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|A secret curtailed behind her eyes and a dilemma concealed behind his words were the roots of their unseen separation|

by medicallymessedup

•present•

Ruchi pondered on what transpired between her and Aakash. She knew everyone saw him as the perfect candidate for her but her instincts were steering her at the oppressing edge of this alliance. The Cheema family had been quite orthodox when they're informed of her parents' ugly separation and awkwardly inquired Ruchi about her perspective on the marriage with his mother strangely cornering her to warn regarding her son's happiness.

Aakash's parents had also acted differently when Aakash complied with Ruchi's wish to continue living in India even after marriage that meant for him to settle down in India itself. Though Aakash had accepted her request without any queries there were some other unbelievable instances.

Mamta who was previously eager to get Ruchi married seemed to be hesitant for this relationship which came as a first. She even tried to delay the engagement citing the reason for waiting until her final exams. Sujal too appeared conflicted whenever Aakash or his family was brought up in the conversation. He even argued with his brother for the same. Kartik though wasn't exactly convinced about pushing his sister for marriage but his equations conflicted with Aakash whose frequent visits at their house increased and that made Ruchi a guest in their own house. Meanwhile, it was just Sunil and Sushma who were persistent on keeping the engagement a week after she returned from Manali along with the marriage that was preponed after two months, even before her final semester ends.

Ruchi wasn't fond of the changes recently. It felt unusually odd.

"Chillar party, anyone who wants my world famous sandwiches?" Samiksha propelled unboxing her bag within an hour of their journey.

Bhavesh inquired, scrunching his nose looking into the box she waved in everyone's face, "Are they even edible?"

"Of course, bro!" Vivek chortled, "She ordered them yesterday from Pluto's cafe. They are not at all stale or were refrigerated for an entire night either." He interpreted with a vile smile, "And whoever eats this fresh shit is going to live a hundred years to forever hail my twin's name."

Samiksha snarled at Vivek and aimed for a silver fork right on his chest causing him to jump from his seat in alert and saunter away.

"They're quite fit for human consumption, my boy." Samiksha grinned offering Bhavesh again who was reluctant, "It took me a lot of hard work to get them."

"When did placing an order become tedious, Sammy?" Chhaya asked, picking up a sandwich and sniffing it for precaution. "They seem pretty alright. Bhavo you can have them." She urged Bhavesh who demurred, whisking away towards the door to escape the calamity.

"Eat them, Bhavesh!!" Samiksha entreated in a serious tone.

"I am very much sane to be aware of your honey trap, okay!" He bragged, filling air in his mouth. "What if I die before my marriage?" He was horrified. "I don't want my to-be jawani to mourn over the gut-wrenching loss."

[ Jawani - Youth]

"Oh! Don't worry about your marriage." Samiksha said, "No human is desperate enough to lose control over you." She told. "That means you are the safest option to try my out-of-the-world sandwiches."

"I won't be your scapegoat today, crazy woman!!" Bhavesh fought, backing away in fear. "You cannot force me!!"

Samiksha hissed watching his tantrums and menacingly pushed him to have her sandwiches even when he continued to retaliate.

"Nobody shall taste them, sister!" Vivek amplified. "Nobody wants to die of food poisoning!! Sabko apni jawani pyari hai!!" Vivek yelled in a blaring pitch maintaining his distance from Samiksha who was agitated by now.

["Everyone is fond of their youth!"]

"You dog!" Samiksha grouched furiously rushing out of the cabin to chase her brother who had already fled away, "You'll die of my bare hands today, double battery!!"

"How can anyone behave so childish in a moving train!!" Bhavesh glorified sitting back in frustration. "What if that doofus throws Vivek out of the train?"

Chhaya took a bite of an apple and said, "Simple. He's hitting the ground hard on his bum."

Bhavesh facepalmed dramatically, "He's going to scratch his bum!"

"Why are you so worried about his ass, Bhavesh?" Sarah cooed with an irritating smile, "By any chance did you spank his butt-"

"Haww!!" Bhavesh gasped, batting his eyelashes for the ultra effect, "Are you jealous of me and my boyfriend, Sarah? Or maybe you fantasize about his luscious booty under the pretense of your annoyance?"

Sarah scoffed, "I'd prefer to die before that."

"Whatever peels your banana, Zafari!!" He whistled ignorant of the death glare she passed him. "You're right, Sammy! They both are dorks!" She muttered under her breath.

When Chhaya cleared her throat to gain Ruchi's attention, she appeared awfully pale and exhausted. There was no ounce of excitement present that was radiating on her face earlier during their facetime last night. Sarah too focused on the latter, finding her terribly quiet since they boarded the train.

