Ice Queen.

Vaanya

Ishani Mehera is the brightest, the junior class has-the smart and sexy socialist, people aspire to be around here.

"What are you doing here?" Ella fires at her icily and Ishani flinches, hugging her ribs meekly. She was MIA for half a year and ever since she has gotten back...she's been weird.

"It's the ladies' room, Ella." Her voice is almost a sharp whisper as her gaze wanders on the tiled floor. "I was just...never mind, I'm on my way out anyway."

She begins to walk. "Not so fast," Maira slips in front of her and she steps back. "Eavesdropping is a little low, wouldn't you agree?"

Ishani shakes her head quickly. "I wasn't-"

"Yeah? Well, you've been here the whole fucking time," Maira steps closer to her and she backs away again, hugging her ribs tighter. Poor thing looks like she'd throw up. "Is that a daily sport?"

She tugs at her baggy tee and looks away. "No, I-"

"When did you get back?" Ella asks instead and I didn't know-until now-that she is aware of Ishani's existence, to begin with. I just knew she used to board in the campus dorms until she disappeared into thin air one day.

"Last month," Ishani mumbles and rubs her nape awkwardly. "Can I just go?"

"It must be so hard for you," Maira murmurs frigidly and she purses her lips. "You don't have Kunal by your side anymore," she says and Ishani's gaze flickers on her. "Explains your mourning getup huh."

Sam looks just as lost as I feel inside. What did I miss?

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here," Ella says and strides to her, and I have no idea what they are talking about. Up until a minute ago, Ella looked like she had seen a ghost and now she is acting up. "Back into our lives-to this college in this city."

"I don't wish to harm anyone," Ishani straightens and meets Ella's gaze.

Maira scoffs, "Well that went down the drain, isn't that right?"

Ishani tenses as she averts her gaze on Maira. "I'm sorry Kunal died."

"Of course you are," Maira says mockingly and Sam narrows her gaze on her. "Where were you the night he died?"

Ishani looks taken aback. "You can't possibly think I had anything to do with his death."

"But you were with him, weren't you?" Sam inquires and now I'm curious. I had no idea Kunal and Ishani were tight. Is that what this is about?

"Only for a while and then you showed up," Ishani says and Maira smirks condescendingly, making my nerves wrack. What is she thinking? Why wasn't I aware of this?

"And that must have hurt your precious vanity, right?" Maira barks at her and I jerk startled by her sudden outburst. "Isn't that why you killed him?"

Ishani looks like she will bawl her eyes out. "What?" she whispers.

"You loved him and he never gave a fuck about that," Maira says and my stomach drops. How many of these people loved Kunal? It's so sick to know that he was bedding half of the women in this college.

"No you loved him and he never gave a fuck about that," Ishani snaps back and I'm agape. Ella's brows arch up and Sam's jaw drops. I know what she is thinking-Ishani is as good as dead. "You always begged for his scrapes and he never cared. I feel for you Maira but you're deluded if you think I'd kill Kunal out of all the people."

"What does that supposed to mean?" I ask alarmingly and walk to Maira before she pounces on the poor girl. I admire her courage but she has no idea how dangerous Maira can be.

"Kunal was my best friend," she says and that plain news knocks me down. I had no idea about that. "So the real question is if you killed him out of spite Maira."

"Oh my God," Sam mutters, rubbing her finger against the scar above her brow restlessly and my gut grows ill. I catch Maira's hand and she is fuming.

"You need to calm down," I whisper but she is shaking with rage. "Seriously, don't," I warn her demandingly and she glares at me. "Now's not the right time."

"I don't fucking care." Maira's hand lands on her face with a sickening smack that echoes in the air and I step back. Sam yelps in her stance and Ella mutters curses. "If you don't watch your fucking mouth so help me god..." Another smack crashes through the air and I hear Ishani's soft whimpers.

"You have to stop her," I snap at Ella and she shakes her head. "What the hell Ella?"

"You're her best friend, so you take care of the mother of psychos," Ella retorts and I sigh deeply. Sam walks up to them and tears Maira asunder.

"You don't wanna lose your shit right now," Sam bites out and Ishani wipes her tears from her cheeks. She has gotten so scrawny and beat. I wonder what changed. "I swear you're the most insane person I know."

"Oh I am," Maira says as though that's something people thrive for. "You have no idea just how much."

Ishani's gaze fixates on an unaware Ella for a beat longer. Is she expecting Ella to jump to her rescue? Seriously how deluded is she?

Ella's gaze travels to her and she grows pale. Ishani's lips twist ruefully. "I used to admire you, Ella," she begins to say and Maira exhales harshly. "You used to be my role model. You always know the right thing to do, the right thing to say but guess I was wrong, isn't it?" She wipes her face again and I instantly feel worse for her.

Ella's brows furrow. "You should pay more attention Ishani, watch your mouth and stay out of our lives," she demands and Ishani begins to walk to the door silently after she nods slowly.

