Well I am late again. Huhhhh!!!
Triggered insaan k yaad aa rha.. I was among the one jo late op spam krti thi aur is baar hum khud hi late hai.
Yayyayayayayyayayayyyyyy!!!!
____________________________________________
Amidst the hustle-bustle around the school campus, students crowded around the campus filling it with laughter and excitement. Some were talking with their friends leaning on the corridors like birds on a wire while some were in the classroom preparing themselves for their classes.
Aditya came inside his class whistling a tune, his bag hanging around his right shoulder, his mind filled with thoughts about his new found emotions for his best friend. He was nervous yet excited to experience this new feeling.
He saw Yuvika with his friends gathered in the back of the class talking among each other. He quickly kept his bag on his seat and made a bee-line towards them.
He caught a glimpse of Yuvika giggling at Yash's words, and his heart warmed at the sight of her radiant smile.
"Diti?" Aashmi called him when she saw him coming towards them.
"Good morning." He wished everyone, grinning at them.
"Tu aaj naha k aaya hai kya?" Yash asked playfully, while everyone looked at him in confusion.
"What?" He asked, with a frown.
"Tu glow kr rha hai na isliye." Yash grinned, his smirk not leaving his face while others started laughing listening to him.
"Well that's true, your smile is just not leaving your face." Aashmi pointed out, agreeing with Yash.
Aditya blushed, a shy smile tugging at his lips listening to them. He glanced at Yuvika to find her already looking at him. She raised her eyebrows asking him what happened while he just shook his head. He looked away, not wanting himself to get caught by others while he was looking at his best friend and blushing.
"Aashu.." He exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement, he embraced her in a tight hug, swinging her side to side in a playful gesture.
"Why are you shouting? Aur chor mujhe, sab dekh rhe hai!" Aashmi protested, trying to remove herself from the embrace.
"I am so so so happy today, no I mean yesterday, no since yesterday.....yay whatever. Tu smgh gyi na!!!" He spoke, his excitement barely contained as he took her in a headlock.
"What?" Aashmi asked with a frown, not able to understand a word.
"She is not a teddy bear, stop manhandling her." Ishaan chipped in, as he saw Aditya swinging her like a teddy bear.
"Hawww!!! You guys are so bad. I am not manhandling her. Am I?" He whined, releasing her from the embrace and looking at her with a questioning look.
Aashmi glared at him, and he gulped the saliva, before looking ahead and declaring,
"She is my best friend, tumlog chup kro." He affirmed, draping an arm casually around her shoulders, giving an explanation to everyone present there while she wriggled out of Aditya's hold, giving him a sharp glare.
Yash chimed in. "Even Yuvika is your best friend." His eyes softened at the mention of her name, a shy smile tugging at his lips as he cleared his throat, not wanting any attention.
"Yuv..yuv kaha hai?" He asked, stumbling upon his words, he tried to deviate the topic.
"Basketball court. Wo chor...tu ye bta ki itna khush kyu hai? What's the matter?" Yash inquired, Aditya shifted uncomfortably as Yash's scrutinizing gaze bore into him.
Aditya stumbled over his words. "Oh, it's nothing... just... sports day is coming up, that's why??" He hoped his feeble excuse would suffice. But deep down, he knew that the mere mention of Yuvika's name had a way of lighting up his world and now as his feelings were more transparent to him it was difficult for him to contain them within himself.
******
The cafeteria hummed with anticipation as students streamed in, trays laden with food. The air crackled with the mixture of hunger and camaraderie. Aashmi, Yuvika, and Saanvi claimed their usual spot, nestled together, their laughter echoed off the walls, a symphony of shared secrets and inside jokes.
While the boys were momentarily absent. The PT teacher had summoned them, probably for some sports day-related announcement. But soon enough, they swaggered back, joining the girls, their camaraderie evident as they dug into their meals.
Yuvraj, fork poised mid-air, inquired, his voice laced with anticipation, "When's Abhimanyu coming back?"
"Don't tell me you're missing him." Aashmi playfully nudged him, giving him a sly look, but Yuvraj just rolled his eyes in response to her teasing.
Yuvraj rolled his eyes, a masterclass in nonchalance. "Hawwww! Dushman se dosti me wo kaam kiya hai, umar bhar ke gham hame inaam diya hai." Aashmi sang, wiping her imaginary tears. Yuvraj smirked, unfazed, and continued attacking his plate.
Aditya leaned in, eyes dancing with mischief, "Are we witnessing a best friend swap here, Aashu?"
Aashmi turned to Yuvraj, her voice dripping with melodrama. "Tu aisa krega mere saath? Yahi dosti, yahi pyaar?" Yuvraj's eye roll spoke volumes, he had seen enough of his friends' theatrics to last a lifetime.
"We've got a match next week." Yuvraj explained, as if that settled everything. Abhimanyu's presence was crucial and it was known to everyone.
Saanvi chimed in. "He'll be back by Monday. Probably." Yuvraj nodded at the information.
And amidst the clatter of cutlery and the warmth of friendship, they wove their lunchtime tales—of funs, mischiefs, and the beautiful friendships that bound them, eagerly awaiting Abhimanyu's return.
********
As the lunch break concluded, everyone was returning to their classes, ready for the next lecture. Ishaan was making his way towards his class when he heard a voice and turned to see Saanvi standing there.
"Heyyy Ishaan." He turned to see Saanvi standing there, panting hard because of the running.
"Don't tell me, he proposed you?" He questioned looking at her, while she narrowed her eyes, hitting him on his arms while he started laughing looking at her flushed face.
Since the moment, Ishaan has got to know about her tiny miny crush on her senior, he never leaves a chance to tease her by his name. He enjoys seeing her flushed face at the mere mention of his name.
