Another update! Hellooo 😃I know some people want more Virman time and less twists and turns but honestly that will just bore me 😆 Hope you like it! Add me as a buddy for future updates. Apologise if I sent the pm twice, I am really tired and my mind is in another world and I was supposed to pm you and I haven't sorry. Again, my mind is grazing somewhere 😊
"I came to the conclusion that unrealized hopes, even small ones, were always wrenching."
Chapter 12
"I'd learned that some things are best kept secret." She argued. 'Secrets are overrated', he replied, walking away from her and shouting down the hallway as people stared on. 'I'll meet you at the end of the day. To tell everyone and your friend' he shouted as he looked at her briefly and disappeared around the corner.
'Whaaa-', she began to say. Had she indicated that she agreed? Or was he just assuming it. Of course he had seen it through her, she had never refused him. The gravity of the situation dawned upon her. They were going to tell everyone they are together. What will everyone say? Questions began flooding her mind. If people had pool of questions. Maanvi's mind currently had sea of questions, possibly oceans.
She began walking down the corridor. Biting her finger from nervousness. 'Oh hey Daba, I said relationships are not important in my world yet I chose to fall for a boy in our college. So you know Rahul, that guy that offered to beat you up. Well I like him a lot and we are going out now. He wanted you to be the first person to know this. Hope you're happy for us. Oh hey Drushti, I might be possibly going out with your crush. No hard feelings and all'.
This was wrong on many levels. He had cleverly dodged the commitment question and made her focus on labels. 'Argh', she groaned in frustration. 'Well at least he had started somewhere', she thought. Initiating was a big step for him and it will take one baby step at a time but he will come around. Change not only was inevitable, but usually brought its own rewards. Well she was hoping...
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'Where have you been?' Tina asked a bewildered Rahul walking towards them. 'No place', he answered. Coming to stand with her as his eyes searched for Maanvi, looking down the hallway.
The past can be escaped only by embracing something better."
'Have you seen Maanvi?' Rahul asked impatiently, he paced up and down the empty hallway as Tina looked at the restless figure in front, making her chuckle. 'Nope, why?' she asked, teasingly.
'I have been trying to get hold of her all day. She wasn't in the cafe in her free lessons. I am asking her out today', Rahul stated. He wasn't sure if it was the certainty of being with her that had made him voice matter in hand or the fact that Virat was a little too interested in what he desired. He had to act upon this fast before anything drastic changed which could mute him forever.
'Hey', Daboo said as Tina and Rahul turned around to see him. Rahul smiled briefly before moving his gaze around him, trying to see if Maanvi was behind him.
'Why are your eyes red?' Asked a concern Tina, looking at Daboo who raised his eyebrows and came to stand beside her.
'Oh, I don't know. My girlfriend called me yesterday night asking me to talk to her as she had stayed up watching this horror movie', he whispered close to her ear as she laughed.
'You didn't go back to sleep?'
'I tried but couldn't', he answered.
'What are you whispering about?', asked a curious Rahul.
'How much Dabs gets scared by scary movies', Tina laughed as Rahul joined in and Daboo frowned.
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Maanvi walked down the hallway with her thoughts clouding her mind. The whole day had gone like this. She couldn't come up with anything that will convince Virat to change his mind. Hiding from her friends and possibly a 'boyfriend'. Her feelings of missing him were briefly overshadowed by her fear of a confrontation that would soon be following. Suddenly in the midst of her thoughts, she felt a sudden pull of her arm as she crashed into a hard figure.
'What hell-', she trailed off, moving her fist in the air to push away the source of such misbehavior.
'Nice to see you too', he replied casually, pinning her against the wall, blocking her from the site of anyone that could be behind them.
'Virat', she mumbled as he moved up closer to her. 'I have never seen anyone so desperately trying to get away from me', he smirked, leaning into her making Maanvi gulp. 'How did he know? I thought I was discrete', she thought in confusion.
'Oh, you were looking for me. When?' she asked, confusedly as she gulped by the proximity they shared. He leaned into to kiss her as she instantly closed her eyes tightly. She could feel his warm breath resting on her face as he kissed the corner of her lips briefly before moving up to brush his lips against her forehead. Maanvi shuddered by the touch, a touch which made her forgets her existence, an alien like at the same time comforting.
