You return like autumn and I fall all the time

Chapter 16

I was so wrong,So very wrong to believe there will be not many people in the party, it feels as if the entire school is here. In my 16 years of living, I've been to Vaani's house countless times and yet I have never seen the house this full, hopefully, she isn't giving out free alcohol.

"So, you brought your boyfriend after all" Vaani teased.

With my cheeks being involuntarily red, I replied "He is not my boyfriend Vaani, please stop it"

"Oh okay okay, I'll just act like I didn't see you almost kiss" she winked.

"How many people did you invite Vaani? I thought this party was just an excuse for you to hang out with that guy?" I asked

Vaani- "It is an excuse, but it shouldn't seem like one right?, he isn't here yet, I'm sure you'll love to meet him and in order to make it seem as casual as possible, I invited the whole school" "Jeez Vaani", I exclaimed as I found my way out of the crowd.

Soon I spotted Dakshith leaning against a wall staring at his watch a few metres away.He was back to his usual 'cold-unsocial' self. For some yet unknown reason, our eyes met and he grinned at me, in this crowd where Vaani just dissolved in thin air there was this ridiculous, unlikely secure feeling that Dakshith felt like a known face, within a few seconds he stopped grinning but his gaze felt softer and warmer, and his mouth curved into this slight tilt that now I recognize as his version of a smile.

A loud thud was heard and I followed Dakshith's gaze and saw at least seven more people rushing inside. God, just how many people did she invite?

I checked the entrance door and the other two rooms to look for Anjali hoping she wouldn't ditch me here, and as I couldn't find her anywhere I grabbed my phone and dialled her number, "Be ready Anjali, if you don't pick up I'll kill you," I whispered to myself.

Before I could press the call button my phone rang and it was Anjali, I picked up her call just in time "Where the hell are you?"

"Hey I'm outside of her street I don't know which one is her house, can you come outside?" She said,

"Okay give me a minute, stay on the call" I replied as I made my way out of the door "I can't see you, where exactly are you-" I paused when I noticed Anjali standing nowhere near Vaani's place but With a guy right beside her who had a familiar face,

Both of them quickly made their way to me and the guy kept looking at Anjali as we hugged, I saw Anjali's face turn red as I asked, "Who's he?" It then dawned on me that he was Vivek, the son of her dad's family friend, and someone she had been smitten with for as long as I could remember.

"Hey, I'm Vivek," he introduced himself and extended his hand. I tried to shake it, but I couldn't even hold it for a second as I noticed Dakshith staring at my hand intensely. I promptly withdrew my hand from Vivek's and took a step back.

"Let's head in" I grabbed Anjali.

As we entered the house Vaani greeted us with bottles of hopefully something not containing alcohol.

"Ah," I groaned as probably someone nearly twice my size stepped on my toe. I chinned up to look at the person and my eyes widened in realisation, what was his name again? Was it Aakash?

Aakash- "Oh I'm sorr-" he turned around and paused when he looked at me and said, "Wait aren't you that girl I almost threw the bag at?""It's okay, and my name is Sanjh",

"Hey there, Sanjh. I'm Aakash," he said, extending his hand for a friendly handshake. I almost reciprocated, but my hand hesitated mid-air as I caught sight of Dakshith standing right beside me. His hand rested on my waist, mere inches above my hips.

I looked up at him and blinked. Then I blinked again, and then I blinked some more.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing Dakshith?" I whispered to him.