Chapter 2

*Mihira Pov*

"You already dragged me there yesterday. Why should I come there even today?" I asked moving away from her hold before she could just walk towards the table.

"Let's have lunch with them. We need not search for a table separately and we both will not be bored with just each other." She replied smiling but I shook my head.

"You wanted me to meet your boyfriend and I met him along with friends yesterday. That's it! Why do we need to sit with them?" I asked taking another step back while handling my tray.

"Because he is my boyfriend and I want to know his friends." She replied as if it is a common reply and it is but she doesn't know why I don't want to sit there.

"Why? Let's be independent and sit somewhere else and gather a group for ourselves. It's not like you got married to him and you just started dating. Why are you giving away other life moments?" I asked frowning and she frowned back listening to my words.

"It feels right about what you are saying but still let's sit there until he gets to know me. It is really important for me so that he too can like me back and we can start dating like any normal couple would do. He is kind of slow in that department you know." She mumbled looking at me with those sad eyes.

He is! I already felt dread when she showed him from far away as her crush and I dreaded more when she said he is her boyfriend now.

I really can't escape from all this is the first thought I got but I didn't want to lose her sudden friendship too which is a really surprising factor for me as I used to kind of stay away from everyone.

He doesn't remember me but I knew who he is as he always used to be with Abhilash and sometimes even visited his house but not much because of the Principle.

"I didn't mind when you said you don't remember me. You can't do this small favor for me?" she asked in a sad tone while I stared at her in shock.

"Wow! I thought you are really naïve to not mind the fact that I didn't remember you. Now I know you are going to use it as a tool." I mumbled shaking my head while she smiled confirming my thoughts.

I kind of worried about her when she said Rakesh accepted her proposal as she may get hurt with the way he is and his behavior from yesterday kind of confirmed it but now I think I should feel bad for the future him with the tricks she has.

"Fine! But don't try to involve me in any conversation." I let her drag me to their table after she accepted that condition without asking the reason behind it.

I can't believe what I am witnessing right now. There is a love triangle in this group? I thought trying to grasp the situation.

So, Rekha seems to be very attentive towards Abhilash while Kalyan is the same with Rekha but in a negligible way like no one will ever find. Abhilash is as usual lost in eating his food and I can't blame him with the way Aunty cooks the food. That's what I found within a few days but I don't think others know about this at all.

Don't involve yourself, Mihira! Ignore everything and just finish your lunch and you may even have a chance to not be included in this table anymore after Kavitha gets Rakesh to fall for her completely.

****

"It will not be possible to prepare lunch, Mihira. It's not like you are that attached to homemade food." Mom complained about the complaint I gave from the day before.

"Even a simple one is fine, Mom. It will be cost-effective, right?" I asked frowning and she just laughed hearing that.

"It's okay! We both are earning enough to spend money on your lunch at the canteen. Don't think about the money at all." She teased gesturing me to leave the house.

"Mom! I am feeling jealous when he..." I stopped talking realizing what I am going to say.

"He? Who is this he?" she asked following me but I rushed out of the house not wishing to say anything otherwise she will think too much from that.

"Ow! Aunty?" I stopped myself from dashing the person standing before me and stared at her in shock realizing who it is.

"I was hoping you didn't go to college yet, Mihira. Abhi left for college too early and forgot his lunch box. You are going to the same college, right? Can you pass it to him?" Aunty asked smiling and I smiled back awkwardly.

"Mrs. Tandon! She was already nagging me for a packed lunch box and now she will nag more knowing that Abhi gets to eat homemade food." Mom sighed glancing at the box Aunty is holding.

"I will pack one for you now." Saying that Aunty rushed back to her house before any of us can stop her.

"Mom! Why did you tell her that?" I asked frowning and Mom is regretting to say something like that as Aunty had to rush like this because of me.

After five minutes she returned holding two similar boxes but different colors before passing them to me.

"Thanks for this, Aunty." I mumbled feeling awkward but she just smiled.

"I am really glad you ended up joining this college, Mihira. Abhi can help you if there is any problem." She said smiling.

"Don't talk about the college at all near her, Mrs. Tandon. She is still angry that she has to go to this college. She was completely against this one and was only wishing for the one in another city. Somehow her Dad forced her to apply here because of Mr. Tandon otherwise it would have become a huge problem." Mom said shaking her head.

"Mom!" I stressed hoping she doesn't just spill everything to her like this.

Kavitha should have been her daughter and not me with the way she is talking about everything. I ignored her but thanked Aunty before rushing to the college hoping to not be late.

Maybe I can try to get a license so that I can use a vehicle instead of using Auto every day. I smiled finding Kavitha near the entrance and must be waiting for her boyfriend.

