"Surround yourself with people who would wait outside the gates of heaven for as long as it'd take for you to arrive"

Arshita's Pov

Shubman and I almost didn't make it to the college in time, and as soon as we entered our class the bell rang and both of us slumped into a seat breathing heavily.

We wan all the way from the parking lot to the classroom, and even Shubman who is anything but physically stronger was exhausted, imagine how I would have felt.

"It was your fault" I said calming myself.

"If I'm not mistaken" He said, "You woke up late too"

"Vo isliye kyuki tumne alarm galat lagaya" I said gritting my teeth.

"Ab galtiyan Insaano se hi hoti hai" he said scratching back of his neck.

"Ye 'am' ko 'pm' karne wali galti na gadha bhi nhi krega" I said and he smirked.

"Just forget it and it's quite obvious that you loved cuddling with me" he said giving his all time smirk.

"Mai bilkul nahi-"

Before I could finish my sentence, our teacher entered the class and everyone fell silent, I also relaxed back in my seat and gave Shubman a disgusting look and he as always ignored it with his smirk.

As soon as I took out my notebook and kept it on table, Shubman slipped me a folded piece of paper and I looked at him giving 'what now' look and he signalled me to open the chit.

I opened it to read the words "Admit it Arora, you loved it" along with a winky face at the bottom of the paper.

I gave him 'wtf look'
______

Shubman once again managed to drag me to the cafeteria with him.

I didn't had any plans of eating with them, and was still not used to go there when Aditi and Siddharth are present there but as soon as I stepped out of my class Shubman was already waiting for me on the door.

"Won't they mind" I asked Shubman.

"What are you talking about" he said when we were already heading to the canteen.

I was actually worried that I might end up getting used to being with his friends; that I'd forget how to deal with being alone. I couldn't let that happen because one thing I learned about being alone was it gets easier when you are left on your own. You get used to not talking to anyone and not letting people in.

At thus rate, I knew that walls could fall anytime and I couldn't let that happen because I knew that I'll be all alone once this thing gets over with him.

Shubman just ignored everything and when I tried to go he grabbed my hand and walked towards the canteen. "Don't be stupid" he said "Tumhe pta hai na Shriya will kill me if I'll show up without you"

We reached the canteen I took a seat on Shriya's left snd Shubman took the seat on my right.
"Hello bhabhi, I.. I mean Arshita" Nagar said and Shubman hitted on his head.

"Toh tum log ka weekend kaisa tha Shubi ke ghr pe" Manjot asked in a teasing tone.

"Tujhe batana mai jruri nhi smjhta" Shubman said and everyone chuckled.

"Arshu mere tips kaam aaye na" Abhay asked me raising an eyebrow.

"Ha ha bhut zada kaam aye" I said grinning.

"Bade tips de rha hai, mai du tujhe tips" Shriya asked him smirking.

"Dede mai achi cheezo ke liye kbhi mana nhi krta" Abhay said winking at her and she slapped his shoulder chuckling.

"Aye Abhay mujhe bhi koi tips de, kisiko teri bhabhi hi bana du" Manjot said with puppy eyes.

"Tujhse apne baal toh thk se bnte nhi bada aya bhabhi bana du" Ayushi said making everyone laugh.

"Arshu tu bta na kya kru, ye log sb toh chutiye hai" Manjot said.

"Abey o, piche chl vo yaha tujhe relationship tips dene nhi aai hai"
Shubman said to him.

"Manjot sunn na, vo tujhe bhut derr se dhundh re hai" Shriya said and Manjot looked at her confused "Kaun?" he asked.

"Yamraaj" she said and everyone burst out laughing, and Manjot made faces at her.

"Chia sunn na, tujhe bhi koi bhut derr se dhundh rha hai" Abhay said smirking and she asked "Who?"

"Mera Dil" he said in a filmy tone keeping a hand on his heart.

"Shut up" Shriya said hitting him again but this time she was blushing.

"That was really cliché Abhay" Ayushi said giving him a disgusting look.

"Arshu tu na iski baatein mt suna krr iska asar dimaag pe ho jata hai" Shubman said grinning and received a glared from Manjot.

"Uska asar ho na ho tere pyaar ka jrur ho jaega" Nagar said chuckling.

"Iske asar se acha mai Mandy ka hi le lu atleast fun toh hoga" I said smirking at Shubman.

"Yess hifii girl" Mandy said giving me a high-five.

"Arshu iske jokes na itne gande hote hai kya batau" Shriya said making faces.

"Jaise" I asked.

"Mai btau, sala mere se ek din puchta ki, bhai ever wondered why Colgate's tube is so fat" Abhay said. "Mere se bhi pucha kamina" Nagar said raising his hand.

"Answer bhi kuch wahiyad hi hoga" Shubman said.

"Kyuki, it's dentist ka 'sujaya' no.1 brand" Nagar said and everyone busrt out laughing even Manjot.

"Uske baad isko dauda dauda ke peeta maine" Abhay said hitting his head.
___

We had lunch and, being honest I love thier company. They all are like so so good to me, like sometimes I feel what would they feel when they'll come to know that all this is not even real.

Next period was history which means facing Siddharth for an hour and that too with that partner project thing.

I entered the class and took my seat and at first he didn't bothered me but our teacher decided something else and said "I'll give this period to you and your partners to work on your projects"

Saying this he said behind the fest silently and the class buzzed up, everyone started talking and working but we sat still.

I didn't know what was going on in his mind but the things going through my mind weren't exactly pretty. I sat there cursing my luck, this shitty partner project and stupid seatwork. Finally deciding that there was nothing I could do but get over with this.

