Chapter 10 The unknown summer Part 1

“Why don’t you just go and tell him that you like him!” Nevi sat down on Akshi’s bench while Akshi kept on glaring at the person who was the sole reason for this irritating discussion.

“Who even gave you this idea that I like that person?” Akshi pointed at Abhi who was hanging on the railings of the roof outside their class.

“Why not, you two keep on fighting, you ignore him, he chases you, and you run far away from him and then you would say something to him, he would sulk and you would feel bad about it and say sorry.” Khushi flipped her hair as if she was in one of those high profile parties and was saying, what was the most obvious thing.

“and mind you this has been the same thing since last one month, it seems as if you two are enjoying the chase – if you like him we are with you… he is actually not that good looking but yeah you two idiots are perfect for each other, and as it is, it’s going to be summer break from tomorrow, it would be your best nasty summer love!” Pihu smiled at her sweetly and fanned her cheeks which were burning due to the heat.

Akshi looked at Abhi and then at her friends, who were behaving so damn weird.

This was supposed to be a meeting, getting a free period was one of the most rare things, and now that they have got one… here were her friends talking about the most unexpected.

“first let me tell you one thing, all I know and feel for Abhi is a bit of friendship, only because we sit together, and he had been a bit more friendly than the guys that I have associated with earlier- other than adi, om and Arnav.-“

She looked at Abhi and smiled at him, he was considerate - that was the only reason she befriended him, he wasn’t like the other kids that she had met till now.

She was quite reluctant to befriend him all of a sudden, but then she observed him, he wasn’t the one to show you one face at the time of asking for friendship and then showing the other the next day.

He was pure, from heart and soul and deserved her friendship.

She still couldn’t make up why she fought with him every now and then, but knew one thing that those fights though were meaningless and didn’t have any specific reasons – but had meant a lot to them.

It was their base of starting a relationship and she knew it was the best she could ever ask for.

“it’s nothing like what you are thinking, every relation with different people starts with different story, and trust me ours is just way too odd, and not at all what this stupid brain of yours is thinking.”

She hit the three girls on their heads and walked towards the boys, the holidays were on their way and she just wished that they would be just beautiful.

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“Akshi get up!” Kartik kept on shaking Akshi, he was as if on mission to wake her up.

“bhai I have a holiday today you just go from here and let me sleep “ he screamed as much as she could, so that at least some of the elders could hear the injustice that was happening with her and kartik would let her be.

“haha no nothing is going to happen, come wake up now… or else we would leave you here.”

The mention of them leaving here made Akshi wide awake.

The beautiful things that she was imagining about spending her holidays with her friends went out of the window just by the announcement her grandfather had made – we are going to rajasthan for these holidays.

And she knew, no matter what nothing could be done about the arrangement.

“Kartik, don't you think this would be really awkward?” she asked her voice so soft and scared, the sight made kartik smile.

Though she was so ‘confident’ that’s what she would say she is, deep down each and every person in this family knew – their princess had everything but confidence.

He picked up the blanket and sat in front of her and took her hands in his.

“They won’t eat you Akshi, they are just like me and Dhruv and the ones you meet daily, you don’t have to worry about anything and then we all are there… you won’t even come to know when you had got mixed up with them.”

He smiled at her, reading out the various confused and scared emotions that were flying like a pod of birds on her face.

He raised his brows at her and smiled at her knowingly.

Leaving a heavy breath she held her brother's hand tightly and said “alright, as it is I don’t have any choice.” The two laughed loudly as kartik stood up from her bed and walked towards the door when suddenly Akshi called him

“Kartik, don’t forget that the seat beside you is mine, and I would love to buy a few things once we reach rajasthan.” He smiled at her and walked away, while she as well got up and started to get ready.

After exactly half an hour she was ready and was about to walk down the stairs when her phone rang.

“hey, sup “ she asked in a cheerful voice.

Though in the Morning when she woke up she had some negative thoughts about the plan her grand dad had set for her, but now when she was ready to hit the road, fresh, with her playlist update so was her small back with bag of books she was way too excited for the trip.

“Hey it's me later on now just get ready I will be picking you up, tonight we are going for the us club party you can stay at my place.”

