[Before reading this chapter, a small  reminder ⚠ - In the remainder chapters of the story, there are going to some sexual content. It won't necessarily be in this chapter or even the next and next. It can be anywhere. I just put this up now because I don't want to write this author's note just a step before the chapter to warn you off. It would spoil the fun, you see ;) So I wrote this now. I hope you won't mind. It's nothing too graphic.]

« VANSH »

In a particular office, inside a cafeteria, a conversation was going on between two men, standing in line with the counter. 

“Where's Vansh, bro?” Guy one asked guy two, also known by the name Pradeep.

I'm right here, you motherfuckers. Just look three people behind you. 

Pradeep let out a sound that almost sounded like a grunt. “Forget that, Devdas! Always-- He always looks so forlorn like he has the whole world riding on his shoulders. I'm shit tired of babysitting that idiot. Screw him.”

I almost ended up snorting at his words. The urge to laugh was so bad that I managed to slip out, without them noticing and finally, laughed out loud. The thing that he said about babysitting me was the funniest of all. He didn't need to look out for me or even talk to me if he didn't want to. I was more than fine by myself.

As I ate my lunch by myself, I couldn't help but recall my lunch days in Boston. An image flashed before my eyes where I was laughing along with Natasha and Irfan. Those days that seemed so normal back then became precious now. It almost hurt remembering them. It seems like I was right in my prediction, Irfan and Natasha. I couldn't find collegues like you.

It had been around two months since I left Boston. I had taken the liberty to take twelve days leave to spend time with my family before returning back to the main branch office in Delhi. Life was pretty much the same as it was before. Same old collegues, same old loneliness. I would start my day with a morning jog, get ready for office, work for nine hours, eat, watch TV, sleep, and repeat the process all over again. I felt no less than a machine automated to do the same thing everyday. That routine did change one time, when an old friend of mine stayed in my apartment for fifteen days, to complete his internship. At other days, it felt depressing without waiting for a certain girl to drop by, after work.

Never a day went by when I didn't think of that girl. She kept her promise of keeping herself off from my life. It felt emptier without her presence. I wanted her back but asking her back meant, bringing the elephant in the room. I knew that the moment I met her again, I'll have to tell her everything, whether I liked it or not. Most likely I'll have to witness her dejected face and get rejected in return. Honestly, I was glad she was avoiding it. Pathetic, I know.

I did make an effort to call Ahana though. We talked nicely the first time around, but for some strange reason, she refused to pick up the call, the second time. Since she avoided me, I instead called Pragya to keep a tab of her life. Whether her parents were searching for a man or not. Regardless, I had to arrange a meeting with Ahana soon.

Day after day passed, living in that loneliness, working in the same goddamn office until one day, I couldn't take it. I went to the office and asked my senior manager to get me deployed to Chandigarh, where I previously worked. Atleast, I would be closer to my family that way, but no. My request was denied, saying I would only be allowed to change offices, the next year. Great, just great!

I had no choice but to suck it up and manage in this pungent city for the rest of the year. And, while my life sucked big time, I also forgot that the very same life had the tendency to change from time to time.

That change knocked my door, one weekend through a phone call from an old friend. The very next moment, I was arranging my apartment like a maniac. The caller just informed me of their arrival in a few hours. Surprise was an understatement, I was bursting with excitement. I was like a poor, little plant who had received the first rays of sunshine after a long time.

As informed, two familiar figures arrived at my doorstep at twelve in the afternoon. The taller one was in his usual solder cut hair, wearing a blue sleeveless shirt and cargo jeans, while the girl with a long wavy hair, was wearing tunic top and black jeans. Both siblings raised their sunglasses from their eyes and smiled, brightly at me.

“Welcome to my cleanest, humble abode, Pragya and Dhruv.” I welcomed, directing my hand towards the living room.

“Quit the adjectives, dumbass.” Pragya answered, entering inside and flicked her fingers. “Quick, turn on the AC and give me a glass of Frooti. I'm melting in this scorching heat.”

“I'll prefer Coco- cola.” Dhruv added, following after her, then stole a glance at me, “Can you order something for us as well? I'm in the mood for some paneer tikka.”

