My thoughts were jumbled as I did my eye make up, trying to get control over them and failing miserably each time. There was this constant scowl on my face even when I changed into a black sleeveless top. It clung to my body and had a deep back with bow in the middle, covering up a bit of my skin.

I wore black skinny jeans with it and stepped into my wedges. Even though I was wearing total black today, I looked slightly good since black was my color and I wasn't in the mood to change into a dress. I wanted to wear jeans, so that's what I went for.

Samarth had texted me the venue and was expecting me to be there by six, and it was already five thirty. I had to hurry up because I didn't want my friends to wait for me.

"We need to talk." Vaibhav blocked my way as soon as I stepped in the living room.

I almost yelped at his sudden presence as I took in his features. It looked like he was in some serious mood and mentally, I weighed my chances as to whether I would be able to make it on time or would've to just cancel the whole plan.

"What do you want to talk about?" I tried to give him a boring look which made him narrow his eyes at me.

He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "What has been going on between Rayhan and you?" He questioned and my eyes went wide at the mention of Rayhan's name.

"Wh- what do you mean?" I stuttered a little.

He gave me a look before continuing, "Just so you know when you both were fighting, I was in my room. I could hear him clearly, well, thanks to the yelling and all." He rolled his dramatically and I shot him a glare.

"You were eavesdropping, weren't you?" I wanted to smack that expression off his face.

"Maybe." He shrugged as he tapped my nose playfully, "But, that's not the point. I kind of came to a conclusion that you're giving that guy a hard time?" He raised an eyebrow suspiciously, wanting to confirm his doubts.

"No one's giving anyone a hard time. I just have trust issues, that's all." I whined like a baby, trying to feel a bit better about myself.

"Okay! Tell me this, why cannot you trust him enough to confess your feelings to him?" He crossed his arms across his chest, with a smug look on his face as if he was determined to prove a point.

"He already knows I like him." I huffed.

"And is that all? You like him because he's good looking and that's all?" He tilted his face a little to left as he eyed me and I sighed.

"Yes Bhai (bro), that's all. Now can I please go, I have to be somewhere." I tried to pass him but he gripped me from my shoulders.

He towered over me as he looked straight into my brown eyes that resembled his, "I thought my sister was naive, but guess what? She's just plain out stupid. God, Tanvi, last time you liked a guy everyone warned you against him and his playboy moves yet you went and dated him only to end up with a fucking broken heart. And this time, when everyone is telling you to let go of whatever is holding you back, you're being fucking stubborn and not letting happiness get to you. What in the world is wrong with you Tannu? Go get yourself checked because you do not seem in your senses or normal to me at all." He snapped, his each word stinging more than before and I knew he was exasperated with me, he never used abusive words in front of me and now that he was doing it, I knew I was messing up a big time.

"Are you done?" I asked him, trying to keep my cool front balanced.

"You know what? I would tell everyone to just stop bothering with you at all, you can go and be selfish." He spat before giving me one murderous glare and going back to his room.

I looked down at the floor as I bit my lower lip to hold back my tears. This wasn't just about Rayhan but also Vaibhav fighting with me. In the last year, we had grown so much close to each other but him calling me selfish out of all people, stung way too much. But then came the thoughts of Rayhan. I liked him, fell fuck who was I kidding? I was developing much more feelings for him than I liked to admit but I was scared to even confess things to myself.

My phone buzzed in my clutch, breaking me out from my thoughts and it was a message from Shanaya asking about my whereabouts. I quickly typed back a reply, informing her that I was going to hang out with my new friends and she just sent back an 'okay, enjoy.' with a smiley face.

After shaking off my troubling thoughts, I made my way towards the car before starting on to my thirty minutes drive. The music was on the whole way, helping me keep my thoughts at the back of my mind.

When I reached the club, or it was more of a pub because I could see a lot of teenagers than adults at the place, I pulled up in the parking lot. After locking my car behind, I tried to look for a familiar face but when I couldn't see any, I dialled Samarth's number.

