Ashvika Mehta

My back hit the door of my room as soon as I entered. "Fuck you, Ashvika," I muttered to myself. "What have you done? Now how will you face Vedant?" I had only wanted to comfort him, to reassure him, and yet I ended up kissing his cheek.

I removed my shoes and landed on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I heard a knock on the door, got up, and opened it to find my brother.

Avinash gave me a teasing smile. "What's going on?"

"Chakkar chal raha hai, hmm?" [Looks like someone's got a crush, huh?] He teased, and I rolled my eyes, pulling him inside my room.

"Koi chakkar nahi hai, sirf dost tha" [There's no crush, he's just a friend], I said, locking the door.

"Fir bhi, Mumma, Papa ko batana padega" [Still, we'll have to tell Mom and Dad]

"Muh tod dugi tera main" [I'll break your face], I said.

He shrugged as he half-laid on my bed. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"How much?"

"5000?"

"1000"

"Mummy ko bulau?" [Should I call Mom?]

"Done, 5000", I said, taking out the money from a bag and handing it to him.

“1000 aur mil jaate toh” [If I had gotten 1000 more...]

“5000 bhi vapas kar” [Return the 5000 too], I said.

He stopped, turned around, and ran out of the room, saying “Sorry, have a good night”.

Vedant Rao~

I finally dressed myself to go to college after a four-day hiatus. It's ironic, I thought, returning to college after the Ashvika incident. But I'd wasted enough time at home; it was time to get back on track.

I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs. "Kaki, did Nisha leave for school?" I asked our maid.

"Yes, beta, she's gone," Kaki replied.

I nodded and headed out the door, bound for college.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

“Hey, Ishaan!” We both shared a hug. “See you after so long, you good?” he asked. I smiled falsely and nodded.

I turned as I heard Ashvika’s voice; she was gossiping about something to Svarna, who was listening carefully. This duo.

“Hey Svarna, hey Ashvika!” Ishaan said, waving at them. Svarna waved back, but Ashvika, clumsy as she was, lost her balance after seeing me, though Svarna quickly grabbed her arm.

It was meant to happen after last night's incident. I'm sure she's so embarrassed, and today she's not going to talk to me. I smiled internally at my thoughts. They walked towards us, but Ashvika's head was down, who knows what she was looking at.

“Hi Svarna,” I said, shaking her hand. She smiled.

I moved my hand towards Ashvika. “Hi Ashvika,” I said, my voice laced with teasing.

She touched the top of my finger and said "Hi!" before moving her hand back instantly.

"Yeh kya tha?" Svarna asked, while Ishaan laughed.

"Ashvika ka e-style tha," Ishaan teased. "Abhi chalo, class ka waqt ho gaya."

I chuckled, and we all walked towards our classroom. Ashvika didn't even look at me. Poor Ashvika.

“Hey!” A boy came and greeted Svarna and Ashvika. Ishaan and I looked at each other and then at them.

“Where are you guys going?” he asked, after sharing a hug with them.

“Class,” Ashvika replied.

“Class cancelled, ma'am,” he said.

“Ayyo, Ram kese?” Ashvika exclaimed, being her dramatic self.

I shook my head, hearing her. "Sir's father got a heart attack this morning, he won't come for 2-3 days, I guess."

"Offo, bura hua," Ashvika said, resting one hand on her waist and the other under her chin.

"Samose khaye?" Ashvika asked cutely, straightening up.

Svarna hit her on the head. "Sir ke ghar nahi, yahi bhaari jaake."

Ashvika rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh okay,” Svarna said, “but I don't want to eat anything.” She added, “Same!” Ishaan interrupted. Svarna ka Aashiq.

“We can go somewhere else, Ashvika aur Vedant will go and have their samosa,” Ishaan said. Ashvika shook her head negatively.

“Main iske saath nahi jaungi,” Ashvika blurted out loudly.

“Kyu?” the trio asked.

“Bass nahi jaungi.”

“Now, you have to go with me,” I said demandingly.

“Ashvika, Vedant will join you, go!” Svarna said calmly. Ashvika thought for a second, then nodded. “Okay, I'll go.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

“Yeh lo,” I said, as I passed her a samosa and sat beside her on a bench. My head leaned back, and I looked at the white, clouded sky.

“Don't you want this?” I heard her ask. “Ji nahi,” I replied, exhaling deeply. She muttered, “Okay.”

“I'm sorry for yesterday night's incident,” she said after a few minutes of silence. I turned my head towards her, who was wiping her lips after throwing the plastic plate in the dustbin. She threw the tissue away, and then her eyes met mine. If I'm dark, she's light, the brightest light. The sunshine.

