invisible string ✓

twenty one

• ADVIKA •

Ishaan and I reached home after an hour of chatting and cracking jokes at the café when we saw Aarvi lying on the couch like a tortured poet.

“Hey!” I greeted her with fits of laughter triggered by her position. “So… Which pair broke up this time?”

“Not yet,” she pouted and sat upright, giving space for me and Ishaan. “There are rumours that Wes Bennett and Liz Buxbaum would break up in Nothing Than The Movies,” she reported and whined while it was my turn to whine as well.

Who wouldn't if they learn that the trademark couple of cheesy romcoms are having a bad time?

“Oh, God! No fucking way!” I yelled as though it wasn't about Wes and Liz's breakup, but was mine. “How can they do it?”

“And, guess what? I have a major spoiler on Your Fault,” she stated, referring to the second movie of the Spanish Culpables series. “There's a cheating trope.”

“What the fuck!” I yelled so loud that if I kept doing that, I might lose my voice for eternity.

“Wait. Let me explain. There's this misunderstanding going on between Nick and Noah, and Noah assumed that Nick is cheating behind her back. But… Nick is not cheating with anyone. Then, to take revenge for Nick's cheating—” Aarvi narrated the tragedy, quoting the word “Nick's cheating” in the air. “Noah is cheating on him for real. Bookstagram sources say this, but… Let's hope for the best.”

“No wonder why it was named Your Fault,” I sighed and got off the couch and continued, “You know what? We're not going to watch that shitshow,” with a yell and rushed to the washroom to refresh myself and get rid of the physical and mental tiredness.

I wasn't sure whether my decision was right, but I thought I was. Because, there's this Book Girl Math rule that says, “Thousands of murders are acceptable, but a cheating isn't.” And, as hardcore book girlies, Aarvi and I can't bear it and watch it.

As I stepped out of my restroom, I saw Ishaan and Aarvi sitting on the couch, laughing and chatting as if they're childhood best friends.

I coughed to notify them of my presence and… Let's say that I was successful in that.

“Hey, bitch!” Aarvi greeted me with a grin. “Ishaan had just told me about what had happened.” As she was done saying that, she had a grin so wide, notorious, and proud. “Proud of you, my child!” She raised her hand as if to bless me.

I bowed down as if to accept her blessings and replied, “Thank you so much, Godmother!”

She laughed more while Ishaan asked, “Girls. Can I ask you girls something?” Aarvi and I nodded our heads together and Ishaan asked, “Can I see the book?”

“Which book?” Aarvi asked before I could tell him where was “the book”?

“I mean… You Belong With Me.”

The room fell into a silence that felt like eternity while the three of us exchanged glances with each other.

“Well… It's in the shelf.” I pointed at the shelf east to the couch and looked at it, my eyes searching through the shelf for a particular olive green-coloured spine. “Aarvi, where's the book?” I raised my voice at Aarvi, who was giving the stare that told me she had did something to that book. “Aarvi, where is it?” I lowered my voice a little and tilted my head to my right.

“I… Ummm… The thing is…” She stuttered and swallowed hard in a way that told me she had done something major. “I gave the book to Neha. She asked for it to read during her Europe trip,” she confessed, referring to Neha as our neighbour who had gone for a Europe trip to her newlywed husband Neel.