Aap Koun Hai? PT 1

The Meeting 🤝💘

I am back in the cafeteria again. Confined to a tight space,as a sea of occupied tables surrounds me. The chaos messes with my mind, the dirty tables, and the trash on the ground .

A current of trepidation rushes down my spine

Meanwhile my nose is in a book, my eyes pouring over it on the table. This is my mechanism to avoid awkward situations.

Right In Front of me, just across a few feet, is the table where Neha and Kairav and their group sit. I note how everyone seemed to forget my article about Neha. Great.

But whatever, I can't worry about that now.

The thing is, I don't want to be near them at all. But the tables surrounding me are full.
So, moving would look suspicious and so will sitting and staring into blank space.

I groan ,getting irritated at this boring position. When will Amara come?

I know Vihaan is there too-his voice is the loudest. Constantly laughing abruptly at random stuff and Neha constantly tries to shh him, at which he lowers his voice only for sometime.

I pull away from them and back into my book
The more I think about them the more I think about the deal with Mr.Leela. I want to accept his deal but I'm not sure. It's just so strange, why does he even care about Vihaan?He and my father are just as rich.And would Ma even want me to do this?

In Fact that's another reason I want to leave. What if he didn't like my behavior or just didn't like me? What if I made him mad? Will he tell them about my secret to get back at me?How will I escape from them if they find out when I'm this close?

No. We had a deal.He would grant protection and I would give him the information about Vihaan. But if I don't..

I shudder.

I don't want to, especially after everything that happened with my father...

But I know the consequences are much worse if I don't accept his deal. Everyone will know I am the one who posts these articles.

I sigh, my head against the book and letters in my eyes. The matter is so complicated, I just want to flush it out. Forget it. That's my future problem .

Then without warning something warm hits my shoulder.

I stumble back up with a gasp only to see Amara behind me. Her eyes are scrunched like they are about to cry and her lips quivering.
"Payal!" She whines like a child, even though I am right here, and her voice catches the attention of a few people.I look at her, indicating I am listening but clearly she does not get the hint.

"Payal!" she says louder ,voice cracking , her grip on my shoulder tightening. Her voice draws more people in to see the matter, but she however seems oblivious to it. And everything I was thinking about flies right out the window.

I am about to tell her to quiet down, and that I was listening when I realized all the heat in the room had shifted to us.

She's done it ladies and gentlemen. She managed to get the entire cafeteria looking at us with her childish stunt.

It's quiet for a while, and panic flares through my chest at everyone's sudden gaze.

In between the tables I see Neha suppressing her smile , Kairav openly laughing, his cackle the only thing piercing the silence and Vihaan, his gaze a bewilderment, shifting between the both of us.

I try to catch anything more in his reaction but that's all it remains.

He then looks at me and our eyes lock. My pupils dilate and I immediately flit my eyes away.