I was sitting in the dining area, along with unexpected guest Samaira. She had accompanied us for dinner. Praising mom frequently for her amazing food. I was getting a feeling she had something in her mind. She was attempting to compliment mom to lighten her mood and later ask for something. She was an expert in such techniques.
Dad signalled me having the same conception. I pressed my giggle inside not to grab attention towards us. "And aunt, this one is my favourite. None! Can make Gobi Manchurian better than you..." I rolled my eyes, ignoring them and concentrating on the food before me.
"Now, it's enough! Tell me, what do I have to convince your mom about?" Mom questioned directly, causing Samaira to choke off the Gobi she had filled her mouth with. And we bust in laughter, the biggest one was of dad.
"Hmm... aunty, about girl's hangout." Samaira made puppy eyes.
"With whom?" I asked getting curious, I was so unknown about her plans with other friends.
"What? Have you forgotten? We had planned a girl's hangout with Zara. She is adamant to meet you both." She said diverting her gaze from me to my parent.
"Zara?" Asked curious dad. "I wasn't aware any of your friends with that name."
"She is our senior. We had bonded up a few months back." I informed dad not wanting to add about my dance. As upon Ehaan mention, he would get mad. He was still against Ehaan tutoring me.
"Ehaan's friend?" Mom inquired getting curious, I facepalmed mentally. Why does mom have to mention it loud?
"Yes! Earlier, I never adored any of them. But they are good," Samaira whispered. "Leaving Anuj, he just annoys me the most." She shook her head, "not even Aarav... his mocks are frustrating at times." She paused for a second, "and please don't get me started on Ehaan who is the most annoying human in the world." My parents were staring at her with wide eyes, I squeezed her wrist pleading her to shut down.
"How many new friends have you found?" Dad was finding it unbelievable to digest. I giggled seeing his horror as for the past few years we had made not a single friend.
"Many! This year was the most amazing one. I forgot to mention about Rudr, he is an amazing guy." Samaira muttered glancing at me but I just pressed a smile at her. She was so unknown of his deeds.
"Why don't we call them all?" Suggested dad, I widen my eyes in surprise. "I want to meet my daughter's new friend list." Dad glanced at mom to listen to her advice, she spare me a glance but I averted my gaze. I wasn't having any proper conversation with my mom. I wasn't pleased with her decision to allow Ehaan as my tutor.
"Good idea, if Ruhi has no problem with it." She was waiting for my response. "We have our wedding anniversary coming this week. So rather having girls out maybe get together will be the best." She smiled at me but I paled. Having my friend home? Making them meet, I wasn't finding it aspiring.
"Why everyone?" I questioned rather than answering, pleading with dad not to do it.
"We had only known Samaira, is it bad if we want to know your other friends?" He asked, I shook my head. "I also want to know how intelligent is your tutor as your mother puts it up?" My breath hitched listening to it. The get together was planned to examine Ehaan. I gulped, I never thought dad would be so hard to be pleased.
Done with the dinner, I was washing the dishes while mom was cleaning the counter. "Are you still mad at me?" She initiated the topic for the first time in a week. I kept quiet, "I had done it for your wellbeing. He had come to me and I knew he was the reason behind your worsening state."
"Mom, wasn't it you who asked me to choose wisely? Hadn't you warned me to be away from him? You had found us below the counter and I wasn't in my senses. But I hadn't questioned your decision but when I was slowly getting over him why do you have to implant him again in my life?" I questioned not sparing her a glance, busy washing the dishes with water.
"But I wasn't aware at that moment what happened. It was only later that Ehaan confessed the truth. I was unaware of the main reason you consumed that liquid. I was scared that you were walking on the wrong path." I switched the tap off, turning to stare into her orbs.
"Mom, you had mentioned enough that you trusted me. You trusted my decision and just one view and your trust in me broke? But if I had clarified the situation, you might have trusted me. What kind of trust is it? Don't you trust your child enough, that she won't ever grab that horrible liquid?" I felt crushed from within. This conversation was rather breaking us apart than holding us together.
"Mom, it's better that we don't talk about it ever or it will only complicate things further." Concluding it, I walked out of the kitchen towards my room. I was glad that Samaira had opted to leave as she was excited to share the news of get together with Varun. I strolled into my bedroom, forcing myself to sleep with those emerging tears. The thought that mom had no trust in me was shattering me from within.
___
As Ehaan was making me understand some complex theories, it was getting easier to understand in the class lecture. He hadn't attempted to contact me after Viraj had played a trick with him. Maybe deep within, he was convinced that I was considering Viraj as Mr Stalker. I was pleased about it. As he had lied to me and he deserved some hours of stress. According to his personality, he won't ever attempt to erase my doubt on his own. It was against his arrogant nature.
