Unedited chapter ahead//
Chapter Twenty Eight
"Muhahaha"
à ANANYA Ã
"Veer!" I screamed when I saw my friend from the college and hugged him. He is the only guy who was fond of the hugs I used to give everyone when I met them.
I love giving hugs. And I love it even more when I get them.
"Anu, it's been so long" he said and we broke the hug. Samiksha was was awkwardly standing beside him, looking even more beautiful than she was.
She was one of the most prettiest girl in our batch. And as much as I hate it, I was always a kind of jealous when I saw her. She was a good friend of mine, but she sucked at relationships. Breaking every other guy's heart or giving them hope was her thing.
And that made me think that I was better being me. Everytime I saw a beautiful girl, I used to question why can I not be her? And then that one thing of theirs gave me a sense of relief that I wasn't them. Let it be, thier behaviour, attitude or a bad habit.
I beleive in beautiful personalities rather than beautiful faces.
The three of us had a quick chat, and Sahil stood there patiently listening to our talks. They were here to collect the degree certificate too, I mean obviously, everyone was supposed to take it today. We bid each other goodbyes, not before Veer asking me.
"And he's your boyfriend, I assume?" You assume too much.
"Yes" "No"
I glanced at Sahil with questioning brows who said yes.
"Uhm, guys, decide?" Veer asked and I faked a laugh.
"Yep yep, he is." Veer laughed and I joined. Then they left. Veer and Samiksha were in a relationship and it was too obvious. By the end of the year, everyone knew it. And they were the IT couple. Good looks, rich, talented people.
"You know, I used to have a crush on him." I confessed it to Sahil as soon as we both were alone.
"Oh, him? Then what happened?" He asked me while we walked towards the office. Some students staring at us, or more like girls staring at the man beside me.
"Nothing. I never told him." Sahil narrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Why?" I couldn't exactly tell him that I was so insecure about myself at the time that I was so damn sure that the guy would reject me straight away. It could ruin our friendship too.
"He liked Kirti. But she didn't say yes to him because she knew that I liked him. I told her to say a yes but she just didn't." Sahil nodded thinking.
"Nevermind, Happens. It was just a crush"
And now who will tell him that just a crush was enough to make me go mad. Just a crush made me cry for like 6 times, dream of him for like 15 times and romanticising everything with him everytime.
Just a crush wasn't as simple for me as told.
"Yep. Thank God I'm over him." I muttered. Though it took me long time.
"Exactly."
After collecting the papers, a known voice called me and I turned to find the most irritating person of my college life. It was Ria -the bitch- who considered herself on the top of the world. Self centred is the perfect word for her. She had a habit of putting everyone else down and trying to be superior while using her sugar coated tone.
"Action" I whispered to Sahil who just stared at me blankly.
"Whenever I say action, we have to act like girlfriend-boyfriend. I thought of it at night when I was overt-nevermind just do what I say" I need to learn where to place the full stop because I clearly suck at it.
"Why? My parents are not here-" He asked. He has the audacity to tell this when he answered yes to the question of him and me being in a relationship.
"I'll tell you later. For now, Action till I say Cut"
"Aye aye captian" he said and I chuckled. We reached where Ria was standing, and stared at Sahil from top to toe. That action of hers arose something in me and I encircled my hand around his arm immediately.
"Hi, Ananya" she waved at me but her eyes at Sahil. I rolled my eyes.
"Hello" I replied.
"Who is he? Is he your boyfriend?" She asked eyeing him.
Damn, the stare she gave him was bad. It was same as the stare that uncle gave me in the train. When a woman is stared at, it's wrong, what about men? Are girls allowed to pass that stare? No. And some need to understand how to be in thier boundaries.
"What does it look like, Ria?" My grip on his arm tightened and I felt Sahil looking at me. I had the fake smile plastered on my face while I mentally wished for her to leave.
"Yeah. Right. My bad" she said while passing a look.
"You've lost so much weight, Ananya. And your hairs suit you short better. You used to look so weird back then." Yeah, but should I point out your attitude which is still the same as trash?
"You still haven't changed a bit." You're a bitch just like before. I wished to add but didn't.
"Do you know how funny she looked when we used to study? I always thought who will agree to be her boyfriend! And now, look, lucky her, found herself a handsome man" she's getting on my nerves now.
But isn't she right? Even you wondered that.
"I'm the lucky one, to be honest. Not everyone has a bright personality like hers and a heart as beautiful as she is. In other words, just enchanting." He looked at me and smiled. My mind registered his words still wondering if they were just an act. But shaking off the thought, I smiled too.
I'm genuinely so thankful to him for saying these dailouges in front of this Ria.
Or maybe I'm more thankful to him for saying these to my insecure self.
Ria looked a bit taken aback when she heard this, "You wouldn't say the same when you see a picture of her, four years back"
"I've seen her four years ago, and I found her just as pretty as she is now. And atleast she didn't speak about someone's appearances while having no personality at all. I mean,uh, nevermind. Let's go, baby" We started walking away from her.
