A Step To You

Eighteen

Yukti's pov

Now what did I do?

I fidgeted on my seat and tried to focus on the pasta I'm eating. But... Gulki's annoyed face keeps swimming into my mind. I sighed and looked at her direction again. She's looking away now, while drinking.

"Is that Gulki Joshi ?"

I coughed. Anurag had noticed!

"A-Ahm, yes she--"

Anurag pouted, "What is she doing here?"

"She's with us," I said and took a forkful of pasta.

Anurag frowned at me. "With us'? What do you mean 'with us'?"

"With us. She came with Aunt Arachana and Poonam and me," I said, and drank my juice.

Anurag is still looking confusedly at me. "So you say... You and Gulki ? You came here t-together?"

I nodded. I almost drank all the juice.

Anurag put down his fork and drank his own juice in one go. His face is flushing.

"Anurag, are you alright?"

"No, I am not," he said and his face and neck is now near red. "Yukti, tell me. Why are you and Gulki together?"

I frowned. "What do you mean why? Why not? We live---"

(((;ꏿ_ꏿ;))) Haye rabba !

ANURAG WOULD KNOW I'M LIVING WITH GULKI JOSHI !!!

"Yukti ? Yukku ? Are you alright? You suddenly became pale?" Anurag reached for my face.

"I----r-restroom.. I need to go to the r-restroom," I said, standing up and went away before he could say something.

I saw Anurag is looking confused still, but at least I distracted him from his question.

I saw a waiter and asked for the restroom. He pointed the direction and immediately went there. I slapped my cheeks in front of the mirror. "Yukti Kapoor ! Why were you not using your mind!" If Anurag learned about my living arrangements, he might think about it falsely. And if Gulki learned that I told Anurag, she will surely get mad at me again!

"Yukti, yukti, please use your head okay?" I said to myself. Then, after a few deep breaths, I went out again. I looked at Anurag from afar. He is looking at his phone. I wonder if he had forgotten our topic...

Thank goodness I was able to prevent myself from spilling the secret to him.

I looked at Gulki's seat. She is not there already. Now where could she be?

I hope she didn't notice my mistake---

"Let's go."

I almost shouted when someone grabbed my right hand, good thing I immediately noticed it's "Gulkiii?!" I blurted, staring at her broad back as she pulls me away from that spot. We went to the back gate, and seconds later, we're outside the venue.

"W-Why did we go out--"

She faced me, and I stepped back before bump onto her. "We're going home."

"Huh? But Aunt--"

"I will call her later. Let's go," she said then pulled me again.

I swear I almost smiled.( ꈍᴗꈍ) My cheeks are somewhat hurting because I'm preventing myself from smiling. Why is she even doing this to me? She's holding my hand again!

"Where will we ride? How are we gonna get to home ?" I asked afterwards.

"Urrke chalte hain ?" She said while still walking in front of me.