Chapter 5 - "As They Proceed"

Okay so people I am back! So sorry for making you all wait.

So here is the next one. I hope you enjoy.

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"Maa.. Maa.!" I entered the house, screaming.

"Yes baccha." Came Neela Maa's calm voice from the kitchen.

"Know what? I almost lost my keychain today!" I told, putting my bag on the chair.

"Uh oh. So? Then?" Maa asked, chopping the vegetables.

"What then? Nikla wohi tharki aadmi! Chor kahin ka! Huh! He had it. And he told me he didn't. Ugh. He is so frustrating." I chewed every word, peeling off the banana.

"Oh my God Avni! Who is this? And at least mind your words."

"Haaaan? Mind your words? Are you serious.? He stole it. And. And! He is just a! I don't know. He hasn't done any damage to me. But I don't know why I don't like him. All the girls are always drooling over him. And I hate these types of boys you know." I narrated him in a different way.

"As if you really love any boy! Like 'any single' boy in this whole universe!" Maa dramatically raised her hands in air.

"Whatever." I began eating her banana, before going to the aquarium for feeding the fishes.

"Haan feed them. I haven't since last night.." I heard Neela saying and it took seconds for me to went all red in anger.

"Are you serious Maa? You were so busy? Actually I was with my assignment. But you could at least sprinkle the food into the aquarium. What if anyone of them had died? Did you think of that? I'll be living in the hostel after this week, what will you do then?" I kept on blabbering. God!My love for my fishes!

"Uff! Stop. I was busy. Kuch nhi hua na. Nhi hoga kuch." Maa retorted back to which I could only roll my eyes.

"Only this week Maa. You'll have to do this job since I am going to the hostel."

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It was the third time that I saw him in a day. Why? I didn't want to.

I chose to ignore him when I heard him call me. I turned around only to meet his gaze.

"Wo. Avni. Actually I was thinking could you just help me with an assignment? Just to tell me how can I summarize the whole theory? Please." He requested, pouting.

I narrowed my eyes at him before agreeing, hesitating a bit.

We sat in the garden outside. The weather was nice, the birds sang. But his heart was may be singing any other rhythm.

I clearly told him how to summarize and it helped him quite a lot. He was impressed, I could see it in his eyes.

"You know I don't like you at all." I spoke, resting my head on the tree trunk, looking at him as he compiled the papers.

"Huh! I do not want you to like me. Like I am not dying." He was straight forward. I liked it. May be.

"But actually. I helped you take out your hair. I wiped your tears away. I gave you my napkin. I consoled you. And then I gave you your precious keychain. Still, it's surprising to hear that you don't like me." He exaggerated, stapling the bundle together.

"Oh My! You helped me with my hair. Thank you. You wiped my tears, thank you. You gave me your napkin, thank you, you consoled me, thank you. You stole my keychain, so no thanks!" I over exaggerated.

"I didn't steal it. Okay!" He raised his hands in air.

I rolled my eyes. "Why do you hate me? I am not that bad. Am I?" He asked and I looked at him immediately. I felt a sharp stab in my chest. I could see the world's pain in his eyes. Why?

I composed myself before starting,"I.. I don't hate you. Or may be I do. But it is just because I have never been into boys much. I don't like boys. I don't know why. But there is a strange something I feel whenever I see any boy. And if it's you, girls are always behind you. I hate it. I have always hated these types of boys. I am sorry if that hurts you." My honest confession made him smile. He rubbed the back of his neck before saying,"Girls are behind me. I am not. Difference!"

I was taken aback. This was what I never thought. May be he wasn't the wrong guy.

"And as far as boys' hatred is concerned, I don't think it is a good thing. After all you have to marry one day. You can't marry a girl!" He chuckled. I furrowed my brows, biting my lower lip.

"Ouch!" I heard him scream when I was about to get up. I saw a dot of blood at the tip of his thumb. Oh no! The stapler.

"You had to be careful!" I warned, delayed! "You had to warn me before!" This boy and his answers!

I tore my scarf a bit and tied it around his thumb. "Oh so typical! This wasn't needed. There weren't any buckets of blood." He dramatically said.

"Oh! Lemme take it out then!" I immediately yanked the cloth back making him flinch.

"Ugh! You are so impulsive." He said, rubbing his thumb with his finger slightly.

"So I have been told!" I rolled my eyes.

"You are so rude." He again may be tried to provoke me.

"I am not." I wasn't ready to surrender. I wasn't rude. Not at all.

"Then may be you are just outspoken." He assumed.

"May be." I chose to close the conversation.

And the silence followed. An awkward one. He kept on staring at the sky. And I felt the world being in place. The birds hummed their song and I kept on looking at him.

This was perhaps the first time I had talked to a boy. He was the first boy I ever communicated to. Except for Ali, who had been like my own brother, I have never had the courage to speak to a boy. He became the first one. Boys were not that bad! I had been wrong about them. My assumptions.

But then, not all boys are same. This thought kept me hesitant. I couldn't be talking to him freely again. I don't know why I was so afraid of these boys. I shouldn't be. Still he felt that I was outspoken. Ah! This strange world.

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How was it?

Well, since Neil Khanna has set such high standards, I know some of you might not like his character here in the start. But I am sure you will love him as we proceed. Don't see him from Avni's point of view please. Or else you will definitely hate him! 😂

I hope you enjoyed the update. Do vote and comment to let me know.

Much Love

Priya