( 🚨 Long chapter ahead 🚨)

∆~*~∆

1 week later

A lot of things had changed but it still felt like everything was same. My bus still came late and I still cursed the driver who shouldn't have gotten his driving licence in the first place. Even a kid could drive better than him.

The lectures were still boring and Mrs. Nair again won a gold medal in her stories. Shree was still on guard around me like I would attack him any minute.

Mehta sir was holding pop quizzes every alternative day while there was still no update on whether the hobby clubs would get back in function or not.

The college was same, the students and the teachers were also same.

Ved and Ayush still hated me and I still didn't know why. So, what had changed?

It was mine and Nikhil's friendship.

To others, it looked like a usual fight between friends, but they didn't know that he had refused to even look at me. He regretted not heeding to his best friend and the day, when he had asked me to be his friend.

He had no trouble getting back with Karthik who had ran away and left him on his own that day.

So why was I any different?

I tried talking to him even after he behaved like that because I knew he must be under a lot of pressure from his family and Coach. My help turned out to be explosive in his case and it did more damage than it did any good.

But fortunately, he was allowed to play basketball again. Ved had managed to convince his family and now, Nikhil was back on the team. I was grateful to Ved about that but I knew if I said anything about it to him, he would just make fun of me.

My family visited Avasthis' house when Lakshya bhaiyya was leaving to report back to his post. The matter was somewhat resolved and Nikhil was smiling throughout the day. He didn't smile at me though.

He hugged his brother when he left and consoled his weeping mother. He assured Lakshya that he wouldn't give him another chance to complain and would take care of their parents. Uncle was happy to know that his younger son was back to being his old self and he wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.

But I didn't fail to notice how Nikhil was struggling to fit in. He had realised his mistake but he seemed a bit off. Like, he was forcing himself to adjust and please everyone around him.

One wrong step, and everything would fall apart.

After dinner that day, I tried to talk to him when he was alone and he lashed out at me. He didn't raise his voice since it would have drawn attention towards us but he was still mad at me. He told me to stop troubling him and that he didn't want a friend who didn't know the boundaries of friendship.

He said a lot of harsh things and even confessed that now he wouldn't be able to achieve his dreams-dream of becoming a professional basketball player-all thanks to me. I was so shocked.

How was I responsible for it? Wasn't he the one who didn't have the guts to speak up to his parents about it?

Still, I didn't say anything and took his every blame without arguing back. He was trying so hard to push me away. And everyone else. He kept chanting Ved's name and how he was the one who made everything alright again.

If it wasn't for me, the issue wouldn't have gotten out of hand. Ved was going to handle it all but since I stuck my nose inbetween, he had to work extra hard to solve everything. I was of no help to Nikhil at all.

He told me that he and Karthik had gone to the drug den that day to talk with the owner. They wanted to discuss about leaving the circuit but because of my untimely arrival, they got in a bigger mess. They had to go with me because I threatened them about calling police and they had no other choice but to follow me.

I apologized for it but he didn't agree with me. Then, he got frustrated and retired to his room. I went in the backyard and sat by myself, pondering over what did I exactly do wrong.

Even after coming back to home, I kept thinking about it and couldn't sleep properly. Just how did I manage to ruin our friendship? All I was doing was for his well being only. So what went wrong?

I couldn't even put all the blame on Ved since he helped Nikhil. He was an asshole to me but he was a reliable person when it came to his friends. But wasn't I Nikhil's friend too? If he could trust Ved, then why couldn't he trust me?

I shook my head to stop worrying about it and focused on the day ahead. I met Surbhi and Tanya when they were going for their lecture. We discussed about various things and I was happy to distract myself from Nikhil's topic.

I didn't know that I would be so worried about him. Even if he didn't want to accept it, he was still a friend to me. And I was really sad to loose him.

Oh no! I was getting depressed again. Focus, Sandhya. Focus.

After our lectures, we all gathered in the cafeteria for lunch. My whole girl gang was here but Rashi was missing. I asked Divya about her, and she told me that she had some urgent work and would be back anytime.

I got worried but then I realised that she must be meeting Faiyaz. I smiled when I remembered how I had accidentally busted them. I was surprised at the fact that none of the girls knew about it. Not even her best friends, Tanya and Divya.

How did she manage to keep her relationship a secret for a year? It was commendable but sad too. Why couldn't she openly talk about Faiyaz and not be afraid of her brother finding out? That was so unfair.

Moments later, Rashi arrived and I wiggled my eyebrows at her. She shot me a playful glare and sat down beside me. I nudged her and she shushed me. I dipped my head closer to her ear and asked her about her boyfriend.

Her face turned a bit red and she slapped me on the arm. Others noticed when I kept teasing her and asked us what was going on. Rashi looked at me and I told them a lie. I recounted an old memory and they got distracted again.

Rashi informed me that she could meet Faiyaz for only ten minutes because someone arrived at their hiding spot. When they heard the rushed footsteps, Faiyaz left in a flash and Rashi ran out of there before they got caught.

