*Mihira Pov*
"How are you feeling now?" Mom asked caressing my hair when I woke up to find her sitting beside me.
"Fine!" I replied shifting a bit and found Dad standing near the door with a worried look.
"Mom! Dad! I am sorry for pretending before both of you." I mumbled sitting up with her support.
"It is our fault for hiding it." She said before passing the bowl of oat porridge and I took a bite from it not knowing what to say hearing that from her.
"Abhi is here!" Dad commented clearing his throat and I turned to see him standing beside my Dad.
"He has been checking up on you from the morning and it's already the fifth time." Mom said standing up before stepping out of the room and my Dad followed her.
Abhi stepped into my room hesitantly before occupying the place my Mom just left. He stared at the bowl and took it from my hands without saying a word and placed the spoon near my mouth.
I accepted his gesture and none of us said a word but the whole bowl is finished after which he placed it on the side table.
"I didn't sleep properly yesterday night and I was just tired and nothing else." I mumbled breaking the silence and he glanced at me with a surprised look.
"Swapnil Sir and Haritha Maam brought you here." He said and I nodded at him because I was not completely out of it.
I was conscious even though I was tired to open my eyes and couldn't say anything. These two acted like they are too indifferent to each other but their conversation was not at all like that and I have never heard so much calmness in Sir's tone.
"Tomorrow can you help me with one subject. I am revising third-year subjects for the weekends." He asked bringing me out of my thoughts and I stared at my hands before nodding.
It feels like we both are pretending that nothing happened today morning and I am glad he is doing that as I don't want another set of questions or apologies.
"I will be here in the morning." He said smiling and I just nodded again but I got stunned when he suddenly pulled me into his arms for a tight hug before leaving my room.
I stared at the door even after he left while hugging myself feeling his hug even now. I smiled before shaking my head while scolding my head.
"I will be sitting here?" he asked looking at the table I laid out and the pillow on the floor and I gave him a nod while sitting on the bed.
"I am feeling lazy to sit on a chair. This is better and just ask me if you have any doubts." Saying that I laid down on the bed on my front before opening the book I stopped reading yesterday.
"Fine!" he mumbled and I turned to see him shifting the pillow towards the bedside and sat down with his back pressed to the bed also with his back facing me unlike before where I placed it to make sure he is sitting facing me.
I ignored the change and continued to read but he called me after a few minutes while showing a topic.
"Show me your notes so that I can compare or your reference textbook." He asked picking up my bag from the floor and I immediately took it away from his hands.
"No need to compare anything. I will explain it properly." I assured him in a hurry before leaning forward a bit to place my head beside his and calmly explained each point from the familiar notes before my eyes.
"Thank you! Your explanation completely matches these notes." He commented smiling at me when I shifted back and I gave him a nod clearing my throat.
After some time, Mom entered the room with snacks for us before leaving the room but I saw her smile directed at us for sure.
"Let's have these sessions whenever you are free. If not for you then I would have spent longer to understand this as I had to search other books. It will be a revision for both of us." He said closing the books as we thought of studying only until afternoon and I gave him a nod.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" he asked turning around completely.
"I need to study." I replied ignoring his request but frowned when I felt his gaze not shifting away from me.
"What are you doing?" I asked turning to face him and he is as expected staring at my face.
"You continue to study." He replied placing his head on my bed but didn't look away.
"It's lunchtime! You want to watch a movie and miss out Aunty's food?" I asked frowning.
"We will be watching the movie at my place and you can join us for lunch." He replied and I hesitated after hearing that.
Mom is continuing to feed that oatmeal even though I am already feeling fine. I am sure she will again give me that.
"Fine! Let's go!" I mumbled sitting up and he chuckled at my eagerness and I informed Mom calmly to not let her think I am escaping her food.
Aunty passed the bowls with biryani to us when we went there and Abhi took them from my hands before we reached his room.
"We will sit down." He commented while arranging the table like I did before placing a laptop on the table.
I sat there beside him when he played the movie but my mind is on something else. It feels nice to be here like this beside him but then we should spend time only as friends. We shouldn't... we shouldn't be more than that otherwise... I shook my head smiling at the funny scene.
After finishing the movie, he left to place the bowls in the kitchen while I just sat there before shifting a bit and placed my head on the bed still feeling a bit tired.
I closed my eyes thinking to get up after he returns but when I opened my eyes I found him sitting beside me with his head lying on the bed just like me and he is sleeping peacefully.
I shifted a bit closer before moving my hand to place it on his face but I stopped it before I touch him and shifted to take it away. However, the next moment he held it with his hand surprising me.
"I was just waking you up." I mumbled and he nodded at those words but pulled me closer.
"It will take a bit time for us to be friends like before but we will be friends for sure. Let's forget everything else and have a wonderful friendship." I rushed the words which caused him to stiffen but he slowly released my hand before nodding at my words.
"Dad will drop both of us tomorrow. Your Scooty is still at the college." He commented and I gave him a nod before leaving his room as it's late.
I found Mom sitting with Aunty when I climbed down the stairs which caused me to stop moving forward and he too reached my side.
"I think even you are right. She helped me at home with everything so that I can have more time to spend at the hospital and take care of Abhi." Mom commented and my eyes widened.
"Yeah! She cut all the vegetables for me and even helped me with gardening so that I will not feel much effort while caring for Abhi." Aunty added and I immediately cleared my throat.
