Note: Some of you felt in the last chapter that Aesha's parents were convinced a little easily.
I just want to clarify that from the start I have showed Aesha's parents are truly supportive and understanding. So if I had created a major drama like they slap her, lock her up in rooms, stopped her from going school, etc with their parents, then it would be ruining their characters. The whole purpose of showing how important it is to have parents that support and understands us would go down in the drain. In these teen years, their guidance is really important as they have more experience than us and they know more about us than ourselves.
But to balance this, I added Chachi's role in adding tadka.
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Arnav took off after having breakfast. My dadaji and dadiji kept interogating him with all the questions they could ask except his relationship with his father.
My family was behaving in such a manner that as if Arnav had asked for my hand in marriage.
Thinking about marriage with Arnav made me blush. It was too early to talk about. I mean we were not even of legal age.
My Chachi was the most embarrassing of all. I think I have to find a way to cut her Tv connection and any source through which she is able to watch shows and movies.
She behaved like Arnav was 'ghar ka hone wala damad'.(Soon to be son-in-law)
She kept filling up his plate with more foods and even made him eat from her hands saying "Ab to tum hamare gharke sadasya banane wale ho."(You are soon going to be a member of our family.)
I couldn't stop myself from bashing my head on the table in embarrassment. Sonal dee rubbed my back in a comforting manner while laughing at the scene. I glared at her which made her to stop but she couldn't hold it anymore amd continued laughing.
Arnav's face was to look at. His expression was shouting out loud that he wanted to run away somewhere. I knew he must be remembering the moment I asked him not to come to my house.
He kept glancing my way and his eyes were pleading me.
Papa was the one who came to rescue.
"Choti bahu, you didn't listen what I said earlier? They have to make their career first then all this." Papa's face was serious. No one would dare to cross him roght now.
"Jee-jee" Chachi stuttered. My Papa was not someone who used strict voice easily. So she understood it was better to accept his words.
So after that he made an excuse and left.
It was four thirty in the evening now. I was doing my home assignment for school tomorrow when my phone rang.
I picked it up and saw it was Arnav.
"Hello" I smiled.
"Hey"
"I should have made you call million times before picking up." I teased.
"I am sorry. Will you ever be able to forgive me?" He asked guilty.
"Didn't you say earlier that we had an entire life ahead for you to make up for?" I smirked.
"Aesha." He sighed. I could imagine him shaking his head.
"So are you telling me, you are going to forget me after 12th?" I glared at the phone.
"Aesha, you talk a lot!"
"So you will forget me." I deliberately made my voice vulnerable.
"I know you are playing with me, Aesha. So stop this. You always divert me from the main topic." He sighed.
"Okay, sorry. Tell."
"Come out of your house now."
"Now?"
"Yes"
"But why?" I frowned.
"Just do as I say." And he cut the phone.
What was he upto? I don't think my Papa would like to see him twice in a day.
I rushed out thanking that nobody was in the living room. I saw him leaning on his car sideways.
"What are you doing here? You know Papa wouldn't like it. He would think we are breaking his condition before even we started working on it." I hissed.
He just shook his head and took my wrist. He dragged me inside his car and sat himself.
"Arnav, what are you doing? Let me go." I shouted.
"Calm down Aesha."
"How can I calm down? You are literally kidnapping me! What would my family think when they found out I am missing and with you now after all this drama-" I couldn't speak anymore as his hand was on my mouth and moved closer.
"Ssshh... Now you will take a deep breath and be silent like a good girl and listen to me. Understood?" His eyes were captivating me into their depthness.
I just nodded my head.
"Good" He removed his hand from my mouth and instead held my hand in his iterlocking our fingers.
All this while, I realised the driver had seen my tantrums and we were moving.
"I need you to come with me somewhere." He said.
"Isn't it too late to ask, Mr.?" I glared at him.
"What I said about being silent?" He scolded me like a kid.
I pouted and huffed.
"We found out the number that send that picture."
"You did?" I asked in surprise. He gave me a glare.
"Yes, we did and we are going there. But I want you to be patient all the time. Don't jump to any conclusion. Okay?" He asked calmly.
I nodded.
"Good." He said and then he pulled me in his arms. I wrapped my around his torso and put my head on his chest listening to his heart beat.
We stayed like this till the car stopped. I pulled away and looked out the window and gasped.
"Jenny..." I whispered. We were standing in front of Jenny's house.
Arnav opened the car door and pulled me out of the car with him.
I couldn't believe this, Jenny was behind it all the way. Was she really jealous? Was Chachi right jealousy could make anyone do anything?
Arnav dragged me to the front door as I was so shocked. He knocked on the door.
