Chapter 6 ~ Manipulator

"Aren't you going to eat that?" Faisal asked when I continued staring at my lunch blankly.

"I know it's not very appetizing" He continued when he didn't get any response."But yeah actually..."

I glanced at him when he didn't finish.

He frowned at his thali seeing it for the first time, "I lost my appetite too" he told looking at me, I raised my eyebrow.

"Are you always this quiet or something happened?" He asked observing me.

"I am not feeling well," I told pushing my tray aside too, sulking.

It was true because I wasn't really feeling okay after hearing about the Selena case news update and then Sahil''s... Out of nowhere came girlfriend. My eyebrows furrowed, me bothering about it, didn't really make sense.
I was actually irked before the girlfriend showing up, maybe this could be just subsequent consequences of worrying?

"What is even that?" Zoya said sliding in the opposite chair followed by Ehaan carrying books and various papers he slumped them on the table giving out a breath,

"Who knew these reactions could weight so much?" He wondered wiping his forehead.

"Chemistry assignments?" Faisal perked excitedly reaching for them over the table,

Ehaan swatted his hand away, "I got them photocopied just now! Don't touch and put a crease on them" he complained.

"Woah Woah dude you don't have to be all diva over some photocopied sheets" Faisal settled back withdrawing his hand up showing he meant no harm.

They were still finding trouble in accepting each other's presence during lunchtime.

I sighed, shooting a look to Zoya who replied with an expression of something mid of annoyed and amused.

She interrupted before Ehaan could give an equally taunting reply to Faisal, "so Serra what's subsequent consequences of worrying?"

I was surprised, "did I say it aloud?"

"Yep you have got a habit of thinking aloud" she answered, Ehaan nodded in agreement still glaring at Faisal. Even Faisal appeared he thought so while glaring back at Ehaan.

I was taken aback a little, how many times they caught me doing that?

I shook that thought off and said, "it's nothing it is just my head being weird again.."

"I know some weird places.." Ehaan said giving toothy smile at Zoya.

Which might be his way of flirting.

Strange but cute, I guess.

"I am not even surprised" Faisal passed a comment mumbling

"Who is even making you surprise? You think the world revolves around you?"Ehaan shot back looking offended.

"My mother calls me son, so I reckon you are correct" Faisal retorted.

"So lame، oh wait isn't it that your nickname?" Ehaan said.

"Ehaan " Zoya looked at him in concern, "where is my soft spoken teddy like boyfriend?"

"I see that's how you get girls" Faisal said nodding making a note to himself.

Ehaan stamped his fist on the table furiously. Zoya gave him disapproving look.

Ehaan pouted, "he is so mean!" and Zoya kissed on his cheek,"but you're a good boy"

"The best of all" Ehaan told beaming at her .

Zoya nodded grinning, pleased now.

I watched them with a soft expression.

"If this is how love is, please remind me to not to fall". Faisal muttered to me

"You really like pushing people's button?" I said to him frowning.

He stared at me with quite an intensity, "currently I am looking for your"

I blushed.

Boys and their flirting

Our chit-chat or bickering came at an abrupt hold when someone joined us by dragging a chair to our table and aligning it right beside me.

I remained unmoving, focussing on others expression Ehaan had his eyebrows up, Faisal's expression, I don't even know what it was..it was a completely unreadable expression, Zoya obviously surprised when she didn't take a bite of her sandwich.

"Hello, I am Sahil I am Serra's friend" Sahil introduced shyly keeping his register down on the long wooden mess table announcing his arrival.

My head snapped to him in shock. I shifted back quickly on noticing how near we sat.

"I know him!"

It was Ehaan who spoke because others were looking at me for some kind of explanation and I was looking at Sahil for it. What was he doing here? Didn't he say he didn't like intruding, he wanted to keep this friendship private?

So, he really likes contradicting himself.

Like he didn't tell me he has a girlfriend.

Oh yeah great timing to bring it up Serra

"Serra you have a friend you never told us?" Faisal asked stroking his chin acting like my father.

I shot him an unimpressed look.

Zoya observed carefully, "I know him too! Aren't you that photocopy guy!"

"Serra, your friend works at a photocopy shop, interesting"Faisal said observing Sahil.

"Stop it," I said to him then faced Sahil who I saw was already looking at me with a shy grin I wanted to yank his spectacles off and then mess his hair to make him behave like he was. Not cute shy boy act!

"We were keeping it private.." Sahil replied fiddling with his spectacles in a oh so cute way even Zoya fell for it my friend, who was so observant, she stared at him with a besotted look like

"isn't he adorable?" A girl adjacent to us whispered.

"Me? thank you!" Faisal said waving at her with a smile, she looked away immediately, embarrassed.

"You are dating him, Serra?" Ehaan asked, incredulously.

What? no!