"Hey, where are you?" I said as soon as he picked up.

There was seconds of silence before I heard him speak, "Are you there already?"

I scowled at his tone, "Yes, why?"

"I am sorry Tanvi, we had to cancel at the end moment and I was about to tell you that but I got busy and it slipped from my mind."

I felt anger rushing into me as I heard him speak, was he literally going to make me look like a fool here? What the actual fuck? But then again, he said he was busy so I couldn't blame him.

"It's okay, I'll just drive back. See you tomorrow." I sighed before hanging up.

This was probably one of the worst days of my life. I looked at the teenagers around me, much like myself the only difference being they were enjoying with their friends and I mentally debated whether I should go on alone but then gave up on the idea as soon as it came.

As I turned around to unlock my car, I bumped into someone. I looked up to see who it was, and I was taken aback as I blinked a few times.

He had a playful smirk on his face. "You seriously didn't think we were going to ditch you like that, did you?" Samarth asked.

"You're an ass." I pushed him away a bit and he chuckled.

"Awww, c'mon let's go have fun. I'll find you a hot guy to date today." He winked and I wanted to slap myself.

I didn't want to date, that was the entire problem and oh how I wish I could tell that to Samarth.

"Okay, and I'll find you a sexy girl to date." I grinned at him, pushing off my bad mood.

"Deal." He beamed at me before putting his arm across my shoulder and dragging me to inside the club.

Ayesha and Krishiv were already inside, and as soon as I stepped in there, I was hit with the smell of alcohol and smoke mixed. I would've cringed if it had been an year ago, but now I was used to this.

"Let's start the hunt." Samarth shouted in my ear above the loud music and I nodded, feeling the buzz inside me as I knew it was going to be a long night already but also the fun one.

"But before that, let's get drunk." I winked at him before pulling him to the bar.

He chuckled before ordering four tequila shots and as soon as they came, on the count of three, both of us gulped down two shots together.

The bitter taste of it burned my tongue as it slid down my throat but I ignored it. Ayesha and Krishiv were busy groping against each other on the dance floor but I didn't mind, I could always meet them after they were done. Right now, they needed to have their moment.

"What do you think of that guy?" Samarth pointed out towards a guy sitting around one of the usual round table with his group of friends. He looked okay-ish, but not my type.

"Naah, and idiot, don't point out." I swatted away his hand and he grinned at me before nodding.

I swirled around on the bar stool and a girl caught my eye. She was tall and looked pretty, and I guess that was enough.

"Samarth." I called him out and he looked at me with a confused look.

"Yeah?"

"The girl behind me on the bar." I said and he immediately looked behind me.

He made a disgusted face as he eyed her, "Dude, have you gone blind? Your choice sucks, you already lost the opportunity to find the girl I can marry."

I chuckled at his horrified expression as he shook his head at me.

"She was at least better than the red shirt you pointed out."

"No, she wasn't."

As I bickered around with Samarth and we kept on suggesting each other worst choices, I realized how wrong Rayhan was about him. Just because a guy wants to hang out with you, doesn't means he always has a hidden intention. Maybe, he simply wants to have fun with a friend and this was proved to me by Samarth as I spent the fun time checking out boys for myself and girls for him.

"Hey, check out the girl by the door who just entered." Samarth elbowed me as he took a sip from his beer and I immediately looked at the entrance.

Although the lights were really dim here, as soon as I looked at her way, I found myself frozen in the place. She stood tall in a white dress that barely reached her thighs, her black stilettoes were shining under the club lights and her hair were falling loose below her shoulder.

She was grinning from ear to ear and damn, didn't she look pretty but that's what not surprised me. There was a hand gripping her waist and there he stood, looking absolutely breathtaking in his plain black tshirt along with skinny black jeans and his trademark sneakers. Rayhan.

What the hell was he doing with this girl and most of all, who was she?

