Aru Shah Oneshots

Hanahaki AU: Chapter 5

Yo readers! It's been ages, I know, so here's an extra long chapter for your patience! Happy Raksha Bandhan for all of you who celebrate, by the way.

"So, how exactly did this happen again?"

Aru flopped onto the sofa with a sigh. Even that hurt. In the space of three hours, Aru had said the most words in her entire life. And it was exhausting. Jai lay back on the sofa and looked at her expectantly. Aru gazed at her lap and shrugged half-heartedly.

"I dunno. I guess I just realized how much I liked him, then he just kinda insulted me and... yeah?" Aru tried. Jai rolled his eyes, but it held a warmth in it nonetheless. He lay back and popped a piece of candy in his mouth. He tipped his head back and looked at the ceiling. He bit the candy thoughtfully, then turned back to Aru.

"He doesn't deserve you, Aru. There isn't anything else to say." Jai said with so much sincerity, Aru blushed and turned away. In the time she and Jaiden had started to chat, Aru felt a closeness that she would have felt with her friends...particularly Aiden. She brushed away the thought, her thoughts of Aiden trying to take over her mind.

"Well, I guess. I just..." Just at that moment, Aru's phone began to ring, the caller ID being Mini's. Aru sighed and stood up walking towards the doorway and into the hallway of the Kumar household. She picked up and immediately threw the phone down onto the floor, the sudden sound bringing Jai running. Aru picked up the phone and put it to her ear wincing at the volume of Brynne's voice.

"WHAT THE HELL, ARU?!" Brynne screamed down the phone line. Aru started coughing, hoping to deter Brynne, but she wasn't fooled.

"Sorry?" She managed to squeak out, but she heard Brynne grunt at the other end of the line before realising that the others were there too. There was a muffled exchange before a new voice spoke through. Aru's heart broke at the tone.

"Arundhati Krithika Shah, where have you been?"

A lump forms in Aru's throat, hearing her mother's voice. She shakes her head at Jai when he indicates that she should give the phone to him. Jai rolled his eyes snatched the phone out of her hands and put it up to her ear.

"Hi Mrs Shah, I'm Aru's friend from school. She's over at my house. Uh huh... what, no, you can trust me! Me and Aru are good friends, aren't we Aru?" Jai looked at her, indicating her to say something. Aru opened her mouth, but just hummed in agreement. There was something about the way Jai had spoken to her mother in way that was almost... unnatural. Her mother seemed to have been satisfied because Jai nodded. He winked at Aru as he handed the phone back to her, putting the phone on speaker.

"Hi Aru beta, I didn't know you were at your friend's house, just let me know beforehand if you go over again." Krithika said, a weird, dazed kind of ring to her voice. Only one other person Aru knew could do that, and she learned it first-hand, the hard way.

Aru's eyebrows skated up her forehead and she side-eyed a very smug looking Jai while replying.

"Yeah, sure Mom, sorry 'bout that," Aru said, her mind ticking over.

"Okay beta, I'll leave you to it. Bye, see you soon, and be safe."

The phone call ended, and Aru whirled on Jai.

"You're a freaking apsara?"

Aru made sure to shut the door quietly. As it was a Sunday night, the entire gang was at Aiden's for dinner, courtesy of Mrs Acharya, and a movie. She could see the movie they were watching, one of those weird David Attenborough documentaries that Aiden and Kara were obsessed with. Aru's stomach twisted.