Teri Sifarish

2. THE PAST FOLLOWS

"What happened Shivi? You look worried?" Amaira asks looking at Shivantika's furrowed eyebrows. "Actually, the man with whom my car crashed happens to know my name. He sounded and looked very familiar I swear but I can't recall him." Shivantika rested her head on the steering wheel as Aadhira chuckled. "Let me turn on some good music, it'll lighten the mood."

The lyrics for "Diliwali girlfriend" started playing and both Amaira and Shivantika started laughing as soon as they heard the lyrics. "Hira, this suits you and that boss of your's who has the craziest crush on you. I bet no one has ever been that crazy for you, I'm right na shivi? Leaving bouquets with notes on her desks everyday." Amaira giggled, brushing a feather touch on the top of Aadhira's ears teasing her, while it irritated her.

"Uff shut up, I don't like him and it's so damn annoying. Shivi, tell me who on earth runs to your cabin when you just keep a file with a loud thud. That crazy boss of mine runs into my office as if someone shot me. I hate having that attached cabin with him!" Aadhira complained about her boss being charmed by her beauty.

When Shivantika, Amaira and Aadhira all used to go to school together, every other boy would die to get a look of Aadhira and more than that hear her voice. Being an introvert and not the one to speak a lot, hearing her voice outside with people her comfort zone was a sound not to be missed.

"Shivi please drive slowly I beg off you, I only have one life please drive properly I want your brother to be mine before I die." Shivantika scoffed at her best friend's comment, the princess of the group, who cried about Shivantika's brother not being her's. 'How do people fall in love so easily, I am never doing it after everything I've faced that night-' Shivantika was pulled out of her thoughts when the breaks suddenly pulled and she almost hit her head on the wheel.

"Shivantika, are you crazy!?" Aadhira asked with wide eyes, as she held onto the breaks. "You almost drove us into a tree and we all could've died. What happened? Are you fine?" Amaira asked. "Thank god I pulled the breaks in time, Warna aaj toh Bhagwan ko pyaare ho jaate." [or else we would've been with god up there.] Aadhira wiped off fake sweat from her head. "I-I'm fine. I just b-blacked out for a second." Shivantika sighed. "We've reached I think right?" Amaira asked and Aadhira nodded.

Both of the girls got out from the car while Shivantika held onto her head, calming her harsh breathes. Aadhira knocked on her window and she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out. "Are you sure you're fine?" Aadhira asked holding her shoulder and Shivantika nodded giving her the biggest smile. All of them went

They sat in the restaurant and Aadhira helped order as always cause she has the best taste in food according to them. Shivantika was quietly sipping on her water when she saw Aadhira and Amaira staring at her. "Kya?" [what?] she gave them a slight shake. "There is lipstick on your chin." Aadhira pointed with a fork with her words.

"Haan thik thik, yeh fork neeche rakh. Andha Karegi kya mujhe." [Yeah okay okay, keep the fork down. Are you gonna turn me blind.] Shivantika pushed her hand down and wiped the lipstick off her chin. The food came on their table and Aadhira and Amaira stared at each other as they knew what was gonna happen next. Amaira got up and took pictures in 60 angles. Shivantika was done waiting so she asked the waiter to bring 3 non-alcoholic beverages.

Amaira didn't start sipping on her drink but Shivantika already finished one fourth of it. "Amaira! Don't drink it. This is alcoholic. Shivi you too-" Aadhira was speaking when she saw Shivantika already halfway done with her juice. "Shivi! It was alcoholic yaar why would you drink it." Aadhira kept her hand on her face.

Shivantika keeps her head down on the table, her chin resting on her arms. "I want to be out of this feeling." She said in a slow voice making it hard for both of them to hear what their best friend said. "Let me call Vishesh." Aadhira said, reaching out to Shivantika's chair and taking her purse. She pulled out her phone and dialled her cousin, Vishesh's number and explained the situation to him.