Kiara's POV:

"Why?" Ritik asked again looking straight into my eyes. He was back to his normal mood. Earlier I actually thought that I was reason why he was sad but I guess, It was nothing like that or maybe there was something else bothering him. Back to his question, I have no idea why Nia stopped talking to me? Nia and I were always good friends. Frequent get-togethers of our parents and being in same school, we were always close to each other. I won't say we were best friends but yeah we were atleast comfortable with eachother but then I don't know what happened, we got apart and became complete strangers!

"I don't know, she stopped talking to me." I replied.

"Same. Sameer started ignoring me and I never really got to know the reason behind it." Ritik replied. Did Sameer really started ignoring him? I remember when we were kids, Ritik always used to visit us but then something happened and his visits became rare and then there came a time, when he completely stopped. But why would Sameer do that? He always treated Ritik like his brother..then why?

"And why don't you talk with Aashika?" He asked making me raise a eyebrow at him. I don't talk with her? I do, I always did but if I don't get the same response from her why would I do it again and again? I don't understand what is the problem she has with me, she keeps on ignoring me. I tried to be civil but now even I gave up.

"I don't know why you brother and sister hate me so much that you both decided to ignore my existence." I replied and felt so stupid to say that. Whatever I said was true but I shouldn't have said it here, to Ritik. Whatever problem he had, it was with Sameer, why did he stopped talking to me? And Aashika, I don't even wish to start with that because it's a whole other well of mess.

"I don't hate you, neither does Aashika. Why would we?" Ritik asked resting his hands on the table.

"Leave it. Talk about something else." I replied because as far as I know him, he will go and ask Aashika why she is ignoring me and it will cause a fight between them, I genuinely don't wish to be the reason for the same because in the end, Aashika will hate me more.

"Do you want to eat something else?" He asked.

"No, I'm done. Do you?" I asked. Ritik shook his head and started typing something on his phone. Finally someone decided to answer his messages!

"I'm sorry." He said out of sudden. Now why? When asked the reason behind it, he replied saying that he was guilty for not informing me that he was going with Viraj and Sakshi and not me. He did wrong but I was happy that at least he was a apologizing for it.

"I'm not angry anymore but why did you do that?"

"It's because, before you told to have a coffee with you, I already made a plan with them. In the end, I had to choose one and so.....you know the rest." He explained.

"Yeah I know, you decided to fool me." I said completing his sentence.

"I said, I'm sorry for that." He defended.

"It's ok. I love this thing about you boys. You guys always choose your friends first. Unlike girls, who choose their lovers." I replied and saw him laugh a little.

"Anyway, let's go. I have lectures to attend." I said.

"Ok, I will wait outside." He said and went out making me all shocked. Is he alright? Ritik agreed to go outside without even saying a word, was little odd. The reason I call him Richie rich is because in our childhood, whenever we went to eat ice-cream, he always paid for it. Ritik acts like he got all the money in the world and spends it likewise. Maybe he changed?

I went to the cash counter and asked for the bill.

"Bill? Ritik already paid it." The man on the counter replied. Woah!

"What? When?" I inquired. Ritik was sitting infront of me, he didn't go anywhere then when did he pay? And how does this man knows that his name is Ritik?

"Few minutes earlier. He paid it online." The man answered.

"Ok. How do you know his name?"

"He is our regular customer." The man answered with a bright smile. That means Ritik fooled me again, I swear I hate him so much! He lied to me!

"Thank you." I said and went outside only to see Ritik talking with some 3-4 boys. No, he is definitely not talking, he is arguing. Can't this boy stay out of feuds? Is it always necessary to get in fights?

"Ritik." I called as I went near him.

"Get inside the car." Was all he said, rather ordered.

"Oh, girlfriend?" The boy infront of him asked looking at me. What?

"None of your business man." Ritik answered blocking the boy's way.

"Get inside the car." He said again.

"What are you doing? Let's go from here." I said.

"Get inside the car, girl." He said this time very angrily.

"No, I won't leave you alone. Let's go from here." I said looking at the boys in front of us. I was going to hold Ritik's hand but before I could do that, he took my hand in his and took me towards the car, opened the door and made me sit inside. Why is he so stubborn? I was trying to get him out of the fight and yet he went back to it, idiot!

I kept looking out and saw them talking again. Ritik was answering everything with a 'not so happy smile' on his face. None of them looked like they were going to fight but still I was little scared and silently prayed for the rescue and soon I saw Viraj standing next to Ritik. When did he came?  Anyway, I was glad to see him there!

Soon the other boys went away and then I saw Sakshi, Viraj's girlfriend asking something to Ritik so I came out of the car.