I muttered some inadequate expletives, wondering if it was really alright for these cartoons to visit me. The question was already answered in my mind before I asked. I let them off the hook this time.
.

By the time, the three of us chatted and ate food, it was mid afternoon. I suggested for a short visit to India Gate in the evening, but they refused, as they were tired after a long journey. In the midst of our chatting session, Pragya excused herself to the washroom. Suddenly Dhruv came over my side and gripped my neck with his arm, suffocating me. “Wha— Ow, you trying to kill me? You just wait.”

“No, buddy. Not until we're sixty. That's what we promised in our school days, remember?” He finally loosened his grip from me, grinning. “Live my boy. This is the time to live. Not to wallow within these four walls for eternity. Cheer up a little.”

I sighed at that. I was instantly reminded of the late night phone conversations we had sometimes. I would allow myself to share my troubles with him while he did the same. We shared a look of understanding before breaking off with a smile. I appreciated his concern and expressed my gratitude for coming over. He patted on my back, hard. “A surprise package is on its way to your door. It's time for you to be happy.”

“Ow, you son of a...” Then his words registered in my head as I frowned at him. “Surprise package? What are you talking about?”

“Brother dearest—” Pragya called him sweetly out of nowhere, startling both of us. She shook her head at Dhruv with her eyes widened. “Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut.”

I exchanged suspicious looks between the two of them, “Okay, something is going on. Something you two are not telling me.”

“As Dhruv said, it's a surprise package. And for things like that, you wait.” Both of them refused to add anything beyond that. I was gravely curious now but more than that, it was my poor heart escalating, as if it knew the answer. It was impossible. Right?

About half an hour later, my ears picked upon a ring of a doorbell. It sounded very familiar to the one attached to my apartment. It IS your doorbell, you dumbass!

“Vansh!” Pragya and Dhruv called together, bringing me chills. “Open the door!”

I swear my stomach just dropped off to the fucking ground. I was actually rubbing my palms together and bringing them near my mouth to blow air to my shaking palms. Even my heart was palpitating. If I had been an asthma patient, I would be sent to the nearest hospital by now. What was this strange feeling? Feeling that something was about to unfold.

I counted the seconds in my mind as I walked to the door. Four... Five... Six... With shaky fingers, I pushed the knob. Bright sunlight poured through the room as the door opened. I raised my head from the knob, to the feminine figure before me, stupefied.

The world stopped moving.

The young woman before me was dressed in a cream cardigan top, having different sleeve lengths, paired with a navy, blue jeans. Her hair that was tied to a ponytail, weren't extending till her mid back like before. Instead, they were shortened till the neck, highlighted with dark, red curls at its ends. As I stood there blatantly staring at that spectacular woman, my mind suddenly pulled me back to my college days, when I encountered her for the first time in my life. When she was dancing on the stage, to advertise for the dance club. The way she introduced herself and her club leader on the mike in that eccentric voice of hers. Her voice still echoed in my head amongst the crowd.

'Vansh.'

I returned back to the present.

The woman present before me, lifted her eyes to meet mine. Her dark eyes held a myriad of emotions that were unbearable to see. It was as if two broken mirrors were made to stand against each other. It made me wanna tear up, right there and then.

“Ahana.” The moment I called her name, her eyes twinkled with something I recognized very well, before she lowered her gaze. Her eyes moved everywhere else but me. I almost smiled. She might look slightly different from before, but underneath all those layers, she was the same Ahana from all those years.

“I...” She paused, tightening her grip on the strap of her handbag, “I came for Dhruv and—”

“I know,” I replied, making it easier for her. It hurt knowing but right now, it didn't matter. The fact that she was here was good enough for me. A part of me was dying to grab her face and make her look into my eyes. I wanted her to stay in front of me like this, just so I could keep looking at her. I didn't want to let others have her attention. I wanted her all to myself but no matter what I wanted, I couldn't. I couldn't extend this stillness. I had to break it, in order to move us on with time. With great force, I stepped aside. “Come in.”

Ahana reunited with our friends while I watched her from the sidelines. As she hugged Pragya, I noticed Pragya, winking at me. That sneaky girl. She had planned this all along.

