#After a few months#

*Abhilash Pov*

"You will catch a cold, Abhi." I turned to find Mom standing near the door as I just stepped out of the resort to enjoy the fresh air.

"I am fine, Mom! Did you rest properly? We have to travel today and it's a long journey." I mumbled and she smiled hearing those words.

"I should be asking that. Your Dad is still resting inside." She said walking towards me before covering me with a coat she brought with her.

We both stayed silent and stared at the view my Dad decided before booking this resort for a month and it's already over.

"Do you really want to start going to college? You can take more rest." She mumbled and I sighed glancing at her.

I can understand her thoughts as these past few months were hard for all of us but I had enough rest and as of now there is no more danger for me but of course it is not impossible.

"I should continue to live my life, right. I will take care of myself every day properly and you can check on me too. I will listen to every word of yours." I assured her and she smiled hearing those words but her smile slipped.

"Are you still against of idea of being with Mihi? I really love her to be our family, Abhi. You don't know how much support she was without her knowing all these months. You didn't change your mind?" she asked and I smiled hearing those words even though they pained me a bit.

"Will I be selfish if I want to be with her?" I asked and she shook her head in negative without wasting a second.

"During these months I was just thinking about how I am missing so many things with her. I promised her in my heart that we will have an amazing trip this time but the holidays also passed. I suddenly don't want to miss any day to be with her, Mom. But I am scared to hurt her at a major level." I mumbled and she placed her hand on my back.

"We will be careful as we already went through it. She didn't look happy to me, Abhi. Maybe it was more than just a relationship for her too. We can't think less of anyone's feelings just based on age and time spent, right?" she pointed out and I nodded at her before turning back to stare at the view.

"I want to be with her, Mom. And I will be for sure but I don't know in which form. However, I am fine with anything if I can just be beside her." I know I will stick to this decision no matter what.

"What are you both doing here?" We turned around and found Dad yawning while standing near the door.

"Taking life decisions and supporting my son." Mom said smirking at him and I am glad this incident didn't harm my family but instead made us strong.

"You will go to college tomorrow morning? But we will reach home after college starts." Dad asked walking closer to us while ignoring my Mom.

"It's okay! It's fine as long as I can go to college and I don't think there will be a problem if I attend classes from lunchtime." I mumbled and he nodded before turning to look at the view along with us.

Somehow even though I was thinking about my decision all this time, after telling Mom it felt more real and the anticipation increased as I can finally see her after so long and got a chance to apologize to her.

*Rekha Pov*

"Are you looking for someone?" I turned to see my three best friends looking at me curiously as I am looking at the opposite direction to the one they are glancing at.

"Where is your girlfriend?" I asked staring at Rakesh and he immediately gestured behind me.

"You are here?" I asked finding Kavitha behind me but she is looking disturbed just like me.

I can understand her completely as she is closer to her than all of us. So she will also have the same thoughts as me but at a major level.

"What happened to both of you? We are supposed to show happy expressions, remember? He must already be feeling sad to not be in the same year as us. So, just change your expressions." Vikesh commented frowning at us.

"Don't worry! We will be meeting as usual. And Kavitha will be in the same class. There will be no problem." Rakesh comforted him and all I could is sigh in defeat.

"You both must be thinking about her, right?" Kalyan asked finally giving a sense of relief that there is still hope for men to not be completely clueless.

"Yes! Did she come to college?" I asked glancing at Kavitha who is her best friend and also a classmate.

"Of course! She never missed a class last semester and she is attending the lecture right now even though it's the first day." She replied and cleared her throat to say something which none of us are going to like for sure.

"I informed her that he will be returning to college today. But... but she didn't say anything or even gave a slight reaction." I kind of expected but it is still disheartening to hear that.

"I don't know what are you guys worrying about. When we tell her the truth everything will go back to normal." Rakesh assured us.

"Why are you so clueless?" his girlfriend scolded and I smiled looking at the person getting out of his Dad's car.

We all rushed towards him without saying another word before hugging him. It's been so long since we met him and to top of that, he can finally start his classes.

"Let me breathe!" he complained smiling and we finally let him go but his eyes started looking around and that smile slipped his face for sure.

"It's lunchtime, right? Let's go and have some food before you go and get the remaining details regarding your classes." I mumbled pulling him towards the canteen side while gesturing Kavitha who immediately understood before walking away towards her class.

"Where is she..." Rakesh started but Kalyan stopped him from saying anything else before whispering our intention.

It is still not lunch break, so we were able to get our regular table without much effort but the lunch break will start soon within a few minutes.

"We will get your favorites." Saying that Vikesh and Kalyan left while I was feeling more than nervous thinking how everything will get settled.

I can't believe I am the one feeling worried about their relationship. Who am I? What have I become? I thought shaking my head.

Everyone started pouring in and the whole canteen filled with the students. However, all of us are just waiting for just one person.

"There she is!" Rakesh said waving his hand at his girlfriend who is walking towards the counter instead of coming here before shaking her head at his gesture.

"Let them get food, Rakesh." I mumbled stopping him from calling her again.