Why was I so shocked when I had a doubt already? Was it because that I had trust on my friendship? Was it because I was in denial?
The front door opened and it was Jenny in front of us.
"Hey Arnav" She greeted him cheerfully. She then looked behind and her smiled dropped.
"Hey Aesha." She whispered. So she was sad to see me and happy to see Arnav.
I was angry to see that she could forget our friendship so easily and I knew somewhere I was jealous to see her smile at Arnav. I saw a phone in Jenny's hand.
I quickly pulled out my phone from my jean's pocket and called on that number. The phone rang and I saw the screen of the phone Jenny was holding blinking. The phone was probably on silent mode.
"You did this?" I asked angrily.
"Aesha-" Arnav started saying but I stopped him from speaking.
"How could you Jennny? You were one of my closest friend. We grew up together! Yet you tried to ruin my reputation! You tried to destroy our lives! God! How could you do this?" I shouted.
She was on the verge of crying. But I was seeing red. I couldn't believe she was turning me into a violent person.
"How dare you-" I started
"Aesha stop!" Arnav shouted. He cupped my face and made me look at him. "Just stop Aesha."
"How can you ask me to be silent?" I whispered. A tear slipped from my eyes.
At that moment, I saw someone come out of the house from the corner of my eyes. Arnav let me go and looked at the new comer. The person had not noticed us.
"Hey Jenny, that is my phone." She snatched it from Jenny's hand.
Who was the person that said 'life was full of surprises'? I think he or she should be awarded. In my case, life was full of twists.
I couldn't believe who it was. All this time, I kept blaming Jenny whereas someone else was to be blamed.
As if realising our presence, she turned and gasped in surprise.
How ironic it was that at that moment I wanted to speak out loud 'surprise'...
"Arnav?...Aesha..." She whispered. She then composed herself and gave us a small smile "Hi"
She was afraid of being caught. What she didn't know was the truth was already out.
I saw our Rehan and all my friends coming out of Jenny's house and stood behind Jenny.
"What's going on?" Rehan asked worried.
"Nothing...umm... You guys enjoy. I have to go now." She was trying to escape but I was not going to let her go so easily. I wanted explanation.
She started to move but I blocked her way. "Not so soon" I emphasised each word.
"What is your problem, Aesha? Let me go." She shouted nervously.
"You are my problem...Miss Sheena, my so called friend." I was seething in anger.
"I-I don't know what are you speaking." She stuttered.
I snatched the phone from her hands like she did with Jenny.
"I guess this will make you understand." I dialed the number from my phone and her phone rang as expected. I smirked in anger.
My friends were confused while Sheena kept looking at the ground fidgeting with her fingers.
"What is happening? We are all so confused." It was Nina.
"So Sheena, will you speak out or shall I?" I asked. She kept silence. She knew nothing she said will save her.
"Stop this suspense and tell us what's going on Aesha." Neha was frustrated.
"You know someone called Arnav's father and decided to spill out everything about Arnav and me. Also she was so kind enough to express Arnav's feelings for his father and told his father that it was me who was calling him. And guess what she was so generous to send my mother a photo of Arnav and I." I was controlling myself before I did something that I regret.
Arnav interlaced my hand in his. He squeezed my hand comforting me. I took a deep breath.
"That day Arnav went mad on you because of this?" Understanding dawned on Neha's face.
I saw Arnav feeling guilty. I gave his hand a squeeze. I may have told him that he had to work for it but the truth was I had already forgiven him. I understood where he came from and what he had went through.
"Wait a second, Sheena you did this?" Nina asked bewildered.
Sheena tried to move again but this time Nina and Neha blocked her.
"Oh no no no... You are not going anywhere before answering me why you tried to trouble ny best friend." I knew Nina was someone I could call my sister forever.
"Sheena why did you do this?" Peter pulled her to look at him. She started crying.
"I-I" She stuttered.
"We want an answer Sheena. Either you answer me or I will have to call the police. You do know that you breached our privacy and misused our property. You had no right to misuse our pictures or emotionally blackmail us." It was the first time Arnav spoke but his words were a final blow to Sheena.
"Yes, I did this." She shouted and forcefully pulled her hand out of Peter's grasp." It was always about Aesha! Whoever came was like oh wow how sweet is Aesha, how good is Aesha."
"Oh cut the hell and get straight to the point!" Nina shouted. She was bored of Sheena's antics.
"Four years back when I joined the school, I met Peter and I came to like him." She glanced at Peter. "But he was always with the group and I knew if I wanted to be closer to him then I have to be friends with everyone. So I made them my friends. Then the time came when I confessed to Peter that I liked him. But do you know what he said?" She looked at me angrily taking a pause."He said I don't like you Sheena because I like Aesha!" She spat the words at me.
