Vidushi twisted her lips at Randhir and pulled me up from my seat. I noticed Aryan smirking at my way, interpreting that he had totally enjoyed the scene Randhir created by screaming at me. Others bothered not to look up at me and I was indeed thankful for that. We walked till her seat, with her grasp- practically dragging me. She gestured Parth to move back to my former seat, to which Parth agreed. I couldn't help from turning back towards Randhir again and again after that. He wasn't wearing that pissed off expression then. He looked just as puzzled as me. Vidushi sat by my side and caressed my forearm.

"What was that?" I asked, awkwardly.

"You know, just some best friend comebacks I have treasured to use in the useful situations.." She winked back at me whereas I gazed at her amusingly.

"Huh.. At least now we can have some best friend heart to heart talks.." She grinned and I wondered where was all these 'bestie thingies' all those time, I felt like a stupid loner.

"I know I am a horrible person to be called as your best friend but lately I had to stay occupied, if you know what I mean.." She added and I immediately felt bad for thinking like that. Hell, she was an amazing support to me during my hard times!

"It's okay Vidushi.. You're the only friend who has sticked to me from the start till now.." I half smiled at her, returning her sweet gesture by patting her palm.

"So what's going on between you and Parth? Everything seems good.." I tried to lighten up the air and spoke with utter enthusiasm. She beamed at me and started filling me up with her date talks.

So basically they noticed each other at Randhir's party (of course that had to be the only scene changing fiasco! Mental eyerolls followed). I still hadn't shared that bit of occurence which had happened between me and Randhir that night— which had probably changed our equation(I doubted it then) — with her as I knew she would go beserks if I did. Then Parth and her started seeing each other often outside of school and that triggered the resultant two months relationship between them. I would've lied if I said I didn't feel jealous of how she described her dating life. It would have felt good if I too had someone beside me, holding my hand, taking me out on romantic candle lit dates and looking at me just like the way Parth looked at Vidushi. I was happy for my best friend but I was still a tad bit unhappy over myself for being such a wimp in dating matters.

"But enough about us.. Tell me about you.. Ignoring the fact that he had practically screamed his lungs out at you few moments ago, I still feel like Randhir cares about you Sany.." She had a genuine smile at her face when she said that. Did he care for me that way I did? I thought about it a bit before smiling to myself. Sure he did. His gestures might had been a little weird but he did care about me and it was all that mattered to me.

"Yeah he does.." I returned a smile at her.

"So, did he propose to you?" Her enthusiastic question made me look at her blankly for few seconds.

Eh?

"Uh ahem... He's smart, sweet at times, and funny with the situations too.." I cringed while describing him that way.

"But I don't want us to be together in that way Vidu.." Liar liar pants on fire!  My inner self yelled at me for even saying that. I didn't want him or it was he who kept on giving me those mixed signals which had turned my feelings into a knot? By the look on Vidushi's face, I clearly interpreted that she didn't buy a single word of mine. I sighed knowing that I had just quoted some clique line.

"Yeah okay and I totally understood that you're head over heels in loooovvveeeee with the pretty boy.." She extended the 'love' part in a sing song way and I groaned into my palms.

"No and shut up!" I glared at her as she wriggled her threaded eyebrows suggestively.

"Sany.. First of all, I know he used to be your so called enemy or whatever and I still have no idea what made you guys solve your issues and behave all goody-goody around each other—probably the championship, hmm.." She paused in her sentence while tapping her chin, like she was wondering something deep. I opened my mouth to reason out but then intantly shut up thinking about the thing I was seconds away from confessing to her.

Should I tell her about that accidental kiss we shared at the party night?  My mind asked.

Of course I should! She was the only reason behind it—well practically not 'behind' it—but she was the person behind the reason which landed me in Shekhawat mansion that night in the first place, so basically she needed to know what her stupid drunk self had caused!  I reasoned out while speaking to myself.

Yeah I might have had zoned out for a while because the next thing I felt was Vidushi shaking me violently.

