3rd Person's POV

It felt good for all of them to be back in Australia. It was a home away from home.
Also it was one week later and the next day was weekend so everyone was in a good mood.
"Good morning guys!", Keya chorused in general.
"Omg Keya! You are so loud right in the morning!", Sonali said rolling her eyes.
She was tugging onto Aarav like her life depended on it.
"Okay, someone is cranky this morning.", Keya joked.
"Whatever.", Sonali said shrugging her shoulders and walked away to her class.

"What happened to her?", Sam asked.
"I don't know.", Aarav shrugged.
Sonali's behaviour was a little weird since the time they returned from India.

Sitting in the class, generally sat Keya, next to her Aarav and on the other side Sonali.
Today Sonali went up and took two corner seats for Aarav and herself.
"Where do you sit?", Aarav asked Keya.
"Sona, why didn't you keep three seats?", Aarav inquired.
"Didn't have any when I came in.", she replied nonchalantly concentrated on her phone.
"Really? You came in the early!", Aarav said irritated.
"Do you think I am lying!?", Sonali asked standing up from her seat.
"Okay guys chill! I will go sit with Jade, I need notes from her too!", Keya said with a simple smile and staggered her way to the empty seat.
The class got over and everyone met up in the canteen, they had only one lecture that day.
"Lets go clubbing tonight!", Sonali exclaimed.
"Nope! Tired today..", Aarav said.
"You should go, you guys will have fun and you will relax too, as it is, its weekend from tomorrow.", Keya tried to convince.
"Aaru please!!!", Sonali purred.
Zahra rolled her eyes, she always found Sonali a bit over dramatic.
"Okay! Lets all go then..", He said pointing to everyone around.
"Okay, I have to invite some of my other friends too!", Sonali said.
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"Tom be there in 10.", Aarav said over the phone all giving Keya address to the club they were going to.
"Yeah okay.", she said and hung up sighing.
"What's wrong Keya?", Vee asked.
"Vee, I am scared. I just don't know. Something doesn't click right. I told you about attack, Vee, it looked like a simple mugging attempt but it might be a paid one. You never know.", she said tensed.
"This is Australia Keya, no one can hurt you here sweetie.", Vee assured.
"I am not scared about myself Vee, I have three people now. Three more people, who I am close with, associated with, what if they are harmed? I feel they will be harmed by you-know-who.", Keya said shaking her head with negative thoughts.
"Voldermort is behind your friends?", Vee suddenly joked and laughed.
Keya chuckled a little too.
"Dear, this smile of yours is what makes a difference. Nothing is going to happen, let loose sometimes and enjoy like the people of your age do.", Vee said patting her cheeks and giving her a hug.
"Vee, you remind me of mom." Keya said sniffling.
"Go get ready for your club night you cry baby!", Vee joked and sent her to her room to get ready.
She wore a high waist denim shorts with her signature full sleeved, geometric printed sweatshirt.
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*In the club*
"TOMM!!!", Aarav shouted to call her over to the gang where he was standing.
"Hey! Hi everyone.", she wished.
"Why are you so late?", he asked.
"I got a little occupied somewhere so..", she trailed off. Everyone started talking into the conversation again.
Her eyes now scanned all the people present there.
There was Aarav's hangout gang, the people he usually stuck up with in college but was emotionally zero attached with.
There was some of Sonali's new friends too, people who were too girly and dumb for Keya's liking, also her Basketball rival Julia was there.
"Zee and Sam!? Where are they?", Keya asked.
"The lovebirds ditched in last moment.", Aarav said rolling his eyes.
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"Come na, Aaru, let's dance!", Sonali said pushing him on the dance floor and they went for dancing.
Keya went and got a beer for herself.

