Sins of the Elite (18+)

11. What is love?

Avantika and Aditi were sitting together on the grass. Rishabh was busy with some guy friends.

Avantika wanted to know what love is, and she just casually asked Aditi, "Why do you love him? I mean, yes he's nice, he's sweet, he looks good, he takes good care of you but do you love him? I mean do you love him passionately?"

Aditi was surprised by the question and thought about it a little, then she said, "I don't know how to reply to it. But he's the person in my life who has seen me through my worst. He has been there for me and loved me through everything."

"Through your worst?" Avantika asked. She's her best friend, she's supposed to know what she's talking about.

"There are few things that one cannot even share with their best friends. But Rishabh had been there for me through everything. He went to the temple for me, he prayed for me, and when that worst phase was over, we went to the Temple together. That's what love is, when you can laugh with your partner, when you take care of each other, pray for each other, go to temple together, pray to Lord Shiva together, celebrate small victories and festivals together. For me that's what love is and I love him," Aditi said.

Avantika was lost in her own thoughts when Rishabh came and sat besides Aditi and they both started talking random stupid things and laughing together.

She was thinking what love really is? Will Advait ever love her like how Rishabh loves Aditi? Will Advait pray for her? Will he go to the temple with her? Will he be there when she's going through her worst phase in life? Will he or will he not?

Her love is pure. She knows she will be there for him, no matter what, but what about him?

She went home after college and had dinner. She was reading a fan fiction story about a guy who has done horrific, terrible, violent things. He feels no pain no remorse, no emotion and it seems like he's incapable of feeling any emotions. In the story, the female protagonist is totally in love with her but equally terrified that he may kill her someday, by poisoning her and while it's good for her to stay away from him but she can't help it.

That's how Avantika feels for Advait too. Although he's not a killer, or even if he has it in him, he won't kill her but still he isn't the good guy she should be falling in love with. But she can't help it at all. She just can't.

Then she was scrolling through social media and she saw some girl from college sharing a post by a politician her father hates the most - the infamous Karan Veer Sharma. In the comment sections, many people were commenting things like, "He's happy how powerful and rich he is yet it feels like he will truly get happy only after he manages to get rid of minorities." There were other comments calling him Islamophobic and what not. While some comments were in favor of him saying that he isn't inherently a bad person, he is just a politician who cares for Hindus too and wants to secure their rights and give them protection from the radical people of other religions.

Truth be told, she cares nothing about politics. But she knows how much his father is affected by it and just for his sake, she hates this politician too.

She slept just fine and the next day at college she wanted to see Advait but could hardly see a glimpse of him. Only once she saw him walking into the library and other than that, the day came and passed without her even getting to see him up close.

Back home, she was again overthinking on what love is and if Advait will ever love her. It was ruining her peace of mind and she was getting restless. She wanted to get over it. She decided to just share her feelings.

She wrote a huge message and sent it to Advait on WhatsApp (she wasn't even connected to him but had his number). She did it all in an impulsive mood and regretted it moment after. She decided to delete it but in her desperation to delete it before he sees it, she clicked on "delete for myself" and made a groaning, annoying sound.

She just uninstalled WhatsApp and decided to sleep but she could hardly sleep and she was afraid how she would face him tomorrow.