Vedant Rao

As I walked into my house after the first day of college, the eerie silence enveloped me, sending a chill down my spine.

"Where's Nishi?" I asked our maid, breaking the silence.

"In her room, she's on a video call with her friend," she replied.

I nodded and headed to my room to change. Flopping onto my bed, I couldn't help but think about my life. How long would I have to endure this suffocating feeling?

My phone pinged, snapping me out of my thoughts. I grabbed it to check the notification – a message from Mom.

"On my way home, do you want me to bring something for you?"

I sighed, feeling a mix of relief and guilt, and typed out a response.

"No mom, I'm alright!"

I placed my phone aside and closed my eyes, but my relaxation was short-lived. A knock on the door broke the silence. I got up to answer it, expecting it to be Nishi.

"Hey, Nishi?" I smiled, noticing her goofy grin.

"Bhai, it's my friend's mom's birthday today, and she invited me. Can I go?" Her eyes sparkled with hope.

I nodded, smiling. "You can go, Nishi."

She beamed. "Thanks, bhai!"

Just as I asked, "What are you going to wear?" Mom's voice echoed from downstairs.

"Vedant, your mom is back, baccha!"

Nishi's face contorted in panic. Her eyes widened, and her hands began to shake. I recognized the signs of an impending panic attack.

"Hey, cool down. I'm here. Nothing will happen. Just breathe," I said calmly, holding her cold hands in mine.

She took slow, deliberate breaths as I instructed. "You good?" I asked.

Nishi nodded, and I gently wiped away her tears.

"Let's go," I said, holding her hand.

But she shook her head, trying to release my grip. "I'm not going. You go."

As we descended the stairs, Mom's gaze fell upon us, her expression twisted in annoyance.

"Why is she here?" Mom asked, her tone dripping with disdain.

"Because I wanted her to be," I replied, standing firm.

Mom's voice rose. "You know, Vedant, the only thing I hate about you is that you care about this girl."

Nishi cowered behind my back, seeking refuge. I felt a surge of protectiveness towards her.

"The only thing I don't like about you, Mom, is that you hate her," I said, my voice laced with a mix of sadness and defiance.

Mom shook her head and walked away, leaving an uncomfortable silence. Nishi stepped in front of me, her eyes brimming with tears.

"She's your mother, bhai. You shouldn't hate her," she said, her voice trembling.

I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. "I don't hate her, Nishi. I love her as my mother, but...it's complicated."

Nishi's eyes searched mine. "Why does she hate me, bhai?"

I forced a reassuring smile. "She doesn't hate you, Nishi. She just acts like she does."

Nishi's response was a faint, fake smile. "Maybe."

"Go get ready for the birthday party," I reminded Nishi. She nodded enthusiastically and dashed to her room.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Three hours passed, and Nishi still hadn't returned. I was engrossed in a conversation with Ishaan, who had a new crush – Svarna. Ishaan's infatuations changed daily, but I humored him.

He sent me Svarna's Instagram ID, and I couldn't help but agree – she seemed more down-to-earth than her friend, who often spoke nonsense.

I followed Svarna on Instagram and returned to my conversation with Ishaan. He sent me Ashvika's Instagram ID, and I checked out her photos. She was stunning, but I recalled how talkative she was.

Just as I was browsing Ashvika's highlights, Mom called out my name. I went to her, "Yes, Mom?"

"Where's Nishi?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"She went to her friend's house. Why?" I replied.

"She didn't inform me," Mom said, her tone slightly irritated.

"She told me, but I forgot to tell you," I explained.

Mom's expression turned tense. "When will she come back?"

"Soon. Her friend will drop her," I assured.

But Mom's worry persisted. "It's already late. Call her."

I smiled, taking out my phone. Mom's glare made me pause.

"Why are you smiling now?" she asked.

I was about to respond when I heard footsteps. Nishi appeared, looking apologetic.

"Sorry, bhai, I got late," she said.

I smiled at her. "It's okay, Nishi. Go to your room and rest."

Nishi nodded and began to leave, but then stopped mid-step and walked towards Mom. "I bought this for you. I saw it in a shop on my way back home."

Mom's expression softened as she took the bag from Nishi. Nishi darted back to her room, leaving Mom to peek inside the bag. However, she quickly became self-conscious, noticing me watching her.

"Good night," Mom said, hastily retreating to her room.

I chuckled to myself, amused by the exchange, and headed back to my own room.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Next Day

I sat in class, waiting for the lecture to begin, when Ishaan burst in and plopped down beside me.

"Hey, bro! What's up?" he asked, grinning.