“Hm,” Pragya inspected the surroundings as if she had lived in this house. “Now I'm sure you lot must be feeling great, reuniting with your friends and all but if you look around, you'll notice a member missing from our group.”

Oh my God, it couldn't be.

“Don't tell me she's—... You mean right now?”

“Yes, right now.” Ahana spoke to Dhruv, grinning wide and turned towards the door. “You can come out, Liz.”

Beyond the door, stood yet another lady wearing floral dress and heels. Her silky, blond hair was tied to a plait. Her blue eyes twinkled as she waved her hand to us. “Guys!”

The girls ran to meet Lisa, laughing about how they had just met two months ago, while we boys waited for our turn. This time, I patted a shocked Dhruv. “It's time for you to be happy as well.”

When Lisa turned to the boys, I was the first one to greet her. I extended my hand for a greeting but she pursued her lips and turned her face to the side, crossing her arms.

I held my ears with my fingers, “I'm so sorry, Lisa. I know I was supposed to meet you in Toronto before leaving but some issues came up so I couldn't. Please forgive this idiot and hug him. I'll give you a huge chocolate in return.”

She let out a huff before facing me while I made sure to show my best puppy face to convince her with, “You think you can bribe me with a chocolate? You owe me more than that, Mister.” A smile escaped her lips as she dropped her arms. That was my cue. I stepped forward for a friendly hug. She patted my back gently.

Lisa then turned to the man she had yet to greet. The room that was chirpy a second ago dropped to silence in their presence. Dhruv and Lisa were all shy looks and smiles as they faced each other.

Dhruv made the first move, as he cleared his throat and extended his hand, “Hi.”

She raised an inquisitive brow, “Just a handshake?”

“You want me do something in front of all these people? Jeez, you're just as shameless as ever—” he paused for an added effect, “shorty.”

She feigned offense, “Shut up, a normal hug will do just fine.”

Wearing a blank expression on their faces, they stepped forward for a hug but then Dhruv went ahead and lifted her up, making her squeal. The rest of us laughed and wooed at the same time, cheering them on. Looks like, Dhruv's reunion went far better than mine. I was actually a little envious of that blockhead now.

The rest of the evening passed smoothly as the five of us settled down on the living room for an evening snack. My apartment that was eerily dull before, became just as lively now. It was like one of those old school reunions, except it was a small private group, instead of the whole class. I remembered the rare, joint video chats the five of us had; the promises that we failed to act upon; the group chats we had. It was such a rarity to see the five of us, breathing in the same room after three, long years. It was a day worth capturing in our memories.

I paid attention to all my friends but it was Ahana who stole my gaze the most. I observed everything— From her voice to her laughs; her supposedly designer dress to the bird tattoo she had on her forearm. She had completely changed her makeover. Apart from looking smart, it was the way she presented herself. She totally gave off that old Ahana vibe. Honestly, it was a little intimidating as I haven't done anything special to upgrade myself. Perhaps attended gym more than before. Maybe this was my wishful thinking but I noticed her stop talking, whenever I spoke. Then again, I didn't think she was paying attention to me. She seemed like she hardly cared. All we shared was few words and a few stolen glances.

“You all should thank Pragya. It was she, who planned this whole thing,” Lisa told us, indicating 'whole' with her hand. 

“It was no issue, really. I just had to bribe you and Dhruv with something you couldn't ignore. The main problem was you, Lisa. I knew that once she was here, no one would dare to cancel their plan. Right, Vansh and Ahana. You do know what you have to do, right?” she looked at us for confirmation.

“Taking a leave isn't a piece of cake, you know. You should have informed us beforehand.” I told her and Ahana agreed.

“Remind me how many plans we cancelled beforehand? Come on, yaar. Manage it somehow.” She pleaded. When we didn't have anything more to say, she clapped once. “Good. Now that's clear, let's talk about our plans. See, I have booked a Bolero car for tomorrow. It's big enough to fit everyone but it's a self drive service so we'll take turns driving the car.”

“O, hello, miss group- leader- for- no reason, who told you to make plans for us? And why book a car at all? We can just tour Delhi and nearby places together.” Dhruv protested.

