The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool.

~Stephen King

Devansh

"Anshu...get all the dogs, hens and ducks into the barn. It's getting dark out." My mom yelled through the kitchen as I was feeding the cows.

I dropped the bunch of hay I had in my hand and started to look around for all the pets. Shooing and chasing all the hens into the barn is the hardest part, if you leave them out they just jump out of the fence, go missing or die under some vehicles or end up as chicken biryani in someone's plate.

I caught all the hens and put them in their boxes while my dad got all ducks. Phew..that's the hardest part of the day.

I took a shower and went downstairs for dinner when I heard a quack sound following me.

"See, I told you. This little duckie loves Anshu so much that she just follows him around. That's his new girlfriend." My mom said laughing at me and I looked our newest duck which was born 4 weeks ago, the exact day I came back from college.

This little one never leaves me alone, my mom calls that little one my girlfriend and I call it Janu, because unlike my real girlfriend she never never leaves me alone.

My real girlfriend has been so busy that we didn't talk from the last month, she left for Dubai almost 3 weeks back, as she said with Karthik bhaiyya, their relationship always puts me in despair.

I trust her, but I feel that she is hiding something from me, Whenever I ask about her family or parents she dodges me off or changes the subject. She never showed me a picture of her parents either.

"Let's go! Eat." My mom tapped my shoulder bringing me out of my sad dilemma.

We started eating with my dad watching the news. Mr. Dhanraj won again for the third time last week, he does make the state better even I voted for him. Jagati would've been so happy with this news, how I wish I could see her smile.

Why does every single topic of my thoughts end with her?

I try to control my thoughts, I was never like this with Sahastra but with Jagati everything seems natural like I want to be with her, talk to her, listen to her happy laughs.

Maybe this is god getting back at me for not treating Sahastra right, I probably deserve this.

I needed a night out with out her in my mind, so I sneaked out to meet my friends. We met up at our usual spot, and chilled out for sometime.

"What's wrong with you today? You look really grumpy." Raj said settling beside me.

What do you want me to tell you? that I can't even seem to breathe after not talking to my girlfriend for 3 weeks.

"Did your girlfriend forget to kiss you good night?" Mani added making me roll my eyes at him.

"How could she? When she is in a complete different time zone having fun." Vignesh said and I looked at him in shock.

How does he know that? I didn't tell the guys about her being gone.

"We are instagram friends, look at her doing Sufi dance with random people. She is really fun, I am glad that she is your girlfriend now."

And that's how people of the world Jagruthi invaded the only place I thought could divert me away from her.

Most of all why and how is she Instagram friends with Vignesh and not me?

I should seriously get a life without her occupying my mind, at this rate I am gonna go crazy.

Thankfully Mani changed the topic, we drank some more and chilled out that night, and it has been a week.

And this time I started farming on my own, i started with rice as it's summer, and I am learning so many new things. I am now sitting by the fields watching my work.

Rice is a semi aquatic plant, it can survive floods that's the reason you see rice farms being flooded with water, and the benefits of that is weeds can't survive in that much water. So that's like 2 in 1 bonus but the problem is flooding the plants in a dry area like ours.

Let's see how this goes, I hope the water i gave them is sufficient and I didn't just waste all the land and effort for one summer.

My phone blared bringing me back to reality, and guess who it is

Janu, after 4 long weeks my phone showed her picture and caller Id which made me happy that my eyes blurred with tears.It was the picture of us when she was here, she looks so beautiful, I am really lucky to have her in my life.

"Where is your mom? I tried calling her she didn't pick it up. And what took you so long to pick up my call? " She yelled as soon as swiped right to take the call.

"Really! Are those the first words you ask me after a month?" I asked her containing all the happiness bubbling up in my heart and stomach just by listening to her voice.

"I am sorry, I was worried and all the bad thoughts clouded my mind." She replied in a calm and sorrow tone making me regret my words.

"It's okay Jagati, Why do want from my mom?" I asked her.

"Oh that! I am planning to cook dinner for my dad as he didn't lose his job, and I really loved the eggplant curry Aunty made. So I wanted Aunty to guide me through it as I cook for him." She said all that in one go and took a loud breath out.

She is cooking for her father, when will get the chance to live with her. My mom, dad, Jagati and me in the same house, and a daughter of ours making a mess keeping everyone wrapped around her.

"Devu are you there?" She yelled through the phone bringing me back into reality.

I wish that would turn into reality someday.

She has her own family too.

They have a room in our house in my imagination.

"You are crazy Janu! Who would celebrate that? And you talk to my mom more than my own cousins but you never let me talk to your parents." I whined at her rubbing my insecurities.

"Fine! Mama here talk to Devansh, I'll be back." She told and I heard the phone ruffle through hands.

What the heck did I just get myself into? I was 100% sure that she would change the topic like every other time, guess what I am screwed and have to be on my toes with her in my life.

"Janu! Won't you introduce us to each other?" Her mom asked her but I heard faint mumble of Jagati indicating she left the room.

