"That's the whole point of life, you know? To meet new people"
Ananya's Pov
I walked upto the parking lot as Dev told me to meet him there after college for our 'outing' I reached there and saw him when was talking and laughing with two girls but you know with his all time fake laugh.
He looked up and saw me, "Hey Arora" He said waving at me and I walked upto him.
"Ready" he asked raising an eyebrow with a smirk.
"I guess, ye mujhe puchna chahiye" I said pointing the two girls with my eyes and he smiled sheepishly. ( I guess, I should ask this question)
He then turned towards the two girls and bid them goodbye smiling and they left happily.
"Look now, Arora" He said smirking and coming closer to me and added "No need to be jealous"
I could feel my cheeks heat up with the closeness so I took a step back and spoke up "Jealous?? In your dreams Mr. Joshi"
"Sach jyada der tak chupta nahi h" he said started walking towards his car. (Truth doesn't stay hidden for long)
I just stood there looking at his back and thought what is this? I met many men in life, even dated one but he is something else, something very different.
"You coming?" He said as now he was leaning on his car, one hand on the rrof if the car and the other in his pocket. I came out of my thoughts and walked upto him.
"I'll drive" I said as soon as he was going to sit on the driver's seat.
"No you'll not, this is my car" he said as a six year kid possessive for their toy.
"Then I'll come in my car" I said and started walking towards my car when he held my wrist and pulled me towards him and when I was going to speak he kept his finger on my lips which sent chills down my spine.
"Just stop talking and sit down, I'll drop you here back then you can go in your car" he said and pushed me inside the car on the passenger's seat.
I was looking out of the window as usual when he decided to speak "So why did you agreed?" he asked me.
I looked at him for what he is talking about when he said "For my deal"
I thought about it but didn't found any words because I myself didn't knew why I accepted this deal of him so I said "I just did"
He didn't enquired anything after that and I was thankful for that because I wasn't ready to open upto him yet.
We reached a bakery and he stepped out of the car smiling and I looked him and asked "Hum bakery kyu aaye hai" and he looked at me grinning replying "Bcoz I love this place.
"We went inside and setlled in the corner booth and ordered pastries for us. I ordered chocolate but he goes with pineapple, I guess it's his favourite.
He was sitting in front of me, arms folded on the top of table and he leaned a little closer to talk and started, "So" he said and I looked at him with all my attention.
"I think we should give them a show" he said wiggling his eyebrows and I asked "What" as I didn't know what he meant by giving them a show and I felt I didn't even want to know that.
"I mean, Maine jitni ladkio ko aaj tak date kia hai, you have to be different from them for everyone to notice you" he said with 'I'm so brilliant' look on his face. (I mean you have to be different from all the other girls I've dated till now for people to notice you)
"What do you mean" I asked again.
"Look Arora, we should make Ray think that what we have is something serious, like not any casual fling but that I could replace him for real" he said looking me staring in the eyes and added after some seconds "It'll drive him crazy"
I kept staring at him blankly and kept quite as I didn't know why he was so determined to help me? W llhy was he doing all this? I wasn't able to take in the fact that Dev Joshi wants to help me in taking revenge on my ex-boyfriend.
"WHAT" he snapped his fingers in front of my face bringing me out of the trance.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked him as I couldn't take it anymore the fact of him helping me without any reason. "Kya mil rha hai tumhe ye sab karke" I asked keeping my hands on table and leaning closer. (what are you getting by doing all this")
He looked at me expression changing to a serious one. "I have my reasons" he said leaning closer, our faces inches apart and in a serious tone.
"Let's go" I said as was shocked with his reply and sudden seriousness. I wasn't able to see the real him. I didn't know if the one laughing and smirking Dev us the real him or this serious one.
We were driving back to the college as I have to take my car from there and there was strict silence between us during our ride till now when he spoke up.
