"You better leave me alone." Farhan gave a warning look.
"You know that I won't. So you better stop your drama." Ainu said folding her hands.
"When did you become so irritating?" He ran a hand through his hair.
"From the time when you start avoiding me."
"Avoiding? Seriously? See, exam will start on 10 am and I don't have time to waste here. So bye." He started to move but she stopped him taking hold of hand.
"What happened to you Faru? You are behaving so strange to me. I can't bear this change. You have to answer me." He could feel her voice shaking.
"Now, I need some space Ainu. Please understand."
"But it was always me who filled your each and every spaces."
Farhan exhaled leaving a small smile. "Okay, so what you want now?"
"You."
He chuckled before coming closer to her. "You won't let me to have peace, right?" She nodded indicating a big 'No'.
"Ainu..." He took her hands without leaving her eyes.
"Uhm?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you. But sometimes I can't control myself. I'm... I'm like this." He drove his gaze down feeling ashamed of himself.
She placed her palm on his face. "I know Faru. And I will try my best to change you."
"TRNGGGGG!!!!" They got back to their senses hearing the bell rang.
"All the best for your exam." She smiled.
"Yeah. But what was the exam?"
"Huh? Go fast you monkey." She pushed him to move.
"Ainu.." Farhan turned back to call her. "Now what?"
"Wait me till my exam is over. We will be going somewhere." He said with a broad smile.
"Where?"
"That's surprise." He ran to his classroom keeping the smile.
"Hey, don't you want to write exam? It's already time." Aju doublechecked his watch.
"When did you become this much greedy for exams?" Eby asked out.
"I was always like this man. But you people got me wrong."
"Ohh!"
"You come or not. I'm going."
"I will come." After which Aju had left, Eby turned to the other side. He kept watching the football practice on the ground.
A few seconds later, he could feel someone hugging him from behind.
"Eby..." Hearing the feminine voice, he could say that it was none other than Anjali.
"What you want?" Eby pushed her aside making sure she didn't get hurt.
"So you are angry with me?" Anjali asked smilingly.
"If so?"
"I'm really sorry Eby. I behaved that way because I don't want you to spoil your life by politics."
"If you kept on talking like this, you will be the one spoiling my exam."
"So much greedy for exam?" She asked teasingly.
"Hey, that's my dialogue." He pointed his finger.
"Which is yours, that is mine too..." She replied casually.
Eby smiled which in turn brought smile to her face too. "Do well in exam." He exhaled deeply. "Let me see."
▪▪▪▪
"Hello Ishaan." It was then he realized that he had attended his dad's call.
"Yeah."
"If your exam is over, can you join me in the meeting afternoon?" Dad asked waiting for a positive reply.
"No. I have some other works." He moved to the hallways.
"Okay then, will you come home tomorrow? It's been a week since you come here."
"No. I have an engagement party tomorrow. So bye."
"Wait. Wait." Before he could speak, Ishaan hung up the call and shoved the phone in pocket.
It was then he came to see her. Shreya.
Ishaan watched her chating with Zoya. He moved to her side but she walked away. Gaining much courage, he followed her.
He entered the same class she had walked in and shut the door with a bang making her to see him.
"Ishaan? What you are doing here?"
"Shreya, I want to talk to you."
"Right now, I'm busy."
"It's very important. Or else I won't be here trying to talk with you." She made a confused face before he walked to her. "What?"
"Your aunt Suzan told me that..."
"Ohh! So you are here for that." He could sense a kind of pain in her voice.
"I don't understand anything. Actually, is it true?" Shreya looked at the other side lacking words.
"Can you please tell me that it's not true? Please." He requested with a hint of hope glimmering in his wet eyes.
"I don't have anything to say." She started to move but he blocked her way.
"You can't go like that. You have to answer me. You don't have any idea how much it hurted me." Ishaan raised his voice letting out the frustration.
