Third Bonus Chapter.

Rea

"Hey" Monish greeted, waved at me.

"Hey" I replied the same matching his tone.

"Where is your gang" I asked in between a blow over my tea, the cup I was holding.

While grabbing the tea cup off the counter I had a glanced around and spotted Monish leaning against the canteen railing at the extreme left. He was taking drag on his cigarette. He had waved instantly I saw him. And here we are, away the front, the tables.
The students are on the way ordering their lunch, some of them already got the food, they might have arrived first.

"They are just leaving the class...
where's yours" he asked me too in return.

"Same... actually I'll start now...I woke up late this morning...so I missed the first half...." I smiled awkwardly stealing glances over him, took a sip from my coffee.

"Same...but my reason is different" he chuckled looking at my mortified face. I grinned, leaned against the railing beside him. By then I saw his group arrived, they gave us a wave, we replied back a wave. Kk and Joy walked to the counter. Dubiously to order the food.

"Why it keeps happening all the time, the same shit!" He leisurely took a long dragged then spoke, blew out the smoke through his nose. With few glances around, his eyes stopped at a spot somewhere.

My eyes snapped at him"Sorry! What did you say....I didn't...." I stopped in midsentence. Waited for him to make sense the words he said explaining them to me.

"What Avni wants Neil doesn't, what Ali wants Avni doesn't, what Rea wants Ali doesn't, what Monish wants Rea doesn't" he muttered, his head leaned slightly backward. He threw his slitted gaze ahead. What did he say! Ali wants Avni doesn't... what's this bullshit! Now he is getting into my nerve.

"I like you Ri.
Can't you see!" he straightened his head, his eyes slowly turned to me finishing his statement. My heart skipped when our gaze met. My eyes widened, I gulped like a fish twice. What the crap he is spiting all about!

Oh my  god, oh my god did he say, that he likes me! Now this is something out of syllabus!

"Umm...I..I..." My eyes blinked, I felt uneasy. My coffee is finished, I felt a knot in my stomach. Shit I wasn't prepared for this. Feeling jittery I averted my gaze at the canteen entrance. Don't know what to react or say. I need to leave the spot as soon as possible. But at the same time I need to know about all those crap he said mentioning Ali.

I saw Avni and Soham reached and glancing around for a empty table to sit. They haven't seen me at the first place but then I smiled at them when they finally did. They got a seat far away the counter and the senior boys gang. By then the canteen already filled with considerable crowd of students all over the area.

"I don't think I'm the kind of man to be patient with this love thing. If I like someone I will proceed to her, rather waiting for the right time to reach me. So....
Relax....it's fine... that's predictable. isn't it?" He blew a sarcastic smile and I flinched, snapped my eyes to him then tried to smile but failed. My smile was pathetic. I felt bad for him.

"Why stuff like this doesn't happen unexpectedly predictable...you know for a sake of change sometimes....." this time his chuckle wasn't derisive rather it appeared contemplative, his eyes couldn't hide it. I exhaled heavily under his gaze. His words making me harder to breath.

He is actually right..why things just can't go as per as they supposed to be!! Why the people we love can't love us back. Why the people who love us we won't fall for them!
Why the same monotonous shit need to be happened always! Doesn't God get bored of cooking such unsurprising crap all the time, the same!

"Listen Monish" taking another deep breath I meekly started, my voice chocked. But he raised his hand stopped me immediately.

"It's okay Ri.....I'm absolutely fine...." He put down his hand, gave a deadpan smile then instantly his jaw tightened and he said
"it would be the worst thing ever if you gonna feel sorry for me...I don't need your pity...so it would be better you dare not...." His chest rose, he looked away. His forehead furrowed with wither.

"How do you know Avni loves Neil...." I didn't dare to put the conversation focus on me and Ali, so I changed the subject, focussing on Neil and Avni instead. Because by now it didn't take me much struggle to get what he meant by his statement when he said about our wants.
My words made him shifted his furrowed glance to me.

"Any person who has these two on his head fixed, would see it...look at her everything so apparent..." He pointed his index finger over his head on his eyes and rolled them sluggishly twice then motioned me through his eyes to look at Avni and my eyes obeyed him.

"Wait you said Ali....
Ali likes Avni...." I gulped looking ahead, finally gathered courage to resume with his statement. My heart already started hammering inside my skin, my throat dried up. I pushed him more to proceed "No...he consider her as his sister". I smiled, tried to built up a confident in my tone. In response just an amuse glint flickered in his eyes and my confidence vanished in a thin air under that weird gaze of his over me.

"Lier..." he scoffed. Took a long drag. His cigarette has become too small burning.
"Sorry but it's his truth" speaking he squeezed the fire part on the railing surface to turn it into ashes, darted the rest into the trash bin nearby and then supported his arms either side on the railing behind.

