Chapter 25: 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Somebody asked his sister to take care of me as well.

✧ D E V E N ✧

"Do you have a job or all you do is mess with our lives?" Walking towards the piece of shit, I directly grabbed his collar. His face showed that he didn't expect me to do this but he covered up instantly.

"Oh, so the text was you." The audacity of this man to still not budge rather smirk. It was fueling my anger like anything. He removed my hand from his collar with a smile. Fisting my palm, I let out a deep breath.

I couldn't stop myself from calling him here just to give him one last warning. If he doesn't listen after this then the blame is on him. I tried to hold myself back for Preet, to not break his face and teach him a lesson.

But the way he keeps upsetting her and eventually me. And what is she? Five? The way she is still falling for his traps.

Is she that dumb? Distancing herself from whatever crap this man has fed her.

"Stay away, Aniketh. Don't make this worse."

"What makes you think I'm scared of you?" He retorted, arrogantly.

"Be mature enough to walk away. Have some self-respect, little boy." His expression changed all of a sudden, and a cold glare replaced the tiny smirk.

"I'll do whatever I want. None of your business." How can a person be such a freaking brat?

"She is my business," I replied.

"So you better not interfere in my business. Stay away from her. Stay away from me. Stay away from our life. Consider this as a final warning." I looked right into his eyes, with sternness.

I would have given him one or two right in the face, but again, I have a party to attend where Preet is there.

And that's just not my style.

"Or else? What are you going to do?" He asked, folding his hands below his chest.

"Where's the fun if I tell you?" Before he started with some new nonsense, I decided to leave. I wonder if Preet will even notice that I have left, but if she does, then I need to reach on time.

I also wanted to ask him about what did he do this time. But first of all, he was not going to tell me. Secondly, it would look like she didn't tell me; I got mad and called him here to threaten him and get it out of his mouth, which was the truth, but he didn't need to know that.

It will only boost his ego knowing that the woman decided not to tell me anything.

"I know what you did today, and if you repeat that, Aniketh," Before opening my car door, I decided to make it clear to him if he didn't understand a single word.

"Then what?"

"I heard that your dad's company is facing a lawsuit." A small underlying smirk was a mist to the sentence. And the shock on his face was the cherry on the top.

It was kept very private, almost like a secret which was barely known by anyone. Our little hero thought he was the only one who knew how to get information.

"How do you know that?" The color drained from his face leaving him plae.

"Goodbye. I need to go back to my wife now." I said and added almost immediately. "And if anything upsets my wife again because of you, understand that you've started a war."

I banged the door a little too hard accidentally trying to look like a stud, which I immediately regretted. My car is precious to me.

I got back to the lame party in five to seven minutes, as the location I had chosen to call him at was very near to here. I removed my phone from my pocket only to find a lot of missed calls from Neava and Rushaad. And one from Ananya.

Oh. So they noticed me not being there but she didn't.

I replied to them by text, making up an excuse, and informed them that her phone was with me. Right after she called Neava when we entered, she had dropped it accidentally and didn't even notice. The screen was unlocked so I texted Aniketh as if I was Preet and called him here to talk.

I decided to call back Ananya and ask for some expert advice on this situation. A woman knows women the best. And she was an extraordinarily smart one.

She picked it up in the first ring itself and said enthusiastically like a teenager "Hey bro,"

"Hey," I uttered softly.

"Abh kya hua?" She asked and I chuckled at her skills. It took her a Hey from me to understand what was wrong.

[What happened now?]

"Yaar, Ananya," I whined, stretching both words. I didn't know how to tell her, a very problematic problem of mine.

"Is it about Rapunzel? Is she around?"

"Yes. And no." I replied. It was a code name created by her for Preet. She got to know that Rapunzel was her favourite Disney character when she was young from Sahil. To avoid chaos or revelations from happening before any of us were ready, we used this.

What if Preet overhears something someday? It was safer to not include her name anywhere.

The name might be silly but it's Ananya. This is the best she has ever named anyone or anything.

"What did you do now?" I frowned, offensively.

"How are you so sure it's me?"

"All men are the same." She let out a huffed sound in the end.

"Not you, baby, not you. You are exceptional." She immediately said to someone which I had assumed to be her husband. "Yeah, what? This Sahil just gave me a side eye, looking at me so offensively. I thought he was engrossed in his work but ye chaant hai, sab sun raha tha."

[He is very clever, he was listening to everything.]

"Etne zor se bol rahi ho, nahi sunna hoga toh bhi sunayi de raha hai." He replied.

[You're speaking so loudly;  I can hear it even if I don't want to.]

"Kaan band karlo. Best."

[Cover your ears.]

"Ananya, you decide whether you want to talk to him or me." I decided to give my input between their bickering.