"What are you doing here?", Julia said coming next to Keya.
"I could ask you that.", she said rolling her eyes.
"Oh, because me and your once best friend Sonali are close friends now.", she said with a tight lipped smile.
"Not possible.", Keya muttered nonchalantly.
"Oh yes! She is too irritated by you now Keya.", she said in a bitchy tone.
Keya walked away from her ignoring her.
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"Hey Tom!", Aarav called out.
" Yes?", she asked.
"Come here for a minute?", He requested.
Keya went down to the dance floor.
"My wallet is in the car, I need it.", he said holding her waist and into her ears.
"I will.. I will get it.", she said in a slow voice untangling herself from him.
Keya didn't get uncomfortable around boys, but it was weird that she did this time, with Aarav.
"Should I go?", Sonali asked suggestively.
"Nope, Keya knows it better.", he said sending her over.

Keya went out in the parking and found Aarav's car.
She got the wallet from the front dash where he forgot it and locked the car.
She saw Sonali coming out of the club.
"I got it, let's go back!", Keya called out waving the wallet.
"It's not about that Keya.", she snapped.
"What's wrong Sona?", she asked confused.
"You are!", Julia said coming out of nowhere.
"Stay away from this one! This is our personal matter.", Keya snapped at Julia.
"She will not! And you listen to me Keya Mittal! You think you can steal my boyfriend, go on trying to woo him behind my back and then play the card of being my best friend?! You are so wrong Keya!", Sonali shouted.

"What are you saying Sona, I ..I am your best friend! I love you two, why would I do such a thing, why are you paying attention to what this bitch Julia is falsifying?", Keya asked with a firm face, things were breaking for her but she had to be strong for herself.
"Julia did nothing! She .. She made me aware of a poisonous snake like you!", Sonali said snarkily.
"What proof do you want Sona?", Keya asked almost defeated.
The people who accompanied them to the club were out now, and as usual the people do..Enjoying the show.

"First of all , Do Not call me what HE calls me! He is mine! Only mine! Only we were supposed to have names for each other, whatever we have is between us! Stay out of it KEYA!", Sonali shouted in her shrill voice.

"STOP IT!", Aarav said appearing from behind the crowd.
"Aaru?! You are taking her side?", she asked shocked.
"Don't you dare play that my side card Sonali! And stop shitting about my best friend.", Aarav said firmly.
"Oh really?! She is more important than me? Than us?", Sonali asked.
"FUCK YES SHE IS!", Aarav's voice boomed in the silence of the night.

"Aarav calm down! Its okay! I will leave!", Keya said to handle the heat of the argument.
"No its not okay K! She godamn needs to know that the 'us'  she is talking about wouldn't be there without you!", Aarav blurted the secret angrily.
"Aarav no!", Keya warned against it.
"Not doing it anymore Keya, its about you and she ought to know that you matter even more than she will ever do!", Aarav fumed.
Sonali was about to tell something but Aarav stopped her and continued, "You wanted to know right? Why does she matter? She matters to me because she understands my mood, she gets my jokes, she gets me! She is my best friend Sonali! But you know Keya you failed at one place! You were wrong, wrong enough to tell me that I should date this girl who cannot even trust her friends!", Aarav said all in one go.
Sonali was speechless.
"I am not even expecting a reply from you! Good bye Sonali. Come Keya lets go.", he further said making Keya sit in the passenger seat of his car and driving out of the club.

After two minutes of utter silence he heard sudden sobbing.
He looked next to him and was shocked to see her crying, she was his Tom, she would never cry.
"Keya, are you okay!? What's wrong!?", he asked a little scared.
"I messed up again! I messed up again!", she kept on repeating.
"Keya, what did you do? I always warned you about her, didn't I?", he asked and she nodded sniffing a little.
"Just drop me home.", she mumbled.
"Not like this. You are coming to my place I am not leaving you like a wreck.", Aarav said taking the car to his apartment.

"Aarav, please understand I cannot. I need to go back home. Vee must be waiting.", she said not meeting eyes with him.
He stopped the car on side of the almost empty road and took her phone kept on the dashboard of the car and kept it on speaker

Aarav- Hey Vee? Keya is doing a nightout with us..Is that fine for you?
Vee- Hey! I am at my friend's place too! Its chill my handsome, she can stay with you.
Aarav-Bye Vee, good night.
Vee- Good night Aarav.