"Baby!!" Chhaya and Sarah called her out aloud, staggering her out of the pensive thoughts skirting her.

"Where are you preoccupied, Baby?" Chhaya began playfully, "Do not forget that we are not allowed to waver away from the ultimate motto of this unforgettable trip."

"What motto?" Ruchi creased her brows in confusion. "The instructor or the principal didn't mention any motto of this trip while seeing us off." Her features changed into worry, "Did I miss on any instruction?"

Sarah gwaffed slowly when Chhaya bobbed her head in affirmation startling Ruchi who ran her brain to come up with such a memory but failed until their joke finally hit her.

"I don't remember anything like that, Chhaya." She smiled rhetorically, "Why don't you put it out in words."

"Shit!!" Chhaya sulked. "You got me so early." She whined. "I'm a bit slacked but at least give me a chance to win for once." She pleaded. "You all are my friends yet I've to depend on an outsider to boost my cause."

"Dude, everyone needs an outsider to boost their cause." Bhavesh reported in conviction. "For instance, Sarah seeks Faiz's companionship to prove her importance to someone and to inflate her hurt ego."

"Don't talk shit, dung face!!" Sarah gritted her teeth in unexpected umbrage, "I am doing nothing wrong by being with a man who is working to secure our future, someone worthy who I am not skeptical about when he meets my parents-"

"Don't feed me that shit, Zafari!" Bhavesh snarled in uproar, "If a man who truly loves a woman does everything in his might to keep up his relationship then just like that a woman must have it in her to respect the man and deal with him in patience." He emphasized.

"Bhavesh-" Sarah revouched.

"And when did you ever give a chance to him to prove his worth?" Bhavesh demanded in certainty. "You left him just like that and for whom?" He scoffed in disgust, "That bloody tag price!?" He carped, "Now what I feel is that you really deserve a knave and not my frie-"

"Enough!" Vivek's harsh voice full of stew shook the train's cabin, surprising the others who could feel the humidity in the air increasing dangerously. His anger had no control when he overheard their argument. "Shut the fuck up, Bhavesh!!" He charged, pulling him up by his collar and shouting on his face, "Friend or not, she hasn't given you the goddamn right to question her choices!! It's her life to decide!!"

"Vivek!!" Chhaya shouted.

"What are you doing?" Ruchi shrieked in disbelief.

"Leave him, Vivek!!" Samiksha propelled, pushing him away along Chhaya with much difficulty. Vivek wasn't a guy with a lot of muscles neither did he work out a lot but his bones were definitely a game for his indispensable strength.

"What did I say, huh?" Bhavesh argued in the same unpleasant tone, "She had right away treated you as if you were a doormat. She had discarded you without giving a flying fuck while you still pine upon-"

Vivek was having a hard time containing his rage and Bhavesh's retort worked like a fuel to his upbraiding. He broke free of Samiksha and Chhaya's hold on him and launched a nasty punch on his face catching each one of them completely off-guard and appalled.

Bhavesh survived the shocking hit but didn't back down, "She has screwed your head for real man! You can't look beyond her selfishness-"

That was the call for another round and no stopping because both of them answered the other in a violent language of their own, scaring the girls. They tried to separate and prevent them but failed miserably until Chhaya rushed and called for the fellow students to help.

She pulled Aryan who was surprised to witness the war ensuing in the barely spacious warzone. He somehow managed to separate them with the help of others and pushed them apart, leaving both of them to glare at each other in annoyance and disappointment.

"I didn't expect this from you Bhavesh!" Vivek barked, "You broke our fuckin' bro code!!" He left the cabin while fuming in anger.

"As if you gave me a night to flaunt, asshole!!" Bhavesh grouched.

Samiksha's eyes flew over at Aryan who stood there along with his friends looking on at the show put up by her otherwise poker brother. Then she noticed Ruchi who conveyed a felicitous smile towards Aryan out of sheer thankfulness. A muscle in Samiksha's jaw tickled when he passed her his smug smile which she undoubtedly despised just like his presence. In the entire compartment, Chhaya had to call this imbecile to their aid and what in the world was wrong with her best friend.

"What happened?" Geetika questioned who was quite abashed to see the best of friends fighting, "Why did they fight?"

"Why? Do you want a complimentary return for watching our show of downfall?" Samiksha prodded in aggravation.

"I was inquiring out of concern so don't behave like a loser-" Geetika countered.