The thought of going for the party was quite beautiful, yet now that she already had plans she knew she was not capable of accepting the offer.

But more than the sorry feeling for herself she dreaded what was going to happen when the on the other side would know her plans.

“umm- khushi I can’t, we all are going to rajasthan for the summers, I don’t even know when we are going to be back.” Her voice reduced as she came to the end of the sentence.

With her closed eyes she waited for the reaction, counting her breath, and finally when it came, she never expected for what she got.

“you idiot, why didn’t you tell me about it earlier… I would have joined you.” She heard a faint “you are not going anywhere” maybe that was Arnav, and laughed in a ladylike manner – the way she was always taught to.

“well now that you know, you guys enjoy… I have to go everyone is waiting for me.” Akshi whispered in her phone, as she reached the living room which was filled with so many bags and a hyperventilating family of hers.

“Well I can clearly hear that, see you soon… happy journey.” With the final goodbye’s she hung up on khushi and walked to Rahul who was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

“what happened?” Akshi asked Rahul in a calm voice, landing her ass on the couch beside him.

“Nothing much but something called marriage.”Rahul said his head still in his hands heaving huge and long breaths.

“I hope you know that I am all ears no matter what age I am ?” the smile she had on her face made Rahul chuckle and then looked at his wife who was as well brooding at the corner of the room, and walked up to her.

“well I guess you don’t need me!” Akshi muttered to herself and smiled at her brother and sister in law who were soon going to make out in the room which her brother had led them too.

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Abhi walked in the huge gates of the club, famously known as the U.S club.

He had never in his whole life thought that he would ever be here, at the night of a pool party all alone to mingle around with people – definitely not his thing.

But then here he was, in a hope to get a few more friends and as well kill his boredom which he felt being at home all alone – with his sister gone out for a college trip.

He looked around to see if he could find any known faces , but even after half an hour being there all he could get was disappointment.

He walked towards the bar and ordered a virgin mojito for himself and plopped on one of the stools and devoured his drink.

His eyes were still lingering around when he was interrupted by someone – finally a known person.

“hii I didn’t know I could find you here tonight!” Divya stated while she as well joined him.

He wasn’t much in talking terms with the other girls of the class other than the four girls of his small group. But then it was always better to have a first talk than sit all alone doing nothing.

“yeah I guess, I invited her… I thought I might give it a pass, but then it was a summer night with nothing to do, so better being here rather than getting bored to death.” He said, while his eyes still roaming around may be in search of that someone whom he befriended.

That’s what he thought would be better than talking to Disha , who was in her small purple colored dress, her hair open and huge amounts of makeup.

“the group of yours won’t be here, they never come on these nights, Akshita and pihu are civilians, but Adi , Nevidita , khusi and omkara are never seen in these premises other than on the Diwali, Navratri and new years party – along with their guardians of course.” The way Disha talked about the group made him feel something bitter, what he didn’t know – but something for sure.

“why?” he tried, he tried a lot to contain that question but somehow it did come out and the shrugging off of Disha’s shoulders made him look like a fool.

“don’t you its soo damn obvious, they are like the goody two shoes group, but with one of the most secrets, I just wonder what did the guys saw in the girls, that Arnav is madly in love with khushi, Om has a huge crush on pihu but roams around like dev das, and that stupid Adi and Nevi behave like kids all the time – I wont be shocked if the other day they come and announce that they are a coupe.”

When people are drunk they do talk nonsense but this much wasn’t really expected, but then sometimes the talk is as well the talk of truth.

“don’t get me wrong, I just envy them that they have such great bonding.” Disha smiled and then all of a sudden held his hand and pulled him along with her while throwing back some words that sounded like let's introduce you to our group.

The group only consisted of his seniors and juniors, who were getting drunk and dancing around and having fun!

This side of the club house was completely nasty, it was the same scene which we had in those Hollywood teen movies, the famous elite on one and the best side of the party while the rest hung around here and there.

And being one of them gave Abhi a thrill.

A teenage mind filled with insecurities and loneliness, what was really expected from that 16 year old Abhi other than to accept the hand of friendship along with his first glass of vodka and a dirty dance in the pool.

Never had he thought that Mumbai would be this fantastic for him!