She unlocks the door and pivots to face her near the threshold. "I wasn't talking about this," she says and looks at all of us. "I'm truly sorry for your loss Maira but whatever you did is nothing in the face of what I've already been through." Her gaze lingers back on Ella and I get a feeling this isn't about Kunal anymore. Ella's shoulders grow limp and she steps back, gawking at her as though Ishani has grown two heads. "So much for being the ice queen," she smirks mockingly. "You're just as sick."

What does she mean by that?

Sambhavna

"Okay, this isn't good," Ella shoots, rooting through her satchel restlessly. "This is all your fault," she snaps at me and I scowl at her.

"Excuse me?" What on earth did I do? I swear sometimes I think Ella can't get past a day without absolutely humiliating me.

"You shouldn't have raised that subject." I stare at her blankly, waiting for her to fill in the blanks. "About Jordan, now she knows."

"I think this wasn't her first time," Maira says thoughtfully and I agree with her. "I think she's done this before and that's how she got a hold on your journal."

"Okay, dial back, you guys," Vaanya grumbles and Ella hands her the chapstick. "She wasn't even here when the first blast was out." Ah, that's fair enough.

Maira nods silently and looks away. "And what about Kunal?"

"What about him?" I ask and she looks at me.

"She was there at the party," she says and Vaanya swipes the stick on her lips. "She might as well have killed him."

"Why would she do that?" Ella queries and props her hand on her hip. "If Kunal was her best friend then she wouldn't want him dead M, you're taking it all wrong," she says and looks back at me. Perfect. She just can't get over with this. "You, on the other hand, had to spell it and now she knows, and then someone else will know and then this will be all over the fucking place."

"Which is why you need to come clean to Aagnay," I shoot back and she glares at me. "Or not?" What the hell! "Look, I'm sorry okay? I just wanted you to know that he bumped into me and we had this little chat. And in my understanding, he wants you off Aagnay too."

Ella scowls at me. "Who wants to know what you think?" Huh.

I open my mouth to retort. "Enough with that," Vaanya interrupts and looks at Ella and Maira. "We have other issues to deal with," she says coolly and Maira's brow arch in silent realization, and I'm the complete outsider again. "Other pressing issues that need your attention, Sam."

I tense as Ella looks away. "Go on," I say and Vaanya looks at Maira.

"So who's gonna tell her?" Maira asks and not knowing what else to say, I gawk at them.

"Not me," Ella throws her arms up and backs away from me.

My gaze narrows on them. "Tell me what exactly?"

Vaanya sucks in a deep breath and I feel my nape tingle. This doesn't look good to me. "We think that your mother and Saxena Sir have something going on."

"What?" The fuck? How could she say that? I'm full-on agape and Maira sighs heavily.

"We saw them outside college while returning from Kunal's place the other night," Vaanya says and I'm wondering why they had to keep something like that from me for so long.

Maira's features soften. "They seemed...close." How dare he do that to me? I step back in disbelief and my eyes sting with fresh tears. "That column did say that your mother has a thing for-"

"I know what the column said," I snap, rage stirring in the pit of my gut. How could he do this to me? I know we aren't in some relationship but how could he do this with my mother? Mayank is supposed to be the only one who gets me.

Vaanya walks to me. "Hey, are you okay?" The ring in my ears is so loud; I think my ears will give up on me. She catches me by my shoulder but I swat her hand away, unable to bear it anymore. I can't do this. My visions blur with dense hot tears and Maira hisses under her breath. "Sam, please..."

"Why didn't you tell me any sooner?" My voice is watery and I want to scream. I hate my mother for doing this to me-to my father.

"Because we knew you'd act like this," Ella says and I glare at her coldly. She shrugs. "Forgive us if we want to see you happy."

"By lying to me?" Unbelievable. These people are supposed to be my friends.

"We didn't lie to you," Ella shoots back and I sniffle softly. "We had truth under wraps, there's supposed to be a difference."

I nod quickly, wiping the streak of tear off my cheek. "Spoken like a true politician's daughter," I say and Ella's face flashes with a tint of remorse.

"Hey, I know," Vaanya says, urging me to look at her and I stifle a sob. "I know it hurts but we weren't sure how to bring it up, Sam. You have to know this isn't easy for us either."

I don't care. I'm so mad at Mayank right now; I can't feel anything else besides the burning fury. "I need to go." I grab my bag from the counter and sprint out of the room without hearing another word.

*

THE UGLY GLANCES IN MY direction are lost when I yank the door open to the counselor's office. My gaze darts around the compact space that bodes two distinct spaces with an ebony desk, ergonomic chair, and a set of sofa for the students to lounge on during the sessions. I push back to lock the door and my gaze sweeps on to Mayank, seated on one of the sofas and talking indistinctively over a call.

He halts in his tracks and rises to his feet to face me, his broad masculine chest flexing to his movements as he draws his smartphone to the other ear. My heart rate speeds up and my palms dampen with sweat, catching his gaze on me, and his brows crease to a deep frown. The pathetic feeling in my gut crawls back and intensifies.