"Hi, Devansh or should I call you Devu like my daughter does?" Her mom asked me laughing and I blushed like a 2 year old at her teasing me.

"You can call me anything you want Mam." I replied pinching myself stopping that goofy smile on my face.

"Don't call me Mam, Call me Aunty or Mom. I could be your Mother-in-law someday." Her mom said again and now I know where my girl gets her rants from.

"I did raise a rude daughter didn't I? She didn't even introduce us to each other." Aunty mumbled while I was digesting the fact the she told me that she would be my MIL someday.

"No Aunty, she is a bit childish but never rude. She is the sweetest person ever." I defended my girl unknowingly.

"First her father and now you too. I thought you would set her straight, but looks like I gotta be the bad cop in her life forever. Oh god, how do I keep up with this stupid girl and these 2 boys who always support her." Aunty started rambling while I laughed at her comments.

We kept talking about Jagati, and how she used to get into trouble with her grandma, her sneaky ways to get out of the mess she makes and how her father used to pamper her, all these stories of her made me feel sad that I missed out so much in her life. I wish we met earlier when we were babies, so I could've been part of all her stories instead of Karthik bhaiyya.

"MAMA, you are still talking to my Devu. Stop hogging my boyfriend and go to talk to yours." My Jagati came in and snatched the phone making Aunty shriek.

"My boyfriend is my husband, and you snatched him from me the second you were born. This is tit for tat, I am going to be doing the same, from today onwards I declare Devansh as my son." Aunty declared making Jagati gasp and me happy that she called me her son.

"You are never going to talk to him from now on, he is MINEEE." Jagati yelled possessively and I heard her stomping her feet.

"Hello Devu! Are you there?" She whispered catching her breath.

"I am. How can end the call without talking to you. How are you? How was Dubai? Did you have fun? When did you come back?" I showered her with all the questions that popped in my mind.

"I am great, we came back this morning. It was super fun, we should go together next time. Karthik was a really boring person to go on a vacation with, he wouldn't let me freely roam around like we did at your place. Also I told Karthik about us and he was like super cool about it." She blabbered but all my senses were really happy listening to her voice.

It was like someone applied a soothing cool gel on the burns which were there because of missing her.

"Are you even listening to me?" She yelled again grabbing my attention.

I love this girl, she is my everything! I love that she is so bossy when it comes to me. I freaking love this crazy girl who's a just a little baby at heart.

"Yeah! I am and I missed you." 

"Aww.. my bubby missed me. I missed you so much that I had dreams about you and me." She said and I could imagine pouting her cute little lips.

"You better miss me, and don't you dare ditch me like this again, I forgot how to spend a day without talking to you in my life, I felt miserable and helpless. I even named my duck Janu because of that. I am addicted to you my Jagati, Please don't ever do this to me." I pleaded her and the line went quite.

"Janu! Are you there?" I asked her after checking my phone if the call got canceled.

"I love you Devu! Don't leave me alone in the future, I can't live without you. I am doing so many stupid things in my life to keep you, when those things bite me back, please be by my side." She said with a terror and sincerity in her voice.

"I will never leave you Janu, whatever happens Dev will always be by his Jagati. But I am mad at you right now, you are instagram friends with Vignesh but not me." I promised myself and her, I know how hard it was staying away from her.

She giggled at my last words making me frown, I was pouring my heart out to her and she is giggling.

"You are so blind with Jealousy the you forgot you don't have an Instagram account Dev." She replied and I was shocked, why did I not think of that, god she is turning my brain into a puddle.

And we started talking, I updated her on my days without her and so did she as I walked to my home. As soon as I reached my mom took my phone away from me and started talking to my girl leaving me baffled.

I didn't tell my mom about me and Jagruthi but I have this suspicion that she and my dad know that I am completely in love with her.

And that's how my happy summer break started with me and my girlfriend talking to each other every single day. She cheered me up through my farming phase when I almost destroyed half of the crop by giving them too much water.

She showed all the technological advancements in farming which made my life easier. With her help I did successfully grow 20 bags of rice and now I am back at college excited to meet her after 3 days of reopening.

I couldn't meet her earlier because my princess didn't wanna come back to the hostel leaving her parents, she reached hostel an hour ago and I dropped my cricket practice to see the face which I've been dreading to see from the last 2 and half months.

Where are you? Dying to see your beautiful face, I am waiting by the building near the main entrance. ~Dev

I texted her and shoved the phone in my pocket when I heard some movement before me.

"Hi, can you tell us where the library is?" A girl from bunch of girls asked me as I was waiting.

When did they all come here? They all look like the new juniors, I should be helpful to them like Karthik bhaiyya was with us.

"Sure, it's been moved to the new block by the Mechanical wing on the 6th floor." I told them pointing towards the mechanical wing.

"Thank you so much, I am Laya." The girl who asked me forwarded her hand while the others kept giggling.

This is so weird and awkward, all these girls are watching my every movement like hawks.

