Suppressing all these anxious thoughts I smiled at her and thanked her. 

She led us to a tastefully furnished living room and sat us down. 

"What would you like to have? Tea, coffee, juice?" 

"Oh nothing," I shook my head. 

"Please Meera you don't need to be uncomfortable here," she assured me, "Yug, there's that iced coffee you like so much in the fridge. Help yourself and get one for your friend here too." 

Yug strolled in and came back out. He handed me a can of iced coffee that had Japanese text all over it. I had never seen it in my life but took it and thanked them. 

Yug seemed to be right at home here which should not have surprised me. He must have spent a lot of time in this house over the years.

I noticed a very cute photo of Angad and his mother on the wall behind her. He was smiling at the camera with the same lopsided grin I had come to recognize as his happiest expression. His mother stared at him fondly. I kept snatching glances at it. 

Kirti aunty asked me basic polite questions as we sipped on the coffee. What year I was in, what school I was from, etc.

"So, what happened on the trip? The last thing I hear is you guys are having fun on the beach and then Angad left?" she asked once the pleasantries were done with. 

I noticed the slight strain in her voice when she took her son's name. 

I swallowed nervously and looked at Yug expecting him to take the lead on the story. He gulped down the last of his coffee.

"Aunty nothing happened! Angad is being an idiot. He fought with Sid and then took off without informing any of us."

"Yug, I know he can be impulsive at times but this leaving for London business is new. Fights with Siddharth aren't new. And he always lets me know his whereabouts. He knows how worried I get. Something else must have happened." 

It was taking all my self-control to stay still and not bounce my leg up and down or bite my nails. I didn't know where to look. Yug caught my eye and hurried to steer the conversation away.

"Aunty, have you talked to him?" he asked.

"Only briefly. He said he would call back but he didn't," she said. 

"Can I have that number? Let me try?" Yug said.

Kirti aunty passed her phone to Yug with the number on display. Yug noted it down and dialled. 

"Damn it, I forgot you don't get a signal here," he grumbled and then walked towards the balcony. 

I debated whether I should stay here or follow him out when Kirti aunty suddenly addressed me. 

"Meera, I have heard a lot about you, you know?" 

"Nothing too bad I hope?" I chuckled nervously. 

Why had I wanted to come here again? 

"Angad hasn't stopped talking about you since he first heard you sing at the Fresher's party." she smiled at me. 

A sudden pang had me grimacing slightly. I couldn't help mentally flashing through the way things had gone since that day. It seemed so long ago. I am sure my face must have betrayed my feelings because Kirti aunty leaned toward me.

"I don't know what happened between you two but my son can be a little... sensitive about his romantic prospects. He is also impulsive and stubborn which is never a good combination." 

My head whipped in her direction and I stared at her with wide, panic-stricken eyes. She gave me a comforting look. 

"I also don't know how much you have heard about us but my divorce from his father left him somewhat wary of relationships. I hoped he would grow out of it but I guess he didn't. I wish someday he will be able to view all of this more maturely. All I can hope for is that you understand where he is coming from."

I sat staring at her mutely after her speech till Yug came back in. 

"No one answered," he said, "What were you talking about?" 

"Oh I was just telling Meera about myself a little," she said lightly. 

We didn't stay long after that. Kirti aunty hugged me too as she bid us goodbye. I felt calmer somehow after this visit. 

Yug offered to drop me home but I declined and had him drop me off at the nearest metro station. I needed to be alone with my thoughts for a bit to process everything Kirti aunty had said to me. 

I don't know what I had been expecting when I said I wanted to accompany Yug to her house but this had definitely not been it. 

I was ready for hostility, obliviousness, and blame games but not a conversation about Angad's emotional maturity and their divorce. 

She was perceptive. She obviously knew there was something more than friendship between her son and me. My coming to her house had all but confirmed that Angad's sudden trip had something to do with what had happened between us. 

No matter how things turned out with Angad I would always be grateful for the comforting words his mother had extended to me. 

***

Another couple of days passed in the whirlwind of preparing for the Department event. I had resigned as cultural secretary but I was helping Smriti and Nirav to the best of my abilities. 

I had been asked to dress up in a saree and sing an inauguration song for the event. 

I was in class sitting next to Smriti finalizing the layout of the mark sheet that would be given to the judges for all the competitions when the Principal's assistant walked into the class. 

"Meera Sehgal?" he asked the class. 

I furrowed my brows and stood up.

"I am Meera," I said. 

"Come to the Principal's office." 

What was this about? The class started whispering excitedly and every single eye bore down on me as I walked out of the classroom. 