Wow. So much trouble for love. I patted her back and told her that there would come one day, when they wouldn't have to hide anymore and express their love without any fear. Rashi smiled and wished for it to come soon.

I smiled at her innocence but a doubt formed in my mind. Who could it be that disturbed them? Last time, I saw Mahek there so it could be her. But it wouldn't be of any use to go there now and spy, since she could have left. Moreover, what if it wasn't her and someone else?

~×~

"These are all the books I borrowed last time. Sorry, I couldn't return it earlier." I handed over a dozen books to the librarian who sighed in relief after receiving them.

She narrowed her eyes at me, made an entry in her computer and told me to sign the late deposit register. I asked her if I would be fined for it or not and she shook her head. She just gave me a warning and let me off.

Yay! I turned around to go back to my seat when I bumped into someone. I looked up, apologized and continued on my way.

"Sandhya."

I turned around to see who had called me. Shreyas was standing with a sad look on his face.

"Shreyas!" I shouted in surprise and gave him a quick hug.

"Missed me?" he asked and I nodded my head.

He hugged me back and I told him how glad I was to see him after so long. He smiled at me and we went to sit on my usual table. He asked me why I was so zoned out that I didn't even recognise him.

I shook my head and asked him about his singing program. He caught on my try to change the topic and asked me what was the matter. I waited for sometime before replying. He was my friend, so I could tell him.

"Nikhil and I had a fight, and now he is not talking to me," I said.

"Why?" Shreyas asked but I knew he must have been informed about it by Ved or Shree. He just wanted to know my side. Atleast someone was willing to hear me out.

"I wanted to help him but unfortunately, all I did turned out against him and now he blames me for everything. I even apologized but he isn't willing to understand."

"Why did you say sorry?"

"Huh? Why? Because I hurt him."

"Did you? You were only helping him. It wasn't your fault that it turned out bad in the end."

"I know but he isn't talking to me. What am I supposed to do?" I looked down and avoided crying.

"It's okay. If he doesn't want to talk, that is his choice. But you don't have to make yourself feel bad about it. Whatever you did was for his sake, so don't be hard on yourself."

"Thank you, Shreyas. I am happy you understand."

He patted my shoulder in assurance and I smiled back. It was surprising that a person who didn't like to talk much was consoling me and saying so many things to make me feel good.

"I am happy to have you as a friend," I confessed and he nodded his head in response.

"Okay, tell me about your competition now. I am over with my sad story," I said and he chuckled.

"Well, it has finally gotten back on track. How much time has it been since it started? 3-4 months? I got in quarter finals long back but some artists got in trouble of copyright and the show was put on hiatus," he explained.

"So, is it going to start again? What about you? You didn't get in any trouble, right?"

"Hopefully, it would start again next month or so. And don't worry, I didn't get in any problem. I was just visiting my grandparents and that's why I couldn't attend college."

"You went alone? Why didn't Shree go with you?"

"Well...... first, he is an idiot. And second, he can't think about anything else other than Mahek nowadays."

"I don't like her."

"Same here."

We both looked at each other and burst out laughing. He didn't like Mahek? I thought he would be in favour of her since she was his brother's girlfriend but looks like someone shared my thought.

"Shree thinks I like him," I announced.

"You do?" Shreyas asked in disbelief.

"Of course not. Why would you believe that?"

"Just confirming. Though, I already have someone else in my mind for you."

"What?"

"Nothing. Here, look at these. I wrote some new songs and shayaris while I was on vacation." Shreyas took out his diary and pushed it towards me.

I went through it and was awed by his creativity. He had doodled in some pages and I got to know that he could draw really well too. Just how talented was he?

We talked about our lives and it felt good to share my problems with another soul. Surbhi would always scold me for sulking about Nikhil and to move on with my life. Parth also told me that it would be better for me to forget the bad events and not depress myself over it.

What was supposed to happen, happened. There was no use crying over it. If Nikhil wanted to forgive me, he would. And if he didn't, then all was still good. It wasn't like my life would end if he didn't talk to me.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the period and we got up to leave. The library was still deserted, even if the exams were just two weeks away. I thought it would be filled with students but it wasn't the case. Poor library.

Shreyas and I parted ways in the hallway but he gave me a small, but a very useful advice before leaving.

"Don't stress, Sandhya. Those who want to stay will stay. And those who don't want to, they will find any excuse to push you away."

I thanked him for his time and walked towards my next lecture. I spotted Mayank and Rajeev on my way and they were arguing about something. I went behind them and tapped their shoulders. They turned back but I ducked down and went in front of them.

When they saw no one behind them, they turned to the front and I jumped up. Mayank almost shrieked but Rajeev didn't faze a bit. He pinched my cheeks and Mayank smacked behind my head for scaring him.

"How could a big guy like you get scared so easily?" I asked Mayank as we walked along.

"Don't blame me for being a softy," he replied.

I nodded my head and Rajeev asked me how was my exam preparation going on. I gave him on okay sign and he smiled. I told him that I would get back to gym after exams and renew my contract too, but he would have to give me a raise.

