Note:
Apart from obvious references to public figures and events, all characters and incidents in this book /story are fictional.
Any similarities to people living or dead are entirely coincidental.
The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author by this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means ,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording.
Otherwise everyone knows that there is punishment for every crime be it small or big.
Before you start reading just know that this story has two endings.
One is a sad ending while the other is happy ending.. so the readers can choose which ending to accept.
Chapter One.
Anya's P.O.V.
I woke up to my mouth full of cat fur, i shifted my cat Kitty on my side as she purred in her sleep.
The sun was shining brightly through my window, birds chirping melodiously, creating an amazing tune.
It was Sunday, means mine and Arjun's tradition day.
Since we were small, we had created a tradition of spending every Sunday with each other and no one else.
And there never came a day of us not following our tradition.
This tradition for us is like the way normal people celebrate their birthdays.
It is a celebration of our friendship.
It is a celebration of our togetherness.
I turned on my other side to find Arjun fast asleep, i smiled at his way of sleeping, leaving an open mouth.
He looked cute like that.
I then kissed him on his cheek and headed towards the bathroom.
I brushed my teeth and then washed my face, and after that i decided to take a bath.
The cold water hit me sharply on my bare shoulder, in this summer it was better to have a bath with cold water than warm water.
I lathered my now shoulder-length hair with my favourite milk and almond nourishing shampoo.
I still don't like the length of my hair, as now they are longer it takes more time in washing than it used to take when they were shorter.
After the bath, i wrapped a towel around my body and came out of the bathroom to look for the clothes to wear.
Looking for clothes in my closet can take decades, in a girl's closet you would always find women's wear right? Well in mine you would mostly get men's wear and that's all thanks to Arjun.
I just wore Arjun's T-shirt which reached to my mid-thigh, that is ofcourse after wearing my undergarments.
I then half-dried my wet hair with the towel and sat on a chair facing the mirror.
I love mirrors.
I then dramatically asked," mirror mirror on the wall,who do you think is the cutest among Arjun's friends?"
Am I crazy or am i CRAZY?
Come on Anu! Your life is not like snow-white that you can speak to the mirror and it will answer you.
Thank You sooo much brain, for explaining me about how my life is for Snow white's sake, i know mirrors don't talk in real life.
I then looked at my reflection.
Big eyes with brown orbs, which becomes lighter under the sunlight.
My long Pinocchio type nose. Its actually not thaaaaatttt long but its longer than average, that is why i call my nose Pinocchio.
Then i got this beautifully shaped lips with a pink shade.
I loved my smile alot, although i could never smile with my lips attached, my toothpaste ad smile is the one i love the most.
I then saw the outline of my face, can a girl look good in a defined jawline? Well that is what i have.
And then i have this body which makes Arjun call me...
"Hey matchstick, why are you up so early?" The sleepy Arjun asked me, he was still a little sluggish from sleep.
Actually am not that thin, but i don't have the curvy body either, its just straight hence am given the name 'matchstick' by Mr. Lazybones Arjun.
I turned around to face him and said," Mr. Lazybones, do you know what the time is? Its not early, its fifteen minutes past eleven!"
"So? Its Sunday! No one is allowed to wake up before noon. Its a crime you know?" He kept on telling me how big crime it is to wake up early on a Sunday and blah blah.
Who would have listened to that boring lecture anyway?
I ignored his explanation and started to brush my hair, i tell you Arjun is the only boy i have ever heard that he was the quarterback of our high school and yet he is the most lazy person.
A footballer is supposed to be sporty and active.
Arjun was and is a couch potato.
I wonder how he was always able to make his team win.
Plus, he was the coach's fave player, in fact he is everyone's heartthrob.
Suddenly i felt pain, cause something fell on me.
I screamed," ooouuuch!"
I then turned around took the pillow that was thrown to me and threw it back to Arjun while saying," do you know it hurts?"
It didn't actually hurt but I had to be a bit dramatic.
Obviously am not good in aiming, so the pillow that i threw landed the other side of the bed.
He took another pillow and threw at me again.
This time i dodged," hah! And now get ready for a pillow fight!" I declared.
Anger rising in me like a quick silver in a thermometer, i rushed towards Arjun, climbed on top of the bed, took the pillow and started to attack him.
Before my pillow could even touch him.
Arjun took hold of a pillow nearby him and started moving the pillow here and there without seeing what he was doing, cause his eyes were closed.