"How can you be so sure!" I was in verge of cry, I cleared my throat. Then unwillingly I queried. My were nerves getting rigid, my heart is falling anticipating what if, he is stating the facts.

"The way he stare at her. It says everything...." he said in a confident tone. My eyes fell at Ali. From here it looked like Ali shared some  secretive fun incident or news to his group bending to the front against the table and they all laughed out loud, including Neil with his alleviate grin.

"Ali is a person who can sacrifice his most favourite stuff for someone he hardly knows.
Well, whether it's his emotions sometimes" he crossed his arms over his chest, leaned his back against the railing. He put a smile on his face, that way we do when we admire someone for some particular task that person has done recently.

"Why he would sacrifice for Neil....he know Neil doesn't love Avni..." I'm getting a bit annoyed as this conversation moving forward. God damn it's Ali he is talking about. How could I think straight when he is talking about my love life and stating that the guy I love is into someone else! And the girl is none but my best friend.

"Really!!!
Are you people blind or what..." He snapped harshly then spoke again "Then what that shit he is searching for glancing around...." His face crumbled in annoyance at the same time amusement. He motioned through his eyes to look at the person he was talking about.

"Do you think he likes her"I'm in pushing my own patience this time. he was right I looked at Neil.

"100percent" he retorted.

"Then why he....." He couldn't let me finish.

"He won't admit that...." Monish said.

"What..." My voice came out instant.

"That he likes her" there is a playfullness in his voice.

"Is he...." My voice held less querying than more shocked.

"Remember that Ali's b'day night, that guy almost might have had spilled the drink over Avni... Unless Neil wouldn't have reach the spot" his declaration made me realised, my fastest heart beats slowed down.
"and he saved her..." I added nonchalantly.

"Anyone of us could have noticed that getting to be happened, but again unsurprisingly we didn't...and foreseeable Neil did....do you really think it was all coincident!" He completed and my eyes skitted at him. I swallowed, threw my gaze at Neil then pulled back at Monish. He gave me a rueful smile.

"Actually his eyes was on her....whole time..." how couldn't I realise this before!!! I looked at Avni she wobble her eyes called me to join them I beckoned through my smile and eyes that I'll be there in a minute. She gave me a thin smile in response and averted her gaze to Soham.

"You know what! He would realise when Avni would never be there... around him" my eyes straight at him, I felt my shoulder tightened.

"What do you mean by that!! She will never be there" my eyes knitted, annoyance growing back inside me. What the hell does he think he can predict things!

"She will be far away from him...." Before I grit my teeth and snapped at him he stated in a smile I don't know what was that.

"What the crap....how can you be so sure....are you any predictor or one of those fortune teller..." I won't able to control myself any longer if he wouldn't stop talking all these shit. My exasperation almost has reached to the peak few steps away to be raged.

"I have done PhD in this love thing babe......" His voice is back to its playfullness and my hand itched to give him a hard smack across his face.

Why Avni will leave him...is she going to leave me too! No way. She won't. I have already talked to my dad, showed him her grades of our last semister. Dad is impressed. She will be joining our company as a paid intern during our final terms. We will work together. Everything is planned.

"Since how long" I mocked balling my fist. Monish is a creep, his words is not going to affect me. He is talking all hypothetical. Talking to myself I calmed down my growing temper.

"The day I realised I have a heart there and it beats for a person who is not interested in me....." My sneer faded along with my temper, I coughed a bit.

"Monish....." I spoke, my voice uncomfortable.

"Sorry but it is the truth" Monish made a pout then grinned, this time a real one before diverting the topic.

"Okay back to Neil Khanna" his voice shook letting out a chuckle, my heart composed replacing the uneasiness I felt by his words a minute ago.

"He thinks he can be hard, super hard, no one can break him...but he is one of those freshers who think they can easily pass through the crowd and no one would catch him, he will be saved from been caught for raging...... however the fact is, the more you act the more you over react and the more you get into the spotlight....and he is caught undoubtedly....
See, he is glancing towards the table Avni is sitting over but not exactly the spot he would look straight at. Rather he would control himself not to look at her. But he would, through his peripheral view, because only with that he could keep watch on her. Deliberately.
Typical Neil khanna.... isn't he" he scoffed, chuckling. My eyes zoomed at Neil scanning all his movements.

"Bloody standoffish mammal" I scowled glaring at Neil, my teeth gritted when I found him exactly doing the same Monish has just said.

"Don't look at him that directly duffer" he chided, playfullness didn't leave his voice and I felt nervous, immediately averted my eyes away Neil. Actually he is right it was so obvious the way I was glaring at Neil that it won't be much battling for Neil to get the idea that we are actually talking about him.

"Fuck..." I almost jumped on my feet by his harsh cussing.