He agreed to it after thinking about it for a minute. I gave him a side-hug and he told me that I would have to work extra hard, now that my pay would be increasing. Of course, I would have too. There was no way I was going to use his caring nature for selfish reasons.

"Soon, the clubs will get back in action. Mostly, after exams. Will you be able to manage your job along with it?" Mayank asked me and I scratched my chin.

"That's going to be quiet difficult since I am enrolled in six of them. What to do?" I voiced my concern.

"Don't worry. I have already sorted out the issue with dad. So, you won't have to attend all of those clubs." He patted my head.

"Really?"

"Yup. We decided to dissolve some unnecessary clubs which were serving no purpose and have joined some to form one unit. Now, there would be only about 10 to 12 clubs which will have to go through an elimination round to remain permanent," he explained further.

"That would be so great."

"I know. So basically, we might have only 8 to 10 clubs by the end of the year. And the enrollment will be done again, so please don't get high on adrenaline and apply in whatever club they present you."

"Sure. I will be careful. But will we be getting free food this time also?"

Rajeev laughed at my question and Mayank shook his head. What? I asked a valid question. If they weren't going to offer food in return, I wouldn't join any of the clubs. Maybe one or two but still, who doesn't love free food?

We were discussing about whether keeping the cooking club and Arts & Crafts club separate or as a one unit would be a good idea or not. This stuff was so confusing. How did Mayank manage to do it?

"Ved!" Mayank called up Ved when he spotted him with his team members.

Ved snapped his head in our direction and waved his hand towards Mayank. He excused himself and jogged towards us. Mayank called up Nikhil too and he also joined us.

They started discussing about sports club and Mayank asked them if they needed any more facilities for their team. They could talk to Coach and make a list about their demands. Then, Mayank would forward it to Dean for further consideration.

I thought that Nikhil would glance at me atleast once but he didn't. Even when he accidentally turned his gaze in my direction, he avoided looking at me. He talked to Rajeev but didn't say a single word to me. I felt so bad.

"Rajeev bhaiyya, I need to talk to you about something," Ved said after his discussion with Mayank was over.

"Sure. What is it?" Rajeev asked.

"In private," Ved replied and Rajeev nodded his head.

I narrowed my eyes at him and he gave me an arrogant smirk. I grabbed Rajeev's hand as he moved to go with Ved. He stopped and looked back at me in concern.

"What's the matter, kid?" he asked.

"Um... no-nothing." I let go of his hand and sighed.

Ved instantly struck a conversation with him and they both walked away. It felt like Ved wanted to distance me from Rajeev. Weird, right? But it was possible. I wished he wouldn't do so.

I ducked my head down and kept repeating positive thoughts to myself. I was just being a worrywrat again. There was no way Rajeev would think bad of me.

I glanced up and noticed Nikhil staring at me. But he looked away the moment our eyes met. He said bye to Mayank and walked off. Mayank also excused himself and went to Dean's office.

Though there were a lot of students around me, I still felt alone. I didn't realise loosing a friend would hurt so much. But hadn't I experienced it before? That time too, I ended up hurting a person close to me. Did Ayush also hated me for something I don't know I did?

I repeated Shreyas's words in my mind.

"Those who want to stay will stay. And those who don't want to, they will find any excuse to push you away."

He was right. I should stop fussing about small things. I was only hurting myself in the process.

"Did you and Nikhil actually break-up?"

I controlled the urge to punch the person in front of me. If she didn't leave, I would forget about Shree and end up beating his girlfriend to pulp.

"That's so sad. I thought you both would have already patched up. What did you do to make him so mad at you?" she continued.

I rolled my eyes and ignored her. I decided to walk away. If I wasted more time with her, my brain cells would deplete.

"Did you cheat on him?" she asked sarcastically.

What did she say?!

"You better watch your mouth," I warned her.

"Or what?" she provoked me.

I narrowed my eyes at her but didn't respond to her question. I knew what she was doing. She wanted to make me say something that she could use against me. But I wouldn't give her a chance to do that.

"Think whatever you want," I said and she glared at me.

She was about to reply but her phone rang up. She huffed and picked up the call. Her tone changed instantly as she talked to the person who had called her. She started walking away but I didn't miss her words.

"Hi baby~ Missed me? You know, I was in the lecture, baby. Yeah, yeah. I know. Don't worry, I will be there. Okay, sweetie. Love ya too...."

She must be talking to Shree. I should stop doubting her everytime. I should focus on other important things. Moreover, if I said something to her now, I might get in a bigger problem with Shree, since he had already warned me.

I exhaled deeply and realised that I had missed half of my lecture. No use of going there now. I stared at Mahek's back as she skipped on her way while talking on her phone.

I shook my head at her and turned to my left to go towards the cafeteria. My brain stopped functioning for a second when I spotted Shree in the hallway across from mine. He was with Shreyas and they were going through some books.

I glanced back in Mahek's direction and noticed that she was still glued to her phone. I looked back at Shree, but he didn't look like talking to her on his phone. He didn't even had the device in his hand.

Then, who the hell was Mahek calling baby?