||CHAPTER 46||
《¤》

I was aware the exact moment Vansh had entered the cafè. The bell on the glass door jingled, and I had heard it over the chaotic noise of the crowded place.

"...my sister really is so dumb! I don't understand- what is he doing here?"

I didn't need to turn to know who he was referring to. But I did anyway.

Vansh didn't meet my eyes at first, he had made it straight to Mickey's table. Not until did Mickey smile my way did he know I was there. But I turned back before he could look at me.

"I... don't know," I replied to Armaan.

Armaan looked at his watch. "You know what, I should get going anyways. It's getting late, Ammi must be worried."

I didn't stop him when he picked his bag and stood up, me following him. "We're still friends, right?"

He had caught Vansh's eyes, but he smiled my way anyway. "Not if these Satrangi Koolfis aren't a regular treat."

I watched him leave, and I could see he was trying to be bold for me, to show me he was unaffected by their presence.

But why was I?

Wiping my fingers on a tissue paper, I made my way to Mickey's table.

"Sorry for interrupting your date," Mickey greeted with a wicked smile, "but I didn't know that he could even afford this place. My bad."

His taunt didn't affect me the way Vansh's stiff posture did.

"You don't need to know either," I replied, "just get to the point."

Mickey leaned back in his seat, eyeing me and Vansh, the grin not leaving his face. "Weren't you guys a couple?"

"I don't see how that should matter regarding the Gaur case," Vansh says, easing out of the stiffness.

"It ain't. Just wondering," he laughed. "Geez."

I cleared my throat, to let him start.

"So," Mickey shifted to his no-nonsense mode, which I doubted he ever had in the first place. "You might already know that Mr. Gaur is actually a Kaushal. Samarth Kaushal."

We nodded. We had figured it out long ago.

"Okay, so... Ever since Samarth Gaur started his career in Mystic High, he has been mysterious. But no one actually gives a damn, except of course, you both."

"Give us something we don't know already, Mikesh," Vansh says in a stern tone.

"Hold on, you guys need to brace yourselves for it. It's not easy information."

Folding my hands, I leaned back on the plush seat, huffing out a breath. He was taking chances with me, Mickey really was a douche bag.

"Going back to Samarth Kaushal, his father is an archaeologist, and most of the times, out of India," he stirred his coffee. "Would you like some?"

Judging from our expression, he frowned, "No? Okay. I don't like to share anyways. So, what was I saying? Yeah... Mr. Rajvir Kaushal is an archaelogist, was married at the age of twenty-seven, quite young for his time if you ask me. Born and brought up in Mumbai, now settled in Delhi for work."

"We do not require Daddy Kaushal's life history, Mickey," I comment through my teeth.

"Then let me change your mind, Deewani," he smiled again. The one he had first given me at Karan's birthday party. Not the wicked kind, but the kind that makes chills run down your spine.

"Rajvir Kaushal, alumini of SPDF College of Arts and Commerce, Mumbai, pass-out of 1983. Not exactly the stud of his batch, but not the wallflower either. Just a normal college-guy, middle-class parents."

"And the moral of the story is? I honestly don't see where this is going. Arvika, I told you he isn't the right guy."

"Look, bro," Mickey sips from his mug, "I know my story isn't as interesting as Sugarscape's Fifteen reasons why Arvika Deewan and Vansh Mehra are the future power-couple, but mine does have some substance. So stay calm, and keep listening."

We did.

"So, SPDF College of Arts and Commerce, Mumbai, was quite a well-known college for higher studies. Obviously, rich students didn't leave their seats either. Does this ring any bell?"

Vansh shook his head, I didn't offer any reply.

"Fine. Enter Neeti Prakash. Belongs to a family of Architects, so obviously, rich, and hence snobby."

"Neeti Prakash? As in Neeti Bahl?" Shock laces my statement.

"You're getting close, Deewani."

"But... wait. You want to say Samarth Kaushal is..." Vansh trails off.

"Nahh, not that close Mehra. It's a story, listen properly. Whether the year 1981 witnessed romance or not, isn't our fable. But the November of 2000, surely did, during the reunion of the batch of 1983, in Hotel Zeal."

Air had been sucked out of my lungs. Out of all the possibilities in my mind... this surely wasn't even close to it. "Oh my god," I let out a very a low gasp.

I wasn't the only one who was shook. "Are you serious? H-how?"

"Told ya, you would have to brace yourselves."

"Karan is... He is Rajvir's Kaushal's son. Does... does Mr. Bahl even know that?"

"I do not know if he does. Neither do I know whether Dhriti Kaushal does, but I think it is unlikely, because she follows the celeb-dietician. Ananya Kaushal, her daughter, is a fitness freak. So chances are... the affair was short term. Ended before it could face its consequences."

But it had already did. It had not just faced the consequences; it had faced the aftermath.

¿¤?

Before Vansh's driver could drop me under my building, my father's car zoomed into the parking lot.

"Seems like your Dad's early," he said to me, breaking the silence that had consumed us ever since he decided to drop me home. Unlike our many encounters, Vansh had not spoken a word to me until now, and there were reasons I could pinpoint to this sudden desertion.