"Did you even hear what I said?" She rolled her eyes at me when I put my attention back on her. I nodded my head negatively.

"Oh god Sany!" She groaned.

"Your zoning out sessions have increased a notch higher than before, I see...I said that a knife can cut through the sexual tension between you guys when you're in the same room.." Uh-oh. And she was being smug again and had her lips curled up in a devilish smirk.

Uh-oh. Red alert! Think of some serious sarcastic comeback Sanyukta!

"Yeah and cows have horns.." I said while rolling my eyes and immediately kicked myself in mind for that horrible and illogical comeback. Did I drop my mind behind in the school or something?

Vidushi looked like she was gonna burst into hysteria after my poor sarcastic comment.

"There's.. There's nothing like that between us Vidushi.." I stammered while fiddling with my earphones. I felt her shaking with silent laughter beside me after that.

"Oh come on now Sany. I know there's something fishy.." She pulled out my earphones from my grasp and eyed me sharply after she regained her composure.

"What? What do even think will happen between me and him.. I mean did you see us? We can't even stand each other.." There I booked myself a permanent ticket for hell by lying to my suddenly interested best friend. Well a part of it was true. We still fight. A lot. Example was the fiasco a while before. Though I didn't retort to that and one can't practically tag it as a mutual fight er.. Well I seriously had to stop my inner self from blabbering that much!

"Oh my god!" She jumped up suddenly, scaring the others who were dozing off in their seats. I smiled apologetically at them and hauled her down on her seat.

"Are you guys, like.. Erm.. doing it? Like friends with benefits? Oh poor Sany, did he entice you on doing it? I knew there must have been something wrong going on and you being so inncocent about these matters.. Oh shit.. Though you can't deny the fact that he's hot and charming and everything but still.." I instantly clamped my  palm on her mouth and she widened her eyes at me.

What.in.heaven's.name.was.she.even.blabbering?

"NO!" I cried out instantly and jabbed my fingers into my mane. I was a zilch away from ripping out my hairs and that was only when I realised that I had to tell her everything. That was the only way to avoid any furthur inappropriate assumptions of hers about us.

The next hour, I spent throwing up each and every detail of my overly complex relation with Randhir to her—starting from the party night to the day then. Her expressions varied from being shocked at the beginning and rested at a naughty smile in the end.

"You guys aree sooooo into each other.." She huffed out looking absolutely thrilled when I completed the story. I snorted at her reply and turned my attention towards my half read novel which was lying open on my lap.

The next moment, I was crushed into a bear hug by her. Okay—urgh—I didn't see that coming. I was suffocated for a good one minute by her overly excited hug.

"Thank god, you're a teenager now!" She wiped her fake tears and grinned at me once I withdrew from her.

"Shut up.." I grimaced and massaged my temple.

"Nice story.." We whipped out heads towards the new voice behind us, both of us, flabbergasted.

A smirking Sanaya leaned by our seats, while puffing her chewing gum, looking uberly entertained by my not-so-exciting-story.

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping Sanaya.." Vidushi gritted her teeth  whereas I sighed. Great! Now the whole school would know how and to whom the nerd lost her first kiss! Could my life be more pathetic?

"Good thing that you atleast got kissed by now.." She smirked directing her comment towards me. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Really now Sanaya?"

"And that explained how love struck our Randhir has become.." She winked my way whereas Vidushi and I shared baffled glances.

"Come on now... This is juicy stuff.. Tell us more so that we can help a wimp like you to get back at him.." She rubbed her palms together evily while winking at Vidushi.

Wait. Pause. Rewind. Play.

Did Sanaya Jha, the great, just behave friendly with me?

 If someone had told me that moment would come in my life, I would have had laughed my arse off at them but I was experiencing that and I couldn't be anymore shocked as I was then.

By the end of our journey, I felt my throat had gone all gruffy and hard with groaning throughout all the 'girly' talks of how we were supposed to behave in dates and how to dress up to play havoc with males' senses and how to play hard-to-get and how to.. Well the list was endless. Sanaya and Vidushi rambled on advices and tips on dating matters and I being a sucker tried hard not to doze off. Occasionally, I kept on craning my head towards Randhir, just to have my head swatted by either Sanaya or Vidushi for being 'driven by emotions' (their words).

