I never craved attention, until I tasted yours

"so you mean you locked him in his own bathroom, in his own room, in his own house?" Kavya asked incredulously while keeping the tray on the counter.

Since Ryan wasn't at home and I didn't want to go back to an empty house, I came here to the mall where my post self that is post Avi used to work. I was a bit unsure how to randomly show up without any calls or texts after the day, Kavya and others( that left only Riya )came to my house.

However, I had limited people on my 'friends' list, and also I was too angry with Laksh to care about any formalities right now.

Kavya the only source, that was closer and knew Laksh from before. This discovery of Laksh's acquaintance like he really had a person on his contact list other than his family or company callers was a bit shocking for me when I had recently known about it.

How do they know each other?

The bonding seemed to be more of a platonic kind but still, I knew Laksh from 9th grade through feud basis...

Wait now that I think of it? I don't know Laksh!

I don't him in any other way aside from that he was short-tempered and had extra soft hair and not so poor body and not so ugly face and ... anyway carrying on

I don't know him like really that box 'about him', I don't know

what color he likes??

Would it be black like his soul?

Or what music he listened to?

Please not of Tony Kakkar or Badshah(believe me I don't have anything against these guys, okay? So no hard feelings if either or both are reading this) type or worse he was obsessed with old ' the 90s...80's kinda music Kishore Kumar, Kumar Sanu ...I shook my head so horrified.

Not judging anyone's choice but still that's NOT MY TYPE

Food, Music and fashion sense are basically what defines a person

Third could change by books or movies or anything depending upon you but for me, the correct way of dressing and how a person make themselves presentable. It tells a lot about people you can read through those little things, how he or she is personally.

Coming to, Music well it's like air for me

And,

For God's sake and also for my own sake I just kissed that boy he should have some better taste in music.
Now I gotta check his playlist and if there's even one song that's way outta my standard or if it makes me cringe I have to rethink whether I really liked kissing him.

Yeah.

Okayyyyy

maybe one or two is fine... Yep but not more than that, I had even asked Ishaan before I started dating him what songs he likes? And he told Honey Sing's or whatever that is trending... I faked a smile with deducing his attraction score I gave him before mentally, anyway it was adjustable.

I focused back on Kavya. I came to her because she was more approachable and gave off a mature person kinda vibes. Would help me out with my dilemma and might also tell me about Laksh's darkest secret. Embarrassing moments or freaky habits!

"Scooby-Doo where are you?" Kavya chucked a fry at the head of I supposed the infamous worker; Ritvik.

Okay, mature at certain times, I guess

Kavya gave her attention to me,
"Anyway, Avi is there any spicy any good back story? as to why you locked Laksh boy in his own bathroom in his own room, in his own house?"

Now, I doubted my reaction when it was so thoroughly explained.

"I did lock him" I nodded then gritted my teeth, "he's so infuriating he gets on my nerves-

"But you like him" Kavya sang in a tell tale voice sliding the tray to the customer.

I choked at absolutely nothing oh wait actually it was on the words 'like' and 'him'.

They clogged my throat.

I coughed hitting my chest

"Oops sorry it was post Avi, I meant" Kavya corrected instantly handing me the coke from the order which earned a pointed look from Ritvik

I took it slurping immediately the cold drink down my throat pushing the words in.

"Post Avi? That's also me right?" I asked rhetorically, sobering my wild heartbeats. I was almost freaking out realizing something "Oh no" I flushed looking up clamping a hand to my mouth. "What if he thinks I like him or something?"

I ran a hand through my hair anxiously, "but I told him it's only physically but what if he thought I was lying like I was lying saying I don't like him but I do like him but it's not the truth I don't like him I don't fucking like him!" I yelled at the kid watching me with anticipation and nearly frightened at my outburst.

Kavya came out she held my shoulders, "hey hey calm down!" She said pulling me away from the scene that was unfolding with an audience, people really like paying attention to pointless things.

"What was that, child? -

" don't call me child! " I snapped at her then immediately felt bad. I snuggled my hands in my cardigan, took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I am not in the right mind right now" that's officially my current 'mind-state' status. I don't know how long will it take to update?

She wrapped an arm around my shoulder cheering me up seeing my mood meter go down.

I propped my head partly titling on her shoulder finding comfort in her warm assurance that so badly reminded me of my mom. I blinked oh how I hate crying but I am such a cry baby. One moment I felt all fine another I was aching, shattered to the core. I feel trapped in this mayhem of emotions.

I pulled back gathering myself, "okay can I tell you something? " I asked Kavya uncertainly.

"You can tell me everything Avi, everything to nothing just let it out I am all ears" She reassured with a soft look.

•

We walked to her apartment. She tried to joke or engage me in a conversation which I half-heartedly participated in. I felt relaxed, though, I was pulled back to what I had left to deal with.

I tried my best to let it out vent out all the confusions and chaos I was tangled in but I couldn't let it out more than a few words.

Although, Kavya radiated warmness and made me felt something almost like home. She did calm my distress but it wasn't gone, she was listening to me intently but I didn't know if she felt what I was talking about, or did she even understand me? Or what if she was just being kind?