“Sorry for what?” I asked, attempting to tease her.

“Ahg- vo yesterday-” She stuttered.

“Are you sorry for the words you said to me yesterday?” I asked.

“No, no, no,” she said firmly. “I meant every single word I told you yesterday, every each. I'm always here for you, Vedant. Whenever you need me. Don't feel that you're alone because I'll not leave you alone. If I did, just call me, I'll be there.” She said in one breath.

I smiled at her. "Thank you, Ashvika." She passed me too. "But I was saying sorry for—" She stopped mid-sentence.

"Hm? Kaho?" I asked, even though I knew well what she was talking about.

"Arey yaar, vo incident," she said, getting frustrated. "Konsa?" I asked.

"Vo... I kissed you on the cheek, I'm sorry!" She blurted out in one go. I chuckled at her behavior.

"I didn't feel bad, it's fine," I reassured her.

"Oh okay!" she muttered. I shook my head; she was still awkward.

"Ashvika," I said.

She hummed in response.

“Don't feel bad, it's okay. I'm really grateful that you came last night just to meet me. You made me feel like someone is really there for me. And don't be awkward around me, silence doesn't suit you.” I faced her, and she giggled.

“Mujhse bhi shant nahi raha jaata!”

I shook my head with a smile. “Drama queen!”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

After 1 month

Author's POV

Anasuya, Vedant's mother, let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the entire mansion. By mistake, Nisha had spilled a hot cup of tea on her hand. The cup fell down and broke into pieces, just like someone's heart.

Fear surrounded Nisha, and she stepped back. Devendra Rao, Anasuya's husband, stood up as soon as he saw Anasuya holding her hand, tears rolling down her face in pain.

Vedant ran downstairs, hearing his mother scream. Devendra poured cold water on her hand and then started applying cream.

"Mom, mom, how did this happen?" Vedant panicked, seeing her hand. He looked at the broken cup and smashed tea on the floor and understood.

"Nisha, go to your room," Vedant said strictly.

"Bhai, mom, dad, it was just a mistake—" Nisha pleaded.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU JUST WANTED TO BURN MY HAND!" Anasuya shouted.

Nisha jerked from her place. "No, mom, I-I—"

"NISHA, GO TO YOUR ROOM RIGHT NOW!" Vedant shouted at her.

"Bhai, listen to me, please," she trembled, hearing the volume of his voice.

“GO to YOUR FUCKING ROOM, NISHA!” he shouted again. Nisha immediately ran to her room, crying.

Soon, Devendra took Anasuya to their room. He didn't say anything about the matter, not even a word.

Vedant ordered the maid to clean the floor and pick up the broken pieces of the cup, and then he left for Nisha's room. He knocked on the door, but she didn't respond. He knocked again. He pushed the door a little, and it opened as it wasn't locked.

He saw Nisha lying on the bed with her head buried in the pillow. He could hear the muffled sound of her cries.

“Nishi...” He called out to her.

“Chale jao bhai,” Nisha replied calmly.

“I'm sorry, Nishi,” he said.

“I'm sorry, Nisha,” he repeated.

Nisha sat on her bed, her hair messed up, eyes all red and swollen, tears rolling down from her eyes.

“What sorry, bhai? You didn't even try to listen to me,” she cried.

“You shouted at me just like mom.”

“I didn't do that intentionally, hogayi galti mujhse,” she said, looking helpless.

“Janti hoon,” she said, “my real mom and dad died. No one is here for me whom I can call my family. Par aise jeena padega mujhe hamesha?” She inhaled a shaky breath and moved towards Vedant, grabbing his hands.

“Mai- mai- marne ke khawab dekhti hoon, bhai, jante ho kyu?” [I see dreams of dying, brother, do you know why?]

Vedant shook his head, trying to control his tears after listening to her confession.

“Nahi jee paa rahi ab mai aur bhai, physically nahi par dil se mar chuki hoon bhai” [I'm not alive now, brother, not physically, but I've died in my heart, brother]

she pointed towards her heart over her chest.

“Dekhiye ga, jaldi aap meri laash is kamre se utha kar leke jayege—” [You'll see, soon you'll carry my dead body out of this room—]

“Sab khatam ho jayega, mai bhi.”

Vedant hugged her.

“Meri jaan ho Nisha tum, aisa na kaho, maaf kardo” [You are my life, Nisha, don't say that, forgive me]

Vedant whispered while caressing her head. Her breath got even, and she slept in his arms. He gently laid her down on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

Her words roamed in his mind.

“I failed as a brother.”

“I failed to protect you.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──