"I'll get out, you don't need to worry about meeting him," I replied, unlocking the door.

"I'm not worried, and he's coming our way," he looked at the window beside me.

"Arvika? Itna late ghar aa rahi ho? Extra class tha kya?"

It was just six, by the way. "Uhh, nahi Papa... woh-" I looked behind me, and my father caught the drift.

"Namastey, Uncle," Vansh got out behind me. "Woh actually Arvika mere saath thi."

"Vansh, kaise ho beta?" My Dad looked between us. He was catching the wrong drift. "Uniform me... stayback tha kya tum logo ka? Arnav nahi hai tumhare saath?"

Vansh and I looked at each other briefly, "Woh, nahi Papa... Arnav nahi hai-"

"Ham school ke paas wali Cafe me the. We are working on a project together. So we had to about discuss it, since School doesn't give us enough time."

I gave Vansh a look. Was he being serious?

My father laughed. "Of course, why don't you come up?"

He gave an awkward smile, "I really wish I could... but kal school hai, and school ka homework bhi."

"Oh, okay," I heard my Dad reply while I played with the straps of my bag. "No problem. Some other day then?"

"Dad, ye Arnav ka best friend hai. Har week-end aatha hai hamare ghar, chill," I piped in. This was getting awkward.

"Huh-yeah," Vansh laughed. "I need to go now, good night Uncle."

We waved him off, but the awkwardness was something that couldn't be waved off.

"Papa?" I said when he didn't move from his spot. "Chale? Ghar? Upar?"

When the lift door closed in front of us, my father asked, "So... are the rumours true?"

"Don't tell me aap woh bakwaas articles padhte hai, Papa."

"Well, meri beti ke bareimein thhe woh, tho padhna tho padega na. He's a good kid, though. Bachpan se dost hai na Arnav ka?"

These were the moments that made me glad about the fact that I couldn't blush. "Yep. Par woh pehele mera dost bana tha."

"Haan haan, apne bhai ko gift me diya tumne use," he joked.

My Dad joked.

When the doors slid open, he exited first. "Aaj aap bade achhe mood me lag rahe hai?"

"Ye buri baath hai kya?" He rung the bell.

I shook my head. Ratan kaka opened the door, letting us in.

¿¤?

I woke up from my momentary slumber the moment Ishita slid into the seat beside me in the bus.

"Dude, you didn't reply to any of my texts, what the hell?"

I scratched my temple, trying to recall what texts she was referring to. "You texted me?"

"No, I am just making stuff up," she retorted. "Phone kaha hai tera?"

My first reaction was to panic when I didn't trace its outline on my uniform's pockets. But the rational part of me reminded me that I might have left it in the cafe, which in turn made me panic more. "Shit."

A voice cleared itself in front of us, "You... left it in my car."

Before panic could seize me again, I caught my reflection against the black glass.

"In your car?" Ishita asked, turning to me, "But... Tu tho kal Armaan ke saath gayi thu na?"

We didn't reply to her. What were we supposed to say?

"Oh," she murmured, when Vansh turned around to talk to Arnav.

"What?"

"In my head," she giggled, "Vansh just went angry caveman with Armaan over you."

I smiled, trying hard not to imagine that.

"Oh my god, did that seriously happen?"

I shook my head. "Not even close."

"I don't understand," she huffed. "Dikhta hai ki tum dono ek dusre ko like karte ho, and you both know it, don't you? Why don't you guys just... I don't know, really be together?"

"Sure, Ishi," I humoured her, "We will surely discuss my love life, sitting right behind him."

She snorted, but her eyes lit up the next instant, "I've got an amazing idea. Just keep whispering 'Vansh I really like you,' and let's see if he actually hears or not!"

And when Arnav and Vansh, both turned around to give us quizzical looks, having obviously heard our conversation, I decided one thing.

The idea didn't sound too bad.

_____

Namoshtaii!

Did anyone get the pun in SPDF college? Lmao, m sorry, i couldnt be creative atm hehehe.

Did ur Diwali vacs start yet? M not getting mine for another week, and my teachers are having a field day giving us hol hw already! Speaking of fields, I finally went for the field trip on Wednesday, and omg that place seemed to be heaven personified! And add to that that it was our last field trip in a school uniform? U get a bunch of senti teenagers.

Uhm, so here's the grave-ish news. If u guys dont already know, I'm in the twelfth grade, and both my JEE and Boards are knocking on the door, so I need to put a stop on my free time. So, if I'm unable to complete DJH by the end of my Diwali Vacation, I'd have to put it on hold for around four months. I know, I'll lose a lot of readers, and by the time i get back, rarely anyone wud want to read this again, but the thing is if I want to pursue my dreams and my visions regarding this book, I need to halt for a short period. Trust me, this isnt easy for me. But i used to be a topper until tenth, and then eleventh-twelfth screwed me over. So i need to regain my momentum, and I can only hopw u guys help me through this. However, until Diwali vacations get over, please stay tuned for the updates!

So, read, vote, comment and promote!

~emcee.