BUDDIES

16

it was fourteenth of february which turned out to be a black day for India because of the pulwama attack.

anushree was watching the news when the ringing of the home telephone reached her ears. excusing herself, she ran to the living room and picked up the phone.

"hello?" she spoke, looking at the clock which indicated seven in the evening. 

"anushree! why weren't you picking up your phone? anyways! are you free?" came ashutosh's loud voice. 

"yes." anushree bluntly replied. 

"cool! let's go out! I wanna eat paani puri." ashutosh whined like a five year old causing anushree to roll her eyes. 

"I'm not a paani puri wala!" anushree scoffed. 

"ha pata hai re(I know)" ashutosh said,"i don't want to go alone."

"nobody would kidnap you ashutosh trust me." anushree chuckled silently. 

"that's not what I mean. I want somebody to accompany me." ashutosh reasoned. 

"you do know what day is today right? my parents won't allow me." anushree spoke as a matter of fact. 

"tell your brother to join you! then they will let you go." ashutosh advised. 

"er... ok. I'll try." was all anushree said before hanging up. 

she jogged up to the room where the loud sound of the television could be heard. 

"mum can we go out?" anushree asked, pointing at herself and harsh, her brother. 

"alone?" asked her mom. 

"no with ashutosh." anushree answered. 

"okay."

anushree grinned widely knowing that her mother would never deny her to hang out with ashutosh as he has been anushree's best friend since they were four. 

"come on harsh." anushree smiled, rushing up to her room. she pulled out a simple baby blue hoodie and matched it with white jeggings. tying her shoelaces, she ran down once she was done. 

"harsh!!!" she yelled, standing at the main gate. 

"coming!!!" he shouted. 

once her brother was ready, anushree called her mother to close the door. the siblings made their way to ashutosh's house. just as anushree was about to ring the door bell, the door pulled open to reveal ashutosh dressed up in a black , decent shirt and denim jeans. 

"I didn't know anshika will be joining us." anushree smirked causing ashutosh to stick his tongue out. 

"hi harsh." ashutosh greeted, completely ignoring his childhood best friend. 

"hi bhaiya." harsh smiled. 

"come on, let's go." said ashutosh, leading the two siblings towards the street food stalls which were just a few metres away from his house. 

"by the way, you're paying for us. I hope you know that." anushree said, pulling the cap of her hoodie up. 

"what-"

"I haven't gotten any money! you're paying shut up." anushree smirked. 

"fine." ashutosh muttered with a grumpy expression on his face. 

"don't be so grumpy. anshika won't like it." anushree teased. 

ashutosh glared at her and threw a look which could clearly be read as seriously? right in front of your brother?

anushree glanced at her brother who looked completely unaffected by the conversation. 

the trio reached the stalls lined up properly when anushree spotted her friend anshika. . . . and aryan. 

what the fuck! anushree thought, mentally cursing ashutosh for bringing her with him. 

"hiiiii!!" anshika exclaimed, smiling at her friends. 

"heyyyy!!" ashutosh greeted, flashing a smile. 

"hi." anushree muttered , still in shock, trying to ignore the boy who was waiting for her to look at him. 

after they were done eating, they stopped near the parking area chatting with each other. 

"hey harsh, can you click my photos?" anshika asked, handing her phone to harsh not even bothering for a response. 

harsh nodded and open the camera and followed anshika who now stood near a car to pose for her picture. ashutosh followed them leaving aryan and anushree behind who were still engrossed in their conversation about the upcoming exams. 

"I think I'm going to fail." aryan sighed. 

"oh please shut up. you? and fail? never." anushree frowned. 

"no no really. I haven't studied anything." aryan tried to explain. 

"shut it. topper's tantrums." anushree scoffed. 

"okay let's just end this conversation." aryan laughed earning a nod of approval from anushree. there was suddenly an awkward silence around them. 

"uh oh. . . I brought something for you." aryan blurted out causing anushree to raise one of her eyebrows at aryan. 

he pulled out a chocolate from his pocket and held it out for anushree to take. "here."

"what's this for?" anushree frowned, clearly in shock and confusion. 

"er. . . uh just a gift." aryan laughed awkwardly. 

"it's not my birthday." anushree asserted. 

"right. . . but you can just have it. we are friends right? I can bring gifts for my friend." aryan tried to convince. 

"but why?" anushree still wasn't convinced. 

"I just wanted to gift you something. that's all. as friends of course."

"I don't get the reason-"

"anushree just take it otherwise I'll seriously kill you!" ashutosh whisper-yelled, looking over his shoulder to find anshika engrossed in a conversation with harsh. 

"but why? I don't want it to sound like there's something going on between us." anushree frowned. 

"who the fuck is going to tell others that aryan gave you a chocolate? just take it." ashutosh exclaimed. 

hesitating a bit, anushree took the chocolate and gave aryan an awkward smile. 

she found really cute of aryan to give her a chocolate but something was ringing in her head. as friends of course.

a/n: good old days :')   the chocolate was dairy milk bubbly. 

​​​​​​​I was really being an annoying bitch over there ಠ_ರೃ

also I had to lie to my mom that anshika gave it to me -.-