Zoya snapped out of it, she looked at me with a hurt look that I didn't tell her anything about Sahil

I opened my mouth to reply but Sahil beat me with a very hasty, "No" his cheeks turning pink, him looking down at his shoes as if he was some celibate saint and dating! Oh my, what a big sin!?

What was wrong with him? What was he up to? I got up eyeing him with a laser glare.

"Will you guys excuse us, please?" I said bristly.

And moved out but looked back when didn't find him doing so rather sitting there fiddling with his register.

"Sahil...." I said trailing his name.

His head jerked back, "Serra .." he said innocently.

"Excuse us? US! We? you and me? " I spelled it out if he was finding difficulty in understanding, a pretend difficulty might I add.

"Oh got it! sorry for the inconveniences we are learning to understand each other" he said back at my friends. Ehaan nodded totally understanding with thumbs up but his eyes asking me silently what was happening?

Oh yeah me too asking the same question Ehaan

Zoya looked at us with immense confusion then she glanced at me with a rigid expression, "Go ahead. I mean it's Serra's life I am not stopping her, she can do what she wants she can hide what she wants, I am not stopping her"

Ehaan smiled nervously when she picked her stuff and left without even finishing the cupcake which Ehaan bought.

Oh God, she was really pissed off.

I huffed ready to go after her but then glared at Sahil with a look are you happy now?

"Oh boy you really don't know anything about friendship," Faisal said shaking his head.

Sahil stood up staring at Faisal with a tentative smile his eyes hard he turned away when Faisal just smiled back for the first time I noticed how eerie it was.

I shook my head was going to grab Sahil's wrist but fisted my hand and walked out, away from curious eyes and ears stopped when I found a secluded spot.

I looked around here and there then said, "what was that?"

He appeared back to himself hands in his pockets looking casual and relaxed like I knew him.

He grinned, "you have again yanked me to a corner"

I stared at him then totally lost it at him for making jokes about every situation can't he see how annoyed I was at him right now!
"What's your problem? What do you want from me? Like actually what. do. you. want ??? I am so done, so tired dealing with you! Everywhere you go you only cause problems! ...oh wait I can't even blame you for that! because it's my mistake my big mistake to catch you at one of your reckless moment and then connecting it to my life, thinking maybe you need some help, you need someone to be beside you to lessen the burden to help you in making you understand, that you are not alone,  bring you out of some darkness or you know that all shit! But you are far from it you are too much of self-conceited, narcissistic, and just spoilt. You don't think about anyone heck you don't even care about yourself you are one of those reckless guys who just do anything and everything to cause trouble for their entertainment, regardless of anybody else! And..." I pointed my finger at him taking out my frustrations and anger of  the whole day at him.

He listened carefully with loss of light in those eyes and fallen expression.

"You never told me about your girlfriend," I said my voice losing its edge, I looked away when my whole face burned.

He shrugged I caught that movement through my peripheral vision

"I never thought that it would be even important for you because you never showed any interest in my life. It was only me trying to be you know pushy and obnoxious to get to know you and today you had just run off without looking back when I was calling your name I thought something happened and thought maybe you will like it if I join you during lunchtime and yeah...I was nervous if they won't like me...anyway I was being stupid.. didn't know I was causing so much trouble in your life..."

I looked up to see if he was being sarcastic and found him already looking at me with a sad smile and eyes saying he genuinely felt bad he went on, "I tend to be impulsive at times especially with you, it is so hard to make you impress and it makes me do crazy stuff, not in a wrong way... Just a people pleaser trying way too hard at times to make people happy and with you, it happened opposite I guess, sorry again.."

I held his stare as he paused,  I was feeling full with so many things to say and rectify what, wait I meant everything that I said but why it was hurting a little when he was finally admitting and saying sorry for hanging out and as if he regrets all that when I had lived more in these days than all those months of a blur.

Look, I said, he was contradicting himself, here I was doing the same.

I was confused so didn't let go of the comfort shield of silence to stop what he said next.

"Will keep distance from you from now on and just be out of your sight if that'll make you happy" he clicked his fingers grinning again but it didn't reach his eyes.

He stepped back still staring at me with a tilted head, "nice meeting you Serra, I know you won't say the same"

He turned around sauntered his way I kept watching until I couldn't see his retreating figure.

God, you really made me constant with feeling guilt forever.

"It's for your good, you know"

My head snapped up when I heard someone's voice beside me, it was Faisal,
He was looking ahead the direction where Sahil went,
"keep distance from him. I know him well. We studied from the same school and I will tell you one thing about that boy that, he is a manipulator"

I studied him in a little shock, "what do you mean?"

"Do not trust him" he said seriously.

I folded my arms thinking he was probably joking because I don't know how to take Faisal seriously he had been since day one just a silly jesting kinda guy.

"And what about you?" I asked back, a little irritated.

He smiled reaching his glinting brown eyes, "open your eyes Serra, you will see things clearly"

I smiled back forcibly, "thank you for stating the obvious"