20 Ahaan
"Yes, Ahaan. I ate all of my medicine" Daadimaa deadpanned and squinted her eyes at me. I have been taking very extra care of daadimaa since the fainting episode, to which she was clearly annoyed. Yesterday, she almost hit me with her chimta, when I asked her to take a rest.
"fir so jaao, it's two-thirty in the afternoon, stop watching videos on Facebook"
I took the razai and tucked her in and increased the speed of the fan. I was about to go to my room when she called me.
"Ahaan, beta, come sleep next to me" I turned and shook my head.
Sleep seemed like a good option now, given that I was not able to sleep peacefully since after daadimaa fainted. I would wake up every after half an hour and check on her if she was doing okay or not. My days comprised of waking up, going to play at the university, checking on daadi maa from time to time, and trying to study, unsuccessfully.
And the fact that my sister was upset with me did not sit well in the situation, it made the situation worse. When I called her in the hospital, she comforted me and tries to calm me down but once daadimaa was back home, she gave me an earful, which made me cry, literally cry.
I did not talk to her after that. She did not call and I did not have the courage to call her too, I was embarrassed to speak to her again, knowing it was all my fault.
"Na daadi maa, I need to study-"
"Nothing will happen in an hour. Come sleep now"
I nodded and slept next to her, taking the razai. As soon as I closed my eyes, she started caressing my face lovingly. It took me everything to not cry in front of her. My eyes did water but I did not open them. I didn't want to trouble her.
***
I woke up to my phone vibrating in my pocket. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times to actually wake up. Daadi maa was not next to me, I looked at the wall clock it was four in the evening. I had slept for almost one and a half hours, which felt so well.
I took out the phone and saw the caller Id. It was Ketki.
He-hello
Did you just wake up from sleep?
How did you know?
Your voice
You could tell?
um..yeah
Anyways, are you going to the practice today?
Haan but kya hua?
We were all thinking of going to the college fest, you want to come?
I don't know, I don't think I have time
Chal na it will be fun
But I have to study
You have to study your whole life, abhi sirf enjoy kar sakta hai
Haan but
No buts, also ek din mein kuch nahi hone vala, you can cover it up
Fine
-
She cut the call without even saying bye. I shook my head with a small smile playing on my lips. Ketki has been such a sweetheart to me during all this. She has checked on me regularly and tried to get me out of my house at regular intervals.
I rubbed my face with my hands, pocketed my phone, and went outside in the living room to see Daadi maa drinking chai and surfing through the internet.
"Daadi maa" I called yawning.
"You woke up? There's some chai in the teapot, it is hot, no need to reheat" she said without looking up from her phone. I am convinced that even oldies are as addicted to the phone as we youngsters are.
I poured myself some chai and drank it too quickly, burning my tongue as the chai was too hot from my tongue. I drank some water and decided to let the chai cool a bit. I took out the phone and opened Instagram.
The first story was Niharika's story. There were three people in the story, Niharika, Ketki, and Nikunj. All of them were at Niha's place playing Jenga. I frowned realising that I was not invited to play with them.
I jogged outside, talking daadi maa something along the lines that Niha was calling me for a minute. I jumped over the fence and went to Niha's front door, to see all of them watching cartoons together.
I entered the living room and all three idiot's smiley faces turned to me, almost melting all of my anger. They looked so happy together, I did not want to get angry at them.
"When did you wake up?" Niha asked.
"How did you know- oh Ketki must have told you, right?" I looked at her, while she shook her head.
"I came to check on you and you were sleeping" Niha replied, making me wonder that if Niha knew I was sleeping, Ketki must have known that too!
"In my defense," Ketki started "Niha just said that you weren't coming and nothing more" I nodded not understanding anything.
"I will go now, chal kunj, we have to go to practice," I said walking towards the door.
"You go and get ready, I'm already wearing what I should" he shrugged and focused on the tv screen.
"Fine" I rolled my eyes and went to my house again. I knew I should not get annoyed but I could not help it. I felt left out, I wanted to be there with them enjoying.
Shaking my head to clear it, I quickly changed and told Daadimaa that I was leaving for the practice. She got up from the living room sofa and came to the door to say goodbye.
"Chalo aata hu, ram-ram"
I took my bike outside the door to see the three idiots standing there with just one bike.
"Kya hua?"
"Niha's scooter broke down, so we just have one bike" Kunj said patting the seat of his bike.
"Toh kya? You guys sit behind me and Kunj, we can go together"
"Nahi, we don't want to see you guys practice, Niha is going to teach me archery"
"Really? You going archery again?" I asked Niharika, and she nodded.
"Yes, you would know if you talked to any of us except for Ketki" I frowned at her statement.
"What do you mean?"
"Kuch nahi, kunj you go with Ahaan, Ketki and I will ride your bike"
"YOU CAN RIDE A BIKE?" She rolled her eyes and sat on the bike without answering.
Was she correct, did I not spend enough time with her?
***
"Niha, come home, I have some doubts"
"Abhi? It's seven thirty"
"Toh? Aa jaa na, we still have an hour before dinner, waise bhi you're coming over for the dinner"
"Accha chal theek hai"
She cut the call even before I could say goodbye just like Ketki did. Ketki and she have grown close, very close.
