SURPRISE UPDATE for you all...
Dedicated to: beyarao99
Chapter 36:
A shiver ran her body and she froze as she was pulled in for a hug and her friend cried his heart out in front of her. The way he pulled her closer to him showed how much he needed her then.
“I proposed her with a ring last night and s-she said she didn’t want marriage! She said this won’t work now and walked out on me!” he said as his body trembled and his eyes watered. It pained Kathy to see Monish in this state. This wasn’t him. He never ever became emotional over a break up. Maybe, he really loved her if he was crying like a baby. Kathy stood there motionless and just let him cry and hug her. Strange, she wasn’t happy that they broke up; all she felt was anger towards Riya for doing this to her best friend. She didn’t know how to react when he first pulled her liked that but she let him hug her, knowing that he needed her.
“Cry your heart out, let it out!” she said sympathetically as she patted his head. He unintentionally rested his head in the crook of her neck, making her feel uncomfortable. She pushed him a little away and gave him a sad smile.
“She’ll come back to you if she ever loved you, don’t worry!” she said, making him frown.
“She’d have never left me if she loved me in the first place!” he stated.
“Maybe she has her reasons, talk to her!” she told him, making him think about it for a while.
“She said she needs sometime to cool off…I don’t know if she really loves me!” he stated sadly.
“Are you really crying over a break-up? Well, if that’s what you call it…” she couldn’t help but ask. He looked at her and a smile cracked on his face.
“You know how to make me smile even at worst times like this.” He told her with a smile. She smiled back at him as she stood a few steps away from him.
“Like you do!” she replied truthfully.
“Come on, enough of all this crying…let’s go eat something!” he suggested, taking her hand in his own.
She hesitated for a minute before giving a nod. They walked towards his car and drove off to their old hangout place. It was a small cafeteria just outside of a school they went to a few years ago. It was early evening and there weren’t many people around. They walked out of his car and headed towards the café. They had those huge bamboo chairs and a round dark brown colored wooden table with a box of tissues and a small vase with a single rose in it. Walking through the small garden gate, they got seated at the end of the café. The waiter came in soon and handed them menu cards as he placed two glasses of water. None of the two had to look at the card as they were a regular at that place. A middle aged man appeared at the entrance and smiled at them.
“How are you two? It’s been a while since you came here and where are others?” he asked them, making them smile.
“We’re good Chintu, others were busy with work and we decided it was about time that we pay you a visit!” Kathy laughed at him. He gave her a warm smile and headed towards the kitchen. Monish gave their normal order and then drank some water. It was calm and very pleasant until Kathy’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and panicked a bit and her eyes widened.
“Where the hell are you? I’ve been waiting for you since hours!” Ronnie’s voice blasted from the other side of the phone. She winced at his tone.
“Hello to you too!” she said through the phone as if she hadn’t just completely forgotten about him and made him wait for hours. She had completely forgotten about him.
“Don’t you dare hello me…where are you?” he asked her again, a little nicely this time.
“I’m at this café outside my school w-with a friend. Um- want to join us?” she said, hoping he’d say no.
“Which friend are you with? You could’ve at least informed me, this is really heights of irresponsible behavior Kathy!” he scolded her, making her roll her eyes.
“I’m sorry, it just slipped out of my mind!” she apologized, hoping he’d drop the topic there. She knew that Ronnie wouldn’t react nicely if he finds her spending time with Monish.
“Are you coming here?” she asked as she crossed her fingers and eyes, prayed that he wouldn’t.
“No, I don’t want to disturb you. It’s alright, you should hang out with your friends and enjoy sometimes!” he smiled through the phone. She felt a smile tugging at her lips as he heard him say that. She felt all warm and tingly, inside.
“You don’t disturb me!” she mumbled, suddenly wanting him to come there.
“See you in a while. Go enjoy!” he said and then the line went off. She looked at the screen and smiled at the contact image she had set for him. It was a picture where her hand was resting on his shoulder and she was pouting, making his face look somewhat tired and annoyed yet with a little smile there. She had made him pose for the picture when they were going out for lunch after her injuries healed.
“You really love him, don’t you?” Monish’s voice brought her out of her day dream. She looked at him with a surprise, like she’d forgotten that he was here all the while.
“Do I l-love him? Ah-umm…yeah, I guess?” she mumbled. She had never thought about those feelings in that way, and now when she said it out aloud in front of someone, it felt weird and nice at the same time. But did he feel the same?! Monish’s laughter brought her out of her thoughts. She realized she was zoning out a lot.
“Of course you do. I’ve never seen you so happy. He is the perfect guy for you!” he smiled at her. Hearing this from him made her grin ear to ear.
“I think he is lucky because he found a wonderful girl like me!” she boasted, making him roll his eyes.
“Cocky much?” he teased.
“What? I think it is true!” she said.
“He really makes you happy, doesn’t he?” he asked her with a kind smile.
“Yeah, he does. And he looks after me all the time!” she smiled thinking of all those times he ran after her, helped her, or looked after all her needs.
“Why didn’t you tell him it was just me?” he asked her. Her body stiffened at that question and she began biting her lips, out of habit-a nervous one.
“You’re biting your lips? Why are you suddenly nervous? Why didn’t you tell him?” he asked her, observing her closely.
“I-I…Ha-ha, I didn’t think anything when I told him that.” She lied. He looked at her suspiciously.