"Hi, Dinesh." I heard him yell. It feels foreign now when he doesn't call me Dinesh. Such a nice name I had, and this man ruined it ever since I met him.

He joked and let out an evil laughter followed by that. "Told you, never gonna get my sister."

"Fuck off." I snapped back within seconds. I am already demotivated and he decides to joke about it.

"On a serious note, what happened?" Ananya sounded serious while asking that.

"That langoor, man. He's getting on my nerves." I let out a frustrated sigh. Langoor was a code word for Aniketh.

"What did he do this time?"

"God knows. And she knows. I saw them talking when I went to get the car from the parking lot, and after that, she went non-verbal with me." I explained.

"How come your car was parked at her place?" Sahil asked pointing out the uttermost unnecessary information. I forgot how they don't know she's staying at my place because Aniketh is my neighbour.

When Preet told me not to tell anyone about this, I thought I'd manage. But that day Detective Mrs Ananya Khurana had made all of them think that the lipstick was someone else. The bombarding of questions I had faced after that made me cook another story, half true; the other half wasn't false, just hidden.

It was like they knew the story except for the main plot. They didn't know that we were living together. Rest all is the same for them.

"She had come to my place, genius."

"What nonsense? Why was she at your place?" Now Sahil's voice was clearer than ever. Till now it felt distant.

"Wasn't Ananya all over your place at most times when you were dating?" I cross-questioned.

"Yeah, but you both are not dating, neither does it look like you are going to." I clicked my tongue at his harsh reply.

"Sahil, don't be mean. He is already so sad."

"Okay, sorry. And Dinesh, ask her directly. It might take a while but she will tell you what's wrong. Whenever she is sad or upset, she has a habit of talking about it with someone directly. Until and unless she has already done that. If she has then you might have to work a little hard."

I agree with what he was saying. She is the type of person who would want someone around her when she is sad. I've observed that.

Whereas I am the total opposite.

"Okay. But right now she's avoiding me, just like that. I'm the one who has a right to get mad about it since she didn't even reason for it. But again, I'm the one who is going to manao-fy her. Ladka hu na." I grumbled about it.

"Ladke toh ho hi, pyaar me bhi ho, bus. Sab sehna padega, Dinesh." Sahil remarked and the sound of him clicking his tongue was obvious.

[You are a guy, and you are in love. That's it. You have to bear everything, Dinesh.]

"Ye baat toh aise kar rahe ho jaise roz torture karti hu main." The way Ananya spoke that with a scoff made me laugh.

[You're talking as if I torture you every day.]

"Nahi karti?" She let out a sound of disapproval.

[You don't?]

Lair. I bet ninety per cent of the time, she's the one who's fighting with him or irritating him. I know her very well. Ananya and chaos go hand in hand.

"Even if I do, tum kya dhoodh ke dhule nahi."  I had to take a deep breath. The topic has diverted from the problem I'm facing in their domestic couple fights which I'm craving to have in my life.

[You're not that innocent.]

"I am. Har baar sorry kon bolta hai?"

[Who is the one who says sorry every day.]

"Jagda kon start karta hai?" She questioned back.

[Who starts the fight?]

"Ananya ji."

"Toh sorry kisko bolna chahiye? Sahil ko. Mai start Karu, tum sorry bolke khatam karo. We complete each other na." She ended the topic with a very pleasant tone in her favour.

[Then who should say sorry? Sahil. I start the fight, you should say sorry and end it.]

"Acha?" One last sarcastic word from Sahil and Ananya started laughing like a hyena.

"Stop tickling me, Sahil." She screamed at the top of her lungs, and he ignored her successfully.

While I could hear their laughs through the phone, I just sat there with a potato face looking at the white roses she had given me. They were on the verge of drying up, I even forgot to carry them home.

What if my love life dries up just like these flowers?

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous over what these two were doing. Taunting each other in the cutest way possible, these husband-wife fights, mocking each other in the face but with only love in their hearts.

My attention searched for any wooden object in my car, finding a keychain I touched. Touchwood.

I might be jealous but I don't wish for anything bad for them. Intentionally or unintentionally, I don't want them to get any evil eye. I just wanted to experience that with her, man. But guess it's just not aligning with my luck.

When will our stars collide?

"Get a room, guys." I interrupted when they almost forgot about my existence.

"I'll deal with you later." She warned him.

"And Deven, don't be so disappointed. It's a part of the journey. She's affected by something we don't know about. Try to get it out of her, communicate with her and clear it before it turns into something very big." Ananya said and I nodded. After realising how she couldn't see me over the call, I replied.

"Yeah. That's the only solution."

