Conundrum 》ICT AU

-34-

"Meera, Meera meri jaaneman." Hardik sang as he found her in the music room, listening to songs on her phone.

"What, Hardik?" She turned towards him, pausing the music.

"Did you hear, Nupur's invited the class to her pool party." Hardik hummed. "Her pool is gorgeous or so I've heard. Want to go?"

"Gosh the amount of parties this school has, it's a wonder who studies." Meera chuckled. "Sure, why not."

"Uh thank goodness." Hardik laughed. "I didn't have to beg you this time."

"Shut the fuck up." Meera laughed.

"Waise, Pallavi has asked what are you going to wear and to contact her asap." Hardik snickered. "Girls man."

"Oh hello." Meera turned towards him. "You don't have any right to say anything, you take double the time required for us to get ready."

"Okay, okay!" He laughed. "I take back my words."

-

Jasprit stormed into Rohit's room, where everyone except Virat and Gia were gathered. He wasn't surprised to see Simran with Anushka, hearing about the patch up.

"Why have you called me here?" He asked Rohit, as he got up from his seat.

"Look Jasprit. We're sorry we weren't there for you when you went through the entire Simran-Virat thing. For that, we're very sorry. I know I should've stopped Virat and Anushka when they set their sights on Simran."

"Your sorry doesn't mean shit." Jasprit spat out. "You're all a bunch of sick fuckups who live to watch the world burn. You don't do anything if you don't see a benefit for yourself."

"Fair enough." Rohit shrugged and sat back. "See babe, I told you he wasn't going to accept the apology. I mean in hindsight we did take Virat's side." He pointed to Ritika and looked at Anushka. "My bad, Virat and Anushka's."

"No offence taken." Anushka shrugged. "Hey, we're a bunch of fuckups, you're right. But the thing about fuckups is that we protect our own." She shrugged. "Sure, we fucked the whole thing up taking Simran and other than offering you monetary compensation, there's really nothing else we can do and if I'm not wrong, you won't take that anyway, right?"

"Yes." Jasprit muttered, suspiciously looking at her.

"So fuck the apology. There's really nothing we can do." She said and leaned against Simran, who looked at Jasprit.

"So why did you call me?" He asked again, looking around. "If you guys are wasting my time, don't. I really have many things to do."

"You came to my party." Nupur hummed. "I saw you with your girlfriend, Shruti."

"So?" Jasprit smiled, fear running through his eyes. He managed to keep the smile on his face. "It's a free country."

"Yes yes, I'm not stopping you." Nupur nodded. "But it becomes a problem when a video leaks from my party. Not only has it created problems for one of us," she motioned to the others, who nodded. "It's also created problems for me."

"You're the only one who has any motive to do anything." Ritika grinned.

"So Jasprit Bumrah, did you do anything at the party?"

-

"So that was a bust." Virat murmured to Gia, lying back down on the bed. They had just come back from dinner downstairs, Gia's parents not surprised Virat had come out from Gia's room, somehow knowing that the boy would be there with her during this time.

"Will you now tell me what's going on?" Gia said, coming out of the washroom in her pajamas, ready to go to bed. "Anyways I'm missing all the things happening at school and now you're hiding stuff from me too."

"We thought it might have been Jasprit that did something." Virat shrugged. "But even though the gang thinks he's innocent, I have a feeling. He has to be involved."

"Hmm, maybe." Gia muttered. "Anyways, are you going to be sleeping here or at your home?"

"Here, obviously." Virat muttered. "Where else will I go but in your loving arms when you're facing such trials and tribulations?"

"Hmm, if only you could make my parents send me back to class." Gia snickered as she got in bed. "I'm so bored here and it's only been a day."

"I was here entertaining you, ma'am." Virat playfully nudged her, who rolled away.

"Yeah, sure." She giggled. "Do you have any ideas on who's the culprit?"

"Don't know but tomorrow let Anushka come and spend time with you." He said, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. "Let me talk to Jasprit, that fucker is definitely hiding something."

"Hmm, okay." Gia said, yawning. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, meri jaan."

-

"Hardik, what's going on?" Meera asked as she opened the door to him standing there, sad and desolate.

"Can I come in? Is it a good time?" He muttered, looking at her.

"Of course, come in." She smiled and leaned back on the door, allowing him inside. She closed the door and followed him inside the house as he made his way to her room, sitting on the chair beside the bed.

"Yaar, this situation is so fucked up." He groaned out, leaning back and rubbing his eyes. "There's no possible way someone has so much of a hatred against me that this is how they got back at me. Literally a sex tape?"

"Maybe it's not you, Hardik." She said as she made herself comfortable on the bed, folding her legs together and putting a pillow on her lap. "Maybe it's due to Gia?"

"That girl is one of the sweetest people alive." He looked at her. "Not that you aren't sweet as well, I'm just saying -"

"I understand." She giggled, the sound chiming like music to his ears. "But Hardik, if it's not you, it's her. What even possessed you to sleep with her, out of all the people?"

"I was drunk and she's not that bad looking." He groaned out. "Although if I'd known so many people would also be seeing my dick, I would have controlled it."

He thought for a bit and then quickly retorted. "No, maybe not. Gia's pretty hot, I doubt any man would be able to resist her."

"Oh really?" She muttered, frowning. "But she's a whore."

"Whore?" He laughed. "Where did you get that idea from?"

"She's friends with that entire group!" She shouted out. "They all have something among themselves, it's so creepy."

"Maybe." He laughed. "But that still doesn't excuse the fact that someone recorded a really private moment. That's fucked up man."

"Virat did leak my nudes too." Meera justified it to herself, trying to reason it out. She just wanted someone to pay attention to what she went through. Was it that hard for someone to hold themselves accountable? Virat's half assed apology would never be enough, he'd literally ruined her.

"And he's a very shitty person for that." Hardik said, going closer. "He's wrong for doing that to you, he took advantage of your weakness and used that to benefit himself over a sick game he was playing."

"I know." She muttered, going closer as well. Hardik was looking beautiful up close, even though the fact that him sleeping with Gia was something out of left field for her. When she'd discovered Hardik and her, she did feel her heart break.

She felt he'd betrayed her.

But she couldn't lose him as a friend.

"Meera," he whispered. "Do you want to kiss me?"

"Yes."

Is this the start of Hardik's downfall? Whoops.