"I thought it's a triangle...
But it's not...it's a square actually..." Gleefully speaking Monish squinted his eyes sharply at a particular direction. I instantly followed his gaze and mine narrowed halting at my bestie.

"What the hell are you muttering" I snapped.

"Soha...." He scooted a brow upward, smirked and I so wanted to tear that mirth off his face. How dare he call that.

"He is my friend.Don't make fun of him...." I warned.

"He likes you....Damn.
Fucker Asshole." He tightened his face. But there was an amused glint in his eyes mixed with possessiveness. I meticulously stared at Soham for few seconds then my eyes nictated shrugging off his words.

"That is a fucking nonsense...Okay!!...he doesn't" My eyes rolled envisioning Soham likes me other way instead friend. God even thinking of it makes my stomach fill with guffaw. It's not that he is not good looking. He is actually a handsome guy but that doesn't mean I will fall for every good looking guys around me. I mean how clingy it would be. Ew I'm not of a that type. Lord.

There is something suspicious with this Monish. Is he into those black magic stuffs! My subconscious squealed. I shifted a bit further away him. I gulped thinking what if he is into those dark stuffs.

"Trust me....he does" his voice dimmed now, much mature.

"And don't you dare call him that..." I chided, flared my nose. And He smiled.

"That what! Soha!" He made a face as if any time he would burst into laughter. And I swear I would punch on his nose.

"Stop it, I said....." I blurted, glared.

"You know what, we laughed out hard when we heard Avni called him by that in the corridor other day...." It's a disgusting feeling when you get someone calling names to your friend the same you calls him secretly. It's a bestie thing no one should ever know it, no way they could have been called by other out of the group.

"If he would know by any chance you people heard it then I and Avni both are dead...." I panicked. I need to stop him.

"Okay Relax we won't...." He said in a assuring manner meaning it. And I heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thanks....." I made a fake smiling face.

"But I can't promise about kk...
You know how he is..." And he is back. I jumped on my feet panicking inside but still warned him through my eyes.

"No please...." I beseeched.

"okay okay calm down....I'll take care of it so that Kk doesn't do such stunts...don't worry " He agreed to accede, motioned with his hands ending up this Soham topic.
My heart mellowed finally.
And then we walked away, joined our friends at different sides.

*****

It's been years passed after,
that day we have chatted in our university canteen. Later we became so much busy with our vast syllabus eventually with our professional lives, that we hardly got time much to spend like old times.

Today is my wedding. Yes I'm marring Sohan my another guy bestie. Who loves me, I felt during years of being friends with him.
I was a heart break when I heard Ali is in love with Sia, now his fiancee. That day I was devastated, eradicated by inside. I wasn't in a state to feel or comprehend anything, I was in a state of spaz, only I wanted to talk to my Bestie Avni, who was no where but a call away. By then we weren't in a talking terms.

I have got many friends but no one I came across as sensible as she was. So I couldn't hold any resentment when she came back to see me after years long. And said she wants to mend things between us. I hugged her, we sobbed away everything we missed those years and promised eachother no more break ups . Because I always new she has her own reasons not to be in contact with me. And that was because of Neil.
I totally understood that day what she went through and I well know how it feels when you love someone and they never loves you back. Who knows it better than me?

The future my parents decided for me on that exact evening when there was nothing left in my heart to wish for. Within a month I got engagement to Neil. It was just an decision my parents thought would be better for their daughter. They always thought of it, as well as Neil's family. They are good people but me and Neil! Even thinking of those days of our courtship I feel how stupid we used to look together. God knows what made our parents see we could be a good match, when we were nothing close to good, instead we look worst together apart from that if we count our friendship so far.

He is always hers. His love Avni. And my heart knows how happy I feel whenever I see Neil and Avni together. So happy they look, they are just too perfect.
If Neil is mountain hard rock then Avni is the dense forest around, the soothing greenery. They look heavenly awestrucking together.

Monish had predicted right. Isn't he!

I had visited his house to invite his family for the wedding. We had an amazing chat over this...he was so proud of his assumptions.
And in response to that his wife and me we both ended up suggesting him to get a part time job on something like those foreseen stuff. And then we cracked up hard.
That day I really had an awesome evening with them after awhile.

*******

I was tired of being drapped into such heavy bridal outfit, make up and stuffs.
Avi left around afternoon after we had the lunch all together, Arya was sleepy in Neil's shoulder. That Baby Aryan. He is a cutie pie and his cute Bristish accent, everyone is absolutely in love with that chubby little munchkin. He is super adorable, talks so much of intelligence. After meeting him I want a baby boy like him.
Oops what did I just say?
I'm proud of my bestie another reason is Aryan. And we all know the back story.

