Krishvi
"Yaar, tu itni studious kyun hai?" Aahira suddenly snaps, folding her arms as she stares at me like I'm some kind of alien.
"Tujhe dekh kar mujhe genuinely lagta hai ki maine life mein kuch padha hi nahi."
I don't even look up from my notebook. My pen moves quickly across the page as I finish the last few lines of my biology notes.
"Bas bio ke notes complete karne de... sirf dus minute," I murmur calmly.
"Phir Vaidehi ke ghar chalenge."
Aahira lets out an exaggerated sigh before dramatically dropping onto the chair beside me.
"Tu CLAT ki preparation bhi side by side kar rahi hai... bhai, how?" she says, shaking her head.
"Itna kaise padh leti hai tu? Mujhse toh seriously do ghante se zyada study hi nahi hoti."
A faint smile appears on my lips.
"I seriously can't believe you're the same Krishvi I met when I was eight," Aahira says softly this time.
"The carefree girl who wouldn't even touch her books."
There's nostalgia in her voice.
And suddenly, my chest feels heavy.
I slowly close my notebook, the soft sound of pages settling between us.
"Life teaches a lot," I say quietly,
looking at her with tired eyes.
"Shayad thoda tough bhi bana diya."
For a moment, silence lingers between us.
Heavy.
Filled with things neither of us says aloud.
But I quickly shake it off, straightening up.
"Anyways," I say lightly while slipping my pen into my bag, "ab nahi chalna kya Vaidehi ke ghar?"
I push the door open and step inside Vaidehi's small rented apartment.
The first thing that greets me is the sweet smell of freshly mixed cookie dough lingering warmly in the air.
The apartment is small, but cozy.
A soft yellow light glows from the kitchen while mismatched cushions rest on an old but clean sofa.
Somehow, this place always feels warm...
Like a quiet little world of its own.
"Hello, Krishvi beta. Aahira baccha."
Vaidehi's mother, Aisha aunty, greets us warmly from the kitchen counter.
"Vaidehi bahar gayi hai. Baking powder lene bheja hai maine. Tab tak tum dono baitho."
She stands there wearing a slightly flour-stained apron, sleeves rolled up as she mixes cookie dough inside a large steel bowl.
A tray of half-shaped cookies rests nearby.
And despite the tiredness hidden in her eyes-
she still smiles gently.
And did I mention?
She's a baker.
A small smile spreads across my lips as I watch her work.
There's something quietly admirable about her strength.
Even though Vaidehi has never spoken about her father, Aisha aunty has still managed everything on her own.
"Auntyyyy," Aahira suddenly says dramatically, walking toward the counter. "Aap hamesha itni pretty kaise lagti ho?"
She tilts her head with fake confusion.
"Mujhe toh lagta hai aap Vaidehi ki mummy nahi... younger sister ho."
I bite back a laugh as Aahira shamelessly starts buttering her up again.
Some things really never change.
Before I can say anything-
the front door suddenly opens.
"Maa... here's the baking powder," Vaidehi pants lightly as she hands over the packet.
A loose strand of hair sticks to her forehead while Aisha aunty smiles at her daughter with quiet affection.
"Thank you, beta."
Vaidehi turns toward us.
"Andar aao na dono," she says softly.
Her voice is calm as always.
Peaceful in a way that almost feels unreal sometimes.
I often wonder how she manages to stay so composed... as if nothing in the world could truly disturb her.
We walk into her small room.
Books are neatly stacked on the study table, soft curtains flutter near the window, and the faint smell of vanilla lingers from the candles she loves keeping around.
Simple.
But comforting.
We settle onto the bed.
For a moment, silence fills the room.
Then-
"Accha Vaidehi," Aahira says casually while lying back against the pillow, "ek baat bata... tujhe woh Kriday like karta hai kya?"
The moment his name leaves her lips-
my body stiffens.
Kriday.
My twin brother.
The person who once meant the entire world to me.
And the same person who turned his back on me and Maa after that incident.
My chest tightens painfully.
Vaidehi blinks in surprise before answering calmly.
"No... I don't know," she says
thoughtfully. "And what if karta bhi ho toh?"