"Shut up." She retaliated, looking around them, making sure no one has heard them.
"Tell me." He asked her, stopping his little laughter session.
"Aree you free today?" She inquired, her voice laced with anticipation.
"Depends?" He responded, his curiosity piqued.
"I need to buy some stationery and abhi is not here or I would have hanged him. So will you join me if you are free?" She requested, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"Okay. Time bta." He confirmed, smiling at her.
"Ok then shaam me aa jaana aur late mat hona." She demanded hum and he bowed his head in front of her like a gentleman.
"Okay Sharma ji." He replied, while she grinned looking at him.
"Hassna band kro aur chalo, bell rang." He directed while she looked at him and nodded before heading towards the class.
Saanvi was moving ahead of Ishaan when she heard him calling her, she turned around,
"Look your Raunak is there." Ishaan said and Saanvi turned in the opposite direction to see only to find no one was there. She turned around to see ishaan laughing at her holding his stomach, seeing her flustered face.
"Stop it Ishaan." She retorted, punching him on his arm while he was laughing at her expense. She narrowed her eyes at him and turned around not before glaring at him.
"Okay..let's go." He said, between his laughs, coming beside her only to get ignored by her.
She moved ahead, showing her anger while he chuckled seeing her antics.
******
"Here, give me those." Aditya’s voice cut through the bustling campus air, reaching Yuvika as she struggled with the stack of chart papers. The weight made her steps falter, but she hesitated before handing them over. They stood near the row of buses, the scorching afternoon sun casting long shadows across the school campus. The buses, stacked like giant logs, waited in neat rows, engines humming, ready to transport the students to their abode.
"Okay…hold these." Yuvika responded as she passed Aditya another bundle of rolled-up charts. His grin widened, and he balanced the load effortlessly. The way he handled it—like it was nothing—stirred something in Yuvika. She watched him, her eyes tracing the lines of his profile.
"Mai nhi hota to tera kya hota." Hearing him, she turned towards him, a mischievous smile coming across her lips as she replied, "tu nhi hota to koi aur hota", the playful retort felt like a knife that tugged at Aditya’s heart.
He looked ahead, lost in thought. Yuvika nudged him gently, her elbow brushing against his arm. He blinked, as if waking from a dream, and resumed walking. But Yuvika noticed the subtle shift—the way he retreated into himself, like a tide pulling away from the shore. But decided not to intervene.
They reached Yuvika's bus and Aditya handed her the chart papers.
"Well, ek question poocho?" Aditya leaned against Yuvika’s bus, the metal cool against his back. She stood in front of him, holding the chart papers so that they don't fall, ready to board the bus.
"I am not angry, Adi." Yuvika stated as a matter of fact, her voice softened, as her gaze held his. Aditya chuckled, his heart doing a clumsy dance. "How did you know I’d ask that only?"
"Because you’ve asked the same question 45 times since yesterday." Yuvika teased igniting a blush on Aditya’s cheeks. He smirked, unable to resist. "Were you counting?"
Her glare was swift, but it didn’t mask the warmth in her eyes. The air between them crackled, charged with unspoken words. He chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.
"Okay, fine…tu pakka gussa nahi hai, na?" Aditya questioned once again, his voice firm, a pang of guilt visible in his eyes for his previous mistakes.
Yuvika smiled seeing the sincerity in his eyes and shook his head, saying "Nahi, baba." and Aditya smiled, the real smile, listening to her reply.
Yuvika turned around, ready to board the bus, but stilled listening to his words,
"Thanks, Lavender," Aditya thanked, surprising her. She blinked, caught off guard and turned around to see him still standing there, "What did you say?"
"Thanks—" Aditya said, confused.
"Uske baad?"
"Lavender."
"I asked you not to call me by this name." Yuvika said, her tone firm.
"And I abided." Aditya replied, his grin not leaving his face.
"Then?" Yuvika pressed, her eyes challenging him.
"I don't know...it just came." Aditya replied, shrugging his shoulders while Yuvika sighed. She waved him a good bye and boarded the bus.
********
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the apartment complex, Ishaan's fingers danced across the phone's keypad.
"I am here." He texted her, informing her about his arrival.
Saanvi, in her room, paused mid-hairbrush when her phone pinged. She glanced at the screen,
"Okay. 5 mins." The text was simple, she replied back.
Tieing her hair in a half updo, she gave herself a once over before striding towards the door.
Descending the stairs, she caught sight of Ishaan leaning against his bike. His eyes were fixed on the screen, scrolling through messages with the ease of someone who knew every curve of the digital landscape.
When he looked up and saw her, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Heyy," she greeted him, her voice calm and sweet.
He handed her the helmet, and she eyed it warily, scrunching her nose in displeasure.
"What?" He asked, confused.
"Mere baal kharab ho jayenge," she said, scrunching her nose. His astonishment was palpable.
Seriously? His wide-eyed expression seemed to ask.
"Haan, I mean—" Saanvi began to explain, but he cut her off, his tone playful. "Oh madam, firstly, we're not 18. License nahi hai mere pass. And secondly, and most importantly, I don't have a fantasy to spend a night behind bars like Yash or Adi." His words hung in the air, a delightful mix of teasing and truth.
"Unki yeh fantasy hai?" Saanvi's eyes widened at the mere thought of her friends harboring such wild desires.
"Who knows," Ishaan replied, chuckling. "Chances toh hai." His laughter was infectious, and Saanvi smiled remembering her friend's antics.
He handed her the helmet, and she accepted it. As he settled onto the bike, she climbed on behind him, making herself comfortable. The engine roared to life, and they sped away to their destination.
____________________________________________
Here is the new chapter !!!!
Hope you all like it 🫶💫
Do give your suggestions
Ok thnx!!!
Bie bie!!!
❤️