"What happened" he asked and I looked at him with a questioning look when he added "With you and him"
I was surprised by this question bcoz I haven't talked to Dev about mine and Ray's relationship as I don't think we were close enough to do so but I expected him to ask this.
I didn't wanted to talk about this and also didn't had any accurate answer so I just said "He dumped me over the break"
I waited and kept quite, I guess he wanted me to elaborate but I didn't and was thankful that he didn't even ask me to.
"You don't want to talk about it" He asked after a minute.
"That's the last thing I want to do" I replied.
He chuckled at this and said "Funny" and when I looked at him he added "Mujhe laga last thing you wanted to do was dating me" he said smirking and I thought it would be best not to reply and kept looking out of the window. (I thought the last thing you wanted to do was dating m.)
____
It's been four days since we went to that bakery to 'discuss our plan'
and next day when I reached my classroom I saw a chocolate box waiting for me at my desk and surely it was from Dev.
Since then only people started talking about us or I say our relationship. From that day I received many gifts on my desk. People kept gossiping and talking about us and the talks were specifically not about Ananya Arora and Dev Joshi but they were about Dev Joshi and 'that girl'
I was walking through the college corridors towards outside to have lunch but someone called my name and I turned only to find Dev
"Arora" He almost shouted and came running towards me.
"Have lunch with us" he said smiling.
"Excuse me? 'us'." I asked raising an eyebrow.
"Actually, my friends wants to meet you" he said rubbing the back of his neck.
"WHAT" I asked in disbelief like his friends wants to meet me, like seriously.
"Ha, they know everything about me, so they want to meet you, ek ne to naa milane pe marne ki dhamki bhi di hai" he said chuckling.(One of them has even threatened to kill me if I don't introduce you to them.)
"Arey but..." I was saying when he grabbed my hand and started walking towards the canteen.
We were walking, my hand still in his grip as if I'll run away. He turned his head towards me still walking and said "You look down"
"WHAT" I asked.
"Actually you never smile, you're always upset" he said casually.
"Excuse me I'm not"
"Jo bhi hai, but tum khush toh ni ho" (Whatever it is, you are not happy) he said and I flinched at how he normally talked about all this and I feel irritated by that so I wanted to give an answer so I replied "You're not happy either"
He looked at me expressionless when I continued "Tum haste ho, jokes maarte ho, pr khush nahi ho" I said (You laugh, crack jokes but you're not happy)
He chuckled replying "I never said I was" he said and that shut me up as how he can normally talk about his problems and life when I can't even utter a word properly.
We reached the canteen and it was awkward for me as I came here after a long time bcoz of the fear of bumping into Ray or Aditi. Aditi was sitting there in a corner reading a book silently and then my eyes fell on Ray's table where he was talking and laughing with his friends as everything was still same.
"You need to work on that" Dev said in my ear and handed me a plate.
"Wait... On what?" I asked confused.
"That look on your face, jab bhi usse dekhti ho, you make this face as you want to be with him" That look on your face, whenever you look at him you make this face as you want to be with him)
"I hate him" I said sternly.
"So stop looking at him like he's a gift from heaven itself" he said and I looked at him.
"I hate him and I don't want to be with him" I said making it clear.
"It's not your loss Ananya, it's his loss not yours" he said in a softer voice and I couldn't speak anything and we headed to a table where five people were already seated.
"Hey hi" One of the over excited boy said.
"Hi" I said.
"I'm Siddharth, you like avengers" the boy spoke again.
"Yess I love it" I said and he grinned saying
"You're my best friend from today" and I laughed at this.
A girl offered a me a chair beside her and I took it and Dev sat beside me.
"So guyss this is Arora, I mean Ananya" Dev said I and glared at him.
"Hi it's nice to meet you finally, Dev ne tumhari baatein karke irritate kar diya tha, by the way I'm Meher" The girl beside me said smiling and I looked at Dev and gave him 'are you serious' look and he smiled sheepishly. (Hey it's nice to meet you finally, Dev had irritated us by talking about you, by the way I'm Meher)
"So I guess avengers is winning" Dev said to that guy, I guess who is Siddharth.
