“What do you think about Veeranshu?” Avni asked Neil the next morning. They had been sitting in class waiting for Bani.
Neil furrowed his eyebrows in confusion hearing her strange question. Why was Avni showing an interest in Veer?
“Why do you ask?” Neil asked.
“Why can’t I?” Avni asked with a frown.
“No, nothing like that I mean why the interest all of a sudden?” He wasn’t liking that she was showing an interest in some other guy.
“I just want to know about him.” She replied with a shrug.
“Why him? There are so many other guys in college. Why not any of them?” He asked.
“And why can’t I ask about him? He’s good looking, charismatic, charming and friendly. What’s wrong in him?” She asked, not wanting Neil to know Bani’s little secret yet.
Neil looked at her in shock unable to believe that the Avni Mehta was admiring a guy. Despite that fact that this was a rare phenomena, he felt rather irritated hearing her praise other guys and not him. Was she in love with him? Even the thought of her being in love with someone else didn’t sit right with him. Did that mean he was in love with Avni then? “He’s not your type anyway.”
“I-” Avni began to protest but stopped abruptly as the meaning of his words sank in. “My type? Then who is my type?”
Neil looked on at her with lose of words. He didn’t know how he was supposed to reply to that. He didn’t even know why he said what he said. So having no answer to her current question, he decided to answer her first question. “He’s a good guy.”
“Neil, answer me, who is my type?” Avni asked feeling irritated at his behaviour.
“I don’t know, I just know that it isn’t him.” He blurted out.
“Then what’s his type?” Avni asked with a frown.
“I don’t know, you ask him!” He replied in irritation. Why he was getting worked up, he didn’t know. “He believes in love but I don’t know anything else.”
“He believes in love?” She asked as her eyes sparkled with hope.
“Yeah.” He muttered not liking how Avni seemed to show so much interest in Veer.
“Does he have a girlfriend?” She asked curiously.
Neil looked at her with a frown for a whole minute before he answered, “How does it matter to you?”
“Just tell me, Neil.”
“No.” He replied looking away, “Not as far as I know. But he li-“
“Neil!” Juhi, their classmate called out to him with a huge smile on her face. “Can you come here for a minute, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“I’ll be back.” Neil told Avni before he left while Avni stood their fuming at Juhi.
“Chipkali kahiki!” She muttered furiously. Neil didn’t even complete what he was about to say!
“Feeling bad?”
“I hate her, why does she always have to stick around Neil so-” Avni stopped abruptly realising there was someone else.
She turned her head around to find Veeranshu standing behind her with his classic grin. She blinked in surprise not knowing what to say.
“Hey!” He greeted, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I just needed to talk to him and when I got here I saw you both were talking and then she called him and you seemed to be shooting daggers at her.”
Avni looked at him in shock. Daggers? Was she that obvious in her dislike for Juhi?
“I..um…”
“Its ok, it was cute.” Veeranshu replied with a chuckle while she gaped at him, was he trying to flirt? “It’s cute to see you being possessive about him.”
Whatever thoughts Avni had about him flirting with her was now replaced by his revelation. Possessive? Of Neil? That idiot? What in the world was he thinking? She thought to herself. Then almost immediately she knew it was somewhat true, cause she didn’t know even now why she had such an intense dislike for Juhi.
“It’s nothing like that, you’re thinking too much.” She brushed it off.
“I don’t think much, I act on impulse.”
“And that my brother, is the biggest problem you guys have. You guys don’t even think. I bet there would be spider webs in your brains by now, it has been unused for so long!” Avni said shaking her head in disappointment.
“Hey come on, we’re not stupid.” Veeranshu said offended.
“True, you guys are not stupid.” She replied nodding her head in agreement. “You guys are dumb!”
“I’m offended!”
“Oh please be. Atleast then you guys will learn to be sensible.” Avni said rolling her eyes.
“No wonder you leave Neil dumbstruck.” Veeranshu commented, impressed by her. When Avni continued to look at him in confusion, he explained, “There are none I know that can tackle his comebacks, but you seem to do just that. Maybe even better.”
“That’s interesting.” Avni mumbled, trying to hide her surprise. She and Neil did argue a lot, that too for the silliest of things. “Looks like there are a lot of people who lack sense.”
“Damn, lady you kill me with your looks and then with words? That’s a terrific combo I see there!” Veeranshu said with a playful smirk.
Avni looked at him wide eyed. Did he just flirt with her?!
“Darling, if I wasn’t already in awe of someone else, you would’ve had a chance. But alas, He didn’t seem to have decided our togetherness.” Veeranshu said with a smirk, pointing above. “Now, we can’t change God’s script right?”
“No thanks, I’m better off with you as my jiju!” Avni said with a tight lipped smile, “Or should I call you jija ji?“
“Jiju?” He asked in surprise, his heart skipping a beat.
“Whoever your secret lover is, would be like a sister to me, so that makes you my brother in law right?” Avni asked with a smirk making all his hopes crash down.
“Too bad, anyway to answer you, you can call me jijz when your sister accepts me!” He replied with a wink, “Sorry to say but we’ll have to continue our conversation some other time, gotta go!” He finished, waving his two fingers in the air. “Meanwhile please pray for me that your sister accepts me!”
“So Veeranshu likes someone else?” Avni mumbled to herself feeling sad for Bani. “And I should pray she falls in love with him? No way!”
~To be continued~
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