A Four-legged Friendship [COMPLETED]

Chapter 8

"Hey Ayush", I say. "Didn't see you there." I fake-laugh a bit.

"What's going on with the two of you?" asks Ayush, narrowing his eyes, and glaring at Sid.

Elsa growls at him, baring her teeth. Ayush looks at her in surprise and says, "What did I ever do to you, bitch?" He seems very angry.

I look at him, shocked and offended. I've never heard him cuss before. And I don't like it. Especially not to my dog. I don't know since when I've started caring about her, but I do. Only I am allowed to call her whatever I want. Because she's mine.

Sid takes a step closer towards Ayush. He towers over him easily. He keeps one hand on Ayush's chest, in a warning manner, and says "Back off, buddy."

"He's right Ayush", I say, my nose flaring. "Don't insult my dog. You insult her, and you're history."

Ayush glares at me now, hatred in his eyes. "What the hell, Alia?! You are actually sticking up for it?"

"You heard her," Sid intervenes. He looks a little frightening now. Ayush looks under-bred next to him. All my feelings of attraction towards him are lost now. He just seems like an immature, overgrown school boy. I don't know what hits me then, but it does.

"This doesn't concern you", says Ayush, peevishly, raising his voice. "This is between me and Alia. So butt out."

Elsa meanwhile has been watching the entire show a little quietly. The minute Ayush raises his voice, Elsa lets out a volley of barks at him. Ayush backs off now, a little scared. But that doesn't stop him from sneering at me. "Seriously Alia", he says. "I thought you had better taste. I guess it's the same as your dog."

I look at him in disbelief. This isn't the Ayush I met. This is a cranky little boy complaining about things when they didn't go his way. Atleast earlier I respected Ayush. Now he's lost that too.

Was he trying to put up a good act for me to get to like him? All the gentlemanly behaviour and flirting was just pretentious, then? Oh well, hell with him. I don't take grief from any guy. Especially not from a snobbish and cocky one like him.

Elsa runs towards Ayush now, and attacks him with her front paws. It's as if she knows exactly what Ayush said. Even though she's way too small and can be easily man-handled by Ayush, she throws herself at him, as if she wants to protect me.

Ayush yells and runs for his life. The petite Elsa chases him out the door just as the rest of the party enters. All of them look at the hilarious scene. Sid is rolling around, laughing hard, on my bed, with tears falling from his eyes. I am laughing very hard too, clutching my stomach, trying to breathe. Ayush is now furious beyond words, not to mention embarrassed in front of everybody, and he now storms out towards his car and drives off without a word.

"Well that was interesting", says Tanvi, matter-of-factly.

She and Nishita look at each other, pursing their lips and then everybody looks at each other and bursts out laughing. Except for Mayank who folds his hands and frowns. He grunts and says, furrowing his eyebrows, "That wasn't funny."

"Well your friend's a prick, man", says Sid, defensively.

Mayank shoots Sid a death glare and says, "Sorry Alia, but I'm going. I need to see if Ayush is okay."

"That's alright, Mayank", I say, and lead the rest of the party inside. Elsa is so excited to meet them all, and she barks playfully, and chases her own tail, and runs towards each of them, getting her ears scratched, and her belly rubbed. She bites Sid on his finger.

"Hey Al", says Sid, frowning. "Is Elsa in her teething phase?"

"Teething phase?" I ask, confused.