"Chai?" Krish asked.
"Kya?" Radhika looked up at him suddenly. They were currently in a beach for shooting. She was looking at the waves, watching their rhythm as they struck against the sand.
"I asked if you wanted chai," Krish repeated, gesturing to the mug he was holding.
"You still haven't gotten over your love for chai?" Radhika asked.
Even when they were friends, which was about six years ago, Krish loved chai with all his heart. Any party they went to, he would choose to drink what? Chai. What would he drink in the morning? Chai. At night? Chai. All day, he drank chai and water. Not once has he touched coffee.
"How can I?" Krish bought to mug up to his lips and kissed it. "Chai is my one true love."
"Other than all the millions of girls you date?" Radhika blurted out before realizing what she said. She quickly slapped her hand against her mouth, her eyes widening.
Radhika knew she hit a nerve because Krish's smile faded away. He cleared his throat. "I...yeah, other than the millions of girls I date."
Radhika looked away as an awkward silence reigned over them. She didn't admit it but she had been having fun since they became frenemies. Sometimes, Radhika felt as though the Krish she saw all this while was fake and there was someone else, wearing a facade. But as soon as the thought would cross her mind, Krish would do or say something that made her confirm the fact that he was still the same.
"Chai?" Krish asked again.
"Erm, no thanks. I prefer coffee," she replied.
Krish rolled his eyes. "You're missing out on all the good things in life. Like chai," he said, as if Radhika didn't understand what he said at first.
"Oh really? What else do you think I'm missing out on?" Radhika rolled her eyes. Him and his chai...
"Well, for one, friends."
"I have friends!" She scoffed.
"Really? I've only seen you hangout with Revati. Even when we were younger, I was your only friend," Krish said with a laugh.
"That is so not true!" Radhika exclaimed, folding her arms. "Whatever. Next?"
"Two, a love life," Krish continued before Radhika stopped him.
"I don't need a man," she said.
"Well, try it. You might like dating someone." Krish shrugged. "How can you hate something unless you try it?" He saw the look on her face and straightened up. "Okay, tell me you haven't loved anyone."
"I...I did love someone, but...things didn't exactly work out," Radhika said and looked away so Krish wouldn't see the sadness that casted over her face.
"How long ago?"
"Maybe six years ago..?" She trailed off. "It doesn't matter at this point."
"Don't tell me you haven't loved anyone in the past six years!" Radhika shook her head. "Alright," began Krish. "Didn't anyone catch your eye? Make your heart flutter at least a little bit?"
"Not as much as he did," she replied and looked down at her feet.
Krish laughed and leaned against Radhika's shoulder. "How do I not know this guy that Radha was so head over heels for? I've stuck with you for so long!"
"Well, you're not as smart as you think," she replied, pushing him away.
"Hmm, I would contradict that statement but that would pull us into a long argument and my chai would become cold. So let me drink it first," he said as he pulled up the mug to his lips and drank his oh-so-beloved chai.
Radhika rolled her eyes. Honestly, all the girls he dated wouldn't stand a chance against his precious chai!
Krish set down the mug with a satisfied look. "Ahh, such good chai. Anyways, I'll drop you today?"
"Kyu?" She asked, eyebrows twitching with surprise. Arey waah! He wants to drop me willingly? There's definitely a plan behind this.
"I dunno, frenemies drop each other at their respective houses," he said with a shrug. "Besides, you get to meet my girlfriend."
"Oh, so that was the plan behind this..." Radhika sighed. Of course he doesn't think it would be nice to drop me. He's doing this so I can meet his pyaari 100th girlfriend! "Well, is she like the tenth?"
"What?" He asked.
"I meant, is she like the tenth girlfriend you've had in this month?" Radhika asked.
"No," Krish replied, giving her a haughty look. "May I let you know that she's the first!"
She felt a twinge of pain and she wondered why. The pain brought back memories of the past where...no, she didn't want to think about that. It would just bring her more pain.
"Oh, so you might actually be correcting your ways," she said. "You know, becoming less of a player..."
"Oh no, Krish Agarwal will always be a player!" He smirked.
"Great to know," Radhika replied, moodily.
{ ~ }
'Hello!' chimed a message from Revati. 'Call me!'
Radhika sighed and called Revati. "Hi, Radhi!" She piped cheerfully. It was always a wonder to Radhika as to how Revati always managed to sound so happy all the time.
"Hey, Revati," Radhika mumbled.
"Uh oh, something is wrong, isn't it?" Revati immediately asked.
That too was a wonder to Radhika. Revati managed to find out what went wrong by the tone of someone's voice or by their face expressions.
"Kuch nahi," Radhika replied through the phone. "Just a little bit tired, shooting and stuff, you know...tum kese hai?"
"Theek hai, I know something is wrong but you're refusing to tell me," Revati said. "It's alright! I'll find out later...anyways, we adopted Doris and he is absolutely loving Advitya! Though Advitya wants the cat to stay a bit away from him." She said the last sentence with a little laugh at the end.
"Dau...what will we do with him?" Radhika said with a sigh and Revati continued laughing on the other line. "Aur kya?"
"Aur...haan!" Revati exclaimed. "We have a dinner coming up!"
"Dinner? Theek hai, why are you telling me this?"
"Because you have to come!"
Radhika groaned. "Me? Why me?"
"Arey, Advitya and Krish's mom wants to see you! So I thought it would be nice if we all kept a dinner of some sort for all of us to meet!"