He looked like an actor from Jackie chan's movie who had encountered the trained fighters and he himself doesn't even know the AbC of fighting, of karate.
This moment, there is big fat smile stuck on my lips, the air is tickling.
The stupid wishes are making noise, i have got reasons for happiness.
There is something passionate, there is something craziness, cause right now my crazy mind is telling me hundred of things.
Let the dreams do stupidity,let the eyes rules, lets find some new destination and do very very funny mistakes.
If you want to be in senses then there is no use in living, being intoxicated, being mad is fun.
The childishness is happening so let it happen.
As now i have got reasons for happiness.
What is this effect i got on my mind, my heart beat is running in all types of speed.
There is some tune playing with the breeze.
There is too much of sun shining today morning.
Let the heart keeps on having silly feeling cause i have got the reasons for happiness.
I looked at Arjun and laughed hard.
He is the reason for my happiness.
For the past few months, i don't know what's happening to me.
I feel everything magical.
I feel myself alive for a cause.
I feel everything colourful.
Arjun stopped his pillow fight with the air and looked at me and said," what? I was defending myself!'
I rolled my eyes and said," yeah right, your automatic-defending-yourself-action was beneficial for you."
He smiled, an indent showing on his left cheek, with his dark brown hair framing his defined features, with little tufts here and there, which went perfectly with his tanned skin.
Can someone be this perfect? Even after just waking up?
I mean i don't know why pillows only thinks of styling girls hair specifically.
We always wake up with a bird's nest on top of our head.
Arjun coughed intentionally to bring me back to earth from my imaginary world and said," now that you have stopped day dreaming about me, can you come back to reality and let us decide what we will do today?" His demeanour all nonchalant and cool.
I smiled evily thinking of all funny and silly things i will make him do today but said," first lets do brunch, cause am famished."
"Am worried after seeing your grin," he spoke as i was heading downstairs for brunch while he entered inside the washroom.
You should be. I thought.
*********
As every Sunday, Arjun is the one who prepares for brunch cause i don't know cooking.
What? So what am a girl.
Its not a must every girl should know cooking.
Plus, if i have amazing chefs around me then why should i take the trouble of learning?
Arjun was busy cooking courgettes pancake and spoke," matchstick, you still have not told me what we will do today."
I smiled and spoke while feeding on the already cooked pancake," why are you being so impatient? I told you will tell you after brunch nah? Then? Cook fast cause there is a marathon of elephants going on in my stomach."
He smiled, his hair messily tucked under the chef cap, with the flour covering his nose.
And just to scare him i spoke," Oh My God! Arjun!"
I intentionally called him Arjun cause he knows that i only call him by name when i have something serious to tell him.
He left the pancake on the pan and came rushing towards where i was sitting.
Worried he asked," whats wrong?"
I gave him a face of shock and worry and exclaimed," you are growing old!"
He breath out a relief and said," you scared me matchstick."
Ignoring his statement i continued with my prank," well am serious you for sure are getting old."
He smiled saying," you and i both know that's impossible, am just twenty three."
"So? It doesn't mean you are getting old just because you are aged," i replied.
"Then?" He asked.
"Well you can also be old because you got grey hair," i was trying hard to stop myself from laughing.
"And how will i get grey hair?" He asked, he had now resumed cooking and almost done too.
"How will i know how you got them? There are many reasons that can make your hair become grey, especially grey hair is common with now-a-days generation people."
"Really?And which reason do you think that caused me to have grey hair," he asked.
Damn! He is not going to understand, it means i will have to explain it to him in full detail.
"Well i cant really be sure but it can be stress about work or stress due to your football matches, it can be because you might be using harmful chemicals on your hair or not having a proper diet or probably it can be possible that you might have applied flour unintentionally while making these pancakes?"
His hand directly went to his hair after listening to my last sentence. I was now able to laugh at my content.
"You are just making it worse you know?," i said cause he probably forgot that his hands are still covered with flour.
He made a face which indicated that he faced palmed mentally.
And asked,"can i get some help then?"
With his left eyebrow raised
I smiled and went towards him to help.
I stood tiptoed to reach for his hair and tried to dust of the flour particles.
His hair felt smoother in my hand than they really looked.
Our close proximity made my heart beat at a furious rate.
I just hope he cant listen cause he cant be mine.