He directed me to knock and just walk into her office. I nodded and entered the waiting area and found Vahni of all people sitting there to my utter surprise. 

Before I could say a word she gestured for me to go in urgently. I knocked on the door and a voice beckoned me in.

"Meera Sehgal," I said, "I was asked to see you?" 

"Yes, Meera please have a seat." 

I sat down in front of her trying to think of a reason for this summon. 

"I am sure you know this is about what happened a few months ago concerning the social media account. A student has come forward with information on the perpetrators and we have managed to gather enough evidence to charge them."

I nodded slowly processing the string of information. 

"Can I ask for the details or is that confidential?" I asked after a minute. 

"No, you can ask if you have any questions. You will need to sign on the report that will be compiled by the ICC and Cyber Crimes department. You will find all the details there."

"Who did it?" I asked somewhat impatiently.

This was the question that had plagued me since I first saw the posts. What person would have such a venomous spirit?

"It was," she paused and adjusted her reading glasses to peer at her laptop screen, "Aishwarya Garg, Sanchita Rai and Bhumi Singh. They will be expelled, needless to say."

Only one of those names was familiar to me. Aishwarya Garg. If it even was the same Aishwarya from Vahni's fashion society. I flashed back to the only time we had been forced to interact at the unofficial fresher's party. She had been equally unpleasant back then. She had called me Red Wagon's pet if I remembered correctly. 

Was that why Vahni was sitting outside? Or was it because...

"Who came forward with the information?" I asked urgently.

"It was Ms Vahni Bhasin," she said reading out her name. 

"Oh," I said sinking back in the chair. 

"That is about it, Ms Sehgal. We will let you know once we are done with the formalities. You will be called in once more so make sure you are available to take that call."

I thanked her and exited her office. 

Vahni still sitting outside. I stopped in my tracks when I saw her. Gratitude flooded my heart as I smiled at her. To my relief, she smiled back at me. 

"Do you want to get something to eat?" I asked, "My treat."

***

We were in the garden behind our canteen with a plate of chilli potatoes between us. 

"Thank you," I said, "For coming forward. I know it must not have been easy, especially after what happened..." I trailed off. 

"Of course, I had to," she said chewing on the subpar snack.

"Vahni I am so sorry. I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I know I kept denying my feelings for Angad but that's just it! I hadn't even been honest with myself. It was only in Goa I realized how stupid I had been. I have liked him for a long time now."

Vahni shook her head smiling.

"What?" I asked. 

"Don't apologize. I was kidding myself when I thought I had a chance with Angad." 

"No Vahni. Do not say that," I protested.

"No, I am being very honest. The whole college knows that you two are in love with each other."

I gaped at her. The whole college? 

"Don't be surprised Meera. With the amount of time you spend together, it was pretty clear. And I have seen the way you two look at each other. It just makes sense. You two are perfect together," she laughed. 

"But how..." I trailed off.

"Why do you think none of the other boys have approached you throughout the entire college year?"  she asked, "Because they knew they had no chance competing with Angad who was so obviously smitten by you."

"That's not true," I said.

"Meera I have had four different boys propose to me or ask me out. Smriti already has a boyfriend. How many boys have asked you out?" 

I thought back to the few seniors who had been nice to me during the first month but then hadn't bothered me after that. 

My silence seemed confirmation enough because Vahni gave me a triumphant look,

"See? None. So let's never talk about that. I just hope Angad comes back now. He hasn't, has he?"

"He is in London," I said miserably. 

Then I gave her a brief account of what she had missed. 

"Now I feel like an asshole," Vahni said, "I feel like I am the reason for this whole mess. If you hadn't run after me this wouldn't be happening." 

"These 'what ifs' are a dangerous path to go down on. Let's not think about that for now. You tell me how you found out about the whole Instagram thing."

Vahni's expression suddenly changed into a thunderous one.

"Those girls are monsters. I realized very belatedly. I was ranting to them about how unfair it all was and they thought they could let me in on their secret. They thought I was one of them now. Pining after Angad and bullying anyone who got close to him."

Vahni let go of her fork angrily and it clattered on the plate. 

"It made me realize how entitled and bitchy I was being. Angad clearly liked you and all of this in the name of revenge just sickens me. So I pretended to sympathize with them and got screenshots. They had it coming."

We talked for a while after that until Smriti came in and joined us too. 

Vahni was quick to apologize to Smriti and she forgave her even quicker. It was a tearful reunion. 

The three of us were finally past our differences and it made me feel infinitely better. Now there was only the matter of my love life that needed sorting. 

A/N

I am on a roll here. 

Four chapters in two days?