Pragya, who was expected to snap at Dhruv was smiling instead. And no, it wasn't a sarcastic smile either. “Because my dear brother— we are going on a road trip.”

“Road trip?!” Ahana and I, spoke at the same time, and shared an awkward smile at that. Atleast she smiled at me.

“Yes, road trip. What's more, I won't tell you the destination. It's a surprise. I'll just tell you the directions while you fools keep guessing. I think you'll figure it out after sometime but still. It's a special place that I'm sure you'll love it.”

Evening was almost nearing it's end. The apartment seemed quieter than before. I looked down from the balcony to see Dhruv and Lisa, talking merrily as they walked out of the building. Damn, that lucky bastard.

“And what do you think you are doing, eavesdropping into someone's private business?” Pragya demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

“It's called looking out of the balcony,” I corrected her to which she just shrugged. We stood there, talking about our home city and families for a while until Ahana, who was previously lying down on the sofa, went to the washroom.

Pragya stretched her arms, groaning, “I get a feeling that I'm going to be the unwanted, fifth wheeler in this ex couples' gathering . Perhaps a third wheeler between two couples.”

“There is no couple here! The other pair just went outside.”

“Tch, tch, poor Vanshi,” Pragya pulled a sorry face, patting my back. “If there's no couple here, we'll just create one.”

She started to leave.

My eyes widened as I realized she was serious. “Oye, where are you going?”

Pragya craned her head half behind and sighed at me like I was a hopeless person, “Do I have to come up with a generic excuse of going outside so that you can be alone with Ahana? Ah, even a cupid has to work 24/7.”

“You don't have to, Pragya. And you don't have to play the role of cupid by being this awfully obvious.” I joked.

“Sorry but I can't be the type of cute cupid with a pink bow and arrow. This how I roll, people. Deal with it. Also—” she stepped closer, dropping her voice, “Please dirty your own bed. Not anything else. Got it? Bye.”

She rushed off the apartment before I even had the chance to complete any colorful adjectives for her. What was she trying to do exactly? Was this why she brought us all together? And where will she take us exactly? Damn! I hated being in the dark. I wanted to know, too, but I highly doubted she told anyone else. Even Dhruv didn't knew that Lisa would arrive today.

Not even a whole minute passed by, when I heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the bathroom. Shoot, here she came...

“Where is everyone?” Came her voice after few seconds of silence, although I did hear her mumble 'huh?' under her breath earlier.

I closed my fists momentarily before finally turning around to face her. Just having her stand a distance away from me in the same room, had me in jitters. “Dhruv and Lisa went for a walk together. Pragya...? Well, Pragya... I was just talking on phone so I don't know. When I looked around the house after I ended my call, no one was here. Except you that is.”

“Oh, I see.”

I guess Ahana thought it was useless to start a conversation with me since she turned the other way and started looking around my house. She came across a thick book kept on the table. It was the same book that Irfan had gifted me. She began to flip through its contents like she understood it's schematics. I almost laughed.

Now I could let this awkwardness go on forever but I couldn't. I had to make use of this opportunity. If not anything then atleast I had to bring us on normal, talking terms. Maybe I'll ask her about her well being, her fashion job and then, we'll start from there.

I casually approached her, called her name, looked into her eyes and thus started the conversation.

⚫ ⚪ ⚫ ⚪ ⚫

A u t h o r s    N o t e

Doesn't this chapter give you a Stupid in Love vibe? (Like kinda) Are you happy seeing the old characters back? They will be appearing for a while so stay tuned.

So yeah... Vansh and Ahana FINALLY meet. The last time they met was in chapter 19 and this is chapter 27. WOW! I guess I am cruel, haha! Thoughts about their reunion. And lastly, what is Pragya upto? Now I know it wasn't like chapter 19 but still. Look forward to the upcoming chapters. 😊

There's something I want to share with you guys regarding Stupid in Love. On 26th November, evening, I received this notification from Wattpad.

I was like this when I saw the notification

Thank you so, so much, Wattpad. This was like a belated birthday gift for me (My birthday was on 25th Nov) and thank you— Yes, You dear readers, for supporting and encouraging me. Lots of love 😘😘😘💞