When a group of people laugh, people will instinctively look at the person they feel closest to. -8 Fact.
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Chapter Sixteen: Secret reveals.
It was that evening when the four of them decided to hangout.
Yashraj couldn't meet Mahaya's eye since she returned home.
Every time she'd try talking to him, he'd turn away.
Guilt was eating him up.
The Mahaya that he saw there seemed vulnerable. She seemed open, delicate, sad and yet beautiful.
The soft side of hers that Yashraj got to witness there, it warmed his heart.
He couldn't get the image out of his head.
Every time Mahaya walked, she had a posture, a body language that made people feel inferior and submissive to her. She walked like she owned the place, which most of the times she did, and it seemed like it was meant to be that way.
The Mahaya that Yashraj saw not a few hours ago, she seemed totally different. She was no longer on guard with her walls up. Her heart was open, hurting and wounded but she was still holding it together.
Maybe following her was a bad mistake.
"Alright. Since this is the fourth and last Saturday of the month, how about we go clubbing?" Kartik suggested.
"How about no?" Mahaya replied.
"Don't be such a spoilsport." He said.
"Say that when you wake up with a hangover tomorrow." Tanya replied, sipping Maaza.
Yashraj and Arjun chuckled.
"How about we just sit in one place?" Tanya suggested.
Everyone looked at her.
Which people in their twenties stay home on Saturday nights?
"Look, I know it's not normal but think about it. We can go clubbing any Saturday. Why not just sit and talk, order pizza, remember old memories?" Tanya said in a soothing voice.
Everyone thought about it.
While the indecisive as always boys pondered upon it, Mahaya spoke up.
"I think it's great."
Tanya gave her a soft smile.
"Who wants to order Pizza?" Arjun asked.
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"And so then I exchanged our papers, resulting in getting an A, thank you very much." Arjun said.
Everyone laughed.
"The girl must hate you." Tanya laughed.
"Oh, yes. I suffered from food poisoning for two weeks." Arjun shuddered.
"Well, I have an incident." Kartik said.
Everyone looked at him.
"It was the year 2009, and I had just began working in the company. I had this very beautiful assistant called Ananya, who was heads over heels for me, and one night, it was raining hard." Kartik said In a Grave tone.
"It was afternoon and it was sunny." Mahaya reminded him, rolling her eyes.
Everyone chuckled and Mahaya looked at Yashraj, expecting him to be looking at her.
She expected for him to look at her and then the two of them would laugh more than others, looking at each other, as always.
But as soon as Mahaya looked at him, Yashraj looked away.
Mahaya frowned.
"Shh. Don't ruin my story moment!" Kartik shushed her and Mahaya rolled her eyes.
Yashraj grunted and picked up the empty pizza boxes. He walked towards the dustbin to drop them and Mahaya quickly followed him from behind.
"Hey, what's up?" She asked casually.
He didn't gaze into her eyes and smile like he usually did.
In fact, he didn't even look at her.
"Nothing." He said before walking towards the kitchen.
Mahaya followed.
"You've been quiet all night." She said silently.
"Yeah. I was tired." He replied, again not meeting her eyes.
Mahaya narrowed her eyes.
Something was definitely wrong.
She didn't remember the last time Yashraj did this.
That was because he didn't. Not even when he insisted it was his car she was getting into.
"Okay. You alright though?" She asked once again.
"Yeah. Completely fine." He looked around in the kitchen.
"Why do you ask?" He asked, opening a random cabinet and digging his head in.
"Because you aren't meeting my eyes." She said honestly, waiting for his reply.
He nervously chuckled and looked at her.
"What are you talking about? Of course I am." He looked at her for a moment and then turned away.
"We should go." He muttered as he rejoined the group.
"So, what are you all talking about?" Yashraj asked.
"Oh, my awesome sexy assistant story."
"Who was my friend." Mahaya reminded him.
"What was her name again?" Tanya teasingly asked Kartik.
Kartik didn't remember names of the girls he hooked up with.
He was that typical jock.
Thank god he had business brains.
"Sarah?" He guessed.
"Not even close! Lavina!" Mahaya exclaimed.
Arjun snapped his fingers.
"Right! All the four of you hung out in those days! She was someone's best friend." Arjun recollected. He closed his eyes, pressuring his brain to give out that name.
"In 2009! That was a long time ago!" Tanya quickly said.
Too quickly, according to Yashraj.
"Abhishek! That's his name! Abhishek Verma!" Arjun suddenly shouted.
He then sat up straight.
"I remember it clearly now. He was your boyfriend, right? Yeah. And Lavina was his best friend. That's why he and Kartik never got along! Because Kartik dumped Lavina!" Arjun shouted.
And was probably the only person happy because everyone had suddenly gone silent.
Tanya and Kartik looked like Arjun had said 'You-Know-Who'.
Yashraj looked at Mahaya.
She looked in pain. Like someone had scratch open her heart.
Arjun realised the tension in the air and sat silent.
It was the same name. He was her boyfriend.
At least Yashraj had guessed that correctly.
And he was dead. The portrait signified that.
So of course Mahaya was in pain.
But Yashraj still had a curiosity to know about this guy.
Tanya quietly made a move to clean everything up and Kartik helped her, quickly disappearing into the kitchen.
"Mahi, I don't know if something I said was wrong, but I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I never meant to hurt you." Arjun said softly.
Yashraj's fists clenched.
Arjun was again calling her something he shouldn't, something that was off-limits to him.
Mahaya looked at him. She gave him a soft smile as she stood up.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm fine."
She was anything but fine. Her eyes screamed that out loud. Her dark coffee brown eyes were glistening. She was about to break down.
She moved into the elevator and was surprised to see Yashraj following her.
Both of them stood silently as the elevator rode up.
"You okay?" Yashraj asked softly.
Mahaya nodded.
"Yeah. Absolutely." She smiled at him.
Yashraj could easily tell it was a fake smile.
She wasn't okay. She was anything but okay.
They stood in silence as elevator went up the sixth floor.
"Tough breakup?" Yashraj hesitantly asked.
He couldn't ask if he was dead. That would give him away.
He had to be more careful. Mahaya was great at catching lied and scams.
The elevator pinged eight floor.
"It was a long time ago." She said, her voice breaking in the end as she got off, leaving Yashraj standing in the elevator alone.
Only she didn't know that he had company.
The company of Guilt, Curiosity and Condemnation.
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Okay everyone. The first chapter was published on sixth April this year. It hasn't even been an entire month and I have already received 1K reads. Now, that may not be anything on Wattpad but it means a lot to me.
So, this is amazing! Truly amazing!
I really love you for the votes and comments! Though my other stories I more popular, this one is set at home, therefore making it closer to my heart.
Hence, thank you!
How did you like the new chapter?
So he did happen to be the boyfriend! Looks like Yashraj was right and you folks were wrong.
Well, do you think Yashraj will confess in the next chapter?
Let me know!