After removing flour from his hair, i stood a little far from him and asked," so how is the preparation going?"
He spoke," am almost done,here you can have them," he handed me the plate of pancakes.
"I..i meant the wedding," but i still took the pancake he offered cause my problem is that i love food.
"Oh! Its going ok i guess, actually i was to go today for a tasting meeting with Aisha to finalise the chefs for the wedding but since today is Sunday, our tradition day i couldn't go."
"You should have gone,i guess it would have been fine if you had not come..i mean after the wedding we wont continue our tradition,right?" i spoke.
"What? You want me to ditch our tradition? Anu its Sunday! Our tradition day! I cant break the rule, the promise we made, it will mean that i don't value us, our friendship, i know that if i don't follow this tradition then it will hurt you and i cant do that."
A tear rolled down my cheek and i wiped it fast but Arjun saw it and he hugged me.
That is all i wanted, a hug from a friend, from a best friend.
Not from someone who i have a crush on.
"What about Aisha?" I asked my voice muffled in his arms.
"She will have to understand our friendship," he answered.
But no girl will want her husband to be this close to some other girl than herself.
"So? What are we going to do today?" Arjun asked.
We dislocated the hug and i said," you have no patience at all Malhotra."
"Well yah i don't, now tell me what we will do."
"The usual?" I asked but at the same time it was like an order.
"What? Nooo, sometimes you have to change the routine," He complained.
"And sometime you have to stop complaining," i said.
He rolled his eyes and said,"fine!"
*****
"Nooo don't go Tom, look ahead! Ohhh," i was shouting while watching Tom and Jerry. Tom got hurt with a rake he probably didn't know that Jerry had planned evilly.
Arjun sighed and said,"you have watched this part ten times in your life."
"And i still wont get tired watching it ten times more."
"All they do is fight," said Arjun.
"Their fights shows their love," i replied.
"Hmm..so for you love is fighting?" He asked.
I smiled and shook my head in denial then replied," for me love is caring, you only scold or fight with someone because you care and you only care because you love."
*****
After watching Tom and Jerry, we decided to play Monopoly, a game in which Arjun always fail.
"Oh no! How can i go to jail right now? I mean i so desperately needed that 200 which i would have got after passing GO," Arjun cried.
Oh poor Arjun! His luck is never with him whenever we play Monopoly.
Although he never believes in that stuff.
He always says "there's no such thing as luck all you need is love, and you will feel that you have achieved more than enough."
I had bought almost all the rich side and expensive properties and left for him the properties like old Kent, Whitechapel, Euston road, pentoville which doesn't give you much rent if some players stood over and i was just showing off my victory when the bell of my house door rung.
Arjun sighed in loss and stood up to open the door for whoever that was ringing uncontrollably and impatiently.
I stood up too following Arjun.
The door was opened and there stood
"Aisha!" Arjun said excitedly.
With "Zayd? What the hell are you doing here?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes and said," obvio i didn't come for you, Aisha was missing Arjun so i brought her here no big deal."
I looked at Arjun and Aisha, they for sure looked perfect together and i would do anything for Arjun's happiness even if it meant breaking my heart into tiny pieces.
A pang of pain felt in my heart as i headed back to living room to put back the board game.
Zayd came and helped me to put the stuff of board game back.
Why is he helping me?
Is he sick?
I looked at him questionably.
"Stop looking at me that way," he said while he was picking up the properties card and arranging in the box.
How did he see me looking at him.
He then continued," listen i don't apologise to anyone and i wont apologise to you either, so i will come straight to the point.
I know today it was yours and Arjun's tradition day, but i don't care. I said it was because from today in fact from now you wont celebrate this tradition day again, ever. I would do anything for Aisha's happiness."
"Arjun would never allow this, us not following tradition is next to impossible," i argued.
He smirked and said," next to impossible but not impossible,right?"
"And who said he will keep the promise he made when he was six years old?" Zayd asked.
"What are you trying to imply?" I asked.
He shook his head and said," for sure the nickname i gave you suits you, stupid. I meant that promises are meant to be broken, if not now then some day, if not him then you will break.
Aisha she is so innocent that she would never tell Arjun but i know that it hurts her to see you with Arjun. This time you will tell him to stop following the tradition and am sure he will listen to you."
"He wont," i replied " believe me, i have tried and also am ready to do anything for Arjun's happiness."
"Yah right, even if it means breaking your heart into tiny pieces," Zayd spoke.