Samaira had informed others about the get together going to take place at my house this weekend. "Wow! Your parents are going to have the 20th wedding anniversary." Anuj jumped on his seat beside me, "it's always a privilege to see two people growing old in love." I could understand the deep underlying meaning in his words as I was aware of his past. He was glad that people stick to one another after all the hurdles. Any relationship wasn't perfect but it took efforts to stay even in an imperfect relationship. He had made me learn it.
I slowly diverted my eyes towards Ehaan. His cold texture engrossed in his cell. I had complained that he never shared his past with me. Lied to me at various events but I overlooked the fact that I hadn't offered him enough trust. I backed away from him in every given situation. If it wasn't the unbearable attraction or the magnetic force we held between us maybe we had lost contact long back. Not to forget his adamant self, which never allowed me to walk from him. Maybe he never made it visible to my eyes but he had always held me tight, not wanting me to disappear from his life.
His dark brown orbs looked up from his cell towards me. His brow furrowed in confusion but later smirk crossed his spirit. "What? Do you want my cell?" He teased, having the mischief oozing from his spirit.
"You got a new cell?" I inquired. His eyes getting stern. "What happened to your old one?" Having a mocking smile playing on my lip. I knew to give it back as well. Not able to handle his fury upon listening to my voice on the cell on the other side, he had thrown his cell breaking it into thousands of pieces.
He diverted his gaze getting furious. His jealous soul was the most amazing view. Why had I overlooked it before? Unknowingly, I had made him jealous at frequent events. From talking to Rudr to dancing with Viraj, he was always fuming in jealousy.
"So, finally you got to know about your Stalker." Samaira voiced in excitement. It was later that I understood, Samaira was clueless about Ehaan's trick. Others were glancing at Ehaan, confused. And I was correct! Everyone was in his plan. The reason they teased me about having a secret boyfriend. I shook my head.
"Stalker?" Zara questioned.
"Yes! Viraj was the person."
"You mean that Viraj from Thomas?" Varun questioned, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Fuck!" I heard a loud curse rolling out of Ehaan's tongue. Making everyone glance at him, in surprise. He was least bothered to offer any explanation. I wasn't able to hold my smile back, Anuj was staring at me suspiciously but I avoided his gaze.
"Hmm... The music concert is coming." Expressed Aarav changing the topic. He expressed, his orbs shining in delight. Indicating the craze, he has for music.
"Do you visit it?" Samaira asked, showing the same excitement.
"Why?" He was confused.
"We never lose the opportunity. I and Ruhi are a huge fan of Mysterious K." She winked, "Man! His voice! He has the skill to touch someone's heart. May it be his romantic song or the sad one, they can stab anyone's heart and bring the raw emotions out." Samaira was expressing her love for the legend.
"He is love!" I expressed, dreaming about his mesmerizing voice. I could sense Ehaan's eyes on me. "I can never get enough of his songs. They are in my playlist." I giggled expressing it aloud.
"For once, her dad had denied walking to the concert. She hadn't talked to him for five weeks. You see! It's the biggest record so far. She can't be mad over her dad for long." Samaira was making me embarrassed before them but I opted to ignore it.
"She loves her dad the most..." I heard a whisper from Ehaan. His fury had lessened the softness returning back into those orbs.
"Yeah! But Mysterious K can have tough competition though." Samaira countered back as I giggled at her words. Ehaan frowned not liking it, I spread into a smile. His jealous self was my favourite.
As the school was done, I stood staring at Anuj who was busy trying to start his bike. "Had Ehaan appointed you on special service to drop me home?" I was getting annoyed with Ehaan's demanding attitude. It wasn't like Rudr would kidnap me. I scowled as we had been waiting for his bike to somehow start. The birthday plan was cancelled due to Rudr.
"Should you make it sound so awful?" He shook his head, checking his bike. "I love spending some time with you." I rolled my eyes at his words. "And why were you lying to others. You know, Viraj isn't the stalker." He commented I had got a clue that he had read my lying face.
"And what should I do? Ehaan was the one who started it first. He had played with my emotions, acting as a stranger. So, tit for tat." I crossed my arms around my chest seeing him supporting his friend.
"I don't have any problem but sometimes jealous Ehaan is too much to handle." He shook his head. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Same goes with mad Ruhi." I countered back, he smiled at my words.
"Mad Ruhi is an adorable one." I glared at his words but he chuckled and pulled my cheek. I jerked his hand away in annoyance causing him to laugh aloud.
"Hey, Ruhi!" We heard a familiar voice and soon familiar source came to view. "If you need a lift, we can drop you." He offered, getting from his jeep. I smiled at him, holding my displeasure back. He wasn't aware I had heard his plan the other day.
"No thanks... I am going to drop her." Anuj stood in between, oozing his discomfort on glancing at him.