"With their mom?"
"No, you'll meet their mom and then we'll have dinner," Revati replied.
"Nahi yaar, how am I supposed to find time with all these shoots?" Radhika asked. In reality, she was trying to find a way out of going. Why does she want to see Krish's face when they aren't shooting?
"Krish is coming! So why can't you come?"
Fair point. I don't have anything to reply. "Fine, baba! I'll come. Happy?" Radhika said, with a groan at the end.
"Very much happy!" Revati exclaimed, cheerfully. "Alright that is why I called you, bye!"
And she hung the phone. Radhika scrolled through her phone's notifications for some more time when an assistant came.
"Shot ready hai, madam," he said.
"Oh, yes, I will come now."
She glanced at Krish as she walked next to him, clutching her script and fiddling with the bracelets around her hands. The technicians were bustling around, fixing things and setting up props.
"Arey waah," Krish whispered in her ear as he leaned towards her. "You're looking pretty today."
Radhika resisted the urge to smile like a goofball. "Thanks," she whispered back.
"Oh, I'm not complimenting you! I'm complimenting your crew who made you look so beautiful," he snorted. He raised his hand and place his head on top of it. "It must be really tough to make a potato look like a beautiful woman..."
Radhika glared and pinched him. He keeps changing my mind. I think he's tolerable one time and the very next second he makes me want to push him off a cliff. "Haan, as if you're Prince Charming!" She scoffed.
"Excuse me but I am," he said, giving her an offended look. "Every girl is dying to date me! Just because you hate me doesn't mean everyone else doesn't adore me. I'm a heartthrob."
"Fine, whatever makes you sleep at night," Radhika shot back, saying the exact words he'd said to her earlier.
Krish stuck his tongue out at her as the director said, "Alright! Krish, Radhika? Ready? We'll be starting!"
"Yes," they replied in unison.
Raghav hummed a song that Tara seemed to faintly remember. "Dance with me?" He asked, offering her his hand.
"Nahi," Tara said and looked away. "Kyu yeh romantic mood? Yesterday, you didn't even want to hug me. Why should I dance with you now?"
"Arey," Raghav said, encircling her petite frame with his hands, hugging her from the back. "I was in a bad mood. Forgive me?"
Tara looked over her shoulder to see him giving his signature puppy face. "Oh god, Raghav! You know I can't say no to that."
"Then what about saying yes to a dance?" Raghav smoothly asked and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm a horrible dancer," Tara said with a chuckle.
"I'll teach you then," he whispered. Placing one hand on her waist, he used the other to place her hand on his shoulder. He held her other hand and spun her around. "See? Everything's easy when I'm teaching you..."
"As if!" Tara said laughing. She stumbled as she went back to her former position. Raghav caught her and she straightened up.
"Careful there," he said, looking deep into her eyes.
They spent their time, dancing to no song. Weird and quiet. But somehow, both of them found solace in the other. Solace in their eyes, solace with their love.
{ ~ }
"Ready?" Krish asked.
"Just a second," Radhika said, letting her hair down. "Alright, now ready." She picked up her bag and walked with him to her car. She pulled open the shotgun's car door when Krish stopped her.
"Um...not there, my girlfriend will sit there," Krish said, as he opened his car door.
"Oh...oh, of course," Radhika replied, embarrassed. Of course he wants his girlfriend to sit there... She shook her head. Why am I thinking like this? I shouldn't care. After all, why would he care about me when his girlfriend is there? She opened the car door for the back seat and sat down.
After a slightly short ride, Krish stopped the car. A girl waved excitedly and opened the car. Upon first glances, Radhika noticed the heavy makeup and a fake Barbie looking face. But then she noticed Krish's girlfriend's face seemed familiar...very familiar and bring back old memories...
The girl got in and kissed Krish on the cheek. "Hello babe," she said as Radhika internally cringed. The girlfriend turned and saw Radhika. "Oh...tum kaun ho?"
Before Radhika could reply, Krish piped up. "Costar! Current movie! And guess what, it's Radhika! Remember her?"
Remember her? What was there to remember about me? Radhika thought as she continued trying to figure out why Krish's girlfriend seemed familiar looking.
"Radhika?" The girl said, in a somewhat snarky tone. She immediately plastered a fake smile on her face. "Oh, Radhika! Woh..." The girl looked at Radhika and held out a hand. "Hey there!"
Radhika glanced at her in confusion and then turned her gaze to Krish, displaying the same confusion. "Oh," Krish began. "It's Tanya! Remember? Long ago...?"
Tanya? Radhika's eyes went wide as realization dawned upon her. Tanya... She knew she had to do something so she shook Tanya's hand and gave something that might pass for a smile, which was all she could muster till the shock wore off. "Hi..."
Years ago...Tanya and Krish...
Radhika peeped through the bush. Was she being creepy? Yes but she needed to see what was going in between Krish and Tanya. They'd been very secretive to her and she didn't like it. What she saw made her eyes go wide.
Krish and Tanya...they were...
{ ~ }
Ooh! Cliffhanger!
So, Radhika already knows Tanya? What? How? What could have happened between them? How do they know each other?
Ahah, only I know the answer to all this. 😏
Anyways! This means that flashbacks will be coming soon, maybe in the next chapter itself! We will get to know more about Radhika's past, how she knows Tanya and maybe even why she hates Krish so much!
Till then, see you in a next chapter!
Thanks for reading!
Thoughts?