Destined To Be

Chapter 19

Ayaan's P.O.V.

I accepted Ankita's friendship but I just hope that because of our misunderstandings, this friendship don't end quickly. She held my hand and smiled like a happy child. "I'm sorry," I said. Her smile became smaller. "For?" she asked. "For all the trouble I made you go through. I even made you get slap from your father," I said. Her friend came up to her worried and held her shoulder. She looked at him a bit nervous as he asked, "Uncle came here? And he hit you?" She looked at me with a frown. Looking back at him, she finally let go of my hand and held his. "Ro, he didn't hit me. And I am alright," she said but he cut her off saying annoyed, "You told me that you were alright." "I am!" she said, "I am fine. Nothing has happened to me. Look at me." He frowned at her and I could clearly see how worried he was for her. She smiled at him and said, "I'll meet you later ok. Tonight is the first night of the concert and you are going to be there! I'll see you later." I looked at how she held his hand. Seems like they were very close. He nodded and she gave him a hug. Looking at me, she asked, "Shall we go?" I nodded and we left him there and began walking back to the camp. There was an awkward silence between us. Every time we spoke before this was only to quarrel with each other and now we have nothing to say to each other when we are friends. I looked at her smiling and rubbing her palms together as we walked. Looking a bit to my left, I noticed the tea vendor and stopped. She looked at me and asked, "What happened?" "Do you want some tea?" I asked. She looked at the man selling tea and nodded with a smile. We went to the small shed he had and she said, "Sandu, two piping hot tea for the cold." "Right up," he responded. I looked at her taken aback. "You know his name?" I asked. She stopped rubbing her palms and said wearing her gloves, "Yes. He's my tea buddy when I have no one to drink tea with." "Tea buddy?" I said confused. He brought two glass of tea for us and the man replied, "She has a problem. Tea is her weakness but she can't drink it alone. She must have company." 

"You two know all this about each other?" I said surprised. "She's a sweet girl," the man said. "He's too sweet," she said to me. "So, you can drink tea with anyone?" I asked. She nodded and said, "Even with my biggest enemy." "Crazy!" I said. She sipped on the tea and said, "Being friends with me is not really being sane either." "Are you calling me insane?" I asked. She chuckled and said, "Why do you always feel offended with everything I say? I was only joking." "I wasn't offended," I said and sipped the tea. I tasted it last night but the snowfall this morning just perhaps increased the flavour of it. "Hmm...the tea is good," I said to the man. "It's the magic of having tea with company," Ankita said. I looked at her as she sipped the tea and look around with a smile. She seemed so carefree and happy in her life. No one would ever say that she went through such a hard time since she reached here. Her eyes met mine and she asked, "What happened?" I looked away from her and shook my head. "Are you finished?" she asked. I nodded and she stood up. "Mr. Sandu, here's your money," she said pulling out some from her pocket. He took it with a smile and we were on our way once more. Reaching just outside the camp, I looked at her and said, "Thanks for the tea." "No problem," she said. She turned around to go inside but I called out to her stopping her, "Ankita!" She turned back to me. "I'm sorry once again," I said. She dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes saying, "It's ok. How many times will you apologise?" "I just want to make sure that you forgive me," I said. "I have," she said. She smiled and went into the camp. I followed her and sat on a log next to Vicky. He looked at me clearly confused as to why I sat next to him. "I'm sorry," I said. He looked at me with a frown and asked, "For what?" "Everything," I said sighing. "You don't have to apologise to me. Apologise to Ankita," he said. "I did," I said. He shot his head at me in surprise. "Did she forgive you?" he asked. I nodded. He got up and left immediately from next to me. 

Preeti came and sat next to me. "What were you talking about with Vicky?" she asked confused. "Nothing," I said and got up and went to my room. I didn't want to use Preeti anymore for Ankita's weaknesses. I realise my mistake. I will apologise to her soon but not in front everyone for her to be embarrassed. I just hope that she forgives me. I took off my jacket and threw it on the bed when someone knocked on my door. Pihu opened the door and looked at me with a smile. "Are you alright?" she asked. I nodded. "It's time for your practice session and we are giving each person a chance to rehearse on the big stage so that they can prepare for tonight," she said. "I'll be there," I said. I took my jacket and wore it back. I went outside and looked at everyone gathered and listening to the Principal. "Tonight, you will be performing for the first time on this stage. I just want to take the opportunity to wish you all the best and if you are selected to stay in the competition or disqualified, I hope that it will be a lesson to you all and I just want to tell you that we are proud of all of you. But the competition is competition, we have to disqualify one person from each group, no matter how hard it will be for us," he said. I looked at Ankita listening to him while hugging the folder to her chest with a smile. At a little distance from her, was Preeti. "So, that's it for my talk, you all can head to your practice and practice hard because it depends on if you are going forward or going home," he said. I went to my practice spot and met with everyone else. I looked around for Preeti but she was nowhere. I went to Ankita and asked, "Have you seen Preeti anywhere?" She shook her head. I was about to walk away when she asked, "What happened? Why do you look tensed?" "Do I?" I asked. She nodded. "I'm fine. I'll just be back," I said and was about to walk away when I saw Preeti walking out of the camp with some people. I thought that it would be useless following her so I decided to remain and practice and later apologise to her. I turned to Ankita and said, "Let's start." She frowned and nodded at me.

