Kiara's POV :

"You know you are doing wrong here, right?" Anika asked. We were sitting in our campus waiting for Veer. Our yesterday's plan was a fail because Anika's parents cancelled their trip, we both were sad about it but as there was nothing we could have done we let it go. Going back to her question, I very well knew what she was talking about but yet I decided to give it a blind eye.

"What are you talking about?"

"You ain't so dumb, my baby. Stop making that poor guy suffer because of you can't stop your overthinking." She replied with a forced smile.

Damn, why she has to know everything? And how?

"Will you be able to forgot someone you loved? If yes, how soon? A week?" I questioned. Lying or hiding something from her was of no use.

"I don't know but atleast I would never hurt someone who genuinely loves me."

Maybe Anika was right. If she ever had to choose, she was going to choose someone who loves her and not like me who thinks of everyone's happiness before his's.

'You can't make everyone happy.'

I remembered my mom's sentance. Maybe she is right too. I can't let my overthinking brain rest and so I keep on doing things which I shouldn't.

Everytime I'm with Ritik and Nia walks in, my first urge is to move away from him so that I don't hurt Nia but then everytime I failed to notice the amount of hurt I cause Ritik, until yesterday I saw it in his eyes. Though he didn't mentioned anything, I knew he figured what I was trying to do.

'What about my feelings?'

'Am I just a toy here?'

'What about me then?'

All his questions kept running in my head, making me feel more guilty now.

"It's ok my love. Mistakes do happen but you shouldn't repeat them." Anika's assurance brought me back from my thoughts. I looked at her and saw a reassuring smile on her face.

"I don't know why I never think about his feelings."

"Who said you don't? Ofcourse you do. Sometimes you make mistakes but I know that you love him and would never do something to hurt him intentionally." Anika answered.

"Are you sure you are single?" I asked obviously teasing her. The way she gives suggestions to my relationships makes me wonder how she knows about it all as she never had a boyfriend, I knew about all her crushes but all of them were temporary.

"Well, coaches don't play." She said proudly, which made me giggle.

"I love you." I said and hugged her ever so tightly.

"I know, I know. I'm very lovable and also I love you more. I just want you to be happy. You had enough sorrows in past, now it has to be joys and joys only." She stated making me smile widely.

"Well, I know you care for me but that doesn't change the fact that you have still not answered why Sameer called you."

I figured Sameer called her but whenever I ask this question, she keeps avoiding it.

"You know I can't lie to you. Give your mind some rest, I swear you will get to know it soon." She answered and even before I could say something she changed the topic.

"When are you meeting Ritik?"

"I don't know. He is busy with his practice session and has not replied to my text yet." I answered while checking my phone. I had messaged Ritik almost 3 hours ago yet there was no reply.

"No problem, let's go and meet him now." She said and took me with her. As I kept looking at the field, I realised that Ritik was not there. Where did he go?

"Looking for me?"

I was startled but soon composed myself when I turned around and saw Ritik standing there.

"Hey, I didn't mean to scare you both." Ritik said with concerned eyes.

"But you did, anyway what happened to you?" I asked as he looked very dull.

"Ah, I'm tired and sleepy." Ritik answered and pushed back his hair from forehead. There was nothing unique about it, yet I felt butterflies all over me.

"Ok boy. Take care. I will go now." Anika said and began to leave.

"Anika, do I look like a boyfriend who would not appreciate his girlfriend's friends around them?"

"I didn't mean that. But yeah, you do look like a boyfriend who needs some quality time with his girlfriend."

This girl.

Anika winked at me and when I looked at Ritik, he was blushing already.

"I.." he tried to say but Anika cut him off saying that she is not running away from us but has some work in library.

"Ok, give us the pleasure to accompany you till library." Ritik took my hand and made me walk with them. Was I really standing there like a statue? What made me fall more for Ritik was the fact that he knew I wouldn't want to leave Anika alone and so he decided to accompany her. I must say, I'm one lucky girl.

While we kept walking, Anika and Ritik kept talking about exams and Ritik's practice sessions whereas, I was just smiling while looking at them.

"Why are you so silent?" Ritik asked once Anika went inside the library.

"Nothing." I replied immediately.

"Kia."

"I need to talk to you." I said and saw him shook his head playfully. Obviously I was not going to talk in our campus and said the same thing to him. He directed me towards his car however before I could sit, I saw someone I hate from the core of my heart.

