Humesha- An Accidental Love Story

30. A New Friendship?

Nandini

I woke up on my usual time today and left for college after finishing all my chores but somehow today feels different to me. Its giving me different vibes but in a good way and I hope these vibes remain good through out the day too.

I reached college and immediately went to the canteen to meet Navya. We had planned on having breakfast together today in the canteen after which we were going to attend our lectures together and as expected I found Navya already waiting for me there with this huge smile on her face.

"Kya baat hai Navya? You look very happy today" I asked as I settled myself on the opposite chair.

"Ha voh humne suna hai ki rakshaso ki toli...humara matlab hai fab 5 ke beech jhagda hua hai"

"Ha toh?" I was confused.

"Are buddhu isliye toh hum khush hai. Voh humesha dusro ko bully karke pareshaan karte the na isliye matarani ab unhe saza de rahi hai unki dosti tudwakar" she said excitedly but I frowned.

"Aisa nahi bolte Navya. Hume aise kabhi bhi kisike baare me bura nahi bolna chahiye even if they are our enemies ok" Navya wanted to refuse but anyways nodded.

"By the way yeh tumhe kisne kaha ki fab 5 ke beech jhagda hua?"

"Are voh Har- humne...humne corridor me kuch logo ko kehte hue suna" I wasn't convinced but I bought her answer.

"Ok so ab kuch order kare? Mujhe bohot bhuk lagi hai. Batao tum kya khaogi?" I looked at her, caressing my hungry tummy but she had suddenly seemed to have gone silent and I didn't know why.

"Kya hua Navya? Bolo na kya khaogi? I am hungry yaar" but she still didn't reply.

"Navya-" I began but stopped when I followed Navya's gaze and looked behind me to find Dhruv standing there awkwardly.

"Dhruv tum yaha? Kuch kaam tha?" I asked confused while Dhruv kept shut, maybe deciding on what to say? I anyways waited for him to speak up but when he didn't, I called him out again.

"Dhruv?"

"Huh? Ya voh actually Nandini..." he trailed off and I waited curiously.

"Can I have a seat if you don't mind?" He asked and I nodded at his weird question.

"Ofcourse you can Dhruv" I shrugged. He nodded at me and immediately settled on the chair next to me, turning it a bit so that he was facing me.

"Actually Nandini I wanted to say sorry" he said looking down at his shoes as I stared at him confused.

"Sorry? For what?"

"Uss din when Alia humiliated you, I just stood there quietly when I should have stopped her. Instead I judged you too so I am sorry Nandini. I am sorry for being silent and for judging you without knowing anything properly" he apologised guiltily making me sigh.

"Look Dhruv, it wasn't like we were friends or something right so I wasn't even expecting something from you. I was angry yes but that's it and right now toh I have forgotten it also because what strangers think of me doesn't matter to me at all so it's all good. You don't need to apologise"

"But I still feel guilty"

"Well if you still do feel guilty then make sure that the next time you see someone bearing the brunt they don't deserve then you're not standing there silently, instead you stand up for them and make sure to support what is right even if that person is your enemy. Can you do that?"

"Sure" he smiled warmly and I smiled back.

"Ah Nandini since it's all sorted now then can we become...friends?" He asked nervously. Not gonna lie, his question stunned me because I had heard that fab 5 doesn't make new friends and this guy right here, a member of fab 5 was asking for my friendship when almost all of his friends don't really like me.

Wow!

What do I say?

"I understand if you don't want to be friends with me. I guess you are just pretending to be fine but you're still upset and haven't forgiven me" not seeing me responding, he assumed I didn't want to be his friend and turned sad again.

I was busy in my thoughts when I felt Navya nudging me. I looked at with a raised brow and taking it as a cue she leaned closer to me and started whispering.

"Why are you thinking so much Nandini? Fab 5 bhale hi jitna dusht ho par hum itna jaante hai ki yeh Dhruv aisa nahi hai, voh acha hai aur usne toh ab maafi bhi mangli na toh maaf kardo na use. Accept his friendship"

"I don't know Navya. It's just it's weird ki jo fab 5 kabhi kisiko apna dost nahi banate, aaj usi fab 5 ka member mujhse dosti karna chahta hai" I whispered back making her roll her eyes at me.

"Are baba humne kaha na zyaada socho mat aur karlo dosti" she whispered back again while all this time Dhruv sat there rather awkwardly.

"Okay Dhruv...friends!" I smiled as genuinely as I could, accepting his hand of friendship, not finding any valid reason to decline it and Navya almost squealed and Dhruv smiled wide. I shook my head in disbelief looking at her getting so happy with this new friendship as if it were not me but her who Dhruv wanted to be friends with.

"Great. So I'll get going, I actually have to go meet fab 5 so I'll see you around?" I nodded.

"Ok then bye Nandini, uh bye Navya"

"Bye!" Navya exclaimed happily due to which the entire canteen looked at her weirdly and I gave her a wierd look too.

She was way too loud.

What's wrong with this girl?

"Navya relax"

"Oops. Humne thoda zyaada zor se bol diya na" she bit her tongue.

"Thoda?" I asked sarcastically. She gave me a sheepish smile, making me smile too.

"Vaise Dhruv ha?" She nudged me taesingly after a silence of few minutes. I frowned.

"Dhruv kya Navya?" I feigned innocence, knowing full well what was going on inside her filmy brain.

"Are humse kya chupana? Dhruv tumhe pasand karta hai na aur shayad tum bhi karti ho nai?"

"Kuch bhi Navya. Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai so please aisi faltu baate sochna band karo"

"Par-"

"Please Navya" I groaned. She sighed and kept mum.

Thank god.

"Acha ab chalo hume class jaana hai. Aaj Raghav sir kuch important announcement karne wale hai and we can't be late" I said standing up from my seat. She nodded, standing up too as we walked out of the canteen, wondering what that important announcement might be.

My food was a forgotten business now since I wasted the entire time talking to Dhruv.

"Mr. Tummy you'll have to stay empty for some time more" I thought caressing my tummy while walking to class.

Happy reading.

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