Ankita's P.O.V.

I looked at Ayaan with a frown. He was restless about something. He was asking about Preeti but seeing her leaving the camp with her team, he decided to practice. I looked at him on the stage, strumming his guitar but it was obvious that he was thinking something else since his eyes were stuck on the gate and he kept forgetting his que to start. Everyone were confused at his behaviour. The chorus singers looked at me confused and I gave them a sign to take a break. I went and stood by Ayaan. Folding my arms, I asked, "What happened?" He looked at me and said, "Nothing." "Don't lie. Even a blind person would be able to tell that you are worried about something," I said. He frowned and looked about me hesitant about something. "It's ok if you don't want to tell me. But at least don't waste your practice time," I said. His facial expression changed while looking at the gate and he took off the guitar and said, "I'll be right back." He jumped off the stage and ran to Preeti. Why was he this restless to meet Preeti? Holding her hand, he pulled her aside. I felt a bit bad. I know that he doesn't love me but seeing him this anxious to meet someone else is going to make me jealous, right? Suddenly, I felt like doing nothing. My mood was getting bad.

Ayaan's P.O.V.

I ran to Preeti and said, "I have to talk to you." "Ayaan, I have to go practice with my team. Can we talk later?" she said but I was adamant and held her hand. I pulled her to a private corner and she looked at me confused. "What happened?" she asked cupping my face. I held her hands and removed them slowly from my face and looked at her with a frown. I took a deep breath and let it go. "I'm sorry," I said. "For what?" she asked. "I lied to you," I said. "About what?" she asked. "I lied that I wanted to be with you when the reality is that I only used you to find out Ankita's weaknesses so that I can torture her," I confessed. She looked at me shocked. "I know that you must be hating me right now but I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," I said guilty. "What didn't you mean to do? Use me? You didn't mean to use me? That doesn't sound convincing, Ayaan," she said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean it like that. I only did it in my arrogance. Please, forgive me. And if you have any feelings for me in your heart, then please erase them," I said. "Do you mean forget that I am starting to fall in love with you?" she asked leaving me shocked. Nodding, she said, "Yes Ayaan, I am falling in love with you and now you are telling me that I should forget all of this?" she said. I didn't know how to respond to this. This only made me feel worse. "Preeti..." I started but she covered her mouth and ran away. I frowned and dropped my shoulders. As I turned around, I saw Ankita standing and looking at me in disbelief. Oh great! Only this was missing! "Ankita.." I said about to explain when she raised her hand and stopped me. I could clearly see that even she was hurt about this. I sighed and looked at her going behind Preeti. 

Ankita's P.O.V.

It wasn't shocking to me to hear Ayaan's confession that he used Preeti to get to me but what I didn't wanted to happened, actually happened. Preeti started falling in love with him. I left him there and went behind Preeti to console her. She ran into the room and sat on her bed crying. I went and sat in front of her. Looking at me, she asked, "You came to rub salt on my wounds?" "I didn't come with that intention," I said. "Oh please! Don't act great. I know that you must be so happy that your words came true," she said. "Why are you behaving like this? Have you forgotten that I am your friend. Your best friend!" I said. She wept and hugged me. "I'm sorry Ankita. I'm really sorry. I should have listened to you. You were right. As always. I'm really sorry," she said. My eyes welled up seeing her like this. Breaking the hug, she wiped away her tears and looked at me. "But I like him," she said. "I understand," I said. "No, you don't understand. You can never understand what it is like to love one-sided!" she said. I frowned and hid the fact that I knew what it felt like to love one-sided but I guess her case is different since I didn't even meet or see Ayaan for a year and she spent everyday with him since she started liking him. I held her hand and said, "Whatever happened can't be changed now, right so you have to at least try and forget those feelings or move on." Shaking her head, she said, "I can't." I frowned looking at her. I know that this is going to be hard for her.

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Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed that update! Here's your quote from Robert Frost, "In three words, I can sum up everything I've learnt about life; It goes on!" Holding on to some things isn't going to solve your problems or lessen the stress. Even if it is for one day, let go of your problems and see the change in your life. Until next time, take care and live happy! Bye!