I wondered what was even wrong with him that he didn't even bother looking up for me once during the two hour journey? Was he that mad at me? Or was there any other reason behind his sudden mood swing?

I yawned and stretched my arms when Mr.Mehra announced that we had reached St.Peter's. Huge sigh erupted consequently from the seats of our mini bus. Excitement was at peak for the championship but I guess the journey had bored everyone of us, well except Sanaya and Vidushi who were still talking about the happening party next evening—which I was still having having second thought about. I couldn't believe that we were actually gonna do the thing we all had dreamt about from like kindergarten. While looking around the bus, I noticed everyone scrounging their luggage down, and that reminded me of my own bag being in the bunker above my former seat beside Randhir. I groaned when Parth patted my head for me to get up then. I was thinking about giving Randhir a cold shoulder for the rest of our stay at St. Peter's but that wasn't happening and we all knew it. I was truly, as Sanaya had described me, totally driven by emotions.

I pursed my lips in thin line and squeezed myself through the seats. Randhir was bringing down his bag as I stood beside him. He didn't notice me and while pulling out, his duffle bag slipped right above my head. I was knocked down with a thud to the next seat and a loud groan left my mouth.

"Oh shit.." I opened my eyes to see black beads floating in front of my eyesight. I kicked the heavy duffle bag in anger and it flew somewhere, well yeah somewhere in the bus.

"What the heck have you put in that little bag of yours huh, stones?" I bellowed and massaged my head and felt a bump appear right above my forehead where the bag had hit me. I heard Aryan sniggering from the seat behind, that jerk!

"Are you okay?" I opened my eyes to see Dhruv kneeled down next to me and he was examining my wound.

"Where the heck did Randhir go?" I bellowed while clutching Dhruv's extended hand for support. I looked here and there for Randhir but he was no where in sight. Is he a vampire to run so speedily? Dhruv pulled me up and flashed me an apologetic smile. How on the earth did he leave me all sprawled in a seat after hitting me with his own bag? Why is he suddenly behaving like a jerk, that too like a mean d**khead? I heard myself questioning. I was angry. Heck, I was furious at his behaviour then. What the hell had happened to him?

"Come on Sanyukta.." I heard Dhruv calling me, thus breaking my trance. Vidushi, Sanaya and Tanya were looking at me pitifully from their seats. Vidushi marched up to me and grabbed my wrist.

"YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FORGIVE HIM EASILY SANY! GROW SOME BALLS AND GET BACK AT HIM FOR DOING THAT TO YOU!" She glared at me and bellowed angrily.

"YEAH!" Sanaya and Dhruv exclaimed in unison which made all of us turn to Dhruv with amused expressions.

"Isn't he supposed to be your best friend Dhruv?" Vidushi smirked, crossing her arms across her chest. Sanaya though looked shocked. Tanya, well, she was good with no words.

"I um.. Yeah but he didn't do right.." He scratched the back of his head and spoke. We were interrupted by Parth who looked flabbergasted after keeping his luggage outside.

"Woah.. Sanyukta and guys.. You need to see this! Come hurry.. I can't control him alone.. Please.." He was gasping for breath and he launched himself on the water bottle Vidushi was holding. Him? My heart beat started to race all of a sudden. Aryan or Randhir? Only two of them had descended the bus. If it's Randhir by any chance, I am gonna kick some serious aßß today. What is today any way? Asshöle day? My mind screamed.

Why the hell was everything getting so complex all of a sudden?

"What happened?" Vidushi asked confusingly but Parth had already fleeted off the bus with Dhruv hot in his heels. We girls shared worried glances at each other and then followed them hurriedly. I had a single thing moving in my head—if anyone of us creates trouble even before setting a foot in the host school, we would be disqualified from the championship before we could say Welcome Party.

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TBC