"I'll work on the first half part" I said without looking at him.

"We're supposed to do this together" he says.

"No one would know the difference" I said and started working.

I wanted the discussion to be over, I wanted him to back off. I wanted him to shut up and stop bothering me and just get the fuck out of my life.

It's like he heard my thoughts and shit up. I tried to ignore him and immerse myself in the work, we both worked silently and when I was almost done he again spoke.

"I dropped by your house" he said and I stopped writing but didn't looked at him.

When I didn't said anything he continued "You weren't there" he said "and you didn't even came back"

"And your point is?" I asked sternly.

"Where were you" he asked.

I looked at him and his face blank, I hoped he could see my anger, I hoped he knew how much I despiced him. I stared at him coldly and then smirked.

"Don't you know, it's so obvious" I said giving him a sarcastic smile.
__

I walked upto the parking lot pissed after that history period, whenever I see him I feel like asking him all the questions which had been lingering in my mind since so long, and I always curse him for doing that to me.

I reached the parking lot and Shubman was waiting there for me leaning on his car smiling, he saw me and his smile vanished immediately by looking at my face.

"Are you okay" he asked.

I looked up at him pissed as he knew me too well, as he could tell that something's wrong just by looking at my face, he has seen every side of me and here I felt like I knew nothing about him.

It was unfair, really, and before I could stop myself I asked him, "Questions game"

He studied my face for a minute looking at me calmly and then nodded his head saying "Sure"

At first I wanted to ask him about that person again who broke his heart and to ask him how he managed to get over with it and how he dealt with the aftermath of a broken relationship.

But I knew that he wasn't going to tell me, atleast not now, so I ended up asking him something that lingered in my head since I came to know that Shubman also hates Siddharth as much as Siddharth does him.

"Why do you and Siddharth hate each other?" I asked.

He looked at me and I didn't dare to look away so that he don't even think of using another pass.

When after minutes what felt forever, I thought he wasn't going to answer, he spoke up.

"His father betrayed my dad in thier partnership business" he said.

"Siddharth hates me" he said and didn't miss the anger and disgust his voice took, "We knew each other since a long time and then one day this happened and everything changed"
___

The ride to my home was silent.

After what he had told me, I felt so sick, and felt that talking about it would make things more worse.

I expected their hatred to be rooted by some sort of small thing— like some childhood disagreement, some girl—even, but I never expected something as big as this.

It didn't make sense.

I'd seen Siddharth's dad. I'd seen him more often that I had seen my mother in last few years. He was type of person who would crack jokes, cook meals for us and couldn't even imagine him betraying anyone.

But seeing Shubman's silence, I could say that he didn't told me anything but truth, he had that anger and despice in his voice when he talked about him.

And when we entered my street, I remembered that I had my own problems to deal with, my house came in view and I was met with sudden worry.

I still wasn't ready to face my mom and didn't know what I was going to say to her once I see her.

Shubman has been silent all through the ride, but as soon as he stopped the car in front of my house he spoke up "Let me talk to her too"

"WHAT" I asked.

"Looks like you're going to introduce your boyfriend to her, Arora" He said.

Befire I could protest he was already out of the car and I followed him and held his arm before he could reach the door. "Are you out of your mind" I said, "Go home Shub"

"No" he said and now we were standing right in front of the door.
"Shub please tumne khud bola tha, that she hates you" I said stopping him again.

"Vo isliye kyuki vo mujhse ab tk mili nhi hai" he said smirking.

"No please mai handle kr lungi, tum ghr jao" I said almost pleading.

"Look" he said turning to look at me completely, "I know you're not ready to face her yet"

I stopped. He knew me so fuckin well.

Before I could speak anything else the door swung open and mom was standing in front of us. For a moment the three of us stood there in awkward silence. First she looked at Shubman and then at me.

It was Shubman who broke the silence first, "Hello ma'am, I'm Shubman Gill" he said.

I looked in his direction and signalled him to shut up and back off but he ignored me and looked back at mom.

He continued "I'm Arshu's boyfriend"

She looked at him for moment but didn't bothered replying and then looked back at me with her cold look and said "It's nice you finally decided to come home"

I laughed a little "That's funny" and added "Mujhe toh yaad bhi nhi ki maine Kitne din apko ye bolne ke liye wait kiya hai"

She took in a sharp breathe and for a moment I thought that she was hurt but the next moment her expression was back to cold.

After much pleading Shubman agreed to left and now I and mom were standing in the living room looking at each other.

"I'm really disappointed in you" she said and I looked at her.

"Disappointed?" I asked in disbelief "You're disappointed in me"

"I did not raise you so that, tum aise hi kisi bhi ladke ke ghr jakr raho, forgetting that you also have a mom" she said, her voice was raising.

"You were never there to raise me mom" I said and felt as I wanted to be free from everything that's been burning inside me "Aap kbhi ghr nhi aati thi mom, aur jb aati thi toh itni busy hoti thi ki ek baar mujhe dekhti tk nhi thi" I said shouting at her.

"I wanted to give you a better life" she said calmly.

"Apko pta bhi hai meri life me kya chl rha hai, you never once talked to me after dad left us" I said burning up in anger.

When she was going to speak her phone rang and she looked at her phone and then at me and for once when I thought she was listening to me and I hoped she wouldn't pick up that call for once but she picked it up and heart was crushed that instance.

Before picking it up she said "It is not over yet"

I looked at her and sighed,"It is" I said, "You did it"
____________________________________

Heya guyss! 🤗🤗

Hope you all are fine and sorry for a late update. Hope you all will like it.❤️❤️❤️

Do vote and comment, till then byee😍