"What?" I asked shocked as to what he meant by that sentence.
"You thought i didn't know? C'mon! Its clearly evident," his grey orbs looked into mine and then said," your eyes says everything, and if he doesn't listen then do something, something that makes him break the promise.Just the way you feel when you see Aisha with Arjun the same way Aisha feels when she sees you with him."
He paused and took a deep breath."the only difference is you know that there is nothing between you and Arjun and between Aisha and Arjun? They are getting married next month! So obvio Aisha will be hurt more seeing Arjun with someone else with their wedding date approaching"
I looked at him, he is not the Zayd i know. He is not the Zayd who is always ready to argue and fight with me. He is not the Zayd i abhor.
He is Aisha's protective brother Zayd. He is the caring Zayd. I have never seen him talk this way especially not with me.
"Don't tell me you guys are fighting again?" Asked Arjun.
I jolted away from my thoughts and looked at Arjun and then to Zayd.
Whatever he said was true.
I do felt hurt whenever i see Arjun with Aisha but at the same i know how Aisha might be feeling when Arjun spends time with me.
"I have other work to do than waste my precious time fighting with her,"Zayd answered Arjun and stood up to leave.
But, before he left he said," Stupid! Just think over what i said."
Obvio that sentence was directed to me.
Wait. Why am i speaking like him?
Hell! His words are giving a bad effect to my pronunciation skills.
****
The whole day went by Arjun spending time with Aisha while as i didn't want to be a gooseberry i sat in my room with my kitty probably drawing.
After Aisha left, a few minutes before dinner, Arjun came to my room to call me for dinner.
I had finished my drawing and was now reading a novel.
Arjun sat beside me and asked directly," what was Zayd saying? I mean he always calls you Stupid! Seriously? Who is he to call you by names? And what did he mean when he said just think over, what was it about?"
"Nothing," i replied.
"I would tell Aisha to tell him never to come near you," Arjun spoke with his anger rising.
"Why?" I asked.
"What?" He asked unsure of what i meant.
"Why would you do that?"
"I know you hate him and me too i don't like him but am only tolerating him because he is Aisha's elder brother, but you don't need to put up with him."
I smiled and said," why are we talking about him? Cm'on i want to talk to you about something but lets do it after dinner cause am hungry."
I don't even know how to start the conversation about breaking the tradition.
God! Please help me.
I sat on the chair while Arjun was ordering for a pizza from Pizza Inn.
"While the pizza is on the way you can have these cookies," Arjun offered.
I took a cookie and took a bite of it.
Just then my mum entered the house and came to the kitchen.
"Hello Anu,Arjun, hope you guys enjoyed," mum spoke. She then kissed my forehead and went to hug Arjun.
She then said," you guys continue to wait for your pizza, while i go and freshen up."
And she left for her room.
"I'm sorry," Arjun said.
"Hmm?" I asked with my mouth full of cookie.
"We were not able to follow our tradition complete-" before he continued i intervened his sentence and said "exactly that's what i wanted to talk about, let us not follow our tradition anymore, i..i.mean lets follow once a month instead of once a week, for you and also for me."
He gave me a blank look, and then opened his mouth to say something and then closed, he said nothing until the bell rang and he went to receive the pizza.
***
The whole time he didn't utter a single word, just ate pizza.
Mum too had joined us.
And then he left.
Mum and i, were still sitting on the dinning table.
Mum spoke," something is wrong between you two right?"
I nodded.
"What happened?" My mum asked.
My mom knew about my crush on Arjun.
She is my best friend, so i share my every secret with her.
She doesn't judge me unlike other mothers I always read in novels and Wattpad stories.
I told her the full story after when Aisha came to Zayd's warning till Arjun left.
She gave me a worried look and said," i guess, Zayd is right. Plus, you should move on."
I stood up ready to leave the dinning room, but before leaving i spoke," i do feel the same, Zayd for sure is right and i also spoke with Arjun, and now am only waiting for his reply."
*******
I couldn't sleep, my mind was just busy thinking as to what Arjun's answer will be.
He didn't speak the whole time since i told him about changing the tradition.
And when Arjun doesn't argue about anything means he is not happy with the decision.
I don't know what his decision will be.
*****
Hey wattpadders...
To whoever took their precious time and read my unedited book...a whole ocean of thanks...
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Shabz_sam♡♥♡