My eyes roamed around his face and he looked absolutely calm, he was smiling down at the girl like a love sick puppy and I literally wanted to puke at the sight.

"Hey, are you okay?" Samarth asked me and I averted my eyes away from Rayhan to Samarth.

"Yes, you like her?" I tried to keep my voice balanced and he smirked.

"Of course I do, she's fucking hot. But there's a guy beside her and he looks okay for your taste. How about you distract him for me?" He winked, suggestively and I found myself speechless.

I shook my thoughts as I got back into my senses, "You want to hit on her, go do it. I am not going to deal with the guy." I said before turning around towards the bar and ordering a beer for myself.

When I decided to hang out, I promised myself to consume only limited amount of alcohol but as I sat here, witnessing Rayhan with another girl, I threw that thought out of the window.

What was he even thinking, going out with another girl? Did not even once my thought cross his mind and then he claimed to have 'feelings' for me. This was stooping too low, even for Rayhan.

But aren't you doing the same thing?

My subconscious mind these days was getting as annoying as Rayhan when it kept bugging me like this. No, I wasn't doing the same thing. I was hanging out with Samarth, who was a friend to me.

How do you know that the girl isn't just his friend?

Well, my thoughts were pretty jumbled but it made sense. I didn't know who the girl was and I was straight out jumping to conclusions. He must be hanging out with a friend, right? Right.

But then, why the hell was there this burning feeling inside of me as I saw him look at her like that? Ugh, fuck you Rayhan Roy!

I really needed to find out who this girl was.

"Hey hey, calm down here. You finished two beer bottles in last 15 minutes." Samarth said snatching away my third bottle and I just grumbled.

I wasn't drunk yet, totally in my senses. If my mind wasn't working the way it was, I surely would've been drunk by now but no, one look towards Rayhan and I felt as sober as I was when we came here.

The good thing was, Rayhan and Miss Hottie had taken a seat at the table away from us. He couldn't spot me, but I could clearly see him.

Just then a thought crossed my mind. Zara. I grinned to myself before pulling out my phone from my clutch. Zara must know who she was and what she was doing with my boyf-

Did I just call Rayhan my boyfriend? Okay, maybe I wasn't really that sober.

"Hey Tanvi." Zara's chirpy voice greeted me through the phone.

"Hey Zara, I need a favour from you."

"What is it? Are you okay?" She asked and I nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see me.

"Yes, I'm okay. It's about Rayhan, do you know where he is?" I questioned, hoping to get something.

"No, why? Is he okay?"

I bit my lip before starting to tell her everything, "Actually, we got in a fight and right now I came clubbing with my friends and he showed up with some girl. I sound insane but I really want to know who she is and I'm guessing since Rayhan and you are best friends, you must be knowing her."

"Oh, can you send me her picture?"

I thought about it for a minute before frowning, "It's really dark in here, I don't think you'll be able to make out her face in a picture."

"Okay, well hold on, I'll just call him up to ask where he is and with whom. I'll put you on conference but put your phone on mute first, there's too much noise coming." She said and I grinned to myself.

This is why I loved her, she was always willing to help and well, because Nishant has been really happy ever since they started dating.

"Okay, I'm gonna go on mute now." I informed her and she put me on hold before dialing his number.

My eyes were glued on Rayhan. I saw as he pulled out his phone from his pocket and got up after saying something in the girl's ear. He made his way to the hallway I assumed led to the washroom which were definitely less noisy.

Exactly then, Zara merged our calls.

"Hey, Ray." I heard her speak.

"Hi Best Friend, how come you miss me today? Boyfriend problems?" Rayhan spoke and I felt my heartbeat picking up at the sound on his voice.

"Nope. I just missed you and wanted to see if you were free for a casual dinner."

There was something I learned in that moment, Zara was a really smooth liar.

"I'm really sorry but I came out with a friend. I'll meet you in school tomorrow and then we can go for lunch?" He offered.