My eyes were wide and I looked at Peter in surprise. Peter couldn't look at my face.
What? How?
Was Peter's silence confirmed her words were true?
"Why Peter? Why so silent now? Don't you want to profess your love now?" Sheena mocked him with an evil smirk.
"Shut up Sheena." He said but there was no power in it.
"But he was with you, Sheena." Rehan spoke confused.
"I was just a backup for him. He tried various ways to make Aesha see that he liked her but she never saw."
"That's because he was always a good friend to me. I never looked at him in any other way." I clarified.
Sheena nodded "That's the only reason he came to me. He saw that nothing would make you look at him."
"But this doesn't explain why you did this with me and Arnav if Peter was at fault?" I was frustrated. Was this girl some pyscho. Who was she? She wasn't the same girl I called my friend.
"You will never understand how it feels to be a back up. I felt used. I was a second option to him. I was never first. It was all fine till Arnav entered. I saw how you acknowledged his presence. You had never looked at anyone else the way you look at him. Peter also realised it. He told me once that what did Arnav had that he didn't. You know how heart breaking it was for me! I thought he had moved on but no he didn't. He was still stuck on you." She shouted looking at Peter.
This made Peter look up "Sheena I-I never meant in that way."
"Oh please! Don't lie to me." She then turned to Jenny "Jenny was a good bait for me. When I knew that Jenny and you had a fight again, I saw a chance. I knew this was the time to strike and everyone will blame Jenny for it. That's why I planted a seed of doubt in your head and guess what you believed it too. I wanted you to feel the heartbreak I felt all those years ago and now. I wanted you to suffer the pain of not getting wat you want."
I looked at Jenny guiltily whose eyes were now tearing up.
"Sheena you are really mad." Neha shook her head.
"What happened with you was never Aesha, Jenny or mine fault. You had no right to mess up with our lives." I knew Arnav was angry but he was controlling himself because Sheena was a girl. If Sheena had been a boy, I doubt Arnav would have stand still till now.
"You are sick Sheena. You are sick. I am ashamed to call you friend. You should thank us that we are not giving you to police for mishandling our pictures and impersonating someone else." I felt like I had lost all my energy. It was too much for me. I leaned back on Arnav and he wrapped his arms around my waist supporting me.
"Sheena, I am sorry. If anyone was at fault, it was me. You shouldn't have blame or done these things with Aesha and Arnav. Yes, I believe I liked Aesha at the start but when we got together, I came to know you and believe me I truly fell in love with you." Sheena looked up surprised.
"But you-you said that day..." Sheena couldn't complete her sentence.
"I just spoke in wonder because Aesha was a girl that never looked at anyone else. I was just curious. I didn't know you will take in the wrong way." Peter spoke as if I wasn't present here. I blushed at his words and I felt Arnav looking at me and smirking. Way to feed his ego.
"I think you guys should take it somewhere else. " I suggested.
"Yes" Everyone agreed with me.
Peter pulled Sheena with him and started walking away.
"Wait!" I shouted. They both turned back to look at me. It would be good to say only Peter looked at me. I think Sheena had started feeling guilty.
"I think it would be best if you both stay away from me for a while." I needed time to accept everything.
"Aesha-" Peter started to argue but stopped him showing my hand.
"It's not easy for me Peter, Please." I pleaded.
I think he understood because he nodded and then turned back and left with Sheena.
I sighed and closed my eyes all this time staying in Arnav's embrace.
"I think we should go Rehan, it's getting late." Neha broke the silence. Rehan nodded and they both left too.
It was now just me, Arnav and Jenny. I knew I had to face her but my guilt was too much. I was afraid to look at her.
Arnav's hands tightened around me telling me that he was here for me. He was my confidence.
I looked up at Jenny."I am sorry, Jenny."
She looked at me and I saw that she was still crying. I moved out of Arnav's arms and took her hand in mine.
"I know no matter how much times I say sorry, it wouldn't be enough. I doubted you, blamed you for something you never did. I don't know what else I can do to show you how Sorry I am." A tear escaped my eyes. I didn't realise when our friendship had weakened so much that anyone could come and take advantage of it.
"Aesha, I was sad that you could believe I was capable of this. I know I act silly sometimes. To be honest, I was jealous when you started giving more attention to you. I will be honest that at some point I had crush on Arnav." I saw that Arnav was uncomfortable to be here listening to Jenny's confession." But Aesha, I would never do this with you." She whispered.
"I am really sorry." And that's when ladies and gentlemen my watertank burst and all the tears came out.