"Then kindly don't show your concern and leave from here." Samiksha implied.

"Sammy you-"

"Leave her, Geetika!" Aryan imparted in self-satisfaction, "Sammy is slightly jealous of your concern over her loved ones. Don't pry over the matter." He said in a mocking predicament only Samiksha could pick up in the space, "We should leave from here to let her wind up her hooked emotions."

The others agreed and left the cabin while Aryan stayed rooted on the spot consoling Bhavesh who offered to let him provide him a hand to first-aid. Though he earnestly wanted to watch her but Ruchi had left the cabin to cater to Vivek's wounds, but anyway he opted to stay back. Her friends were a curiosity anyone rarely would like to miss. Samiksha and Chhaya were consoling Sarah who appeared too numb to speak a word.

"Fuck!" Bhavesh hissed when Aryan pressed a cotton soaked in alcohol on his jaw, "The bastard had targeted my handsome face!!"

"Yeah!" Aryan agreed pitifully, "You've got a quite handsome face there."

"I know!" Bhavesh grumbled accepting the compliment. "I'm going to shove my hand down his throat if Visa didn't ask me out on the trip."

"Who's Visa?" Aryan wondered out loud. "Why do you need a visa for a trip within India? Manali is a part of India, Bhavesh." He told.

Bhavesh shook his head, "I'm talking about my Visa." Aryan was a minute away to uproot the hairs off his scalp tolerating these bunch of hooligans befriended by Ruchi. "Visa is my girlfriend."

"Vishakha, Aryan, Vishakha Kumari." Chhaya cleared his confusion free of the chores as Sarah had gone to sleep after being forcefully fed by her and Samiksha, "Transfer student from Coimbatore. She's in the science department, Batch 3, Semester IV."

"The girl with silver braces?" Aryan lilted at the two who readily nodded. "Isn't she the dream of every conman?" Bhavesh postulated abstractedly, "I open and close my eyes hearing her charming voice in my dreams."

Aryan laughed out clutching his belly and simultaneously compressing an ice pack on Bhavesh's chest instead of the face causing him to yelp feeling cold.

"What are you doing?"

"You've been really dreaming about her, bro!!" He mewled, "Keep sleeping and waking up with her voice then because she had got a string of variables in the queue and you aren't her kind of equation."

"Don't talk math with me!" Bhavesh criticized. "I like to keep it simple."

Aryan pressed him a leveled smile trying hard to not burst out at the innocent guy's hopes, "Then hear it simple, bro. Vishakha, I mean your Visa already has a Chinese visa reserved for herself." He added, "Fai Zang from the French department is her boyfriend of two months." The wide smile on Bhavesh's lips dropped drastically, "Didn't she tell you about Fai in her dreams, Bhavesh?" He imitated.

"Who told you?"

"Your Visa and her Chinese visa, together, attend the lectures of my English department. Ask anyone, everyone knows about their romantic trip." Aryan informed.

Chhaya couldn't help but grin along with Aryan while Bhavesh sat beside them, grimly blaming his stupidity for jumping into conclusions before finding the history of the girl he admires.

"No wonder why the government says to not trust Chinese products." He grumbled, "I am going to die all alone."

"Aww!! You have us, Bhavo." Chhaya comforted him. "Mele pyaale chomu babu, hum tujhe akele marne nahi denge. You'll find us mourning near your deathbed."

["My lovely idiot sweetheart, we won't let you die alone."]

"Get lost!!" Bhavesh said and shoved her away. He scolded Aryan to do his bandage work probably than letting out the whimpers as if a dying crocodile when Samiksha cut their dialogue short. "What happened, Bhavesh? What nonsense did you bring up with that unintelligent mouth of yours that invited tears for Sarah and road rage for Vivek? What the fuck did you mean by her hurting him?"

Bhavesh realized the blunder he had caused in his agitation. Sarah and Vivek would now be definitely convicted by their friends. He can't let his daftness cause both of them more than already what it did. No doubt why his boyfriend had literally brought hell upon him with his untamed violence.

"Let the boy breathe!" Aryan said on his behalf as if understanding his plight, "He's already in so much pain."

Samiksha showed her his palm, "You were supposed to leave a while back. How come are you still here with us?"

Aryan bit on his tongue and said cheekily, "I stayed back to watch you all wrecked up. I hope you don't mind my lovely presence, short stuff."

Samiksha palmed her fists with an intention to lunge at him but just then Ruchi returned back with a desolate expression schooling her features along Vivek who solemnly settled near the window ignoring the human interactions on the way.

