The Fault In Our Stars

39:)

39. The Backstory.

"Ashi?"

Siddharth echoed the name but it didn't ring any bells to him. He furrowed his brows, trying to remember but didn't find someone familiar.

"I don't remember," Siddharth finally admitted, "Who was she?"

Avneet released a breath, sighing. "Remember Abhimanyu Khurrana? The boy in your class who was cheating on his girlfriend."

Siddharth thought for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, I remember. He was an asshole."

Avneet sniffled. "Ashi was his girlfriend, he was cheating on her.", she explained.

Siddharth nodded but he was utterly confused. He can't bring himself to guess what could this ashi have to do with them.

"Did she do something bad to you?", he asked stiffly after a few moments. He doesn't want to think about something.

Someone hurting Avneet and he wasn't aware? Siddharth would rather kill himself.

"No, no!", Avneet frantically shook her head. "No she didn't."

"Then?", Siddharth asked, desperately, cluelessly.

Avneet's eyes watered. "We met the next day after I told you about my pregnancy..."

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"Hey, calm down."

The interruption of the gentle voice made her pause in between her actions of bouncing her knees and biting her nails.

"Huh?"

"Aren't you Avneet? We go to the same school.", she offered a warm smile. "I'm your senior. My name is Ashi."

Avneet shook her hand with a small smile. "Ah yes, I've seen you around.", she responded.

"Aren't you Siddharth's girlfriend? The one who got selected for one of the recording companies.", she asked curiously.

Avneet nodded, indeed he was. Ashi nodded, this time, in deep thoughts.

"So, you're pregnant too?", ashi asked after a moment.

Avneet gulped. She didn't really tell anyone yet but she couldn't lie while sitting in the lobby waiting for her turn at the gynecologist.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I, myself, am four months pregnant.", ashi assured, after watching her nervous expression.

Avneet smiled gratefully at her. "It's a nice feeling. Isn't it?", she asked softly.

"It is." Ashi nodded. "Very fascinating, actually. It feels surreal."

"You're here alone?", she asked before biting her lips, "Oh, I'm sorry. I know how it feels to be left alone by somebody you thought will stay with you forever."

"Huh?", Avneet asked confused. Avneet knew what she meant but she didn't like how she just assumed.

"My boyfriend wants to be an singer too, you know." She smiled sadly. "He said this wasn't what he planned, he asked me to abort my baby."

Avneet froze. Her hands formed fists on her own accord.

The flashes from her and Siddharth's conversation yesterday, flashing in her mind again.

"Why did he- umm, did he not want the baby?", Avneet asked softly.

Ashi let out a scoff.