She quickly pulled me into her arms and we both sobbed together like small girls who had lost their candies. We sobbed for our weakened friendship, sobbed for the misunderstanding, sobbed for all the trouble and the newfound strength of our friendship that we would always maintain. I wasn't not going to make the same mistake again.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Arnav scratching his neck and his expression was like "why am I here?" He was feeling out of the place.
But this was my friendship time with a friend I nearly lost. So he had to endure to see two girls crying. I hugfed her tighter and we stayed like that for a while.
She pulled back and wiped her tears sith one hand. "I think we should stop, we are making Arnav uncomfortable with all the crying." She laughed a little.
Arnav blushed not knowing what to say. I laughed along Jenny.
"Thank you Jenny. I promise this will never happen again."
"I know." She smiled.
"I think we should go now, Aesha. It's getiing late." Arnav declared. I nodded at him.
"Go. I will see you at the school tomorrow." Jenny smiled and nudged me forward.
Arnav opened the car door for me and I went inside. He too joined and then closed the door.
As the driver started pulling away, I waved my hands in goodbye for Jenny.
When she was out of view, I leaned back and closed ny eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Arnav asked rubbing my arm.
I opened my eyes and sighed "To be honest, I am not okay. It's hard to accept that the people you call friends could do something like this and then knowing that one of your friends had feelings for you is too much."
"You are mine, you understand?" Arnav pulled me in his arms possessively.
"Are we getting possesive, Mr. Roy?" I teased.
"I have every right to." He said cheekily. He kissed my head and I smiled. I liked this feeling. Peaceful and calm with your loved one.
Soon the car stopped in front of my house but we stayed the way we were for a while.
"So what now?" Arnav asked.
"I guess studying for the twelfth boards,passing them with flying colors, make the most of the time we have together, then achieving our career dreams." I whispered.
"And our dreams?" He asked.
I pulled away and smiled "that's not a dream." He frowned. I leaned forward and kissed his cheek "that's a reality for me, you and me together forever."
A grin broke out on his face hearing my words an he pulled me again in a hug. He kissed my forehead and then my cheeks making me blush.
"Forever." He said with a sincere promise in his eyes.
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I told my family about everything. They were also shocked hearing the truth. My Papa went kind of bersek that why everyone was after his little princess and he has to now lock me up forever. We all smiled at him. We knew he would never lock me up but he would definitely protect me from any evil out there.
I was scared what would have happened if we had not stopped all this on right time. What if Sheena had shared with whole school or town? It woud have ruined my family. It isn't people's business what we do but people talk and sometimes its scary.
I took a deep breath and leaving all this behind I remembered all the positive things that happened that I should be thankful for.
I was thankful for such amazing and supportive parents who undesrtands me, a sister that I could fight with, that I could share anything with and a sister who loved me to death.
I was thankful for my family who were there to spice up my boring life, to stand for me when needed, to guide me like Dadu.
I was thankful to god for sending Arnav in my life, to give me the kind of love that is too precious and honest. He built up my confidence and was always there for me
I didn't know what future had in store for us. I didn't know what would happen to Dadu's cancer, I didn't know how my twelfth boards will be, I had no idea how life was going to be after twelfth. Venturing out in an unknown world alone was scary.
But I did know that no matter happens, I was going to be positive and I knew I always will have everyone's love and blessing with me.
I decided to freshen up my mind so I was now online on Wattpad checking my ARIndia's profile.
It made me smile how Arnav was always with me. Going through his works I found the same poem that I had read months ago and which had made me fallen in love with his poetry.
Reading it once again, I wondered was the girl me and the beast him? Like me, had he written his side of story of us in the form of a poem? I guess it was something I needed to ask him someday.
I opened up a new page to write down the next chapter of my story "Destiny".
Maybe my life story had come to one of its ends but my wattpad story "Destiny" still had a long way to go. I still had so many updates waiting.
I knew someday I wanted the world to know that it was not just a fiction story but it was a true story. It was A tale of an Indian Wattpad writer.
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Boom! I did shock you all, didn't I? *smirks evily."
So how do you feel about Jenny and Sheena now?"
Okay, I am seriously crying right now. I wrote the last chapter of this book. I have reached the end, almost.
Please do NOT delete this story from your library because there is still epilogue left and I may throw in some bonus chapters or maybe some info about a possible sequel ;)
I searched #YourStoryIndia and saw that there are so many stories with millions of reads and votes. It kind of made me lose my confidence.
But as my Papa always says, Its about participating, not winning or losing. So I am still participating.
The voting will start from April 12-26 and I think on their page so its my humble request to you that if you love this story or even like a little bit please vote in the specified time. This is my request to all my silent readers too. Please support me. I will inform you the details at that time.
Thank you so much!
Don't forget to click that Star button ;) Follow and comment too!