"I am Devansh." I replied and joined her hand in mine when my phone buzzed.

I took the phone out and

What are you doing with those girls? And why are you holding HER HAND. ~ Jagati.

I jerked my hand out of Laya's hold as soon as I read the message and looked around only to find my Jagati looking at me with anger for the first time in my life, stomping her feet away from me.

"Excuse me guys! I need to go somewhere." I said to the girls and was about to move when Laya held my hand stopping me from moving.

"Devansh, I also need help with some other things." She said in a flirty tone, while I kept looking at Jagati who's walking towards the main exit with her eyes on me.

I know the my cute little girl gets really jealous and gets mad, not mad furious.

Don't get jealous, I was giving her directions to the library. Don't leave, wait for me. ~ Dev

"I am really sorry Laya, I have a girlfriend and I have to go meet her." I said to her moving away and looking at my phone for my love to message me back.

"No you don't, you and Sahastra di broke up last year." She argued and I looked at her in shock.

Okay! Now this is weird and creepy, how does she know about me?

A loud yell and gasps broke my thoughts and before I could ask this new girl, and I turned my head and found Jagruthi on the floor bleeding.

I immediately ran to Jagati looking at her in pain, as I reached there was another guy sitting beside her, inspecting her bleeding elbow and knees, touching her.

Who's this guy and why is he touching her?

"JAGATI, how could be so careless? You should've looked where you are going." I told her squatting down and the reply I got from her is a glare.

"I am so sorry, I didn't see you coming. Let me help you to the nurses office." The other guy said with guilt and fear all over his face.

"It's okay, I was looking into my phone and I am sorry, it's my mistake too." She replied and tried to get up on her own rejecting my help.

What's wrong with her? Is she mad because I was talking to the other girls? Before I knew she took the other guys hand and stood up on her feet leaving me in pain and anger.

"I am Jagruthi, thank you for helping me." She said to him with a smile ignoring my presence.

"Don't mention, call me Rey short for Reyansh." He said with a smile.

"Why are you acting like this?" I asked in frustration while this Rey dude glared at me with seething anger.

Dude! Buzz off she is my girlfriend, I wanted to yell at him but we don't want to make our relationship public yet so I glared back at him with double intensity.

And who is this dude? I never saw him in this college and why does this guy who seems my age look like a freaking model from Abercrombie catalog.

"Devansh, stop staring at him." Finally she spoke to me.

"He started it, why are you supporting him and not me. Let's go to the Nurse first, your elbow is bleeding." I replied ignoring Rey.

"Stop telling me what to do and I would rather go with him than you."  She said to me and turned away.

"Why are behaving like a child? Stop being a baby and let's go. And Reyansh thank you for the help, we don't need you anymore." I said and pulled her along with me.

"I hate you right now." She mumbled trying to wiggle herself out of my hold.

"Don't move, it's gonna hurt more. Please walk with me." I pleaded her as we were reaching the nurses office.

"The one I love yelled at me for falling down while the stranger who's phone I broke with my clumsiness was nice to me, I don't want you to yell at me when I get hurt, I wanted you to be my side and take care of me like Rey did. You are acting like my dad and Karthik, which I don't want in my life." She said while her eyes pooled with tears making me feel like someone punched in my gut.

I felt guilty looking at her, I was scared looking at her like that and I was more scared because I feared of losing her to this new handsome guy who was taking care of her, I let my insecurities get me and hurt her.

"I am..."

My phone blared before I could apologize for my behavior and it is Aarthav.

"Can I call you later? I am with Jagruthi." I said to him as I picked up the call.

"I am sorry man, the coach wants you here immediately." He said in a serious tone as I looked at Jagruthi looking at me with a pained face.

"It's okay, you should go. Cricket is important, I can get myself treated." She said to me which made me more guilty at my actions and walked away into the office and sat with the nurse.

"Devansh, come fast if you don't wanna lose the captaincy! Coach looks real mad." Aarthav yelled and cut the call.

Jagruthi signaled me to leave and I walked away with heavy steps as my heart didn't wanna leave her alone but my mind screamed that I need the captaincy and cricket for the scholarship to be in this college and stay with her.

As I walking to the cricket ground I found Reyansh walking through hallway.

"Hey Reyansh! Could you do me a favor? Can you stay with Jagruthi while she gets treated, I have to meet the coach and it's really important and I am really sorry for being rude to you earlier." I completed my monologue looking at him.

"No worries man! I get it, I will look after her." He said with a smile and walked away leaving me confused guessing if I did the correct thing or did I screw up my relationship with her.

So that was the chapter.

Their first silly fight, what do you think? And who's side are you on? Jagruthi or Devansh

Don't worry I'll kick off the romance in the next chapter.

Also do you like the new character, Reyansh?

What do you think about him? Is he gonna create a rift between them or is he gonna bring them together?

Expect some Manju and Aarthav banter in the next chapter because I miss them real bad.

Don't forget to Vote and Comment.

Love,
Sneha