"I'm good. You?" I replied, raising an eyebrow.

Ishaan's gaze drifted around the room. "Svarna didn't come today?"

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. I had arrived early and snagged a seat on the first bench. Ishaan, ever the romantic, had reserved the bench behind us for Svarna and her friend.

Stupid, I thought, shaking my head in amusement.

As the lecture began, Svarna and her friend remained absent. Our professor, a 30-year-old man with an impeccable "old money" sense of style, according to the girls in my batch, droned on about the topic at hand.

I found myself growing restless, struggling to focus on the lecture. Just as my attention began to wane, a girl burst into the classroom, running as if she were competing in a marathon. In her haste, she collided with our professor.

And, to my surprise, the girl was none other than Ashvika Mehta.

The classroom fell silent as Sir crashed to the floor. Ashvika, however, managed to steady herself, narrowly avoiding a similar fate. Svarna, standing by the door, rubbed her forehead, clearly embarrassed by her friend's antics.

"OMG, you fell, Sir!" Ashvika exclaimed.

Sir groaned, wincing in pain. "God damn it, I know I fell," he muttered, his tone a mix of annoyance and amusement.

"Troublemaker," I muttered under my breath. Ashvika was in trouble now; no one would be able to save her from Sir's wrath.

"Oh God, someone please help me up," Sir pleaded, still wincing in pain. I quickly got up and assisted him.

Ashvika, seemingly oblivious to the tension, chimed in, "Itni bhi jor se nahi gire the" (You didn't have to fall that hard). I shot her a stern glance and mouthed "Shut up."

Two boys rushed over to help Sir.

Ashvika asked "You okay, Sir?"

"Yamraj ke darsan karvane ke baad puch rahi ho, theek hu mai?" (You're asking if I'm okay after sending me to meet the God of Death himself?) Sir retorted, his glare still fixed on Ashvika.

Ashvika's laughter was stifled, and she looked away, trying to compose herself. The two boys escorted Sir to the medical room, and I suspected he might have sprained his foot.

Ashvika burst into laughter as Sir left, and Ishaan joined in. Svarna playfully hit Ashvika on the head. "Stupid!"

Ashvika grinned. "It was funny!" She shared a high-five with Ishaan.

I glared at her, but she didn't seem to care. "ASHVIKA!"

"What? You're feeling bad for him?" she asked, still chuckling.

"You should be serious," I scolded. "He'll definitely complain about you to the principal."

I tried to take a stern tone. "Give me your father's number."

Ashvika's grin widened. "Kyu pasand aa gayi mai? Hath mangne vale ho mera?" (Why have you fallen for me? Are you going to propose to me?)

She teased, "Par mere dad haan nahi karege, vo chahte hai abhi mai aur padhai Karu" (But my dad won't agree, he wants me to focus on my studies).

"Bad luck, try next time," she added, laughing.

I shot back, "Itne bure din nahi aye mere ki tumhara haath mangu ga" (My days aren't so bad that I'd ask for your hand in marriage).

Ashvika's smile never wavered. "Complain krni hai tumhari" I added.

Ashvika handed me her phone with confidence, and I called her father. I stepped out of the classroom to talk to him, with Ashvika following closely behind. We sat down on the stairs, and her father answered the call.

"Ashvika," he said.

"Um, hi uncle," I replied, trying to sound respectful.

"Tum kon bhai?" (Who are you, brother?) Uncle asked.

I introduced myself and recounted the entire incident. Ashvika's father listened patiently before responding.

"Offo beta, koi na bade bade colleges mai chote chote hadse hote rehte hai" (Oh, son, small accidents happen in big colleges). He seemed to be taking Ashvika's side.

Ashvika flashed me a proud smile, but before she could react further, her father added, " tum Ashvika ke boyfriend ho?”

Just as Ashvika was about to respond, a voice interrupted from the other end of the line. "Don't support her, Ashvika. Go apologize to your sir. And what's this guy's name?"

"Vedant, Aunty," I replied.

"Nice name, beta. Thank you for informing us about her mistake," Ashvika's mother said.

"It's okay, Aunty. But after doing all that, she was laughing in front of Sir," I added, smirking at Ashvika.

Ashvika protested, "Nahi, Mumma, jhooth bol raha hai yeh" (No, Mom, he's lying).

Her mother firmly replied, "Pagal nahi hai vo tumhari tarah" (He's not crazy like you). I struggled to stifle a laugh at Ashvika's embarrassed expression.

Ashvika's mother continued, "Ashvika, you're going to apologize to your sir. And Vedant, let me know if she doesn't apologize.”