Shruti

"Kiu sit inside." Ritik said maybe because he noticed how angry I was.

"When did she came back? Is this the reason why Sameer wanted to stay at home today?"

I knew Ritik didn't had answers to both my questions but still I ended up asking him.

"It's ok. Please relax." Ritik said holding my hand.

"You know what, Sameer has still not spoken about that day. Everytime we ask him, he keeps evading that topic. I want to know what exactly happened and why she did that to him."

"We will find it out. I promise. If needed, I will speak to him but will you relax, please?"

Why is this boy so sweet?

"Ok. Let's go." I replied and he started driving.

"You wanted to say something, what it is?"

Yeah, I want to apologise

"Yes, I do have something to tell but you have to promise me that once I tell you everything...you are not allowed to ask 'why'.

"But why?" He asked immediately.

"I don't know, but you can't ask that question." I stated and saw him surrender.

"Whatever you say."

I asked him to stop the car in side and mentally prepared myself to say everything that I had in mind.

"I'm sorry."

"But why?" Ritik ended up asking.

"You were not allowed to ask that."

"Hey, that's not fair. I want to know. I don't want you to apologise for something I'm not aware off." He whined.

What do I tell him? That I'm sorry for not considering your feelings?

I'm sorry for hurting you again and again?

"Why you don't wear traditional dresses now?" Ritik asked out of nowhere.

"What?" I asked and also noticed the group of girls on the other side of road, all wearing traditional dresses. It looked like they had some event in their college.

But wait, when we were so in serious discussion...why was he looking at those girls?

"Why were you looking at them?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and instead of answering, I saw my idiot smile.

"Your nose still flares when angry." He answered and informed me that the girls were Aashika's friends from her classes.

"For once can you answer my question without doubting on me?" Ritik asked. I knew he was asking it playfully but the guilt overpowered me.

"I'm sorry Ritik. I didn't mean too. I swear I was joking. I was not doubting...."

"Kiu chill. What happened? Why are you serious?" He asked as he removed his seat belt and moved towards me.

"I don't know. I always doubt on you. I don't consider your feelings. I even know that you noticed my unusual behaviour when Nia came but I swear I didn't mean to hurt you. I have decided not to overthink now. I promise I won't do anything to hurt you. Please forgive me." I said in one go. At that moment, I didn't even cared about how vulnerable I looked, I just wanted to let go of the guilt inside me.

"Can I hug you?" Ritik asked.

"Ah?"

"Come here." Ritik said removing my seat belt. He took my hand in his ever so lightly and moved a little more forward, until I felt myself embraced in his arms.

"I'm not angry Kiara. I was never. It hurt me a little but I'm ok and you don't have to apologise for any of this. You have made me the happiest person, for now I wish to treasure that. So please don't be sorry about anything."

I felt myself nodding as I was short of words.

"I love you." He said as he kissed the side of my head and went back to his original position however his eyes were still on me.

"What happened?"

Ritik just shook his head. There were so many questions in his eyes which made me to ask the question again and this time even he answered.

"You have changed a lot. I was wondering how old Kiara would have handled this situation."

We both smiled at his question because of how I was before, rather than me saying sorry, I would have fought with him until he apologized. Maybe I have really changed but what I did with Ritik in the past was something we can only do the people who are our comfort zone, Ritik was mine. I knew he won't leave me, no matter what.

I saw Ritik talking to himself as if he was mentally noting something, when asked he said it was nothing.

"Let's go."

"You haven't answered my question yet." Ritik stated.

"Which question?" I asked and saw him gestured towards my clothes.

The nerve of this guy to ask this question.

Though I said it in a whisper, Ritik asked what it was.

"Do you really want to hear?"

"Ofcourse." He replied.

"Remember, whenever we used to wear traditional you always, always always always complimented Nia. Forget about complimenting me...you even said that she looks prettier than me."

"I used to get ready for you. I craved for your compliments and what I used to get in return? That someone else looks more prettier than me." I said slapping his arm and looked outside the window.

"Wait, what you said?" Ritik asked making me recall I earlier sentence.

I used to get ready for you!

"You heard me and that was the truth." I stated.

"I'm sorry my love but just because I said she looked pretty I didn't mean that you were not good enough and moreover that was the past. Now you could wear a sack and you would still be the prettiest girl I know."

I smiled.

"You are very cheesy Ritik."

"Don't forget that this cheesiness makes you blush so hard." He replied proudly.

No complaints, that was the truth.

Thank you.
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