Kabir spoke -

"Woh actually,

Yeh link mujhe,

Kshiteej ne hi send ki thi..." I was shocked.

"Kyaaa..." I screeched.

"Haan Shweta,

Yeh link, Kshiteej ne hi mujhe send ki thi,

aur usne mujhe yeh bhi bola tha,

Ki main tujhe kabhi yeh naa bolu, ki yeh link, usne mujhe send ki hain!"

I was flabbergasted, listening to his words.

"Ek second...ek second" I exclaimed loudly, stopping him from continuing any further and I continued -

"Kshiteej ne yeh link, tujhe send ki thi..."

He nodded with a YES, as I continued -

"Aur usne tujhe yeh baat, secret rakhne ko boli"

He again nodded with a YES.

"Haan...but usse tujhe kya problem hain, tu toh teri baat bata, jiske liye aaj apan mile hain!" Kabir stated.

"Nahi..Nahi ruk" I again, exclaimed loudly.

"Iska matlab, Kshiteej ko iss link ke baare mein, sab kuch pata tha?" I screeched in utter desperation.

"Haan!" Kabir continued -

"Usko pata honga, tabhi toh usne mujhe send kiya honga na!

Kyu, usne tujhe bhi send kiya kya?" Kabir asked me.

"Ek second..." I muttered to myself, though Kabir also listened.

"Agar Kshiteej ko sab kuch pata tha...

Phir bhi usne, mera naam kyu daala?"

Kabir shrieked loudly - "Kyaaa...?"

I again interrogated Kabir - "Kabir...ek baat bata -

Even if, Kshiteej ne yeh link tujhe send ki thi, aur phir tune yeh mujhe send ki -

Par phir bhi, Kshiteej ne yeh baat, tujhse secret rakhne ko kyu bola?"

"Tu kya bol rahi hain - mujhe kuch samajh nahi raha hain!" Kabir commented.

"Arre main bol rahi hoon -

Ki even if yeh link tujhe, SABSE PEHLE, Kshiteej ne send ki thi -

Tab bhi, usne tujhe yeh baat, secret rakhne ko kyu boli

YA

tune yeh baat mujhe kyu nahi batai?"

"OH SHIT...I am SORRY SHWETA" he giggled and I sank in disappointment.

"Maine tujhse ek aur baat chupai hain..." Kabir whispered, and I was no longer normal.

"Ab kya bolna baaki hain, mere bhai?" It was getting out of mind, as I was frustrated, with the half-knowledge of each and every situation, which was simply confusing me.

"Woh actually,

Jab mujhe tera answer mila tha na, uske ek-do din baad, main aur Kshiteej aise hi mile thee -

Toh jab woh link ka topic nikla, toh maine baaton-baaton mein bol diya, ki I know Shweta's answer -

Uske baad usne mujhe bohat zyada force kiya,

Toh mujhe usko batana padha, about your CRUSH!"

I was simply pissed off and disappointed, "Toh tune usko bata diya tha, that I have a crush on him..." while speaking the last few words, I lowered my volume, while my anxiety increased.

"I am really sorry, but

HAAN" - Kabir replied.

For the next 15 seconds, I was dumbstruck, with so many unanswered questions, in my mind. I simply spoke -

"Kabir...please Kshiteej ko phone laga...aur usko bol ki woh urgently niche aayega!

And don't tell him - ki main bhi niche hoon!"

"But hua kya hain Shweta..?" Kabir desperately asked.

"Yaar...main tujhe sab batati hoon - pehle tu usko phone karke, niche bula!"

Kabir called Kshiteej, and Kshiteej replied that he will be downstairs within 2 minutes.

I had several questions in my mind, but the most important one was -

"Agar Kshiteej ko link ke baare mein sab kuch pata tha, phir bhi usne mera naam kyu daala, aur aise acting kyu kiya?"

after 2 minutes, he was downstairs, hurrying towards us.

Before he could reach to Kabir, I interrupted his path and stared into his eyes, as I screeched, in a comparatively stern look -

"Kshiteej...main joh puch rahi hoon...uska please sach-sach jawaab dena!"

He replied - "Hua kya hain Shweta?"

Kabir walked towards us and started - "Kshiteej maine usko sab kuch bata....." before Kabir would complete his staement, I myself began interrogating.

"Kabir rukhja please" I looked at Kshiteej and started -

"Kshiteej, just answer with a YES or a NO,

Aur please, ab toh sab sach bolna"

This time, even Kshiteej was serious and folding his hands, he stood in straight and glared into my eyes, as I began -

"Yeh crush wali link apne colony mein, kya sabse pehle tune hi shuru ki thi? Kya tune sabse pehle Kabir ko send ki thi?"

He answered -

"YES

Yeh mujhe mere ek school friend se mili thi aur maine hi sabse pehle Kabir ko send ki thi!"

I again questioned him,

"Kya tune hi Kabir ko bola tha, ki woh iss baat ko mujhe naa bataye, ki tune sabse pehle yeh link send ki thi?"

Kshiteej stared at Kabir, for once and then replied,

"YES

Maine hi Kabir ko bola tha, ki woh tumko iss baare mein naa bataye - ki yeh link sabse pehle maine send ki thi!"

I took a deep breath, wherein my happiness was turning into agony or rather anger -

"Kya Kabir ne tujhe, mere answer ke baare mein, sab bata diya tha?"

This time, he was no longer looking at me or my face, he looked around and answered -

"YES, Kabir ne mujhe tumhare crush ke baare mein bata diya tha -

(he knew that my crush was Kshiteej, he - himself).

