Aarohi And Dev

CHAPTER 12

Aarohi POV

I inquired which news Mayank was referring to, just as Tara also joined us.

"Arre, the news about Sankalp Saxena! He's the same guy who misbehaved with you yesterday," Mayank exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, I saw that," I replied, taking my seat and getting settled.

Mayank asserted solemnly, "According to certain reports, he was said to be missing a hand."

"What?" I blurted out involuntarily, my nerves rattled by the unsettling information.

"Yeah, the news alleged that his hand vanished as if it had been consumed by fire," Mayank whispered, adding an eerie tone to his voice.

"Let's not dwell on him," Tara said, running her fingers through her hair. "I hate even mentioning his name."

"Well, I don't feel sorry for him at all. He had it coming," Mayank exclaimed vehemently.

"Could you please dispose of all this?" Tara asked Mayank, handing him the rose, note, and chocolate.

Before Mayank could reach for it, Rajveer swiftly grabbed the items from Tara's hand and tossed them into the dustbin.

Mayank playfully twirled his finger around his temple, silently gesturing that Rajveer was a bit crazy.

"Let's all head to the café. I could use some time to clear my thoughts and relax," I suggested to everyone.

Mayank initially made a pout, as if uninterested. However, when I mentioned, "Treat's on me, don't worry," he immediately perked up and exclaimed, "Great, let's go!"

After class, we all headed to the café as planned. I noticed that Rajveer had begun to integrate himself into our group more, albeit slowly. It was a positive sign to see him joining us, even if only occasionally.

As we settled in, I volunteered to go and place our order. However, when I handed over my card to pay, the cashier informed me that it was declined. There was no need to ponder what had happened – it was obvious that my dad had blocked my cards.

As I looked back at my friends eagerly awaiting their drinks, I frantically searched my wallet for cash, but it wasn't enough to cover the bill. I couldn't help but regret not keeping enough cash with me.

Before I could ask the cashier to wait, I heard, "Use this card." I turned to see Rajveer offering his card to pay for our order.

"Thank you, I'll pay you back later, I promise," I said, grateful for Rajveer's gesture.

"One more thing, could you please not mention this to Tara?" I asked, requesting a favour.

"Why do you have so many things you want to hide from her?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know, right?! I wonder the same thing," I replied, scratching my head in bewilderment.

We collected our order and returned to our table, resuming our chit-chat. Suddenly, Tara inquired about our plans for tomorrow.

"Oh, right! We don't have class tomorrow, do we?" Mayank asked, seeking confirmation.

"I have a meeting tomorrow with The Raichand's company," Rajveer announced regarding his plans for tomorrow.

Mayank exclaimed with a hint of excitement, "Ah, the charming and affluent Dev Raichand!" Mayank's mention of Dev Raichand brought back memories of his captivating gaze. However, I swiftly snapped out of that reverie, returning to reality.

I inquired about the plans of the other two.

Mayank mentioned he had a job interview scheduled. "I'm also considering applying for a part-time job. Any suggestions on how to go about it?" I asked, addressing everyone at the table.