Randhir's POV~

The party was lame.

The moment before I literally pushed Sanyukta inside, I had a perception that I was going to  enjoy the party as long as she was by my side. The perception vanished into thin air as soon as I looked back and didn't find her. The fuck actually? 

The hall was bustling with teenagers and the staff members of St.Peter's stood around the arena, like they were guarding the students or something. I rolled my eyes at that and pushed my way inside.

Where did that girl even go?

My eyes swept around the whole area but I just couldn't spot her in the crowd.
The auditorium was decorated with twinkling lights and large banners of each school hung around the whole perimeter of the room. The stage stood in the farthest corner of the room and the school band of St.Peter's (most probably) stood at the center with their instruments, playing the cheesiest One Direction number.

Look for the most beautiful girl. Look for the most beautiful girl.

And almost bizzarely, my mind was chanting that line the whole time I was looking for her. I sighed and finally joined our group. They were also clueless of her location.
Dhruv pulled his brows up at me.

For fuck's sake! I had probably looked away for two seconds just after we entered together!

And as she had disappeared in a wink, she reappeared in a blink. She seemed to be a bit breathless.

"Where on the earth did you vanish into?" I pulled her to me by her forearm such that her side brushed my chest.

She frowned at me at first and then immediately pulled her arm out of my grip.

"Oh now, do I have to ask you before I even go peeing?" She twisted her lips at me, taking me aback.

She turned towards the stage the next instant—in which the four heads of the schools stood, looking over the crowd and one of them had the mike— and in seconds, she was ignoring me. What even?

I was going to retort at her bizzare behavior when

"Attention students!" boomed through the speakers. Ah, say timing!

I stood beside Sanyukta with the rest of our team members passing me weird expressions. I shrugged at them indicating that I knew nothing about whatsoever was wrong with her.

For about  half an hour, the Heads of the four schools gave speeches—or rather, boring lectures—on how the championship came into being and it's prestigious value. They spoke about a fair and clean competition and that we'll be representing our respective schools as a school which doesn't mean that the other teams are our enemies. Huh, teach that son of a bitch, Rehan that! 

After which felt almost like an eternity, they vacated the stage for the band to perform and the party to resume.

All the while, Sanyukta seemed to be in a daze. She barely paid any heed to the speeches and was constantly fiddling with her fingers with her left foot tapping rigorously on the floor which indicated that she was in sort of a knot. I was curious at what was bothering her so much.

As the band popped some of the best flicks, people gathered around, tapping their feet. We made our way towards a vacated area— weirdly not any one wanted to dance.

Sanaya suddenly shrieked, clutching Dhruv's arm. Like really shrieked!

"Look! They are the team of  St.Peter's, the one which Tanya showed us in the picture.." She voiced out and our heads immediately turned towards their direction. The whole group seemed to have taken an interest in our silent group as they were walking right at us. I noticed Rehan being one of them. My fists involuntarily clenched hard but I managed to cool myself, noticing that Sanyukta was smiling at them slightly. Uh-oh? Was I missing something?

"Welcome to St.Peter's.." A tall girl from their group extended her hand towards me and I shook it hesitantly, curving a small smile. My eyes were darting from Sanyukta to Rehan, the latter one gawking at Sanyukta like we weren't even there. I seriously felt a bad urge to punch something right then.

"I hope we have a great competition there fella.." She winked at me surprisingly. Ahem. Okay.

"Yeah.. We're having a good time here.." I smiled awkwardly. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Sanyukta huffing a bit. A chuckle erupted from the back of my throat at that.

"Yeah except for that little abduction.." Sanaya muttered in an enraged tone from the back and I clearly noticed Sanyukta pinching her arm such that she shut up that instant. I frowned at Sanyukta while she just shrugged. I was definitely missing something there. I had to ask Sanyukta about it later.

The two of our groups indulged into talks soon, quite surprisingly considering the fact that they hated the team from the moment Tanya made us lay our eyes on that photo.

The tall girl whose name was probably Preksha or Priya or Plague or whatever , began jabbering about how excited she was for the championship and how strong they had prepared for it. Yeah right. I was barely listening to her blabbers as my eyes kept flicking from Sanyukta to Rehan. I didn't trust that jerk near her. But I surely felt a heavy vibe coming out of Sanyukta. She didn't look disturbed but held a calm and composed composure. Huh.

"Are you okay?" I craned my neck towards Sanyukta and whispered to her. She looked startled at first as if I had broken her long chain of thoughts by poking my head close to her. She nodded her head with a scowl on her face.

"We have to talk.." I knitted my brows in a confused look.