'Like around 4 hours ago when I was saw you and you ran away', he stated as she started blushing and bit her bottom lip from the fact that he knew. It was around 1 and she had come out of the lecture room with Drushti. Her eyes fell on Virat in the distance, talking to some of his friends. She had instantly ducked and ran inside the lecture room only to be questioned by Drushti for some behaviour. She had blamed it on an annoying 'bee' flying around.
'So you know you wanted to tell people about us?' she asked, pushing him away but he didn't move. 'Yes', he answered. Pinning her hands behind her and smiled.
'I was thinking of holding-', she suggested.
Virat's smile disappeared and he cut in. 'We are not holding it for a few days'.
'I was thinking more like weeks or possibly months', she asked, smiling brightly as he shook his head in a no making her sigh. She thought of possibilities. 'How could she convince him? What would he be afraid of? She wondered before her eyes lit up making Virat's eyes narrow on her face.
'Ok fine. I want to counter- condition this situation. I want you to take me to your house to meet everyone', she said. Knowing this would make him uncomfortable. She remembered how he had wanted her to stay away from his Badi maa and hardly introduced her to anyone at home.
Virat thought about this briefly and then answered 'Done'. Maanvi's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She had briefly suggested this to ignoring the mere possibility of a yes.
'No, I take it back. I was joking', she blurted as he held her hand and led them down the hallway but she stopped, refusing to take another step. Virat looked back at her annoyed expression.
'We can walk up to Rahul or I can bring him down here. You're choice?' he concluded in a fury. She knew he would keep this statement if she didn't walk down and in thinking so, she did.
'What is with you and telling Rahul first?' Maanvi asked as she continued being led down by him.
'Past will bore you. He's too close to you', he admitted. Maanvi's mouth formed an o shape as she realized the reason to why he wanted to do this.
'What? Are you jealous of Rahul? He's just a friend', she stated as he refused to look back at her. 'I would almost think you're holding my hand out of affection', Maanvi said, flatly. He carried on walking with her.
'I don't need any reasons to hold your hand and if I am honest with you, I think you know why I am holding it right now', he answered as he led her away from the building through the parking.
'You're too blunt', she said and he stopped immediately to look at her face. 'Is that a bad thing?' he asked
'Not really. It's just kind of too straightforward though'. She answered, scrunching up her nose in annoyance.
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'Where is Maanvi?' asked Rahul as they leaned against his car.' It's been 20 minutes since the end of the day. She still isn't here', he added.
'I hadn't seen her all day. Are you sure she didn't go home?' Tina asked Daboo as he nodded his head.
'It's fine, I'll just call her now', Daboo replied as he got out his phone and began tapping before Tina nudged him making Daboo followed her gaze to the couple in front. Virat making his way to them by a girl by her side. His eyes rested on their hands before he glanced at the girl behind him. A girl that looked familiar. 'Maanvi', he mumbled.
Virat saw Rahul's pale face as he stared in disbelief. His eyes roaming from Virat to Maanvi and then back again, the color drained from his face. They came to stand before them as Maanvi felt the curious eyes lingering on them. She looked up to see hateful glances shot at Virat. The deal was Rahul but she wasn't aware she had to tell them all together.
'Maanvi, what? 'Tina asked in confusion as she stared at Virat, Daboo stared at Maanvi but no one noticed that Rahul stared only at Virat's hand molded around Maanvi's, his eyes burning up and his jaw clenched.
No one but Virat. The brightest light casts the darkest shadow'
'I-' Maanvi began but stopped abruptly. She should have practiced her initial speech earlier but then what would she say that would make this a little less condescending. Trying to find the correct words to start her account, she thought of an initial word that will help or at least ease the tension in the air. She looked at Virat and a sly smile on his face. 'Well great, at least he is enjoying the tension. Not surprised', she thought.
'We are together, in a relationship. I hope you're happy for us', Virat said confidently as Maanvi looked up to stare at his face in astonishment. Virat took in all their faces of confusion, anger and resentfulness before landing onto one blank face. Aren't you Rahul?' grinned Virat as Rahul's gaze moved on his darkened eyes. 'There is nothing more dangerous than the hurtful ego of a wounded desire "Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can''.
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