I glanced at the one beside me and found his eyes following her every moment ignoring Rakesh and Kavitha's interaction completely as if he can't see any of us.

I turned back towards the two of them finally walking towards our table with their lunch trays and it feels like a déjà vu as the same thing happened two years back. Will everything be like that time too?

"Mihira! He is back in college." Rakesh commented smiling at her while arranging the seats to get his girlfriend to sit beside him while leaving an empty chair opposite the person who is still just staring at her.

I can't believe even the seating arrangement is the same as that time. After that, we all held our breaths when she calmly sat down without showing any hesitance before nodding at Rakesh.

"Welcome back, Abhilash." Saying that she started having her food while we just stared at her.

That's it? That's all she is going to say? Not going to shout at him or show any kind of anger or sadness? Nothing? She is that disinterested about him? Is it... is it really late to turn everything into normal?

"Right! To welcome him back we are thinking of arranging a party. When will you be free?" I asked which caused her to glance at me.

"Anytime is fine with me but let me know ahead." She replied normally but it felt so cold if we observe her eyes.

I waited for Abhi to tell her the truth or someone else but none of them are saying a word and I can't say it too with the way she is right now.

"He rejected me, Mihira. He was just using me as an excuse and I just played along with him." I blurted out before groaning.

Seriously! What have I become? When did I start being so stupid like this and so clumsy with my words?

"I know! I already felt that during that time and didn't believe your words. But why are we talking about that now?" she asked frowning at me.

"You are really smart, Mihi." Vikesh commented which is worse than my clumsy words for sure.

"Mihi! How have you been?" finally Abhi opened his mouth which paused her hand for a second but she calmly glanced at him with a usual smile but then her phone started ringing.

"I am doing well and kind of busy too. But I think I need to leave right now." She replied before lifting the call.

"I will be there in two minutes, Sir." She said the moment she picked the call and cut it after hearing the reply to her words.

"It's just the first day and no one is doing anything. Why are you so busy?" Kalyan asked her frowning when she stood up to leave.

"I am always busy these days. Didn't you realize already? I will meet you guys later." That's all she said before walking away and we all sighed.

"As expected of her. You don't know that she came to college even during the holidays?" Kavitha asked looking at us.

"To do what?" Abhi asked her frowning.

"She said for studying. So, you will be in our class, right? I will save a seat for you near us." Kavitha replied.

"No! I will be transferred to the fourth year." He suddenly said and this is a huge shock for us.

"What? You decided to not get transferred, right? Are you fine with writing supplementary exams now?" Vikesh asked looking at him.

"I ended up preparing for a third-year syllabus because of a lecturer's help. So, I decided this will be fine." He replied.

"Which lecturer? Your Dad helped you with that?" I asked him and he nodded but frowned a bit.

"I got surprised when my Dad told me about this. My Dad asked Swapnil Sir's help regarding this matter and he was helping me all this time by sending the detailed matter and gave references too properly which helped me a lot without putting much effort." He replied and that's a surprise to all of us.

"Okay! That's great and let's hope, you will feel less jealous of him because of that. But why didn't you tell her the truth?" Kalyan asked looking at him.

"I couldn't say a word with the way she is talking as if nothing ever happened and meeting today like this is the most normal thing. It's like so much is going on and I shouldn't disturb that thread. I know I am stupid to not say anything." He mumbled sighing.

"No! Even we felt the same." I assured him and we all again got lost in silence as we don't know how to tell her everything.

"We need to make a proper plan to tell her everything without shocking her but also make sure she believes it and even think about forgiving us." Vikesh stated and we all nodded accepting his plan. This will be the agenda for us and we will make sure to do it.

What and all we should do for our friend's love success? But then we all are in the same position because we miss being with her too like before.

"Good news is that she is ready to come to the welcome party for Abhi. We can talk to her at that time." Vikesh commented and we nodded.

"You are not serious about that party, right?" he asked frowning at us.

"Of course we are serious. We all deserve to have that party and now it is needed for our mission too." Rakesh commented.

"Exactly! So, let's think about what should we do. We can't do it today as she asked us to inform her ahead." I mumbled and everyone started thinking.

"This weekend will be fine I guess. I am sure she will be free this weekend. But let's inform her today itself." Vikesh said after a few minutes.

"Place?" Kavitha asked before adding, "Don't tell me you guys will choose her place."

"Of course not! That will be too shameless of us after not going to her house all these months and suddenly going there to party." Vikesh assured her while I sighed leaning back.

"You can try to talk to her at home, Abhi." I mumbled and he nodded but looks worried for sure.

"I know it looks different than you thought but there will be a chance for you to tell her everything you want to." I added and he again just nodded.

But then even I am worried because somewhere something went wrong and that is more than what we expected as we all had theories of how she will react when he returns and how to explain but her reaction put a stop to all our thoughts and now we need to think more.

---------------------------

Is prologue suitable? I wrote that long back but the later changed the story here and there which made me worry whether the prologue will be suitable or not... So, the prologue is finally here...

I am not sure whether to update next chapter today itself as I can't ignore the other story but this one is lingering too much on my mind and I couldn't stop myself from updating like this :P

How is the chap?

comment plz and vote...