"Yeah we need to but not now.." She literally gritted her teeth at me before moving away a bit.

What was wrong with her? I was extremely irritated at her obnoxious behavior towards me. I didn't even do anything to hurt her.

While I was in my thoughts, I didn't even notice that our team members were already moving onto the dance floor. The next thing which caught my gaze took me by storm. Storm of anger.

"May I have a dance with you?"

What audacity the boy had after so many incidents that he actually talked to her. What a fucking shameless creature!

I was going to intervene when Sanyukta brushed past me to face him. I was hoping for her to stand for herself at last but the thing she did literally made my jaw drop to the floor.

"Um..okay"

Most shockingly, Sanyukta agreed to Rehan's proposal. Rehan fucking Malhotra's proposal!

I was suddenly sweating. My fists clenched hard and I bet that the vein in my head popped. I gawked at her as Rehan escorted her towards the dance floor with their hands clasped together.

I clearly saw Dhruv's tensed gaze over me and Parth almost tumbled on his feet at that, though both of them were with Vidushi and Sanaya on the dance floor.

I couldn't feel anything after that. I was way too much involved in getting hurt that I didn't even notice the tall girl beside me who was pulling me towards the dance floor. I didn't even notice when we were on the dance floor with my whirlpool of emotions just waiting to tumble over. She made me wrap my arms around her waist and entangled her over hands around my neck, instructing me to move with the sappy rhythm. All the while I had only one thought.

What changed?

It was supposed to be Sanyukta wrapped up around me, while we moved in synchronicity just like how we swam, just like how we completed each others sentences and just like the night we kissed accidentally.

I moved my eyes up—which were staring at my shoes from the past few minutes— and noticed the girl's face way too closer to mine. She  was practically grinding on me, in the name of dance. My gaze diverted towards the other couples around us and then it landed on Sanyukta and Rehan. He had his palms on either side of her waist.

Mine!

Her palms were rested on his shoulder.

Mine!

They were moving in the soft tune—way too close for my liking with their face almost breathing against each other.

Mine! Mine! Mine!

Sanyukta's face didnot even show any repulse or hate towards him which pained me. He had once almost freaking KILLED HER!

But the thing which hurt me the most was that she, not for even a second, turned back towards me. She didn't even acknowledge my presence. She had , as if, totally forgotten me then.

As soon as I saw Rehan leaning towards Sanyukta, my dam of emotions broke and I pushed the girl—who was probably trying to paste herself to me— away and stormed off.

I didn't know where I was going but as soon as I left the auditorium, my clenched fist came in a crashing contact with one of the pillars outside. A shooting pain erupted from my bruised knuckles but it was nothing compared to the hollow sensation in my heart.

I closed my eyes in frustration when I felt someone shuffle behind me. Thinking it to be Sanyukta and with a mentally prepared lecture, I jerked back only to come face to face with a snobby looking guy who was probably completely wasted as he reeked strongly of alcohol that  people can even smell from mile apart. I frowned at him as he smiled weirdly at me.

"You hurt bro?" He remarked. His voice was completely normal for a drunk.

"What do you want?" I barked at him.

"Nothing bro, just wanted to make sure you're okay considering the fact that you probably broke the pillar of St.Peter's.." His face had this amused expression as he chuckled lightly at his own stupid joke which only fuelled my anger.

"I am perfectly fine. Now get lost!" I grumbled and turned around to drown into my soaring grief of losing her again. Again.

"Maybe this will help a bit.." I craned my neck to see a beer bottle—a huge beer bottle— being advanced towards me, for me to hold.

"Wha.." I looked back at guy who was urging me to take it with his expression.

"Bro, there's nothing more fantastic thing in this world other than alcohol to forget your pains.. It helps me to reduce my pain and I help it getting to fulfil it's purpose of existence.." He winked at me before handing me the bottle. I sighed as he patted me on the back and went on his way, completely composed and whistling an odd tune. I kept looking at him as the cold bottle wrapped underneath my fingers urged my attention.

I shouldn't be doing this. I am outside school for God's sake. I have my school reputation to maintain. I have my team to support next day rather than waking up with a terrible hangover. I have to practice tomorrow with Sanyukta.

Sanyukta.

The name sent a knot of pain through my stomach and my heart clenched. And before I could control myself, I was chugging down the bottle of intoxication in a breath.

I liked her. I had liked her always. I liked her so much that it hurt. I could even take a bullet for her. My likeness for her was so much that I couldn't control myself from falling for her, deeper, harder and she didn't even notice that.

     ************////************

TBC