I needed a more honest and real interaction, a connection to be felt from the other side to know what I was talking or thinking about.
I guess it's hard to find it with anyone where I just pour my whole heart out without hesitation and felt relieved of whatever was weighing me down.

I stopped as my eyes landed on black Nike shoes. I looked up following it to the legs to him!

What was he doing here!

"What the-

"Avi hun I called Laksh you see I've had to leave early which goes against my plan to do groceries after the shift but yeah the turn of events that is me leaving early now have me in trouble" she emphasized lot than it was necessary.

"Either I could go back again .." she said tired little overdramatic I see, "Ritvik will bite my head throwing tantrums why bish you left early! You get paychecks to leave early! and yada yada. So I called Laksh to do the grocery for me , can you be a darling and help him out?" She asked exhausted, even started coughing trying to appear all fragile and helpless 'old' woman.

Didn't I have to go back too?

Laksh rolled his eyes, "I can manage it alone you know? In case you want a whole truck of vegetables," he said sarcastically.

Kavya wiped her eyes," being rude to an old woman how disrespectful today's kids are"

"You're barely 20" Laksh reminded her.

"Arre arre what has this world come to? Aren't there any good people left?" Kavya continued the lamenting glancing my way, "so no one would help this old woman show her that humanity still exist before she dies ... I think my time is coming near why do I see light coming from above Laksh boy's head? Is it Jesus coming for me? Hey but I am not a Christian!"

"Okay okay I will help you," I said with an unsuppressed chuckle.

Laksh glanced at me.

I pulled my eyes away to Kavya who was gone, vanished, or disapparated? Like she was never there, once I agreed to help.

"I have got the list," Laksh said as a minute passed by. We looking where once I swear saw Kavya stood.

"Oh yeah well then you go" I said whirling around to leave-taking the other way. We have already had two encounters in a row. And that's it the full stop to the meetings for today.

"And yeah Avi " the door opened Kavya peeping her head out.

I froze with my body in half-turned angle.

"Laksh is pro at pulling teddy bears out from claw machines"

And with that, she shut the door.

Laksh looked at me curiously and a bit confused at what Kavya said but he should know better.
She's cunning, a cunning pretend old woman.

Soft toys have me in right there.

"Is it so?" I asked eyeing him wheels turning in the back of my head.

Laksh observed me mildly amused and mostly puzzled, he nodded to my question.

"Then what are we waiting for!" I grabbed his hand pulling him to the way I guess is towards the mall.

"That's the wrong way," he said still he did walk with me!??

I glared turning

"That's also.." he drawled but still he walked hand in hand with me!??

I turned again

"Ah, that too.."

I twisted his hand angrily then saw it had a bandage the one I wrapped around his hand mine one!! I patted it mumbling, "sorry sorry"

My head snapped to him when I heard his chuckle but saw him watching me with a solemn and a bored look

I narrowed my eyes at him, "show me the right way"

He said staring straight into my eyes, "sure"

•

"So are we going to go and try and win and get the toys!!" I asked annoyingly as we were stood some feet away from the claw machines games in the arcade.

He ignored me doing the analyzing, observing all kinds of staring at the machine as the kid cried in disappointment when the claw dropped the Doremon soft toy, very near to the catch box.

I felt it.

It's always the same the toy dropped or jiggled out when we are so close to winning it.

I literally spend my three cards in a row on these bloody claw machines. My whole childhood I had fantasized to burn all those machines or take the hammer from the hit hammer and break all of them.

I never won I had so many toys so many same toys but I want to win them and acquire them. You know.. that winning them, that feeling I never had, that I want.

We did the shopping as quickly as we could all the way I was shouting items while Laksh was getting them running after me Ha ha ha!

But then it was his turn he only read them once and that too so lowly I couldn't hear them and I have to tail after him to tell me correctly. He threw the list and memorized them so that he could irritate me more! Then I ditched the cart I walked to the arcade leaving him to do the goddamn shopping alone.

As it is if he was busy talking to some girl like who cares?? like he could go and talk to millions of girls and they can giggle at his some nonexistent jokes WHO cares?
who the fuck cares!!??

He came after me ...following me .. looking for me. Ha! I wished the whole clip of him tailing me should be played on the billboards, Tv's and projectors so that the girl he was talking to and flirting to wherever she was-

But who the fuck cares!!?

Since then we were here waiting and stalking other kids at they failed to nab toys from the machines.

I sighed, "listen Laksh if you have had enough of staring at the machine can we play? Or do anything other than standing here suspiciously I feared we'll be doubted as some kidnappers-"

He walked away like I wasn't even speaking.

Ugh

Sometimes I really want to slap his head off throw it in a mixer and just grind it and put it back on his neck!

So gorgeous graphics

I followed him dragging myself. Wait I could just leave him.

But why was he so damn intriguing?

Why was he so intriguing hot?

It was a sight to watch when he was focused with that intense look. He always paid entirely like complete attention to whatever he does.