ADHURI KAHANI: A tale of an amnesic bond

16. WHO'S HE?

FLASHBACK

INAAYA'S POV

I waited in front of the staff room after school, tapping my feet on the ground. I didn't understand why I felt so nervous; after all, it wasn't my assignment being submitted late—it was my best friend Ishaan's. Pacing back and forth, I anxiously waited for him to come out.

The door creaked open, and I peered inside. Recognizing the person who emerged, I immediately asked,

"Did she take it?"

His head hung low as the pre-rain breeze flowed and tousled his hair. The silence in response to my question confirmed my suspicion: the teacher had refused to accept his assignment.

 "It's okay. It's just 5 marks. Just do well in the exams."

Just then, he lifted his face to look at me with a grin.

"She took it!" he exclaimed, laughing like a maniac.

"You scared me!" I said, hitting his shoulder.

"Okay, okay! Sorry, sorry! Let's go now. It looks like it's about to rain."

I stopped hitting him and turned around to look at the sky. The school playground stretched wide before us, the darkening clouds indicating an imminent downpour

"Then we should slow down a bit. Don't you think?" I asked, knowing he hates rain as we started walking through the corridor.

"No, we should not do that! I hate rain! Let's get home as soon as possible!"

I rolled my eyes at him. I love rain.

"You are no fun."

"Barish mein bheegna fun ka definition nhi hota."

(Getting wet in the rain is not the definition of fun)

I was about to head back when the sound of raindrops falling echoed in my ears, growing stronger and louder with each passing second. I turned my head to look at him, a smug expression spreading across my face. His eyes, which had been focused outside, now locked onto mine, sheer horror evident in his gaze. He gave me a look that screamed, 'I am warning you, don't do it.' But I decided to ignore it.

"Inaaya,  don't-"

Before he could finish his sentence, I sprinted towards the playground, with Ishaan chasing after me, yelling at me not to jump into the rain. Ignoring his warnings, I laughed, enjoying the thrill of defiance.

"Just don't do it, Inaaya."

He was about to catch me, but I jumped, creating a safe distance between us.

"If you don't like the rain, then stay here!" I said, laughing.

"You know I am not going to leave you alone!" he yelled.

We descended to the playground through the stairs, becoming almost completely drenched. I stood still, waiting for Ishaan to catch up. When he did, I grabbed his hand and led him to the center of the playground. My laughter echoed around us. Though my best friend complained at first, his words soon turned into laughter. And this is the guy who always said he hated the rain.

PRESENT

ISHAAN'S POV

If someone had told me a few months ago that I'd develop an urge to see my secretary multiple times a day, I would have laughed and labeled them as crazy. One of my main objectives after coming to India was to avoid secretaries altogether—until she arrived.