Lekin isme Kabir ki koi galti nahi hain -

Maine hi Kabir ko force kiya tha, aur mere pressurize karne par hi, mujhe reveal kiya tha!"

This time, I had a tear in my eyes, as I started sobbing.

"Shweta..." Kabir moved ahead, and looked at me,"Tu ro rahi hain?"

"Nahi!" I screeched again.

It was mere snivelling but not weeping, I must say.

Till then, when I looked at Kshiteej, I could see that he was typing something, on his phone.

After 10 seconds, he kept his phone, again in his right pocket, and spoke -

"Par Shweta...tumne ek question toh mujhe pucha hi nahi!"

I was not expecting this statement from him, and glared," Kya...?"

"Main bol raha tha ki - tumne abhi tak, mujhse ek question nahi pucha!"

"Kaunsa...?" I screeched.

"Please check your WhatsApp!" He pointed at my phone, as I opened the whatsapp and I could see that I have received a message from Kshiteej himself, just now.

I opened it, and while murmuring the message to myself, a big smile beamed on my face, which made me blush.

At first, I was unable to speak that question, which he had sent me on Whatsapp, but later, on their insistence, I spoke -

"So, you want me to ask you, this question?"

I showed my phone to him, and he nodded with a YES.

"So Kshiteej, do you like SHWETA KALANTRY?" my cheeks turned pink, as Kabir shouted -

"WHATTTT...?"

After a moderate pause of 5 seconds, while Kabir and I, stared at Kshiteej and he answered -

"YES"

Some music in the background, as Kabir's phone rang and it was his mother's phone, to call him back home.

Nevertheless, he silenced the phone and screamed -

"Oh Bhaiiiii....." "Yahan toh alag hi scheme chalu hain..."

"Shweta aur Kshiteej...dono ek dusre ko pasand karte hain....WOW"

Kshiteej and I started laughing and we were no longer able to hide our emotions.

After a few moments, we moved towards each other, closer and with some unexpected emotions within us, he simply raised his hand and we had a firm handshake, without speaking a single word.

"Ek baat batao..." I asked Kshiteej -

"Agar tumhe sab kuch pata tha - phir bhi tumne woh link mein answer kyu daala?"

"Mauka...Opportunity!" He exclaimed delightfully.

"Sach bolu toh Shweta...

kahi baar socha ki tumko bolunga ya confess kar dunga...lekin kabhi himmat hi nahi hui,

Jab Kabir ne tumhare answer ke baare mein bataya - toh I was the HAPPIEST PERSON.

Socha tha ki, uss hi din tumne confess kar dunga, lekin phir bhi, himmat nahi hui.

Phir kuch din baad, jab tumne mujhe link send ki - toh laga - ki shayad, unknowingly hi sahi, lekin at least mera secret toh reveal kar paunga!"

Toh bas isiliye...."

"Ohhhh Kay!" I stressed on the OH.

To which, he counter-questioned,

"What OHKAY?

At least maine toh bhi, apni feelings confess ki, tumne toh mujhe phir bhi nahi bola!"

"Uss din,jab main gaadi park karke wapas aaya tha - toh I thought, ki mere bolne par, tum bhi SECRET share karongi...Lekin tumne toh..."

How beautiful were his words!

And the relevance to the word -SECRET - was so mesmerizing, that I was unable to control my happiness.

"Arre sorry baba...woh actually..."

Woh actually...

Yes sab galti Kabir ki hain" - I stared at him, as Kshiteej laughed.

"Ek second...waise toh tum dono ek dusre ke CRUSH ho -

toh tum dono ke beech mein -

main kyu CRUSH ho raha hoon"

He was humorous enough, to make us laugh loudly, as I explained -

"Maine Kabir ko bola tha - ki woh mera answer kisi ko nahi bataye-

Phir bhi usne tumhe bata diya " I looked at Kshiteej.

"Exactly...sab galti Kabir ki hain" Kshiteej added his points -

"Maine bhi Kabir ko bola tha - ki woh kisi ko nahi bataye - ki yeh link, maine usko send ki hain - phir bhi usne - tumhe bata diya" Kshiteej looked at me.

Both of us, glared at each other, and then smiling at first, we stared at Kabir, moved against him -

"Ohh cheaters...I will not tolerate this one-sided team vs a single player"

"Mujhe ghar pe bulaya hain toh main jaa raha hoon!"

After our interesting conversation of about 10 minutes, Kabir left and both of us walked towards his house, till the end of the main road.

"Byee Kabir!" I exclaimed happily and as he left, and both of us started walking together.

Until we reached the main gate of my house, we were speechless.

Finally, as I was about to open my main gate, I looked back and murmured -

"Toh ab..."

"Ab kya...?" He replied, smiling back at me.

"Tumhe kuch bolna hain?" I asked the same question, which he had asked me, a few days ago.

"Main kya bolu!"

"Ab I think, hum dono ko ek-dusre ke secrets pata hain!" How fascinating his words were!

"But I think, tumhe ek baar - achi se confess karna chaiye!" He made me blush for a beautiful reason.

"Oh really...?" I exhilarated.

"Haan obviously, maine toh uss din kiya tha, now it's your turn"

Though his reason was stupid, but his demand was worth everything.

I took a deep breath, controlled my excitement and continued -

Okay then, My last question to you, for the day..."

"Hey Kshiteej..." I moved a step further -

Will you be my SECRET-KEEPER

and

my SECRET-PERSON?"

And once again, he simply replied, with a single word -

"YES!"

THE END

THANK YOU FOR READING