ZARA'S POV
Class X, 18 January 2016
That deadly smile was a weapon and it was going to bring death upon me. I exhaled the breath I had held from so long as Abhi approached me.
"See, I am back." I immediately stood from the raised platform where I was seated.
You can do it, Zara. I know you can.
Motivation at times like this doesn't feel like it. All I felt was that I was being delusional and any time I confess my feelings, I'll be kicked in the shin.
"How did it go?" I wavered the tension inside me by starting the conversation somewhere. It's better than standing stupified in front of him like a dumb.
He made a face as if he was thinking deep and won't answer, only to find a chuckle leave his mouth after a while. "Let's just say I succeeded with flying colours."
We both laughed at his response. That's two people hating Exhibition presentation. He gestured me to sit back from where I had stood up from, following me after right beside.
"So. Tell me?" He raised his eyebrows as if teasing me but I knew that was his I am curious look.
"Uh...hm...ha" A string of odd and weird syllables left my mouth. I couldn't find the courage to jump straight to the talk. If I say I going to confess to him about how much I like him that means half hour of nonchalance before the real confession.
"Zar, tell me. What is it?"
"I..I hope you un..understand where I am coo..ming from and" I stammered out of nervousness when he cut me short.
"You are scaring me Zar."
Trust me I am scaring myself too.
"I will decide I understood it or not, when you tell me- what are you thinking of?" He assured me. It helped me but I still doubted if words were going to come out of my mouth.
Pursing my lips after sighing heavily, "I think I don't like people around you."
"What?" His wide eyed reflex caught me off guard.
Oh my God, don't kick me in the shin. Please, don't kick or hit me any form.
I opened my scrunched eyes only to find, him trying to hide it through his smile. However, that means I caught him off guard with my talk and now in return I am scared that I scared him.
Oh God. Oh God.
I prayed muttering the words to myself. The silence between us though felt like he wanted me to continue, so I did.
But did I tell you I continued the nonsense.
"I mean, see this is what I am talking about you take my words too literally. I am not asking you to lock yourself or just keep your company limited to me. That'd be sick. That means I would be called sick. God, why am I even talking. I don't kno.."
"Zar, calm down." He rubbed the small of my back up and down gently. Our closeness wasn't appropriate for a school exhibition experience and my mind asked me to steer away but my body went stiff. His action soothed only to make my heart screech inside my chest.
I raised my eyes to meet his black, dark ones and felt like I was home. He didn't try to move away either. It made me feel secure, quite an irony, isn't it?
"My possessiveness for you is..." I barely started when someone from Abhi's team called him to join.
Nice timing.
A frown adorned me as he rose up and there was no memory of his warmth or touch. He looked down and mouthed something like 'we'll complete this' and rushed. I just sat their staring at his back and reminiscing the fact- why was I making this mess?
___
Half an hour later
"Okay, I really need to tell you this. If I don't, I think I'll just burst in my own body." My frustrated self had cornered Abhi, just behind his Teammates. They all were still busy entertaining the crowd. The exhibition had maximum people coming in this hour, that means more waiting.
I couldn't go through this torture so I decided to take the situation in my hands and cornered Abhi.
"So tell me. I am asking you to do that for past half hour or so. But all you have been doing is making weird faces from your table." He laughed off at the end, pursing his lips in a straight line. The teasing glint was still in eyes though.
I glared at his response. This is not the time for playful banter I reminded myself.
I took one of his palm in mine and squeezed it gently as I prepared to say, "You see, I feel like odd, left out..."
"Abhinav!"
He brushed out the calls from his teammates, asking me to continue.
"I.."
One of his teammates nudged us, making my concentration drown down the sink.
"Ughh, go just go."
___
Krrish had pulled me to our table too since, Afreen was least bothered to participate in the deed. The crowd, actually was pouring at this hour since it was close to the end of the exhibition. Meaning the crowd was mainly parents trying to find enough time to kill till the end.
I helped Krrish here and there. However, the pressing matter was still at the back of my mind.
Often during the presentation I would wander in some Dreamland and Krrish would nudge me to bring me back on earth.
This very moment being one.
"Ouch" I whisper shouted. "God, don't go breaking my bones by your... Abhi?"
"Yeah. Here is what we will do." He placed a mobile phone in my hand. "You type whatever you want to say up here and pass it to me. I'll read it." He whispered to me in rush.
Me, as usual stood there like a statue. When I realised I should at least give him a reply, say something, a nod was the best I could do.
The people on the other side of our table were all creepy eyes on us that's when one more pair added the mix.
"What are you two doing?" Krrish used the question as he was addressing both of us but his gaze was fixed on Abhi. He looked furious, for obvious reasons.
"I'm going bro." Abhi replied to him in chill voice.
He looked my way once again and said assuringly, "And when we get time. Real time, we'll break it only if I didn't understand it in first place."
I nodded my head once again. And he left.
After few minutes, I sneaked out if the area and went to one of the bathroom stall.
Sighing and deciding with the firm heart that I was really doing this. I typed everything on the note app of the phone, which seemed like it belonged to Abhi.
It hardly took any time and I saved the particular note and returned to our table, before giving the phone to Abhi.
Right now, Abhi was staring at the screen of the phone. Then he headed for somewhere himself. Only to find that someone, who I figured was Piyush from this distance had stopped him midway, taking his attention away for the phone.
He spoke to Abhi for few seconds finally pulling him aside.
___
Author: Vote because it is about to go down for Zara.
a/n↪ Kind of revealed nothing much, but we need a build up before the big story plot is revealed.
Part three of Zara's POV is coming soon. Hang tight.