"You also don't have any idea how much miserable my life is. I lost my mom since childhood and I didn't even get a chance to talk to my father. Yeah your so called dad, Mr. Abraham. You know how much I wished to call him my dad. I was so jealous when he treats you like his own blood."
"Shreya, I'm sorry..."
"No please. I don't want anyone's sympathy. I didn't know why aunt told you about this. I don't want me to be the reason for any disharmony. I only wished for onething and that is...."
"I know." He fixed his gaze on her as he was very sure about the thing she was upto say.
Ishaan felt a heavy pain in his chest, watching her turning out emotional. For him, Shreya was always a bold woman. He had never seen her this much weak.
"I'm alone. All alone. I'm fed up with this sucking life." She bursted out with tears.
"I will be with you Shreya. I can talk to my Mom. She will Understand you." He assured her with much concern.
"No need of that. I can bear it." She tried to hide her pain but failed.
Ishaan patted her shoulder consolingly "I promise you, I will make everything fine."
She gave a sad smile which was no longer existing. They got back to senses when the door opened widely with a bang.
"Amaaya?" He was surprised to see her there.
Amaaya kept switching her gaze from him to her. It was then her eyes caught their tangled hands. At the moment she felt uncomfortable, she walked out the room.
"Amaaya..." He followed her leaving Shreya at a confused stage.
She tried to walk fast ignoring him. But he was not ready to leave. She made him follow her to the canteen.
"Let me explain Amaaya"
"I didn't say anything." She was not ready to look him.
"But I have to." He stood before her.
"See Ishaan, I don't have time for an argument. If you really need to shout at me, come other time."
She was upto walk away when he dragged her to his side. They were so close as they could feel their breathe.
"Don't believe your eyes everytime. Truth is not what you see. It's not even what you hear. It maybe something else."
Looking into his sharp eyes, she could sense the truth he was refering to.
"Aahh!" It was then he noticed her hand which was strongely held by him. At the next moment, he loosened his grip relieving her.
"You bone freaker." She murmured to herself loosing her anger.
"Did you just call phone breaker?" He asked with a cute smile.
"Uhh no. I was talking about my bone. I think my small bones broke with your hard grip." She begged for words acting like she was checking her bones.
"Where? Let me see." He took her hand and started checking it.
"No need of that." She tried to pull but she couldn't.
"You know bones are very important."
"Ishaan, I'm... I'm all okay now. Please leave my hand." At last she requested him to get rid of his current conducting contact.
He left her with a victorious smile. He knew well the right cards to play with her.
"I'm going..." She looked down, tring to avoid eyecontact.
"Then go. No one is stoping you."
"Okay. I'm really going." With that he started to smile shaking his head in disbelief.
"Ainu...." They turned to see a very happy Farhan.
"How was your exam?" She asked excitedly.
"Leave it yaar. Let's go now."
"Uhh...yeah." Amaaya looked at Ishaan who wore an unreadable face.
"Then come on girl." Farhan pulled her to walk with him.
"Amaaya.." She turned back hearing his silky deep voice.
"Uhm?"
"Take care of your bones." Ishaan smiled as she kept looking him.
"Come fast you damn." Farhan walked away with her without even considering his buddy.
"Can't you take your helmet?" She asked Farhan before they got into his bike.
"For heavens sake, I'm not a sucker for life." She shook her head hearing him.
"Aju was in full battery today. I have a bad doubt that he will score more than me."
Throughout the way, Farhan kept on talking whereas Amaaya was lost in her thoughts. Placing her head on his shoulder, she kept smiling without any reason.
"Monkey, are you awake?"
"Why did you lie to me Faru?"
"Huh?"
"About Shreya and Ishaan."
"Why you are always asking about them? You have nothing to do with it, right?"
"But..."
"No buts and ifs. Now we can enjoy this ride, okay?"
"But only if you can buy icecreams."
"Okay jaanu."
"Faru?"
"Yeah"
"I thought you came there at night for... Poor Kaira"
"You and your stupid thoughts!"
"I don't understand you Faru."
"You won't ever understand anything my potato girl."
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