Best friend v/s Boyfriend

Part 11

Avni.
"Avi...." I heard Vidyut's voice from the dining hall. I quickly grabbed my books from table and stuffed them in my bag. I ran towards the stairs. Oh sh** my phone! I ran back to room to pick my phone which was put in charging. Luckily it has 48% charge. Last night, after talking late night my phone went off and I put it on charging just before going to freshen up.

Vidyut was already seated behind our dining table and munching on something when I reached there gasping. I am running late. Again.
"Neela Aunty, Are you sure Avni was in her room last night?"
"Why dear?" My dear mother asked him.
"I think she is a serial killer who go out late night to kill people."
I rolled my eyes. "Seriously? Serial killer and me?"
"Yeah Vidyut. She is too chicken- hearted to even cut vegetables. How can she be a serial killer." Maa laughed with Vidyut.
"True. But why is she late these days? Isn't she behaving a little weird lately?" Vidyut raised his brows.
I gulped the juice to get some time to think before coming up with a lie. Oh my God! I am lying to my bestfriend a lot recently.
"I had a long phone call with Riya at night."
"Riya? You two meet daily at college!" Vidyut looked at me suspiciously.
"She missed last week's lecture on Shakespearean drama. I was tutoring her through phone." I think that was convincing. But... I was supposed to tell him about Neil. Still, telling Vid that I had been chatting with Neil at midnight may backfire and he might catch a wrong image of Neil. I need to introduce Neil in a better way. Anyway I need to text Riya to back the story of this non existent tutoring session of ours.
***
Neil.
"Sagar jaisi ankhonvali🎶
Ye to bata tera naam hei kya?🎶"

(Oh.. gorgeous girl with ocean blue eyes, what's your name..)

"Hey... you are pitching out man." DD pointed out.
We were practicing for our upcoming song tonight. But my mind was not in my control. It wandered around the name slipped out of Avni's tongue: Vidyut. I have lost counts on how many times I f**ked up the song today.
"Sorry yaar... let's do it again." I am running out of apologies. Ali rolled his eyes beating drums whereas DD gave me an assuring look.

"Sagar jaisi ankhonvali
Ye to bata tera.."

Geez! I f**ked up it again! Ali angrily striked on the drum.
"Problem kya hei tumhara?( what's your problem?)" Ali glared.
DD came to me with a questioning look.

"Neil.. this is the first time I am seeing you this distracted. That too just before an important competition. You owe us an explanation."
I felt sweat beeds forming on my forehead. I raked my hair in frustration and put the guitar down.
"I need a break!" I muttered.

"That's it? Are you frazzled about the competition?" DD gave me a pointed look.
I evaded his eyes.
"This seems to be a heart problem to me!" Ali said casually. I glared him.
"Yes. It's confirmed. Your girlfriend is already giving headache to you dude?" Ali said with sarcasm dripping from his words.
I was about to charge at him but DD came in front of me.
"Neil... what Ali says is true? Is this about Avni?"
I really hate myself for creating this situation.
"Neil... we are friends, aren't we? You can share your problem with us man. We don't judge you." DD said. I glared Ali again.
"Ok fine. I can't give a guarantee in Ali's case but I won't judge you. Try me."
DD put his hand on my shoulder.

"Abey... BRUTUS DD! Now you two are friends and I am no one? " Ali shouted. "Fine! I leave you both together. Solve your problems and call when you start practicing. " Ali walked away with a grumpy face.

I looked at his retreating figure confused. "Don't worry about him. He will be around checking out girls. This is just an excuse for him to leave. Now spill the beans!" DD insisted.

"Vidyut"
"Now who is that?" DD creased his forehead.
"I don't know. Seems that he is very close to Avni." I opened his social media account and showed DD numerous pictures of Avni and Vidyut together. They are laughing together in some pictures, Avni hugging him sitting behind him on a bike, Feeding birthday cake to eachother and what not. DD slowly took phone from my hand and scrutinised each of the pictures. I spent my night checking his and Avni's social media account after our call ended.

"Yes. They are close. Didn't you ask Avni who is him?" I twisted my lips and turned away from him.
"This guy is close to her family too. See this picture. He wished happy birthday to Avni's mother, that too with a photo. What if he is Avni's cousin?" I took my phone back and looked at the picture. He has wrapped his arm around Avni's mother's shoulder. "Yeah. Possible. But.. they don't share family name." I quickly checked the family names of their parents. No. Even they don't have same family name.
"Hey, They are in my girlfriend's college." DD said with amusement.
"DD, No! That's a bad idea." But ignoring my protest he immediately called Sunehri.

"Hey baby... Finished the practice?" What the hell? Why did he put her on speakerphone. I cringed.
"No. I was missing you." DD said. Liar! I thought.
"Aww.. me too. I wish I could meet you now." Oh, this is going somewhere else. I nudged DD to wear his headsets. He complied giving a sheepish smile and I left to the balcony to give them privacy. I stared at the beautiful river for 15 - 20 minutes.
DD came to me with a serious expression. "You have to listen to me calmly. "
My heart beat increased. " That preface doesn't help yaar. You are scaring me already."
DD sighed. "I gathered as much as information about this guy. He is a very close friend of Avni. They are in the same class and neighbours too. He is quite popular in college as he is an excellent basketball player. Girls admire him a lot but he doesn't entertain any of them. He always hangs out with Avni and sometimes other friends also join them. But Avni comes to college on his bike. Most importantly they both claim to be single but refuse to date others. Both have turned down advances from fellows and their classmates think that t.. they are secretly in .... love with eachother."

BANG!
I felt something broke inside me. Till now, I had doubts but now it is confirmed. No! Wait....
"If she is in love with Vidyut, why would she mingle with me. I am sure she knows my interest in her and she is not someone who entertains boys for fun. Atleast from what I know." I said as a matter of fact.
DD looked at me assuring. "Yes. You have a point. So.. Avni may be clean but... what if this Vidyut has some secret feelings towards her?"
I creased my forehead. That's possible. But that's his problem not mine as long as Avni is on my side. But is she? Instead of digging that thought I asked DD. "By the way, how did you gather this much information? What did you told her?"

"I simply told her the truth man." DD said casually.

"What? Truth?" I am busted.

To be continued.