"Hmm... Anuj why do you crave for my attention so much?" He shook his head, narrowing his hazel orbs at him. "I am talking to her and I don't need your permission for it." He growled, staring at me. "Seems like you're getting influenced by your bunch of friends. You had been ignoring me for the past few days."
I pressed a smile, sliding my introvert nature a little. Not liking that he was shifting the entire blame on others. "Maybe I am slowly able to discriminate between the wrong and right. Maybe I was getting influenced before, not now!" I muttered, loud enough for him to hear. He was taken aback by my words. But soon grab his posture, a smirk playing on his lip.
"I was wrong when I thought, you will stand for right. You got manipulated as well. Or did you got influenced by the number of money owned by your new friend?" I was stunned by his accusation. He was questioning my loyalty. He was claiming that my stand was due to the greed forming inside.
"Hadn't he supported you every time Ehaan wanted to bully you? He stood by you going against his sister. And you're offering him a betrayal. How could you be so selfish? I thought you were different from others. But you came under the same list. Gold digger!" Kunal jumped in.
"You fucking..." Anuj was going to jump on him but Ehaan won over him.
"The fucking piece of shit..." And with those words he jumped on Kunal, knocking him down on the road. Rudr was trying to grab him away from his friend but it wasn't of any use. Ehaan was fuming in anger, punching, hitting and round of cries echoing in the thin air.
Kunal's face had turned pale with the number of punches he was gifted. I gulped in fear, walking towards them. Rudr frequent attempts to get his friend out of Ehaan's grip had turned useless. I was scared that in anger, he might offer him a dangerous wound. Bruises had covered Kunal's face, he was crying for help. Pleading for mercy, maybe he won't dare to voice a word after this.
"Ehaan..." I called him out, his arm swinging to punch Kunal's face again was stopped in mid-air. "Please..." His eyes were straight not for once glancing at me, but he stopped.
Closing his eyes in frustration, "fuck!" He cursed loudly, fisting his hand in a ball and hitting it on the ground due to irritation. I flinched on my place seeing his blooming anger. Why do people have to trigger him at such an extreme? Why couldn't people allow him with some peace? And why he had to be of such a bad temper?
His eyes jerked open, staring straight at his victim. "You better stay away from her and make sure that your lovely friend stays miles away from her. Or the consequence would be worse than this one." That deadly warning could make anyone run in fear. He stood from him, his eyes glancing at Rudr for a nano-second but Rudr didn't have the courage to question him. I sighed in relief, he walked from them towards me as I was standing a few distances away from them.
"And you," fury still radiating from his orbs. "Don't you ever interrupt in my fight?" His eyes getting darker, fuming in annoyance. I narrowed my eyes at him. So, he wanted me to allow him to land in jail. As that was what he was planning after, trying to knock Kunal's breath out of his system. Damaging his organs enough that his bone was severely injured.
"I won't!" I countered back, offering him with same glare. He came an inch forward, his teeth gritting in anger.
"Don't you dare test my patience!" He was warning me but I wasn't going to be intimidated by his furious orbs. I kept staring him straight, his orbs shooting daggers.
"I wasn't going to allow you to land behind bars," I argued. His orbs shifted from furious to amusement.
"What!" He was stunned by my clarification. He shook his head. Rubbing his forehead. "Fuck! What if I might have harmed you in anger?" His orbs softening yet that anger omitted from his dark brown orbs.
"I know, you won't harm me," I whispered, lowering my head. That thought hadn't crossed me even once before walking towards them. I had landed into trouble due to their outrageous fight, before but my mind was clouded with thoughts of Ehaan, not wanting him to land in any trouble.
His rough tip of finger brushed my cheek, slowly raising my head to stare into his orbs. "Why won't I harm you?" He interrogated but smirking orbs trying to drive deep into my soul. "I am a monster." He paused, a devil smirk playing on his lip. "Why wouldn't I harm you?" That mischief oozing from his orbs.
"You might be devil but you care. Your concern for me is the weapon people want to use against you." I whispered, believing that he cares. His orbs widen in amazement. I was finding it difficult to believe that I was his biggest weakness but the screen unfolding before me had made me realise, it was the truth. I had always tried to ignore it due to my fear. My fear of getting attached to him. My insecurity, my lack of trust and above all the feeling of getting hurt. Breaking down into pieces because he was labelled as a bad boy.
A grin played on his lip as he found a hint of trust from me. Maybe I often questioned him, that he never trusted me with his past but I hadn't also trusted him enough with my heart and soul. I had often detached from him whenever I thought he would crush me apart. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling into his chest. Pressing a kiss on my head. "Damn! I had waited for so long for this..." he whispered. I could sense his grin. "Fuck! Finally, you had started to trust me." The satisfaction those words had, a content he felt at that moment. Making an unknown delight to overlap my senses.