chapter 23

Flashback continues......

" So from today we are in a relationship, no ? you are not just my friend, you are my boyfriend, right ?"

" Yes girlfriend." Giving her a big smile on her face, Reyansh says while touching the tip of her nose with his finger.

" So can I hug my boyfriend once?" she says which shocks Reyansh

Well, he mustered up the courage to say all this but still they are in school and he will not be able to hug a girl in school.

" Ok but not now, we can hug when we meet outside school." he says to which she pouts

" But I want to hug you right now," she insists.

" No, I told you na outside the school, you know how I am, I won't be able to do this in school and I want to give you a good hug, so later and now I am leaving." He says this and then frees his hand from hers and walks away from there.

And here Aaira has a big smile on her face, she can't believe that she got her friend back, that too like this. Finally.

Aaira too turns from there and goes towards her class but as they say even walls have ears...Reyansh had his class in the same corridor where Aaira and Reyansh are standing and talking. And coincidentally Reyansh was standing outside his own classroom and talking to Aaira and in that class, that friend of Reyansh was present in front of whom Reyansh had left Aaira's hand in childhood and walked away from Aaira holding her that friend hand.

Well Reyansh doesn't talk to many girls but he has a childhood friendship with this girl, so he talks to her and to some extent he also sees her as a sister

But that girl Sheena liked Reyansh and staying inside the class room, hearing all this between them outside the class room makes her blood boil...She was with him since the beginning of school but Reyansh chose the girl with whom he had never talked and she cannot tolerate this.

And at that very moment, she decided that she wouldn't let them both be together.

And that day there was some cultural program practice going on in the school due to which more student from 9 to 12 were in the auditorium and because of which there were no teachers in their classes

Reyansh being the head boy of the school was there in the auditorium watching the disciplines, Whereas Aaira, like always, participates in every cultural program and even today she is practicing her dance.

" Where are you going?" asks one of Reyansh's classmates when he sees him leaving the auditorium

" I forgot my water bottle in the class, I am going to get it." says Reyansh and starts leaving from there

But suddenly seeing Reyansh leaving the auditorium, Aaira, who wanted to talk to him more because it was obvious that after so many years, she was not satisfied with just talking for a few minutes, she wanted to talk to him more and more, so taking advantage of the opportunity, she goes after Reyansh so that she gets some more time with him in which she can talk to him.

But Sheena, who is also present in the auditorium, first hears that Reyansh is going to the class and on top of that, seeing Aaira following Reyansh, she gets angry and after thinking something, she also follows them but from the other side

Meanwhile, Reyansh once again reaches the corridor of his class but as soon as he reaches his class, he sees a girl crying on her seat and he gets shocked when the girl turns out to be Sheena

" What happened, why are you crying?" Reyansh asks her while sitting next to her on her bench

But on seeing Reyansh, Sheena does nothing but hugs him and cries, which shocks Reyansh and at that very moment, Aaira who was following Reyansh was about to enter his class behind him but her steps stop on seeing them both like that and she stops right there at the door slightly hiding from them.

But Sheena, who was facing the door, notices Aaira...Well, sheena was not sure whether her plan would succeed or not but seeing Aaira at the right time definitely brings a evil smile on her face.

" Please don't leave me." She says, to which Reyansh gets shocked at first and tries to push her away but she hugs him even tighter.

" I am feeling very scared, please hold me like this for a while." Sheena says and seeing her like this, Reyansh gets confused as to what happened to her, but being a friend he consoles her.

" Relax, I am not going anywhere, you calm down first." he says and Aaira gets shocked hearing his words. Her eyes fill up automatically when she sees him with someone else like this, And at this moment, when he hugged another girl, she only remembers his words that he cannot hug her in school.

And while she is thinking this she gets more shocked when Sheena kisses Reyansh neck while hugging him.

Well, since Reyansh is wearing his school uniform blazer, Reyansh doesn't feel Sheena's light touch on his collar.

But Aaira standing far away feels that she kissed him and then Reyansh did not say anything nor he pushed her away, so this thing cannot be normal between them.

And then she doesn't stay there for even a moment but after thinking something she goes back from there with a sad heart and comes straight to her class and coincidentally her class is also empty and she is unable to control herself and starts crying silently, her tears are not stopping as she keeps remembering the scene where Reyansh was in someone else's arms and that girl kissed him and he did not say anything

Today she told him that she likes him to which he replied that he likes her too and from today both are in a relationship and the next moment he's in someone else's arms.

Well, she could consider it normal for him to hug someone else once, but kiss?

And that girl is the same one for whom he had once left her hand and thinking about all this her tears are not stopping.

On the other hand, after Aira leaves, Sheena separates from Reyansh and the first thing she does is pretend to say sorry to him saying that she knows she doesn't like hugging girls to which Reyansh tells her it's okay seeing her bad condition.

And then Sheena tells him the reason for her crying that some boys misbehaved with her and she got scared and this reason of hers was completely false but on hearing this reason, Reyansh asks her the names of those boys so that he can complain about them to the principal but then Sheena tells him to leave it, she does not want to complain and also again say sorry for hugging him out of fear but now she is fine.