"Yess ye bhi hamari category ki nikli" The boy beside Siddharth said and everyone chuckled. (Yess she also came out of our category")
"Correct Manav" the boy beside Meher said.
"That's my girl" Dev said proudly.
"Excuse me, I'm not your girl" I said looking at him.
"Not yet" He said smirking.
"Don't keep your hopes up" I said grinning.
"Wow hum log ke alawa aaj tak kisise Dev se aise baat nhi ki, I already like this girl" Mallika said winking at Dev(Wow, apart from us noone have ever talked to dev like this, I already like this girl.)
"Dev tu to gya" The boy beside Mallika said and everyone laughed. (Dev you're gone)
"Why aren't you eating Sumedh" Mallika asked him and he replied making faces "I don't like this food"
"Ek iss ladke ke nakhre khatam ni hote" Meher said. (This boy's tantrums never end)
"Khane ki baat ho ho rhi hai to kal chinese restaurant chalte hai bhut mann ho rha" Sumedh said and everyone agreed and Dev turned to me. (Since we are talking about eating, let's go to a Chinese restaurant tomorrow. I am really craving for it)
"You free tomorrow?" he asked.
"I don't know" I replied as I didn't wanted to feel as if I was forcibly entering in their group when Meher said "She has to come"
"Yess, this will be like a welcome party for her" Mallika said and I looked at Dev.
"Ye tumhari saari girlfriends ke saath aise hi karte hai" I asked him. (This is what they do with all your girlfriends)
And Manav spoke, "Actually tum pehli ladki ho jisse isne hume milaya hai." (Actually you are the first girl whom he has introduced us to.)
"Isko toh apni aadhi girlfriends yaad bhi ni hogi" Sumedh said and everyone laughed. (He might not even remember his half girlfriends girlfriends)
"Pta hai ek baar kya hua tha" Siddharth spoke up and I looked at him. (do you know what happened once)
"Shut up Sid chup ho ja" Dev warned him.
"Tu bol Sidd hum sab hai tere sath" Meher said and he continued. (You say Sidd we all are with you)
"Ek baar na Sumedh ki mummy ne isko ek Cafe me dekha, you wanna guess ye kya karne wala tha" Sid said in a teasing tone. (Once Sumedh's mother saw him in a cafe, you wanna guess what he was going to?)
"Saale muh band rakh yrr" Dev again said and I looked at him with an amused expression and then again at Sid when he continued. (Bastard, keep your mouth shut)
"He was almost going to kiss a girl, jab unhone aake iska kaan pakad liya" He said and everyone was in a fits of laughter, even me except Dev. (He was almost going to kiss a girl, then she came and twisted his ear)
"Aur Maa ko lagta tha ye sbse seedha hai" Sumedh said laughing. (And mom thinks he's the most innocent human)
"Seriously" I asked him controlling my laugh and he scratched his eyebrows and after some second looked at me and said
"You look great when you smile, be like this" he said and I my cheeks heat up and there were teasing sounds from everyone.
Like this the lunch period got over and after so much time, today I really enjoyed my lunch. I never expected Dev's friends to be this friendly. They didn't let me feel like an outsider for even a moment and welcomed me like I was already a part of thier group.
After a long time I laughed wholeheartedly and enjoyed their company.
Dev walked me off to the parking lot and when he was going towards his car I shouted from behind "DEV" and he looked back from his shoulder an raised an eyebrow.
I smiled looking at him and said "Thank you, I really enjoyed today"
At this he showed his million dollar smile showing off his great dimples and said "Welcome darling" and winked at me. I smiled
Hey guyss hope you all are fine, so here comes the friends meeting part and I hope you all like it! ♥️♥️♥️
So voted and comments and keep showering your love here! 😘😘