“He has some problem with me, doesn’t he?” he asked her. She looked away from him and lucky for her the waiter got in their orders. He placed a lot of things on the table and walked away with a smile. Monish noticed her relaxing and he decided to drop the subject for that time.
“Wow…that’s a lot of things Monish!” she said, trying to get of off the hook.
“Yeah-I’m sure we can finish everything. I’m really hungry!” he said and as if agreeing with him, Kathy’s stomach growled making them laugh.
This was normal-talking to her best friend without feeling anything, without thinking, without getting embarrassed by her actions. She smiled at him warmly as she began munching on food; they devoured food like they were hungry since ages. They talked and laughed at everything without the care of the world. They walked out of the café and strolled down their school street, reliving those days. They pulled pranks, fooled kids and played games with them, did all that crazy stuff they did back then when they were kids.
It was time when kids rushed out of the school and were heading home with huge bags hung up on their backs as Kathy and Monish sat down on a rock and looked at a distance. They talked about their old days, about growing up, about life now. He talked about Riya too. He really loved her and Kathy felt like a bitch for praying that they’d break-up. She realized one thing then. Sometimes it takes someone else to get out of our so called love and she was glad that she found Ronnie. This time, she did not freak out when she discovered her feelings…this time she was glad that it was him. Sure, there was a lot to talk and think about, there was an impending separation waiting for them but this time she felt happier, lively and secured than she’d ever felt with Monish.
“You’re zoning out again!” Monish pointed out. Kathy looked him and then got up from the rock she was sitting at. She stretched a little and then faced him as she noticed that the sun had already set and the sky was now darker.
“I think we should go home now!” she told him, suddenly worried about Ronnie.
“Yeah, we should leave now!” he agreed and they got up and walked the small distance to the café where they’d parked their car.
“Will he be mad at you?” he asked her.
“Huh?” she asked him, making him roll his eyes at her.
“Will Ronnie be mad at you for staying out with me for so many hours?” he asked her. She was surprised by his question but smiled at him, hiding the fear she’d.
“He knows that we’ve been friends forever. He will understand!” she replied with a smile even though she wasn’t sure of that. She debated if she should tell him about meeting Monish and decided it’d be better to hide it from him as he wouldn't appreciate it.
“I feel like he hates me!” Monish said as he drove his car towards Kathy’s apartment. Kathy agreed with him but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
“No. Why will he hate you?” she asked instead.
“I don’t know, maybe because we’ve a past?!” he wondered as he took a left. Kathy turned to face him. She was amazed at how smart Monish was and he’d indeed connected all the dots.
“It was in the past, Monish!” she mumbles, getting uncomfortable with that topic.
“Yeah, maybe I’m over thinking. By the way, guys really like him!” he smiled.
“I can tell that…do you like him?” she asked him, wanting one of her best friends to like him.
“Like as in? You know, I’m not into guys Kathy!” he mocked her, earning a hit from her.
“Neither is he you stupid!” she said.
“Ha-ha…were you scared that you’ll have to compete with me?” he laughed.
“Shut up!” she mumbled looking outside. She noticed that they’d reached near her building and with every building they passed, she felt nervous and scared. She wondered why it smelt trouble when everything was going good at that time. The car came to a sudden halt and her body jerked forward bringing her out of her small bubble.
“So, want me to come up with you?” he asked her as she took off her seat belt.
“No, I think you should go home now!” she hurriedly replied as she opened the door and got out of the car.
“Kathy!” Monish called her as she began walking away. She turned around to face him and waited for him to continue.
“I’m glad to have you as a friend. Thank you for everything!” he said through the window and she leaned down to face him.
“It was nothing Monish, you don’t have to thank me!” she smiled.
“Love you best friend!” he said.
“Love you too best friend. Bye, see you soon!” she said as she walked away from him with a huge smile on her face and unaware of the fact that Ronnie was up standing by the window talking on the phone and watching them. She walked in to the apartment and got into the elevator. Soon, she rang the door bell and was greeted by a fuming Ronnie.
“I’m sorry, I know I’m late but please forgive me?” she said even before he asked her anything. He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself.
“I thought we were spending time together.” He frowned making her laugh. But her laughter died when she saw a stern look on his face.
“I’m sorry, my friend called me and said it was urgent so I couldn’t turn him down.” She explained as she sat on the couch, Ronnie following suit. Ronnie thought that maybe she isn’t to be blamed as she didn’t hide the fact that it was a ‘him’.
“Him? Who was he?” he pressed on. Now Kathy was a little conscious. She pondered over a few names.
“M…A-Aarav!” she stuttered. Ronnie got really angry but he was more of hurt than anything else.
“Aarav? What did he want?” he asked her, now avoiding her face.
“Umm...h-he just wanted to hang out, silly boy!” she lied again.
“You could’ve told me when I called you; I’d a day off and was getting bored here. I might have joined you guys!” he pushed.
“I invited you but you said you didn’t want to interfere. Why are you asking me so many questions anyways?” she asked him furiously, getting irritated. Ronnie gritted his teeth and faced her; his face was red and angry. Kathy gulped hard just by looking at his face.
“Because I saw 'Aarav' drive you home!” he yelled as he walked into his bedroom and smashed the door shut.
Kathy sat there with her heart racing and her eyes tearing. She sat there like a statue, not moving an inch. She didn’t run behind him or stop him or even tried to explain it to him.
“What did I do?” she told herself as warm salty tears moistened her face.
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