Damn.
Slay, Sahil, Slay.
The look on her face at the moment says it all. The look of embarrassment. "Bye Ria. And by the way, he was talking about you" I lip synced the last part to her after turning behind. She stood there in shock. I understand now why she came here alone while everyone came in pairs.
This is what I mean by having a pretty face doesn't equal to pretty personality.
But what shocked me, was Sahil taking a stand for me. For the first time, I didn't have to face this bitch alone, or fight for myself. Someone did for me. And it felt nice.
Kirti, fought with her a few times, but not in a way Sahil did. Once Kirti gets angry, she has no idea what rubbish and out of topic she speaks. So it ended the same everything. Rather I had to stop her from throwing a steel waterbottle at Ria's face once. From that day, I ought to never let them meet again.
Poor Ria only has a beautiful face, if she hit her by that steel waterbottle then that would be ruined too.
"Thankyou" I told him as soon I thought it was a right time to.
"For?" he asked.
"For acting." I lied.
If I told him thankyou for taking a stand then he would think that I couldn't do it myself and that's a minus point which makes me weak so, I didn't.
Or I am overthinking.
"This was the rehearsal. We have to be good at the finals, it's in front of my family afterall" he joked and I nodded, smiling.
Was I really that ugly back then?
Sahil wouldn't have said what he said, if I was.
Maybe he lied too.
I shook my head, I shouldn't think about whatever she said. It was not important.
What if Sahil thinks the same?
Let him. Why do I care?
It was irritating how it bothered me so much when she said that. It was so easy for her to say not knowing how much will it affect me.
"Chamatkar" I looked at him.
"Hmm?"
"You do not have to think about whatever she said. It was nonsense."
Was it, really? I wished to question but ended up saying.
"Obviously not. Why would I think about something she said? You're crazy if you thought that" I said trying to bring my bubbly personality back.
"Okay. Whatever you say. I just wanted to tell you that others opinion on you, their version of you, doesn't matter. It's your version that does!" I nodded.
"I know, Sahil. It doesn't affect me."
"Okay. Let's go to the beach which is somewhere here? I checked it on Google when you were collecting the papers" He asked and I nodded.
"Before that, let's eat something. I'm damn hungry. Let's go to the famous shop here. Most of the college students are there, even I loved the Sandwiches, he made. It was heaven. Gosh, I can't wait to eat" I said, imagining food. Sahil passed a soft smile muttering a 'okay'.
We walked towards the shop which was just at 10 minutes distance.
"I love sandwiches so much, you know. I can eat them anytime. Morning, afternoon, evening, night, midnight. Anytime" I said when we reached the shop. The chairs were taken by the teenagers who probably bunked their lectures.
"Which one will you eat?" I asked him and he scanned the menu.
"What is good here?"
"Everything is tasty. But the bombstick is too good, if you've heard what that is" I told.
"I've a degree in hotel management, if you remember." He said sarcastically, I guess and I nodded.
"Right. So bombstick? But it's quantity is too much for one person and less for two. We'll have to order something else too and we can share it" I suggested and he nodded.
"Cheese chilli toast?" He asked and I nodded.
"Done." I ordered both and we saw a young couple leave the plastic table and chairs. We sat there while I saw Sahil noticing the man who was making it.
"They should take care of hygiene a bit. I mean, if not AC then table fan should be kept. The sweat can fall on the food" he complained disappointedly.
Thank God, I didn't take him to the Panipuri stall. They don't even use gloves there.
"It's okay. What else can we do? The hotels don't make sandwiches as tasty as them" I instantly regretted saying that. I said that to a person who owned a hotel.
"No offence" I threw my hands in surrender.
"None taken. But you should try our sandwiches, I hope they don't disappoint you. And if they do, then I'll make sure they change the recipe." Aw, his little ego is hurt.
"Okay,okay. I'll eat everything you say because anyway it's free for me. Muhaha" I swear the list of my regrets keep increasing.
The small Muhaha is something I do when I feel like a evil in front of my closed ones. Does that make me weird?
"What was that?" He asked laughing.
"Nothing. Ignore it." My cheeks turned red in embarrassment.
Regret number, I don't remember.
"Muhahaha" he repeated and laughed at it while I rolled my eyes. This is why I shouldn't open my mouth in front of him.
After a while he called me by that stupid nickname I'm starting to like again. "Chamatkar"
"Yes?"
"You look beautiful in this yellow Kurti and Jhumkhas"
That made my heart go-
Skebdidkskeordjnsek
ð¦
Sahil knows how to comfort for sureð
And to be honest, people like Ria are just too insecure to show. I had one Ria in my life, who was just as same as this one.
It should not affect you about the opinions of people you won't even remember 10 years from now.
Writing about sandwiches made me want one at one in the night. That is my love for sandwiches, istg. It was personal.
Okay do share your views on the chapter?
Ps: don't forget to vote.
I've a exam on Monday and this is what I'm doing. NVM, good byeð