||CHAPTER 39||
《¤》

"Missed me?"

Armaan raised his head from the book he was reading, sitting on the steps beside the library.

"Arvika, hey."

I winked at him, climbing the three steps, then turning around to sit down. "So, which book today?"

"Uhm," he offered me my favourite biscuits, "it's something on how to get rid of ridiculously rich and snobbishly annoying girls."

I narrowed my eyes at him, snatching the whole packet. "I didn't know you're into Romance."

"Romance?"

I shrugged. "Hmm. Don't you know, that's the main theme of every Romance novel? I'll give you a spoiler, the guys never get rid of them. They get rid of their braincells though."

"You sound like you've read many books."

I munched on the crispy goods. "I also sound very dumb, but we both know what I'm made of."

"And you're back to being arrogant."

I pinched his cheeks. "I knew you were the only one who missed me genuinely."

"Yes, Arvika," he said, sarcasm oozing out, "I absolutely missed someone hogging away my whole lunch."

"Wow," I laughed, "You really make me sound like a bully."

"Oh, you are."

I mocked him.

"So kaisi thi tumhari Mom ki shaadi?"

"Kyoo, newspapers se nahi pata chala?"

"Waha se tho bohot kuchh pata chala. You and Vansh, for example."

"Uhh, what?"

"Some brewing romance I think," he shrugged, pulling up a site on his phone.

I glanced at the site, whose name I was seeing for the first time.

"Amateur reporter hai," I commented, looking at the pictures. "Par mai bomb lag rahi hoo yar!"

He gave me a wary look. "Remind me again why you hang out with me?"

I hit his shoulder, when my eyes landed on Karan Bahl inside the Psychology classroom.

He was with the Einstein haired Mr. Gaur. And this wasn't the first time I had spotted him with his Psychology professor.

"What's with the frown?" Armaan asked, and I retraced my gaze back to him.

"Frown denotes that in five minutes, break will be over, and then Mr. Thakur is going to roast us with a pinch of rotational motion with the heavenly flavour of kinematics."

"Now that is the happy meal I crave for," he said with dreamy eyes.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Go back to reading your book, you seem less annoying that way."

¿¤?

Karan seemed to be cluesless about what I was talking about.

"Favourite student? I'll let you know that I get the lowest grades."

"But you've been taking extra classes with him for quite a long time now, haven't you?"

His face displayed perplexity, "Kya bakwaas kar rahi hai? Extra classes? Ye tujhe kisne bola?"

The teacher was out only for a small while- to fetch some book on the topic we were covering in Chemistry. So I had to make it quick.

"Mere antaraathma ne," I replied.
"Well, tere antaraathma ko bol ki woh behki hui hai, kahi bhatak na jaye."

I hit his shoulder with Ishita's pouch. "Sach bol na yaar."

He grabbed the pouch to stop me from hitting him, "Sach hi tho bol raha hoon! I don't go for any extra classes!"

"Fir tu lunch ke waqt Gaur Sir ke paas paan khaane jaatha hai kya?"

He turned around in his seat to look at me. "Are you stalking me?"

"Yeah," I nodded with apprehension. "My life's boring, and you seem to be enjoying yours'."

"Arnav," he called out, "apni behen ko sambhaal. Mere life ko nazar laga rahi hai."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Since when did Arnav become my bodyguard?"

"Since the day you guys were a zygote, actually," Ishita supplied. "You know, that overprotective bond thing- twins usually have it."

The conversation drifted from there, but I had seen what Karan had done, and I had seen his face when he was doing it.

Karan Bahl was hiding something.

¿¤?

Mickey stood by the stairwell, nonchalant. His cigarette was lit, smoke blowing off his lips, and ashes being flicked on the floor of the abandoned entrance.

"Deewani."

"Mickey."

His eyes drifted between me and his cigarette. "Want to try?"

"I prefer hukkah's."

I walked towards him.

"You rich people and classy demands," he commented, blowing out loops of grey smoke. "So you changed your mind about never setting off on my ride?"

I folded my hands. "Not yet. But I wanted to know something."

"The next ride will be in Picko'd farms. Twenty fifth."

I laughed, "Oh, no. I don't want any rides. I just want your help."

"Just because I don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean I want to have sex with every girl I meet."

Frowning, I tilted my head to the side. "That's not what I wanted, but okay, I'll keep that in mind."

He dropped his cigarette on the floor and then stomped on it. "So what is it Deewani?"

"Get me Mr. Gaur's file from the office."

"And what's the reason behind your sudden interest in our Psychology professor?"

I thought about it. "He's my crush."

He raised an eyebrow. "Correct me when I say I don't believe you. I don't think he looks like a Calvin Klein's model with his Einstein hair."

I shrugged. "I am sapiosexual."

"And I am delusional," he smiled sweetly.

I huffed, fishing out five crisp notes of hundred. He eyed it.

Handing over one note, I said, "Rest will be yours when I get the file."

