“Sadi hui chipkali kahiki, phirse Neil ko le gayi. Dikh nahi sakti kya woh, ki main usse baath kar rahi thi!” Avni muttered to herself as she watched Neil talking with Juhi who was showing him something.
“At least now you tell him that you love him,” Bani said rolling her eyes at her friend’s irritated face.
“Where did you even come from?” Avni asked turning around. “And I don’t love him.”
“Yet you get jealous.” Bani said with a shrug.
“I’m not jealous. It’s just that I don’t like how she doesn’t let me complete my conversation with him!” Avni said being pissed.
“It’s also called jealousy, my dear friend,” Bani said with a smile.
“You don’t tell me huh?” Avni replied looking away. “Don’t you feel this so called jealousy seeing that Veeranshu with some girl?”
Bani was taken aback by the sudden question, “Now where did he come in between?”
“I’m bringing him. Don’t you feel bad, Bani?” Avni asked in concern.
“Why would I feel bad? He isn’t even mine to feel bad,” Bani replied with a shrug. “He’s a bird who’s free to do what he wants. Who am I to feel anything?”
“Bani..”
“Avni, I’ve always known me and him, we would never work out, he doesn’t even look at me properly. Infact, I’m pretty sure my existence doesn’t even matter to him, I’m just one among the many girls he knows. But that’s not the case with you.” Bani said. “Besides, it’s not like he’s crossing his limits with them anyway. He’s does healthy flirting. That’s his character. And I love the whole of him as he is. But it doesn’t matter what I feel for him.”
“Why would your existence not matter to hi-” Avni started but was interrupted by Juhi.
“Hey guys!” Juhi greeted them.
Quickly plastering up a fake smile, Avni greeted her back followed by Bani who smiled at her friend’s expression.
“Meet him, he’s Vidyut, my fiancé.” Juhi introduced, pointing at the man beside her. Then turning to Vidhyut she continued, “And Vidhyut meet them, Avni and Bani my college friends.”
“You’re engaged…?” Avni asked in shock. So she wasn’t after her Neil afterall?
Wait when did he become hers?
“Yeah. Actually we’ve known eachother since we were kids and our parents had already set us up together. Growing up, we fell in love.” Vidyut said with a smile that reflected in his eyes.
“Congratulations!” Bani said forwarding her hand. “This is such a wonderful news!”
“I can’t believe it!” Avni exclaimed after Juhi left. “She was engaged!”
“Yeah and you were scared for no reason at all!” Bani replied shaking her head. “She won’t take your Neil away or anything.”
Before Avni could even react to her comment, their conversation was again interrupted. This time, by Bani’s phone. Bani took out her phone and looked into the caller id.
Ma
She excused herself and went out for attending the call.
“Yes Ma, tell me.”
Once she was done with the call, she turned around to enter into the hall only to be blocked by some guys. “Hey beautiful, where are you going? Give us some company too.” They said with a smirk making Bani look at them in disgust.
She tried to get inside the hall by going through their side but one of them held her by her hand and stopped her. “Where are you going? We asked you to give company right?” He said.
“Leave my hand!” Bani exclaimed in disgust.
“Why do you think I held it in the first place?” He asked.
“Leave or I’ll scream.” She warned, a fire blazing in her eyes.
“Do what you want.”
“I said, leave me!” She said trying to free her hand from his hold.
“What if I don’t?” He asked back.
Having no other option, Bani kicks him with her folded knee, right at the spot where the sun doesn’t shine, “Don’t you get it? Leave means leave!”
“Aghhhh!” He groaned in pain at her action, loosening his grip on her wrist in the process. He wasn’t expecting her move at all.
Seeing their leader in pain, the other two guys immediately went towards him only to be stopped by Veeranshu who stood infront of them like a barrier.
Bani looked aside to see Veeranshu standing between her and the remaining guys and sighed in relief.
“Don’t you get it? She said to leave her!” He shouted at them furiously.
Before she knew it, Veeranshu had started punching them. His punches were full of anger, anger that reflected in his eyes. Bani stood there in horror having seen this side of his for the first time.
Finally, seeing that Veeranshu wasn’t stopping, Bani went forward. She had to stop it before it got worse. “Veeranshu, please stop. He’ll die now!”
But he was having none of it, the fire in him couldn’t be drowsed as he kept unleashing it on the the guy that lay forth him like a prey at his mercy.
“Veeranshu please!” Bani said as she held his hand, stopping him. “Please stop!”
On seeing that Veeranshu had stopped his torture, the guys got up and ran away only to have Veeranshu scream curses at them. Had Bani not held his hand, he would’ve ran behind them.
“What was the need to beat them up like that?” Bani asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
“What they did wasn’t right.” Veeranshu replied. “You’re okay right? Did they harm you?”
“Nothing happened to me.” She assured him.
“Who am I kidding? You gave a hard time to that goon by kicking him at that spot. Poor dude was groaning in pain even when he ran away.” Veeranshu said with a chuckle making her smile a little.
“Thank you.” She said softly, finally feeling safe.
“It was my duty.” He said with a nod.
But the smile on her face fell the moment her eyes fell on his bruised knuckles that were now bleeding. And immediately, her concern for him grew tenfolds, “Veeranshu!” She exclaimed in shock. “Your hand! It’s bleeding!” She said as she held his fingers and checked the wound.
“It’s nothing Bani.” He replied withdrawing his hand from hers.
“How is it nothing?” Bani asked a little furious at his careless behaviour. “It’s bleeding Veeranshu! We need to do first aid!” She said as she grabbed his hand and walked towards the reception, not listening to anything he said.
“Excuse me? Can I get a first aid box please?” Bani asked the lady on the reception. Once she got it, she made Veeranshu sit in one of the sofas there and she kneeled down before him. “I’m sorry this happened because of me.” She said as her eyes filled with tears.
“Bani, what are you saying it’s not- ahh” He moaned in pain suddenly feeling the antiseptic on his wound.
“Sorry sorry sorry!” Bani exclaimed as she softly blew air on the wound. “It will hurt a little okay?”
Veeranshu watched Bani as she carefully did his wound. She was gentle and he could see her concern for him in her eyes and that made him feel restless.
“Bani, stop it. This is nothing. It’s just a small wound,” He said.
“Small wound? You think I’m blind? Just sit down and let me do my work,” She scolded.
“Bani please!”
“What are you doing?” Bani exclaimed in shock seeing him withdraw his hand.
“Why don’t you understand? Please stop it!” He exclaimed as he stood up.
“What?” She asked in confusion as she too got up.”Please stop this concern, I won’t be able to stop myself otherwise!” He said.
“Stop yourself from what?” She asked completely clueless.
“From-” He started but immediately shut his mouth and then mumbled, “Nothing. I just..” He fell back on his seat and got lost in thoughts.
“Veeranshu?” Veeranshu was jerked away from his thoughts when he felt someone call him softly and that was when he realised that Bani was almost done with aiding him. “You okay?” She asked in concern.
“Uh? Yeah yeah. I’m good. Thanks for this. I should be going now.” He said standing up and immediately left the place before she could raise anymore questions.
But Bani couldn’t help but wonder if he couldn’t stand her presence. Why else would he withdraw his hand like that? Did her presence really repel him to that extent? Could he not stand her for even a few minutes?
~To be continued–
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