"Friend? That's vague. You always tell me the name of the person you're hanging out with, who is this special person? Is it Tanvi?"

Damn you, Zara!

I felt myself panicking at the mention of my name but I calmed myself down to hear his response.

"No, it's not her Zara. Don't mention her name in front of me again, ever. I'm done with her for now." I heard him speak and that's when I felt tears pricking at the corner of my eyes.

Had I really hurt him so much that he didn't even want to hear my name? The bitter tone Rayhan used made me realize just how much affect he had on me now, just how much power he held in his hands to hurt me.

The power that I didn't want anyone to have, ever. Because I was so afraid of being vulnerable like before, because I was so afraid of falling in love, again.

But as I sat there with a beer bottle in my hand, music buzzing loudly around me, all I could think of was one thing, that one thing that left me in shock and mattered so much.

I was falling in love with Rayhan Roy.

"Rayhan, what happened? Are you okay?" Zara asked and cut me off from my thoughts.

I knew for now, she was being a concerned friend, forgetting about a girl asking for a favour from her.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's Palak." He said, his tone had an edge to it that I didn't quite catch.

I heard Zara gasp which made me frown, "Are you fucking kidding me, Rayhan Roy? Out of all girls, when you want to get over Tanvi, you choose Palak?" She sounded shocked and taken aback so much that now my anxiousness got the best of me.

Who was Palak and what the hell was Rayhan doing with her?

"Calm your tits, I'm just enjoying, okay?" Rayhan tried to keep his tone cool but I could tell he was mad about being judged by his best friend.

"You're enjoying? Go give that shit to someone else Rayhan, we both know what happens when Palak hangs out with a guy, so go give that crap to someone else. I thought that was the reason you broke up with her, and now when Tanvi and you are having problems, you went running back to Palak, that slut, out of all people?" Zara's temper was getting the best of her as she accused Rayhan.

Palak was his ex girlfriend?

Wow! Rayhan Roy had never failed to surprise me when it came to either of us and he made sure to maintain that reputation. He was hanging out with ex because we fought? Great.

"Tanvi? You can speak now, I hung up on that asshole." Zara said, exasperated

Clearly, she was mad as well.

"Who's Palak?" I dared to ask.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." She sighed.

"Tell me." I demanded

"Fine, they used to date. I guess she was the only girl who stuck by his side for the longest. Four months, I guess. But then, Palak is a needy girlfriend and her needs know no limits. She wants to spend boys' money, get the luxury gifts, have heated make out sessions in locked classroom and what not. Rayhan broke up with her because she was intending towards getting laid and he wasn't so much into her. When Ray broke up with her, it didn't stop her from getting her needs fulfilled by other guys though. So, she's the girl every guy wants and can have anytime they want, if they're willing to pay back to her." Zara explained and took a deep breath.

"Oh. So, what do you think Ray is doing right now by being with her?" I can't help but ask.

"Trying to distract himself from you. Please, go sort out whatever issues you guys have and just keep him away from Palak." She plead, and I gave out a nervous laugh.

"I'll try, thank you so much Zara. I owe you for this."

"Oh, don't mention it. Take care."

With that she hung up on the phone and I sighed before finishing the rest of my beer in one go.

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but I can't help but ask, boy problem?" Samarth asked, making me jump with slight surprise. I was so much into Rayhan's thoughts that I forgot about his presence.

"Yeah, sort of."

"He's the one, isn't he?" Samarth tried pointing out but I gave him a glare and he chuckled, "I ain't that stupid, I was trying to tease you. Anyway, what's the problem?"

Did I trust Samarth enough to share everything with him? Well, I could risk it. What was he going to do anyway? He didn't know Rayhan.

"We like each other but I have trust issues because of some crazy past shit, so I don't really commit to him. He doesn't mind but today we got into a whole new level of argument and I don't know why now he's hanging out with his crazy ex girlfriend." I explained to him in short and he nodded.