I closed my textbooks and kept them aside. I had called her to my house because I wanted to talk to my best friend. I did not like being distant from her. I wanted to know everything. Her family was coming over for dinner which made it easy for me to call her early albeit I had to lie because I did not know how to call her.
I was clearing my desk when Niharika walked in wearing her pajamas and an oversized hoodie I haven't seen before.
"What doubts do you have?" she asked non-chant and plopped on my bed.
Why do I never get to sit on the bed even though it's my room?
"Phele yeh bata ki when did you learn to ride a bike? Who taught you?"
"Kunj did, when you were busy being guilty and cooped up in the house" she replied yawning and I crossed my hands.
"Chal kya raha hai dono mein? batana zara"
"Same thing that's going on between you and Ketki" she shrugged.
"Ketki and I are friends"
"Toh Kunj and I are friends"
"Chal woh jaane de" I said frustrated "What's new?"
"You remember that weird guy in our tuitions? The tallest one?" she sat up straight as her eyes twinkled and her lips curled into a grin wanting to blurt out the gossip.
I could not help but listen, who does not love gossip? Everyone loves gossip, regardless the gender, if someone says they don't love it, they're clearly lying.
"The one with hexagon-shaped glasses?"
"Haan" she nodded in affirmation "he has a girlfriend and you won't believe what she studies"
"What does she do?"
"She studies history" she made a funny disgusted face.
Niha absolutely hates history with a burning passion, she was on the verge of failing that in the tenth standard.
"haye, but how do you know?"
"I was standing near their history building with Ketki, she came there to pass the flyers about some exhibition"
"How did you know it was his girlfriend?"
"I didn't. She was the one who knew my name. Apparently, her idiot boyfriend has told her about everyone in the tuition and she was being so sickly sweet, I tell you" she rolled her eyes remembering the incident.
"She must be sweet naturally," I said and she smiled at me scarstacially and did the air quotes thing before speaking.
"OH NIHARIKA, I'VE HEARD SO MANY GOOD THINGS ABOUT YOU AND AHAAN. PLEASE PLEASE COME TO THE EXHIBITION AND GRACE US WITH YOUR PRESENCE"
"Okay, that's way too much and very creepy" I retch. The thought of someone absolutely unknown to me knowing so much about me made me sick in the stomach, while Niha laughed wholeheartedly.
"Accha leave her, If I tell you something, promise me you will never tell that to anyone, ever" she sobered up and turned serious.
"Haan, Niharika, you know me, I would never tell anyone about anything you tell me here"
"Phir bhi, make a pinky promise" she extended her right-hand pinky.
"You still believe in this?" I said, entangling my pinky finger with hers.
"Pinky promises are real promises!" she almost shouted.
"Chal bata ab, what do you want to say?"
"Don't freak out"
"Bata toh"
"I think I like Kunj" she said quietly, playing with the hem of her hoodie and not looking at me at all.
"YOU WHAT!?"
"Chill mat! If you shout like this, everyone will know"
"Right, I'm sorry, but how? When? What?"
"Woh sab I don't know, but we talk daily, almost meet daily, he supports me a lot..."
"Toh? Even Ketki and I talk daily, doesn't mean we like each other, You must know when and how" I replied and she narrowed her eyes at me.
"You tell me Ahaan, do you not like Ketki, like really?"
"No and we are talking about you and Nikunj, tell me everything, does he like you?"
"We spent a lot of time this year and I developed feelings for her. I don't know about him though" she sadly stayed and frowned, looking down. My heart ached to look at her sad. I cleared my throat and tried to cheer her up.
"If he let you touch his bike, I'm sure he likes you. He even does not let me touch his lovely bike"
"That's true"
"Wait, is this his hoodie? YOU STOLE HIS HOODIE?" My eyes widened in realisation.
"Speak softly and no I did not steal it, that's creepy. I went to his house and forgot to carry my sweater, so he gave it to me and I forgot to return it to him"
"You forgot or you did not return it?"
"Same thing Same thing" she waved her hand to let go of this topic.
"Do you want me to talk to him?" I asked her, my mind went down to remember certain instances where I could, now, pin point the small changes.
"Nahi, don't. Mai dhek lungi" she replied, before I could say something, daadi maa called us for the dinner.
Both of us got up and Niha was about to open the door but she turned at me with a death glare to threaten and warn me.
"If you use this information against me, trust me I will show all those embarrassing pictures to Kekti"
"First of all, I won't use it against you and second, you don't have any embarrassing pictures at all"
"Think again Ahaan, I can come into your house anytime, even when you're asleep" she smirked. Her expressions made me believe that she was not bluffing.
I may not use the information against her but she sure was going to use all those photos against me, in the near future.
***
namaste potatoes,
I know, I am very late but I wasn't well and there were personal things I had to take care of. In other news, @akkimarvelous 's story just crossed 100k reads!? GO READ HER STORY NOW! It's AMAZING.
I recently finished watching The Big Bang Theory, have any of you watched it? If yes, then who's your favourite character and why is it Sheldon/Amy?
also, instead of two updates, I gave you this long chapter, also I'll be completing this story in this month (offline) to give you regular updates and also because my exams are coming soon. <3
also, a question, would you guys read sci-fi?
thank you for reading and supporting me, it means the world to me. I will try my best to update and finish this story and write more amazing stories. I love you all <3
Love <3
Ishita