"Aryan Mallik, kindly leave us alone." Samiksha uttered with a tight-lipped smile, "Thanks for your hospitable service."

"What's the hurry, Sammy?" Chhaya intercepted.

"Do you want to accompany him outside, Chhaya?" Samiksha shut her up and made her words clear this time, "We need privacy without any outsider overhearing us. Right, Baby?"

"Yeah!" Ruchi mumbled, mindlessly.

Aryan wordlessly stood up, obliged by the wish when Chhaya suddenly remembered something.

"What if someone informs the tour instructor or worse the TTE about this fight-?"

"No one will. I'll take care of it." Aryan assured and marched out of the cabin, closing the glass door on his way out.

"I feel hungry!" Chhaya mumbled when it was close to night. The darkness had completely taken over the sky while they were still on the train waiting for it to reach its destination. "The snacks I bought were over a long time back."

"Me too." Bhavesh grumbled.

"The pantry is closed." Vivek deadpanned not leaving a room for further words.

"Wait for the station." Samiksha ordered the other two, arranging the seat to get a much needed sleep. The journey was more tiresome than exciting with the unplanned chaos happening.

"Don't worry!" Ruchi pointed out, "I have something in my bag. You all didn't check for the food in my luggage, I guess."

"Aaloo paratha!" Chhaya yelled like a madman smelling the aroma as soon as Ruchi unboxed the steel tiffin box. She had it especially prepared in the morning knowing about her friend's taste and love for her cooking.

[ Aaloo paratha - Soft wheat dough stuffed with the spicy filling of mashed potatoes with coriander, chillies and other spices and then rolled out into big round flat breads. It tastes best with a dollop of butter accompanied by yogurt or pickles.]

"Why don't you open a restaurant for this amazing platter?" Bhavesh appreciated filling his mouth with the stuffed bread, "Trust me bro, you will be earning thousand bucks for it in a single day."

Ruchi shook her head at his tempting suggestion, "It's just a hobby and the recipe belongs to BadiMa."

"But still they are wonderful."

She nodded her head and plated the pickle and paratha for Vivek who refused to say a word to Samiksha or anyone else. Samiksha was persistent in her approach to learn the reason for the brawl but had stopped for a while.

"Vivi-"

"I am not hungry." He said.

"Hunger satiates anger." She told him and begrudgingly made him eat some morsels, "Whatever it is, make sure you don't hurt her or yourself in the process. You don't wound the ones that you're rubbing hard to protect, Vivek." She uttered, causing him to look at her in surprise. He had realized the situation well and there was no going back now because he couldn't lie to her.

Just when her phone went off and Mamta's name flashed on the screen. She held the tiffin she was eating from and walked out of the cabin gesturing to Vivek to finish his plate, towards the gate of the train's compartment.

"I was just eating the food BadiMa... Yeah, we will reach Manali by early morning. Please remind Papa to have his medicines on time... Bhai dropped me carefully, BadiMa. We settled here with ease. Fine! Goodnight BadiMa. Take Care!" She finished the talk and ended the call.

Ruchi turned to go back while busily dumping a morsel of food in her mouth enjoying the melody composed by the soft winds as the compartment doors were left open by someone. She was to chew on her food when she precisely saved herself from bumping into Aryan who appeared out of the blue.

She saw him staring at her more than required for a crisp good seconds and then his meaningful gaze shifted to the tiffin box in her hand. Ruchi quirked her eyebrow so that he gets a clue that he was on her way and blocking her movement but he didn't take that well.

Instead Aryan took the rolled paratha from her hands and without wasting a single minute, he dumped it into his mouth while she stood there stupefied.

'What just happened?' She thought.

When Aryan looked back, he caught Ruchi glaring at him warily. She eyed the paratha which was murdered by her criminal, who was busily eating like a caveman, only to realize that she didn't have her food yet with all the mishaps on the way.

He mirrored her expressions, made a half of his paratha then dumped the remaining into her gaping mouth.

'Is he in the right state of mind?' She contemplated.

Aryan shrugged his shoulders at Ruchi leaning back on the door with his luscious mane scattering on his forehead due to the notorious air inventing a play of its own. She was intrigued to ask him the reason for his weird behavior and when he started to share food but couldn't when she witnessed the unburdened serenity enveloping his face.

She happily chewed on the delicacy, enjoying the gift of nature in the form of moving clouds, passing trees and fresh air that filtered the negativity out of her system and later when she returned to her cabin there was a satisfactory smile decorating her troubled soul.

Finally, the weary day had something worth remembering.

Lots of Love!

ANKITA