"And wait, wait, wait, you said that her friend, Neava knows that you love her, right?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Oh, moron, ask her tomorrow then. Preet will definitely share it with her. It's a girl thing. At least you will know what the problem is. Then you are smart enough to solve it." My face lit up at this. I didn't think about this.

Pipadiya will not hide it from me. That way, it will be easier.

"Damn. Right, I didn't think of it. Thanks, Anu. You're a saviour." I heard her chuckle.

"That was just common sense," Sahil said.

"You need to have it to use it." Roasted.

"Ouch. That was hurtful but correct. You're the smart one, I give in."

"Okay, now bye, I will get going. Y'all continue." I said. It's been very long since I've been here in the car instead of the party.

Honestly, Aniketh had ruined my mood. I thought we might have fun, something interesting could happen at the party but no, here I am talking to a bunch of idiots in love.

"Yes. Also, we have to tell you something-" Sahil was soon cut off by Ananya mid-sentence.

"No, we don't." She said hastily while I got confused.

"What?"

"We had decided it was a surprise, Sahil." I scrunched my brows.

"We did?" He asked.

"Yeah, I might have forgotten to tell you. But we did." The logic cannot be found in the system.

"We must have then. Nothing, Dinesh. Bye, enjoy. Take care of my sister, and if anything happens to her, I'm charging it on you." Oh, the typical line I hear every time.

Somebody ask his sister to take care of me as well.

"Sure. Goodbye." I didn't have the energy to argue with anyone at the moment.

"Byeeee. Tell me the tea later." I hung up the call after the last bye.

I left an exhausted sigh and gathered up the strength to walk to the party. The room was filled with vibrant energy, colourful lights, music and laughter was all over the air as people danced, talked or played some games.

My eyes were busy searching for that one pretty person amidst the chaos of the room.

Instead of her, I found Rushaad at a corner talking to someone on the call.  I went towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. He immediately turned and his frown turned into an excited smile.

"Yeah, done. Take care." He said and hung up the call.

"Hey, man. Where were you?" He asked me and we shared a brotherly hug.

"Just outside. I was on a call." He nodded upon hearing me. "Where's Preet?"

His lips lifted in a smirk. "Aw."

"What aw?" He shrugged.

"I had seen her sitting somewhere before I went to dance with Neava. She didn't want to join. Seems like her mood was off. What did you do?" My mouth hung open as I looked at him.

I'm getting blamed for no reason. I've no idea what I did, at this point.

"I did nothing." My mind went to some words he had said. "Also, dance with Neava, did I hear it correctly?"

He shook his head looking at the ground with a smile. "Yeah."

"That's impressive. I thought you don't like lairs." I teased him.

"Did I use that sentence so much? Or are you and Preet just soulmates? Even she said that." At this, a tiny smile appeared on my face.

"I think you used it too much," I replied. "However, you and Neava are something very interesting. What's going on?"

"I've no idea, dude. Whatever it is, it's making me go very crazy." He said.

"Sounds like love to me."

"I hope not." He mumbled very slowly under his breath making me frown. "I'm just losing my mind, it's very strong even if I try to back away from it."

"All the best. You've gotten yourself into a quicksand. Either you get out of it soon, or you can never escape." I replied.

"I'm trying to escape. This is not right for both of us." I looked at him with confusion in my eyes, but his expression conveyed how I wouldn't get an answer from him, at least not now. So, it let it go.

"If you want to talk about something, I'm there." I felt that this was the best that could be spoken right now.

"Yeah. Let's enjoy the party now." I nodded and we searched for the girls. If we find one of them, we will know where the other is.

Rushaad spotted Neava in the crowd dancing with a group of people. He went towards them and I followed him. I asked without wasting any time. "Have you seen Preet?"

She shook her head. My guess was wrong.

"The last time I saw her, she was sitting on the couch."

"Okay. I'll find her." Upon not seeing her anywhere, a wave of panic hit me.  She already had some trauma with the house party, and there, being an idiot, I left her alone.

I looked around the room but she wasn't there. My heartbeat went crazy, I hope she is fine.

I went through a corner, not looking much, but then, after a second, my mind registered her. I took two steps back and gazed at her, sitting in the corner of the couch with some guy I hadn't seen before.

I couldn't help but envy prickle under my skin. I observed how freely they were laughing with each other. With every laugh, the heat in my body increased as I clenched my fist tightly.

She didn't even bother to look at someone else.

Fuck it, man.

I think we are just not meant to be.

✧

A chapter after a long time.

For those who are not aware, Sahil and Ananya are the main leads of the first book and my absolute poookies.

The chapter wasn't exactly a Wow ik but we need to go through some boring chapters to step into the interesting ones so. 😭

Now next what?

Who's side are you on? Team Deven or Preet?

🐧