THE LOVE BIRDS [COMPLETED]

6. VIHANG

"Watch it captain." Dhruv said as I missed the ball and tripped over. After the canteen incident I went straight to the basketball court to practice. But everything that happened at the canteen kept resurfacing in my mind. "Captain are you ok? You don't seem fine." Dhruv asked me as the other players took a break.

 I was captain of the college basketball team so instead of practicing alone I took permission from the coach and called the team to practice with me. I thought practicing with everyone will take my mind off from the morning. But exactly opposite happened of what I thought. "I am fine, just a little exhausted from practicing." I told him looking at the rest of the team. It was true I had been practicing more than the other players recently.

 Basketball has always been my escape since childhood whenever something bothered me. My naanu taught me how to play whenever we visited him during summer vacations when I and Sid were in school. "Are you sure? You seem distracted since morning." Dhruv asked again which irritated me for some unknown reason. I gave a stern glance and thankfully he took it as signal and left.

I was about to go back to practice when my phone buzzed with a text from my cousin Vartika. She was my massi's daughter and my best friend. Vartika is five months elder to me so we both were together since childhood. She wanted me to call her for a fake family emergency, our secret code to save the other person from a bad date. "Hello, how bad is it? I asked her without wasting much time. "Oh God what happened Vihu...ok then I'll see you in fifteen minutes" She said over the phone with a tense voice. She ended the call after two minutes to look realistic.

 After the call I returned to the court when my phone rang again it was Vartika. I answered the call realizing I'll regret it later. "That was quite a show you put up sis. I am impressed. You know you should quit being a doctor and go to Mumbai." I told her and I could imagine her rolling her eyes and then obsessing over my words of praise. "Yeah well I was a born actor but that's not the point." She said proudly. 

"You need to come and get me because I am a little bit drunk." I knew I would regret receiving her call. "I can't I am busy. Ask Sid he must be free."I told hoping she would end the call. "I called him already and he is with Panchi at some salon. And your college is only ten minutes from the restaurant. Please Vihu." She said in a childish tone and I hate it when she uses that voice.

After ending the call I told Dhruv that I was leaving and gave him some other instructions regarding the game and practice. I reached Vartika's location in less than ten minutes and she was standing outside the restaurant talking to a boy. She exchanged numbers with the guy and said goodbye. "Hey little brother how you doing?" she was drunk but nothing I couldn't handle when it comes to her. 

"Was that your date because he looked fine to me." I asked her pointing to where she was standing earlier. She groaned and shook her head. "That was a cute guy I just met. He thought a pretty girl like me should not be standing alone like this. So we got into talking and realized we had a lot in common so we exchanged numbers and I promised to call soon." I nodded pretending to listen to her as she continued to talk about all guys she met before him. 

My mind involuntarily started thinking about Panchi and the canteen incident. "You are thinking about a girl. Tell me who is it and don't you dare deny." Vartika said as she turned to look at me. I sighed and gave her the side eye and she started grinning. There was no point in denying and it was tough pretending in front of her because she knew me too well. "It's just someone from college you don't know her." I lied to her hoping she would drop the topic. She didn't said anything and kept looking at me. "It's creepy stop it." I told her while looking at the road.

"It's Panchi isn't it?" She said with a wide smile. Holly shit my sister is a psychic now. I tightened my grip on the staring wheel and gave her a confused look. "Oh c'mon you said I don't know her which means I definitely know her and if it was someone from your class you would have told me. And I have seen the way you look at her." She said with a smug face.

 Damn she was good at this game. I ignored her and stopped the car in front of my house. "Get out, go inside the house and take some rest you need it." She gave me a confused look. "Where are you going?" I rolled my eyes in irritation and once again regretted picking her call. "To park the fucking car dumbass." I answered her stupid question and gestured her to get out. 

After parking the car I went inside and saw Vartika making a drink from a bottle of Red Label she stole from my dad's cabinet. We did this all the time our parents left us alone. "You already are drunk. I am not going to clean after you throw up, I am telling you." I told her, knowing well enough she won't throw up. Being in medical college her drinking capacity was much more even from some boys in my college.

"Don't change the subject lover boy. Also, you very well know I never puke after drinking." She said with that same smug expression. I love my sister but sometimes I wanna just kill her. "I don't know what you are talking about. I have to take a shower, you make yourself comfortable." I told her and went to my room without waiting for her reply.