"Tomorrow during recess," he informed. "But I need to return it from where I steal it before the day ends. So make it quick when I hand it over to you."

It was my turn to smile sweetly at him.

¿¤?

He scraped out a chair to sit with us during dinner.

Arnav and I looked at Daadi who was sharing an equally suprised face.

"Aur bolo," our Dad rubbed his palms, "aaj khaane mein kya hai?"

Ratan kaka hurried towards him to serve him some raajma chawal. But we had halted our meal.

"Aaj tera koi kaam nahi tha?" Daadi asked, pouring water into a glass from the jug.

"Ma," he said mixing his rice with the gravy, "aap bol tho aise rahi ho jaise mai bahana dhundhtha hoon aap logo ke saath dinner na karne ka."

We had to give a customary smile to his badly attempted joke.

"Ratan kaka!" He addressed to him, "Raajma badhiya bane hai. Thhoda aur dijiye na. Are, Vika tum kha kyoo nahi rahi ho? Arnav aur tumhara favourite hai na? Ratan kaka, use bhi do, plate khali hai uska."

Oh, so he remembers?

I glanced up at Ratan kaka who gave me an awkward smile whilst adding onto the pile of Raajma already there on my plate.

"Aap... bohot khush lag rahe hai? Lawyers ne papers check kar liye kya?"

If he wasn't happy before, he looked like his happiness knew no bounds now. "Sab ho gaya hai. Aur Ma, aab vishwaas nahi karogi ki Oberoi ne koi ganda game nahi khela hai iss baar."

"Well," my brother joined the conversation. "Sab Vika ka kamaal hai na. I told you, aakhir sister kiski hai."

I kicked him under the table, presenting him with a sweet smile.

Beside me Daadi laughed, "Yeh tho bohot achhi baath hai. I'm so proud of you beta."

I started eating to prevent myself from giving any inputs into the conversation.

"And you know what such occasions call for?" Dad looked at us expectantly.

"Dad, she knows about the Saturday party."

But our Dad wasn't letting him kill his buzz. "Well, alright. Don't worry, Jolly Bua ke upar hai yeh party duties- and is baar ham hamare farmhouse me host kar rahe hai."

Wow, just... woah.

"Thanks!" I smiled at him. "Can't wait for Saturday."

For deserts that night, I was toasting on my father's pleasant attitude.

After dinner, I was rummaging through my bag for an eraser, because erasers are those devilish creatures that disappear before anyone can use them even halfway, and they disappear at those moments when they are needed the most.

In my case, rubbing out the crazy cartoons canvased on my chemistry book. Ishita and I, we have this tendency of decorating each other's textbooks with cats, stars, eyes, and many things incoherent.

My treasure hunt led me to my brother's bedroom, and I barged in without knocking, because I was in a good mood.

With his legs up and resting against the wall, Arnav Deewan laid on the bed on his back, Chemistry text book held above his head and Eminem playing in the background. He was lucky that our rooms were sound proofed, because early morning and late nights were the times I couldn't stand any rapper.

"You sound like a dying whalrus that has a brain of Arnav Deewan."

He didn't change his posture, just whirled his pencil in his hand. "I don't see how the last part is supposed to be an insult."

"You won't, because you are Arnav Deewan. Dinner ke baad Baba Ramdev nahi banthe hai, bewakoof."

"I am studying!" He defended himself. "This, behena, is my study yoga."

I was mocking him, not that he could see me, with his head literally below his ass. "I need an eraser."

"Oh," he acknowledged. "But I am not the stationary mart."

"True, but you are very annoying. Where's your eraser?"

I walked to his desk before he could answer. Pulling open a few drawers, I tried invading his privacy, but Arnav wasn't a secretive person. His drawers were boring, but one day I might find something interesting below the disguise.

"Don't even think about rummaging through my drawers."

"Aw, you read me so well," I retorted.

Finally finding a new eraser from his stationary mart of a drawer, I turned around heading towards him.

"Do you think Karan is hiding something?" I promptly ask, standing by the door.

His legs fell off, as he turned on his abdomen to look at me. "Kya?"

"Do you think Karan kuchh chhupa raha hai?"

"Why do you think so?"

I shrugged, "Aise hi, I don't know." But I will find out.

"Well... I know he is different because he was the only one who took Psychology in our group, and that is what's playing in his head. Don't mind him. Koi project-woject hoga, you know na..."

I didn't, and I had a hunch that it wasn't anything related to projects.

_____

Namoshtaii!

First of all, HAPPY GANESH UTSAV everybody! And ik most of u might be having ur exams rn, so all the best too ;)

So last week I asked what you wanted to be if u were a character, and you had really interesting replies :D They seriously made my day :P

Except for Arvika Deewan, who is your favourite character? :D

Also, I post sneak peeks of the upcoming chapters on my profile, so if you want to read them, don't forget to follow me ;)

Well, read, vote, comment and promote!

~emcee.