Mamma took me to the room so that I could get a beauty nap for an hour next, before my wedding make up artist would appear. And my all friends left promising me to be back in the evening soon.

It's 7 in the evening, My groom haven't arrived yet, therefore guests are scattered around different food counters, having the beverages, starters.

"One last prediction" Passing me a glass of fruit juice and holding his own appy Monish took the empty spot beside me, whispered. Thanking him I took a sip, my eyes dance in excitement. Let's see what he predict this time.

Nisha Monish's wife was at the spot Sia, Avni, Ali Neil, Joy, kk, all were gathered around the soft drink kiosk.

"You know how I get excited everytime when you speak all these..." I chuckled, talked covertly holding the empty glass in between my both palms. I threw a formal smile seeing some guests far away.

"You won't let me speak...will you.." his voice reprimanded, he side glanced me.

"Okay shoo..." I felt frenzied inside. As same as any girl get excited taking part in tattle. I took another sip from my glass.

"Avni is going to be pregnant within next three months....." His voice held amusement. I had almost spilled the liquid before I swallowed in down roughly. What?

Wipping my lips with a hanky carefully so that my lipstick doesn't get smashed by the dabbing. I spoke "Ooh God shit no...."  I couldn't hid my flushed cheeks, my eyes widened in astonishment, grinned broadened.

"Look at Neil how he is not leaving her hand not even for a second...." He motioned me to look at the spot Neil and Avni was and my gaze followed the direction he was looking at. I bit my lip, stifled a chuckle. He is so right. This Neil.

"Did you ever imagine seeing Neil khanna holding his wife's hand amidst thousands of people, atleast a month ago?? he just can't let Avni for a second out of his sight....now think what he does all the time being alone with her" he said and I cursed "Fuck".
I bit my inner cheeks and immediately loosened thinking of my make up.

"That's what I mean" his smirk was complacent. He took my cursing as my reply. And I giggled.

"Asshole" I cursed again.

"Wooooaaaw what a timing" he said and exactly that moment we heard the band baaja noise, the Baarati arrived outside the main entrance. And all the invitee, guests rushed outside to welcome my Dulha. Soham the groom. And then I realised he actually used that word for my would be hubby. This Monish. Asshole!

And guess what, Monish was right...Again!!
Avni got pregnant within 7 months of her marriage.
She told me last night. Yesterday I just came back from my honeymoon, She had called me around 9 in the night and gave me the news. She was super thrilled. Me too. I sighed.

She deserves world's all the happiness.

**********

It was my wedding Reception night.

Chaahey jo tumhein purey Dilse
Milta hai woh mushkil se...aaaa...
Aisa jo koi kahi hai
bass wahi sabse hasin hai Ali lipped the lines, took both mine and Soham's hands, lead us to the center. He smiled then made Soham hold my hand. My grin widened.

Uss haath ko tum thamlo woh mehrebaan kal hona ho...

And the song went. Sweta Aunty purposely pushed Avni gently and she landed on Neil's chest who was few steps away already walking towards his wife.
Neil hold Avni by her waist and they shared a eyelock. Arya clapped, giggled, jumped seeing them holding eachother. Being shy before Avni could have parted breaking the moment, Neil pulled her again to his chest, his arms wrapped her. Her cheeks pruce, smiling bashfully she averted her gaze.

Hooo......Palko ke leke saaye
Paas koi jo aaye
Laakh samhalo pagal dilko his fingers tenderly pushed some of her hair strands away her face, tuck them behind her ears made Avni look back into his intense gaze, that's only looming over her. Her breath escalated staring at his dark gaze, the gaze she craved for years, the wish was there somewhere in her subconscious mind she realised at the moment
Dil dharkehi jaaye Neil whirled her, her back hit his chest, she startled.

Parr sochlo is pal hai jo
Woh daastaan kal ho na ho... He brought his lips close to her ear. Avni shivered, her breath uneven and he smiled knowing how her heart races under every touch he lays on her.
Before Neil could trailed his mouth down, nuzzle his lips over her neck, giving a light push on his chest she is away.
His intense gaze followed her. There is no way he would look at anywhere else but her.

Harr pal yahan
Jee bhar jiyo

Jo hai samaa
kal ho na ho

Monish I let her go, because mine was nothing intense compare to she had for Ali.
Our friendship grew deeper than before. Her well-being will always be in my orison.

Rea Ali was my first love so I'm Soham's last, as he says more often when he talks all romantic. He makes me laugh my heart out, sometimes those stomach paining and tears flowing as well, I have had ever experienced before until I got married to my guy bestie.
I think I'm falling for him. Or have fallen already!!!

*IMAGINE*

Rea Soham

Avniel

Ali Sia

Monish Nisha
•••••••••••••••••••

I don't know why this chappie made me cry....

One more last Bonus Chapter I'll update soon.

Love MoN