Hearing her words, Reyansh also does not say anything further but does the work for which he had come here, Means he takes his water bottle and goes back to the auditorium.

Here Sheena comes to Aaira's class looking for her and finds Aaira in the same condition as she had imagined...She sees how Aaira is sitting alone in the class and crying silently and wiping her tears which are not stopping.

Sheena feels very good seeing Aaira like this because obviously she is with Reyansh since childhood and if he doesn't become hers then she won't let him become anyone else's either...She knew that Reyansh always liked Aaira because he often talked to her about Aaira and this was the reason why she never told her feelings to Reyansh because she knew that if she did so, she might lose Reyansh's friendship but today she couldn't tolerate that Reyansh was with Aaira and that is why she did this.

" I hope you won't go after my boyfriend now." Aaira turns her face up and looks towards the door when suddenly she hears this word and sees Sheena there

And there Sheena comes close to her and Aaira looks at her silently

" He is mine so take your eyes off him...What did you think, you will tell him that you have liked him since childhood and he will become yours?" Aaira gets shocked hearing her words and wonders how she came to know all this, that she confessed to him something.

But Sheena tells Aaira that her boyfriend Reyansh is so loyal that he himself came and told her everything about how she proposed him for a relationship.

" I just made a bet with him that he should befriend you because he says that no girl can say NO to him but you turned out to be so cheap that he extended his hand of friendship and you asked for something else from him..." Sheena just finishes her words that she feels a hard slap on her cheek from Aaira

Well, just because she is quiet doesn't mean she is weak

"Don't you dare talk to me like that..." Slapping her, Aaira looks at her angrily and says.

" And even if I proposed to your so-called boyfriend, where did your boyfriend's loyalty go when he said yes to me...?" Aaira questions her and even after getting slapped, Sheena does not stop her dirty act

" Don't be under the misconception that he likes you and that's why he said yes to you..." Sheena says this and also says that their school is going to end soon and she is going to study abroad after school and Reyansh will be left alone here and that is why he does not want to let her go and to stop her, he repeatedly threatens her that he will make another girlfriend

" He said yes to you just to pass time and to make me jealous, otherwise you yourself thought that why would someone who has never talked to you, do it today? What has changed today? Obviously I will not be here, we are going to go on a long distance relationship so he needs someone to pass his time and who can pass his time better than you, who has been after him since childhood but he doesn't give you any attention but today you got the chance and you shamelessly said god knows what to him..." Sheena says

And at that time, it was Aaira's immaturity that she started believing all the things Sheena said to be true, because it is true that why did the person who had not talked to her since childhood suddenly come to talk to her today...just to win a bet? And sheena didn't say anything wrong, Reyansh knew about her feelings somewhere and he knew that she won't say no to his friendship that's why he chose her to pass his time.

" And most importantly, think why he didn't hug you...? Even though he befriended you, he is so loyal to me that he cannot hug anyone else except me even to pass time." Sheena says this and Aaira listens to her silently as she obviously has no answer to her words right now.

She was mad that after so many years when Reyansh talked to her once, she opened her heart to him...Now she feels very insulted about what she did. Couldn't she control her feelings?

Why did she trust Reyansh blindly when he had already broken her trust in the past by breaking their friendship.

" If you have even a little self-respect then you will never talk to Reyansh again, stay away from my boyfriend." Sheena says, to which Aaira looks at her

And there, after saying all this Sheena does not stay there but goes away from there.

And here Aaira sits back on her bench and starts thinking about all the things Sheena said and putting all the things together she starts to feel that whatever Sheena said was true...Why would the boy who never talked to her before talk to her now? Obviously the reason behind it would be the same one that Sheena told her.

He had to win that bet because somewhere he knew she would never say NO to him.

On the other hand, in the auditorium, Reyansh finds Aaira missing for quite some time, well when he was going to the class to get his bottle then he saw her but after coming back he is not able to see her anywhere

And the teacher also announces that now Aaira's dance practice has to start but she is not present here, and the teacher there, seeing Aaira absence, starts making practice for another program.

But Reyansh, thinking something, goes in search of Aaira and first of all he comes to her class where he finds her alone.

But he is shocked when he sees her crying

"What happened, why are you crying?" asks Reyansh sitting next to her

On this, Aaira first wipes her tears but on hearing his question, she remembers a scene that happened some time ago that when his real girlfriend was crying, he hugged her and asked her the reason for her crying but obviously she is nobody to him so he is asking her like this.

But Aaira doesn't say anything but gets up from the bench and starts leaving from there but Reyansh catches her wrist

" Mannat, what happened?" She gets angry when he calls her the name she had allowed him to call her after her father.

" Aaira, for you I am Aaira." She says while freeing her hand from his grip, on which Reyansh gets a little shocked.