He kept the phone back, started driving and said in a authoritative voice, "No arguments ahead!", and stopped the car a little after, at his house.

Keya had never been to Aarav"'s house, she entered a for a surprise.
Not so typically a bachelor's house, it was spik and span.
She kept her small bagpack at one corner and sat down on the couch.
"We need to talk about a lot of things Keya. Change into relaxed clothes first, I will get you my shirt.", Aarav said in a firm voice going to his bedroom.

Keya fiddled with her hands, what all questions and doubts Aarav would have regarding her, that mere thought made her uncomfortable.
She was at her vulnerable stage right now, she needed something in absence of Aarav, she had to manage it to get a calm of her mind.
"Here these are two shirts, wear whichever you like.", he said giving her a half-sleeved one and a full sleeved one.
She chose the full sleeved one and got up to go to the guest bedroom to change.
"I thought you will choose half sleeve because its a little hot.", he said making the environment a little warm to talk.
"Nope, I am comfortable in full sleeves only.", she quickly said and went up to change.

Aarav's POV
She came in a few minutes later in my baby blue shirt that almost fell up to her mid-thigh and only a little bit of her shorts was visible. She had this soft dusky skin and she looked kind of sexy in my shirt.
Wait!?
What did I just think?
Oh god! My mind is not working right now because I have to get my answers from her.
What did she mean by 'messing up again' ?
Who was that girl in Delhi? Was it Avani?
Why did she lie to us and met her?
Who is Akash Khurrana?
Why is he so important?
What is your mystery Keya Mittal? Why does it draw me?

3rd person's PoV
Keya came down and sat beside him quietly.
"I will change and be back in a minute.", he said getting up.
"Can you pass me my bag?", she asked.
"Yeah sure!", he said and flinged her bag to her.
All the contents came out of the bag.
Keya quickly started gathering everything and Aarav mumbled a sorry and bent down to help.
"I will do it.", she said putting in things haphazardly.
Aarav was about to get up when his eyes caught in a shiny metal.
Before Keya could take it away Aarav quickly took it in his hands.
"Aarav give it back!", Keya said in a raised voice.

Aarav observed it and it turned out to be a small set of sharp blades.
"Ke..Keya what is this!?", he asked in a stammer. He was considerably shocked.
"AARAV GIVE IT BACK! Its none of your business!", she shouted.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU KEYA MITTAL! Shut up! And just listen to me!", he said converting his couch into a convertible bed and made her sit  on it.
"Keya, you are my best buddy. You matter to me so much and I cannot see you in problem. Let me have a look, please.", he almost pleaded at the end.
He held the shirt's sleeves up and saw the cuts.
Deep ones, they portrayed agony, mess and the tornado she was in.
Aarav winced and looked away, Keya's tears didn't stop.

"Keya, oh dear!", he exclaimed and touched the cuts lightly, some were fresh wounds from a few days before.

"Keya, I don't know things about you but you should know something, You have to share whatever you are passing from with someone and you can trust me on this. I don't just call you my best friend for irritating you or playing pranks on you. I call you best friend because I trust you and if you think I am your best buddy, please trust me and share your problem. I promise if I cannot solve it, I will face it with you and lessen this pain of yours.", he said holding her hands sitting crossed legged in front of her.

She gulped and looked with a piercing gaze in his eyes.
He felt very protective of Keya at this point and he didn't know why. He just wanted to punish the person and people who made her so depressed and hurtful to herself.
"If it helps to start the story, I know you weren't in Mohali on that day, I saw you with a  girl.", Keya looked up like she was caught, he continued, "When you got drunk, you thought I was some Akash Khurrana, did he break your heart? Did he break your trust? Tell me Keya did that bastard do something that he is going to regret!?", he asked clenching his fists.
"SHUT UP! Don't say anything to him. He suffered a lot because of me. He is an angel.", she said looking at the night sky with a sad smile.
"What is your story?", Aarav asked.
Keya took a deep breath and sighed, there was no escape now.
She had to tell Aarav everything, but strangely she trusted him.
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Keya's mystery upcoming next!!!
Stay tuned to the story!

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Monu-Unique