Looking at him only brings back how much I love him-how much I want him to only belong to me. It's so oppressive, I can't bear to look at his eyes and speak with him without sobbing.

"I'll catch you later," he says to the person on the other end of the line and presses his finger against the home screen of his device before he strides to me. "I didn't realize we had a session today."

"We need to talk," I demand curtly and he freezes to his tracks again, gawking at me.

His frown sets free and his gaze narrows on me. "Talk about what exactly?"

"Oh don't act so naïve," I snap at him and he scowls at me. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." I fumble with the knob of the door, not wanting to spend another minute with him. I can't fathom his audacity of acting so indifferent after what he has been doing behind my back. "Just don't fucking do it."

"What?" His hand catches mine against the knob and a shiver slides through me, feeling worse to his bare touch against my skin. "What are you even talking about?"

"You know what?" My back hits the door with a muted thud. "Fuck you."

He arches his brows and my gaze wanders around the frame of his breathtaking face. "Excuse me?"

I spin and back away from him. "What were you doing with my mother the other night?" I inquire point blank and his features grow ashen, betraying every confidence I ever had in him.

"Why would you care about that?"

I scoff and look away to collect my racing thoughts, and then look back at him. "Just answer the damned question."

"No." I flinch back, feeling wounded to blatant refusal. "I don't have to say anything about my meetings with parents."

"Meetings?" I bite out through my clenched teeth. "Rendezvous is a more appropriate way to put it, don't you think?"

"Rendezvous?" he asks sternly, his scowl deepening and I cross my arms over my chest. "With your mother?" He laughs madly and cocks his head in the other direction for a beat before he glares back at me. "I have read the gossip column," he says tersely, knocking the wind out of me, and my stomach flips.

"So now you know what I'm talking about," I assert and he gawks at me silently. "You stay the hell away from my mother."

He frowns again. "Wait," he snaps. "Do you think your mother and I are fooling around?" he asks disgustedly and the relief that rolls through me is palpable. "What the fuck?" he curses under his breath and walks away from me, making me feel small and pathetic. "Are you for real Sambhavna?"

I begin to walk to him. "Look, I know how she is and my friends saw you with her the other night, you seemed-"

"Like someone who would have his tongue down your mother's fucking throat?" Okay...that does sound off now when I hear that. Shit. I should have known Mayank wouldn't do something like that. His gaze lingers on me for another second. "Hold on," he mutters and narrows his gaze on me. "What has you so worked up about this again?"

"What do you mean?" I snap and a muscle in his jaw clenches as he looks away. "My mother is married and you can't-"

"That hadn't stopped her before, isn't that right?" he queries icily and my legs start to feel feeble. He advances to me and I back away. "So what is it?" he asks suspiciously and I purse my lips. "You came through that door looking like you wanted to rip me apart, so this better have a reason."

"Nothing," I mutter and I feel the edge of his table hit against my hip, his arms caging me and my eyes nearly roll back as his masculine scent washes my senses. "I was just..."

"Just what?" he asks, his deep obsidian eyes glimmering under the lights of the room. "Say it, damn it."

"I love you." I did not just say that. His gaze flickers on me. Oh my God. I did that.

Silence billows through the room-so intense, it almost makes me feel like I'm deaf, my blood ringing in my ears and I gulp the lump past my sandpaper dry throat.

I open my mouth to say something but shut up as his lips curl to a smirk and he leans away from me. "Would you like to sit and have a chat instead?" How he manages to act so normal, is beyond me. Maybe he doesn't care. He doesn't think I'm serious. I just bared my heart out and he tossed it right out of the fucking window.

I shake my head slowly. "No," I mutter and clutch my bag tightly, feeling my chest tighten with foreboding tears. "No, I should-" My gaze sweeps across the carpeted floor and fixates on his immaculate oxfords. "I shouldn't be here." My voice cracks to a whisper before I shove him and sprint out of the room without looking back.

Wiping my tears, I skate out of the building. The drizzle welcomes me, enveloping me as the crisp air brushes against my skin and I decide to walk to my place. I have never felt so small and useless in my whole life. What was I thinking? Of course, someone like Mayank Saxena will never want me. I'm not Ella or Vaanya-I'm a nobody with a screwed-up family dynamic. Nobody cares.

I halt in my tracks as I spot Ishani, seated alone on one of the park benches across the lawn, sobbing silently. She used to be the 'It-girl not very long ago, a much-needed upgraded version of Ella as people liked to call it. It's odd to see her wear baggy clothes with raccoon eyes. What went down with her?

Without thinking twice, I advance near and she glances in my direction. I stop, not knowing how to approach her. We have barely known each other. What am I supposed to ask her?

She rises to her feet and looks at me. I smile weakly at her but she remains impassive, and then she bolts in the other direction, leaving me alone with my scattered thoughts.

~~~~

Hello Darlings!

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