"Don't you understand the meaning of 'get inside the car'?" Ritik asked angrily.

"Can't you stay out of feuds?" I asked back. It was his mistake that he got into a fight and yet he was shouting at me!

"Shut up, what did you say 'I won't leave you alone', what were you going to do? Became my knight in shining armour?"

How rude! I was trying to help him and the nerve of him to shout at me now.

"I can be! I know self defence." I said and felt Viraj laugh a little. I turned towards Ritik, he looked as if he was trying to control his laugh.

"Leave it." He said running his hand through his hair.

"Honestly man, even I'm tired of these fights." Sakshi said clutching onto Viraj's arm.

"Strategies is a better word." Ritik replied. Strategies?

"What strategies? Who even use this kind of strategies?" She asked mocking him.

"Some people do. Having arguments or scaring the other person in the name of their loved ones, somewhat does affect the person mentally and indirectly it helps the other person to win." Ritik explained and it was then I came to know what that boys were trying to do. Demotivating him. What a stupid strategy!

"I'm glad, it doesn't work on you both." Sakshi said further with a satisfied smile. Well, I don't know about Viraj but Ritik will definitely get affected by this because he is very family oriented person. A word against his close ones and you will get to see the beast in him and same way, you will get to witness his soft side when his family is in some discomfort.

"Anyway, let's go. We have lectures." Viraj said and for that Ritik gave him the most annoyed look as if Viraj said something horrible.

"What? We do have lectures today." He replied.

"I don't care, I'm not attending." Ritik declared. Even though he rarely attend his lectures, he always get good grades and then there's me, who keeps studying!

"Shall we leave?" Ritik asked turning towards me.

"Ok." I replied and sat inside. I heard Viraj telling him that he brought his car with him and that he should go with them. I was not able to hear what Ritik answered, he just came and sat on the passenger seat whereas I started driving. I was angry at him, I damn badly wanted to ask him the reason why he fooled me again but he already looked disturbed and so I didn't say anything. We didn't talk for the whole ride, not even a single word. He was looking out of the window while I was driving.

"We reached." I said as I stopped the car outside our college's entrance gate.

"Give me your phone." Ritik said extending his hand and I don't know why but without any question, I unlocked my phone and handed it to him. He typed something and then handed it back to me.

"Listen carefully, You saw the boys I was talking too."

"Arguing." I corrected. He glared at me at first and then started again.

"Ok. You saw the boys I was arguing with, I don't think so they will but if anyone of them troubles you, let me know. I saved my number in your phone." He said. Why will they trouble me?

"Wait, why would they trouble me?" I asked and the reply I got made my heart beat raise for a moment.

"Because they think you are my girlfriend. Simple." He replied very casually. Ritik's girlfriend? No, never! That is the least thing I will ever wish for!

"Understood?" He asked and I just nodded in return. The boys troubling me didn't scared me at all so I was very much relaxed plus as I said earlier I know self defence.

"Take care and don't hesitate to call me if there is some problem."

I nodded again and saw him open the door to his side, he was about to step out but stopped and turned to look at me.

"And don't even dare to think that you are capable of handling everything on your own." He warned and like a puppet, I nodded again. He is literally ordering me, why am I not able to oppose it?

"Bye." He said and got out.

"Bye." I replied. I saw him sitting inside his car as Viraj and Sakshi were already here before us. He sat inside and drove away in the opposite direction of the college.

Why did he came with me then? He could have easily went away with Viraj, idiot!

I was about to go inside the college but was stopped when I heard my phone ring. I looked at it and saw Sameer's call. Hello brother!  Sameer is two years elder than me but because he was sick in the early stage of his birth he was admitted to school a year late and that's the reason why Sameer and Ritik were together during their school days, they grew up together. I have a great relation with him but that doesn't change the fact that he hardly or never calls me and also hides his WhatsApp status from me.

"Hi brother." I greeted cheerfully.

"Why were you with Ritik now?" He asked. What the hell, How did he came to  know? Who must have told him? His friends maybe! I didn't wished to have any arguments with him and so I narrated everything.

"He will never accept money from you, if you really wish to pay, give him something else." Sameer said and ended the call before I could have replied. I was glad that he didn't ask me about anything else and especially I was happy that he didn't doubt on me. Going back to his suggestion, what should I give to Ritik? I don't know what are his choices and preference now! Are they still the same or it changed? Whatever, I will think about it later. I was about to keep my phone aside but then I remembered that Ritik saved his number and so I immediately unlocked it to see it and there it was his number saved with his name 'Ritik'.

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