"Why are you holding your box? Is your bag full?" she asked gesturing the one I am holding while I hid the other in my bag.

"Yeah! I will go to the washroom. Can you hold these?" I asked passing the bag and box before rushing towards the washroom area.

"Why are you here? My bag?" I asked finding her waiting to go for the washroom too when I stepped out of the stall.

"I passed them to Rakesh to hold them." Saying that she rushed inside while I stepped out only to find him holding both our bags along with his and even the lunch box.

This is a surprise as it is too soon to find him in this condition. I took my stuff back before waiting for her to return. And we both were fine to not say a word to each other.

****

When she walked towards the door as Rakesh appeared during the short break, I rushed out of the room taking out the box from the place I put the two without them realizing and reached the admin office.

After placing the box on the table near the door, I sent a message to his phone to pick up his box before returning to my class when I got his reply that he will take it without asking for any details.

It isn't surprising as we used to do this even before during schooling and later too as he always was the one to go early while I always used to go late.

Who would have thought that there is a chance for this huge mess? I thought while glancing at their shocked faces while they are waiting for us to explain our words we just exchanged without thinking much.

He stared at me without saying anything the moment I told him that I don't blame him for anything and this time even he joined to stare at me in shock which is actually confusing me as I was just being honest right now.

"Can we leave?" I asked standing up and Kavitha immediately nodded before following me without asking anything along with them to which I am grateful.

"So..." she trailed off after we sat down at our places and there is still time for the classes to start.

"I did what you did but the result was bad unlike yours." I explained not clearly but she nodded as if she understood what I was saying.

After that, she didn't ask anything and our conversation completely diverted from whatever happened and I am really glad that I need not explain anything clearly and everything can get back to normal.

*Abhilash Pov*

"Why are you glaring at me?" I asked frowning at Rakesh.

"Why is he glaring at me?" I asked glancing at others.

"Why should we tell you? Are you telling everything to us?" Vikesh asked frowning at me and I realized they are talking about yesterday's event.

Why should I explain everything in detail? They should have caught on what was going on and understand on their own. I shook my head before packing my bag wishing to just go home away from their questions.

"He is mad because Kavitha and her friend didn't join us." Kalyan explained and this time I paused because this is kind of a surprise.

It was kind of shocking to know they didn't join us but it is even more shocking to know he is actually mad about that.

"You didn't want them to join us at all in the first place." I pointed out but he still glared at me.

"That's what we were thinking. It seems like he is no longer hesitant about her and may even go to join her table to be with her. It took just two weeks for her to make him fall for her." Vikesh shook his head like he can't believe this change.

"I didn't fall for her but... but to know whether I can or not, I need to spend time with her. They still have classes going on now and after that, she has to go home. Short breaks are definitely not enough. Weekends? With all the assignments what weekends and what free time. Because of you, her friend will not be joining us and that caused my girlfriend to not join." He just continued to complain without pausing and the irritation he caused is not a normal one.

"Fine! I will talk to Mihi... Mihira." I cleared my throat before standing up.

"Mihi? You even call her with a nickname?" Rakesh asked me in a shocked tone.

"Are you guys done?" Rekha asked reaching us with an irritated tone while Kalyan cleared his throat before standing up to follow her.

I ignored them all even while we all were walking towards the parking lot. I glanced back thinking maybe I should just talk to her here itself but then I don't want to wait unnecessarily like this and it is comfortable to talk to her at home.

****

"Aunty! Don't pack lunch for me tomorrow. Two days in a row is like a blessing for me and it's enough too." I sat up straight hearing her voice and turned to see her entering the kitchen while I am staring at her from the living room.

"It is not extra work for me at all. Just take it with you." Mom didn't accept to back down.

"I will ask you whenever I want to have a homemade lunch. Please! I am really feeling guilty to make you do this, Aunty. Please!"

Of course, my Mom had to back down because her pleading is like out of the world and that's what made us childhood friends in the first place but that was until we were in school and when I shifted to Intermediate before her the connection has been lost and that's what happens when the friends are of different age.

"Mihira! I need to talk to you." She turned around in a flash with a shocked look on her face.

"You scared me!" there it is the overdramatic expression of hers.

I gestured my room and she nodded before following me to the stairs and we reached our room before I sat down on the bed to stare at her.

"Why would I feel awkward? You didn't do anything wrong. Just like how I expressed my feelings, you expressed them back. If I don't respect your decision then where is the honesty behind my feelings?"

I actually felt surprised hearing those words from her as I thought she will be as usual emotional about that incident but then maybe I don't know her anymore during the three years we became kind of distant.

But her earlier expression kind of shows that she is just like I know her from before and I need not think about her words anymore while feeling surprised every second with the maturity behind them. Or am I wrong to strike off that thought like this?