She shrugs lightly.
"I want to focus on my studies. Aur honestly... the way he talks to Krishvi? Mujhe bilkul pasand nahi."
Her calm voice hardens slightly.
"Remember ninth grade? When he and his so-called best friend Zevansh used to create situations just to humiliate her?"
A sharp wave of humiliation crashes into me.
The laughter.
The whispers.
The stares.
My fingers tighten around the bedsheet.
Vaidehi's usually gentle face turns protective for my sake, and suddenly something twists painfully inside my chest.
Gratitude.
"You guys know..." I say quietly, forcing my voice to stay steady, "you, Aahi, and the others... you all are genuinely a blessing for me."
My throat tightens.
"But listen, Vaidehi..." I whisper softly, "if you ever like Kriday... please don't back off because of me."
My voice cracks slightly despite my efforts.
"He's a nice guy. Whatever happened between us... that's personal."
The pain behind those words feels unbearably heavy.
Aahira immediately squeezes my hand tightly.
Warm.
Comforting.
Before anyone can speak-
"Waah. Mere bina secret meetings ho rahi hain?
We all turn at the same time.
Rajshree stands leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms and dramatic disappointment written all over her face.
"Tum tino ka alag hi group hai yaar,"
she complains while walking inside.
A small laugh escapes me.
"Nahi yaar, Shree-" Aahira quickly starts explaining.
But Rajshree narrows her eyes
suspiciously.
"Accha accha. I know. Main hi late aayi hoon." She flips her hair dramatically before grinning. "Anyways, let's go for ice cream!"
And instantly-
all our faces light up.
Because honestly...
what girl says no to ice cream?
As we reach the ice cream parlour, I walk beside Aahira when she suddenly nudges me excitedly.
"Dekh yaar," she whispers, showing me her phone. "Advait ne text kiya hai."
A shy smile spreads across her face as she reads aloud dramatically-
'Tum girls ek ho jaati ho aur humein neglect kar deti ho.'
I shake my head, smiling faintly.
"Haan haan, funny toh lagega hi," Rajshree teases immediately. "Forever crush jo hai tera."
"Shut up!" Aahira snaps, instantly blushing. "Jaise mujhe tera Aryansh obsession nahi pata."
Rajshree gasps dramatically.
"Oye!"
I sigh at their endless chaos.
"Bas karo tum dono. Main ice cream lekar aati hoon."
The cool evening breeze mixes with the sweet smell of chocolate and waffle cones as I step toward the counter.
"Uncle, four chocolate co-"
"One butterscotch cone."
Another voice speaks at the exact same time.
I freeze.
Slowly-
I turn my head.
And instantly regret it.
Zevansh.
My blood begins boiling immediately.
Ye baklel yahan kahan se aa gaya?
I immediately look away, refusing to give him the satisfaction of my attention.
"Chaar ice creams akele khaogi kya?" he whispers beside me, voice low and teasing.
I shoot him a cold glare.
"Paglait ho kya? Main apne friends ke saath aayi hoon."
My tone makes it very clear that I'm not in the mood to deal with this irritating creature today.
"Ohhh..." he hums lazily. "Toh apni toli hamesha saath lekar chalti ho tum?"
"Haan toh?" I snap. "Tumhe koi problem hai? Jab dekho pareshaan karte rehte ho."
A slow smirk spreads across his face.
"Old habits die hard, Miss Head Girl," he murmurs casually. "By the way... kal ka lecture pasand aaya mujhe."
Before I can react-
he casually picks up his ice cream.
Then-
he winks.
And walks away.
Just like that.
I stare after him for half a second before frustration explodes inside me.
"Ugh!"
I slam the money onto the counter and snatch the cones from the poor shopkeeper's hands.
The uncle only stares at me in silent confusion.
I turn around and march back toward my friends, muttering angrily under my breath.
"Pata nahi ye weird praani hamesha wahin kaise tapak jaata hai jahan main hoti hoon. Accha khaasa mood ruin
kar diya."
I glare at the melting chocolate on my cone.
"Batah paagalchatta kahin ka..."
To be continued...
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Finally a fun chapter...
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