Ishq Junooniyat (Book 3)

9. Platonic Friends

TARGET: 50 VOTES AND 15 COMMENTS

"Ice-cream?" Vihaan asked as they walked to the car. Aarchi had gone silent after hearing his words.

"Why are you being nice to me? You are my brothers' friend and my best friend's brother but we aren't related so why?" Aarchi asked standing infront of the car and looking at him curiously.

"You feel uncomfortable?" Vihaan turned around and asked wondering on what could he have done that made her uncomfortable.

"No but you are nice to me, why? You held me when I cried, you gave your shoulder to lean onto and you are here trying to make me happy of my heartbreak, why? I am not your responsibility" She said thinking of all the reasons of why he would be nice to her.

"We aren't friends Vihaan...bhaiya or like whatever you prefer" Aarchi said throwing her hands in the air.

"Woahhh I am not your BHAIYA!" He stepped closer to her and said in a deep voice that erupted goosebumps on her skin.

"Why is that so bad? Why can't you be my bhaiya? You are my bhaiyu's friends and my bestie's bhai so rishte mein aap humare bhi bhai lagte hai" Aarchi argued placing her purse on the car's bonnet and her hands on her waist.

"Ohh please spare me from that. I can be anything but a brother to you so whatever brotherly feelings you are harboring for me, drown them in the fucking Pacific Ocean because I am for sure not your brother" Vihaan said angrily making Aarchi look at him with squinted eyes.

"Make Arush your brother if you are so desperate to have a brother but not me" Vihaan said taking slow steps towards her.

"Why? Why don't you want to be my brother? All the relations point out that I should call you 'Bhaiya' and not by your name" She retorted looking him from head to toe and tipping her head right.

"I am not your brother" Vihaan said fisting his hands at his sides.

"Why?....Ohh wait, shit shit shit, please tell me its not what I am thinking" Aarchi's anger subdued when realization hit her and she looked at him worriedly. She joined her hands in wishing posture and prayed deeply as she stared him.

"Huh? Ohh fuck no, what the hell Ari? Its not that, God NO!" Vihaan saw the look of realization hit her and shook his head rapidly stepping closer to her. He pulled his hair in frsutration for giving her the wrong idea. Aarchi looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze before letting her hands fall to her sides.

"Explain" She took a step away from him and crossed her hands at her chest.

"Can't I have a female friend?" He looked at her questioningly.

"What's Nidhi di to you then? A potato?" She raised her eyebrows judging him.

"Eww chii please that woman is anything but a friend to me" Vihaan made a face at the thought of having Nidhi as his friend.

"Oh my god! Hey Ma Mataji. You like Nidhi di? Does Avi bhaiyu know that? Does she like you too...Nahh I doubt that, she's into Avi bhaiyu at a dangerous level so she can't like you. But you... Have you talked to bhaiyu? I see why you don't want to date anyone else because its her, its her isn't it?" Aarchi held her hands at her ears and looked at the star-filled night in shock and started pacing worried about Aviraj and Nidhi. Vihaan looked at the sky with a crying face and ran his both hands over his face.

"What cannabis are you on dear? Whichever one it is please stop using it because its making you irrational" Vihaan placed his hands on her shoulders holding her straight and said.

"What?" She looked at him as if he spoke in an alien language.

"Nidhi... she's like a sister to me who gets on my freaking nerve and does Bharatnatyam on that nerve so no I am not into her, she'd be the last person on Earth and I'd prefer to love a lizard but her!" Vihaan explained huffing out air tiredly.