"We are right, Mihi?" Mom asked when she found me standing there.
I opened my mouth to deny it but then I already decided to not lie before my parents yesterday night after seeing their expressions. What I want is not their guilty looks and so it's better to be honest near them.
"Kind of! But I learned so much with all those things so it was nothing at all." I mumbled while rushing towards the door.
"I will walk her to your home, Aunty. You can continue to talk to her." Abhi said following me.
Walk? It is just a few steps and he wants to walk me? It was finally closer to normal between us and now it will again be awkward for sure.
When we reached my house and was about to pass the garden, he held my hand before turning me around and pulled me into his arms.
"Thank you! Thank you for loving me so much." He whispered and I stiffened hearing those words.
"But we will be friends like you wish or I will try to accept that. I want to be with you like this." He added tightening his arms and I shifted my hands but had to drop them down.
"I am fine if you just want to be friends." I mumbled and he nodded before releasing me.
"I will need time to think that part but I will set my priorities right." He mumbled holding my face and pressed his lips to my cheek before leaving while I stared at his back.
****
I stood there in shock when Kavitha rushed near me the moment she saw me before hugging me tightly.
"I am sorry, Mihira. You can hate me but you have every right. I am sorry for hiding everything from you." She continued to apologize while crying.
"Kavitha!" I whispered looking around when I found others are giving us curious stares and I glanced at our friends for help who immediately shifted to circle us.
"Hear me out before you cry." I mumbled pushing a bit to stare at her face.
"I didn't get hurt by you at all. Do you know how much support you were for me? You followed me everywhere and made sure I was fine all the time. You never questioned me if I requested something like hiding a matter or regarding any changes in my schedule. You were just there to be my friend and that is a very special feeling for me. I am glad that you talked to me first after remembering me that we were classmates and decided to be my friend." I said looking at her while brushing her tears away.
"And I should apologize for making you uncomfortable to be troubled from both sides. I can understand the pressure and hesitations you had during that time but still decided to stay with me." I added and she cried more after hearing those words.
"Calm down! Listen to her words and control those tears." Rekha joined to pat her back before glancing at me.
"I am glad to be your friend, Mihi." She added smiling and I slowly smiled back hoping they will not ignore me again.
"You girl know how to do emotional scenes." Saying that Vikesh shifted closer before hugging me and everyone followed making me chuckle and I felt tears forming in my eyes.
"This is a warning for everyone in the group. If any of you hide anything from anyone like in the past then you have to pay for everyone's meals for a whole month and also take care of petrol charges." Vikesh said in a warning tone.
"I think we all are out with all secrets. As I ended up telling my rejection story after Rekha. But does anyone else have a secret?" Kalyan asked looking at me.
"Me!" I mumbled raising my hand.
"You guys think that all of you were smart to escape my questions all this time but I just let you guys escape. You all failed at hiding secrets at a huge level." I commented making them glare at me while I chuckled glancing at everyone but got stuck with the expression of happiness on Abhi's face as it's been long since I saw that.
"Fine! Any other secret?" Vikesh asked frowning at me and I nodded.
"But I want it to be a secret." I replied and they all gave a thoughtful look before allowing me to keep my secret.
****
"How are you feeling now?" Sir asked the moment I reached his table.
"Fine! Sorry for troubling you that day, Sir." I replied hesitantly and he nodded without saying another word.
"Is there anything for me to do?" I asked waiting for him to give me any work.
"No! I already asked Haritha regarding the details I need. You can go to your classes." He replied and I stared at him in surprise.
"Everything is in the past between us and I forgave her for liking me and she forgave me for scolding her." He added and my surprise turned into disappointment.
"Forgave her for liking you, Sir?" I asked him frowning again for getting involved in his business while he is giving me the answers subconsciously but this is needed after hearing those words from him.
"Yeah! She liked me thinking I am someone else but then confessed her feelings to me. So, I forgave her for that." He explained and I stared at him in confusion.
Wait! Is it what he thinks happened? If not for that thinking then would he have... no! But at least everything wouldn't have been this wrong. So, he was angry at Maam for liking him while thinking she is passing messages to her senior through emails. Or I may be thinking too much.
"So, I need not be a mediator anymore? Like you both will contact each other?" I asked stressing the words.
"What? Isn't that how it supposed to be? She is doing her job and I am doing my job whereas you should concentrate on the exam for next year." He added and I nodded hearing those words but I couldn't help myself from saying the next words.
"Sir! I heard whoever took guidance from you were able to achieve so much. The first student you guided who was Maam's Senior is also in a very good position now from her words. I will follow whatever you ask me to." I mumbled smiling and he frowned hearing those words.
"That guy?" he asked while his expression changed a bit and I nodded but he didn't say anything else.
I smiled walking out of the department while planning something which would help them but then would get me into trouble.
No! Let's think positively. With that thought, I passed the classes before reaching the table for a lunch break where I found the people who are going to help me with this plan.
"Guys, I need a small help from you all as you have more power for being in the fourth year over the second-year students." I stated sitting in my chair and they all stared at me with frowns covering their face with confusion displayed.
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Next chapter will be for teachers and the later one will have a surprise... If nothing else changes... Please let me know your views... :)
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p.s: The beautiful cover is from milkywaymidnight Thank you :)