When a truth-and-dare question turns Chavi's life upside down and pushes her toward the only person whom she had pulled with herself, Garvit, in the turmoil.
dive in for some sour and sweet banters and most of all, teenage romance!
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It was a winter morning, summers now felt like a distant memory now.
Chavi's dadu's words resonated with her and she bit the inside of her cheeks as she cycled through the cold cutting wind, clutching her fingers tighter around the rubber grip handles, her hands reddening inside the woollen gloves. Her pedals coming to a slow pace as she advanced towards the school gates.
She got off the bicycle as her steps paused on the specific spot before the gates where she had collided with Garvit one summer day, it had marked the beginning of their sweet and salty relationship. She had been doing that for sometime, her steps halted at places they had shared memories these days.
love was a chronic ailment
She looked back at the gate again after entering inside and parked her bicycle before locking it, that was the first time she had spoken to him properly for the first time, before that she had always assumed him to be a haughty young guy but then he had done the same of her, she recollected.
After the hitching the strap of her school bag higher on her shoulder, she walked toward her grade building and noticed the morning practise going on. Her eyes searched for the certain tall boy but found his place empty and the world went as if nothing has changed.
She waved at everyone she knew and met eyes with, in the morning practise and finally her eyes met Jay's. Chavi waited for her heart to skip a beat and finally realized she didn't have to live with the burden anymore, his appearance was immaculate as ever and she still like to stare at those beautiful curls but more in a platonic way just how you see a beautiful flower in your garden and want to appreciate its beauty, she didn't feel like keeping the flower with herself flower anymore
she had a whole garden now
The rumors had died down just how Garvit has said that truth comes out, somewhere the truth did not actually come out but her lie had somehow become the truth.
As Chavi walked along the familiar path, lost in her thoughts, a cold wind swept through, lifting loose tendrils of her tied hair. The sound of a name being called out in the open playground broke her reverie, and time seemed to slow down.
"Garvit," the coach called, and Chavi turned with the speed of lightning.
There he stood, radiating confidence in his uniform that perfectly hugged his lean physique and strong arms. Her eyes traveled slowly from his arms to his neck, and finally, to his eyes. Those dark eyes, which crinkled like the moon when he smiled, lit up with his precious and beautiful laughter.
Her breath stopped and her heart skipped a beat, then raced wildly when she found him already looking at her, as if he knew she would search for him.
look for him
A flower bloomed inside her heart, beautiful and vibrant in the hues of spring and love.
.
The classroom was empty during their free period and most students were either in the library playing video games on the study room computers or out in the playground.
Chavi shuffled in her seat as she looked to see Garvit sitting on the other side of the bench, this classroom was the only quite place where they could calmly have a conversation after disappearing from each other's lives for so many days.
So many emotions roiled inside her calm exterior as she fidgeted with the infamous pink rubber band she carried everywhere.
"You were right", Garvit spoke up, his eyes looking anywhere but her.
This caught her attention when she looked at him curiously, the tension in her muscles slowly dissipating from her body when she asked, "About what?"
"Your strengths being your weaknesses."
She nodded, making an 'oh' sound at the realization. "Then I have to give credit for your word of advice as well." Garvit finally met her eyes, and she felt her cheeks warm in response.
"What are you talking about?"
Chavi feigned annoyance before continuing, "Do you remember telling me that truth does come out in the end. You were correct all along", she admitted more to herself that to him.
"So you are saying, you don't have a crush on me anymore?"
There was a hint of sadness in his voice or it might be relief, she didn't know. She took a deep breath and decided to take the leap.
"Correction, I don't have a fake crush on you anymore", the words finally left her lips and she waited with bated breath.
The amused smile on Garvit's lips slipped and his eyes widened in realization, "Does that mea-?", before he could finish his sentence, Chavi nodded her eagerly , uncertainty clear in her eyes.
Footsteps could be heard outside the corridor and despite them sitting in a place that didnt give away their presence in the room, risks shouldn't be taken. Garvit ears perked up as he slowly got up from his seat and turned toward her.
She looked and waited for the rejection coming her way when he moved his outreached palm towards her and said, "You know what? Let's date".
"Of course, if you want to", he sounded like a small child saying that.
The footsteps came closer and Chavi realized with urgency as she took his hand and with a bright smile she replied, "Of course, I want to date my crush".
Then he gently pulled her towards him, and she almost bumped her face against his chest, but his hand softly steadied her. He whispered in her ear, "But I liked you first", as he walked backward and quietly slid the class door with one hand as he held hers in the other.
She asked, "Are you going to make this a banter as well?"
"Well I love to have one", he looked back and gripped her hand tight and said, "When its with you", then they ran out of the class, their footsteps and laughter filling the air.