"Need to make him jealous?" He asked and I thought about it for a minute.

Wasn't insecurity the only thing that landed Rayhan and I here? But, maybe it was the thing that might lead us somewhere.

As if on the cue, two arms grabbed me in a warm hug, cutting me off from my thoughts.

"Hi Baby, so glad you came." Ayesha shrieked in my ears and Krishiv laughed before mouthing 'she's mental' to me.

"I was adoring the grinding against the each other while both of you were busy ignoring me." I teased both of them and Ayesha turned red at my comment.

"Your mouth knows no limit, does it?" Krishiv chuckled and I shook my head.

"Nope, I guess you learned that much in one week."

"We did." Samarth laughed.

"Okay, so, who's up for getting drunk?" Ayesha clapped her hands and I stood up from the bar stool to let her sit, I was sick of sitting anyway.

"Everyone is, I guess." Krishiv looked at me for approval and I nodded.

"Okay, so let's get drunk and skip the college tomorrow." Samarth smirked and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I might not agree on the last part, though."

After that, none of us said anything as we drowned ourselves in alcohol. Three tequila shots in a row and after that I don't know how much vodka. With the amount of alcohol in my system and the jumbled thoughts in my mind, I dared to look at Rayhan.

He hadn't noticed me yet and for that, I was thankful.

"If you look at his way one more time, I'll start to believe that you're some creepy lover." Samarth commented and I laughed.

"Lover? Nope. Someone slightly jealous? Maybe yes." I said, honestly.

"When you like him so much, what's the problem? He's good looking and all."

"I have trust issues, also he's younger than us but really, I don't give a shit about that. I feel like I should go up to him and just kiss him and say, let's be together but then I'm the only person holding myself back. Something's wrong with me." I rubbed my temples and by now, Krishiv and Ayesha were hearing me out as well.

"I thought I could fix you both up, but you already have hots for someone else." Krishiv patted Samarth's back and I was sure both of us mirrored each other's expression.

At first, we were horrified with what he had said, and then we both made a really disgusting face.

"Man, go find me a barbie doll. This girl here is like my buddy, okay? Don't even get those shitty thoughts in your mind." Samarth punched him playfully, which made four of us laugh.

"Same to same, dude." I said and Samarth fist bumped me.

"Geeez, looks like my place is now threatened." Krishiv tried to joke and I grinned.

"It might be, you never know." I winked at him.

"Tanvi, he's looking at you, like straight at you. Don't turn around, okay?" Samarth warned and as if on instinct, I did just that.

I turned around just a little and my eyes met his. Rayhan's hand which was earlier around Palak's shoulder immediately dropped when he saw me. His jaw was hung open as we kept looking at each other but then his gaze went to Samarth who was standing beside me and his hand was around my shoulder.

He was full on glaring him which made Samarth speak up, "Looks like I might have to impress your future boyfriend." Samarth said and I smiled despite the situation.

"C'mon guys, let's go dance." Ayesha grabbed Krishiv and Samarth's hand who gave me 'we don't have a choice' look and followed after her.

I knew she did that purposely, in the short week Ayesha and I had grown close and for a fact she knew I couldn't dance and absolutely despised it. She left me alone so that Rayhan and I could talk.

Yeah, some great friends I have there. Thanks guys!

I think I almost imagined it when Rayhan left Palak's side and stood up to make his way towards me but two seconds later I snapped into my senses.

The bar stool in front of me was empty still so I took a seat and ordered another tequila shot for myself.

Before I could even grab it, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I cursed under my breath, "Fuck!"

I swirled around the bar stool only to meet his dark gaze as he looked down into my eyes, standing tall as he hovered over me. He placed his hands on my thighs, his palms were flattened on the sides and I felt my breath caught in my throat at the impact of his touch.

"Hey." He spoke, his almost black orbs shining under the club lights.

X.x

Vote and comment