was Riya...
"Oh...no-- umm- its okay...Hi I am Veer...Veer kohli, I noticed that someone moved in here, but I had no idea that it would be you.."
"Oh, everybody knows you...You are the star student, Its an honor to work with you...! I should have came earlier to introduce then..." she giggled slightly.
"Umm...come sit here" He awkwardly directed her to the sofa. Palak was relieved. At least it was not his girlfriend...then, why did she behave as if she owned the flat? Palak did not like this girl at all.
After she sat down, her gaze landed on Palak. Her smile quickly changed into a slight frown. As soon as Veer's eyes landed on her again...she quickly plastered on her smile and asked, "And she is..?" pointing at her.
"Oh...she is Palak, my childhood friend and one of the closest people in my life" Veer answered looking at Palak, with a wide smile...a smile that made her knees go week. Then he turned around back to Riya and said, "coffee? I will make some then"
She answered with a small smile, "Yes...but I have something to discuss with you, regarding the presentation...It would be good if you stayed with me.." Then she turned to Palak and said, "make a cup of coffee for us.."
Palak almost scoffed. Who was she to order her like that?!
"No-- no I can make it! Palak-" Veer tried to object, but she cut him off, "No its fine Veer, I will make coffee for all of us...you discuss your work with your batch mate"
Saying this she went to the kitchen and started preparing coffee. As it was an open kitchen, she could see...Veer get up and bring out his materials. Palak couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes when Riya tried to almost lean on Veer. Every now and then she would start giggling and pass on flirty smiles at Veer. How Palak wished she could put salt in her coffee and wipe of that smile off her face.
No...she was not all jealous...yes, you heard that right...she was NOT at all jealous.
And Veer....he was completely oblivious to her advances, only silently focusing on his work.
She brought the coffee to them and look on Riya's face was evident that she wanted her to leave. But, Palak wasn't about to back off like that!
"Veer! Palak might uncomfortable hearing all these medical stuffs..." then she slowly paused and turned towards her and said, "If you are feeling bored or uncomfortable...you can leave" biting out each word to show her displeasure.
She was lucky that Palak was still civil and cool towards her.
Before, she could say something, Veer glanced at her with questioning eyes. She slowly smiled at them and said, "No - No I am fine...you guys can carry on, I will not be bored...besides I have spent many nights with Veer, with him doing his medical work...I can do my work on the adjacent sofa" she retorted giving back a triumphant smirk.
Slowly...three hours passed with Riya continuing her advances on an oblivious Veer and occasionally engaging on a silent fight with Palak. Finally she got up to leave and as she was near the door, she pulled Veer in a sudden hug.
Veer was dumbfounded by the sudden hug. He did not like her at all...who hugs a person they met for the first time? He slowly pushed her away uncomfortably. Palak felt her decency slip and was about to almost push her out of the house.
She slowly stepped back and said, "Goodbye Veer! Now that You know that I am your neighbor, hope that we can meet more frequently!" and saying this she turned around walked out of the door.
Finally closing the door, Veer and Palak let out a big sigh. She was just insufferable. Palak didn't want Veer to ever meet her again, but as she was his batch mate and also their neighbour, It would not be possible.
God why make her suffer like that?
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hii! A new update...hope its good!
Total word count: 2295 words
~Millie❤❤