" But some time back you said that I can call you Mannat, what happened now...?" he asks to which she looks at him

" Okay, If you don't like it then I won't call you Mannat but what happened to you, why are you behaving like this, why are you talking to me like this, why are you going away from me?" He says, on which she sees him in disbelief

Everyone at home thinks he is so innocent but he pretends so much to be a good person

" Nothing has happened and nothing will ever happen between us....forget what happened, we can never be friends." Reyansh is shocked to hear her words.

" What are you saying, some time back you said that you like me and now you are saying that I should forget everything...is all this a joke for you?" He asks her

" All this is a joke for you....You made fun of my feelings, even though you have a girlfriend you pretended to be friends with me." she says which shocks him.

" Girlfriend ?" He asks confused

" Oh you are so innocent, now you will tell me that I don't have a girlfriend and idiot Aaira will believe it, No ?" She says

" Trust me, I really don't have a girlfriend...I haven't pretended anything with you." he says to which Aaira comes close to him and he looks at her

And then Aaira leans closer to him and sniffs him, confusing him.

" Tell your girlfriend Sheena to change her perfume, it smells very bad and yes...While saying this, she slightly tilts his face so that his collar comes in her view

" This is school, so tell her to use a lip balm that doesn't leave marks on your clothes, if she kisses you...okay?" She says this to which Reyansh gets shocked but he understands that maybe she saw them hugging but kiss? What nonsense is she talking about?

And saying this, Aaira goes out from there and first of all goes to the washroom and washes her face and composes herself because no matter how sad things are making her, school will be over in an hour and her father will come to pick her up so she can't show him her sadness.

And then Reyansh goes after her to talk to her but now she is not ready to listen to even a single word of his.

A few days pass like this, Reyansh tries every possible way to talk to Aaira in school but Aaira does not talk to him in any way after that day and similarly the day comes when it is Reyansh's last day in school but even then Aaira does not give Reyansh a chance to talk to her, does not give him a single chance to prove himself.

And Aaira who always shares everything with Ansh also tells him how Reyansh made fun of her feelings and she says sorry to her brother that despite his refusal, she talk to Reyansh and because of which this happened

That day, she started believing Ansh's words more that why he used to ask her to stay away from Reyansh and on the other hand, Ansh gets more angry with Reyansh because of all this.

And this is the reason why Ansh doesn't let Reyansh talk to Aaira in any way, doesn't let him come close to her which he didn't allow earlier as well.

And then this is the reason why Reyansh takes a year break so that he can start college with her so that he can make things right with her because he knows he likes her, she likes him so he cannot lose her due to any misunderstanding....She can be as angry as she wants, but he will convince her one day.

And this is the reason behind all this between them, Aaira doesn't let Reyansh call her Mannat on their first day of college and she always reminds him that he has a girlfriend and because of that, she can never be anybody's second choice.

Flashback Ends.

" Mom, mom, mom...." Reyansh returns from college and enters the house jumping with joy looking for his mother and Priyal comes out of her room hearing his voice.

" What happened?" Priyal asks him

"Guess what happened today?" Reyansh tells Priyal

" What happened?" Priyal asks him

"Mom, I told you to guess, right?" Reyansh says to which Priyal looks at him

" Well, never mind, she hugged me..." he tells his mother with a big smile and seeing his happiness, it is not difficult for Priyal to understand who hugged him, obviously Aaira hugged him, that is why he looks happy like a mad person

" So what should I do in this..." saying this Priyal sits on the sofa in the hall and Reyansh pouts, is his mother not happy with this thing ?

" Mom, aren't you happy? Maybe we have become friends again." Reyansh says sitting next to his mother

" Maybe? don't know when you both will become friends? Then don't know after how many years you both will become boyfriend and girlfriend and after how many years you both will become husband and wife...If everything continues in such slow motion, I will leave this world without seeing my grandchildren." Priyal says

" Mom what nonsense are you talking about....don't say all this, Nothing will happen to you." he says to which Priyal looks at him

" Yes, then increase the speed, make her my daughter-in-law..." says Priyal

" Aap Neil uncle ko mnaa lo...kal shaadi kar leta hu..." Reyansh says

" Nahi, unhe toh tujhe hi mnana padega..." Priyal takes a step back on hearing Neil's name, to which Reyansh rolls his eyes but then the mother and son laugh seeing each other scared on Neil's topic.

🦋🦋

On the other hand, it is night time.

Advaita is calling Ansh repeatedly but she is not getting any response from him.

And its not just today, its been almost 5 days now but Ansh has not responded to any of her calls or messages and Advaita is unable to understand the reason as to what mistake she has committed that he has become angry.

Meanwhile in London, Ansh is studying at his study table, only then he gets a message on his phone and he opens it, in which he reads: " her father's retirement party in 2 days. Will he come?"

Well, Ansh's studies have been completed and all of his exams are over and he can return from there anytime now and keeping that in mind, Advaita asks him to come to this party, otherwise she would never have made such a request to him.

But Ansh doesn't reply to her message and off his phone and gets immersed in his book again.

To be continued......

Those who found this chapter boring may find the upcoming chapters interesting, because someone is coming back 🤧