Aap Koun Hai? PT 1

the Best Friend Dilemma 🫰

I rush into my next class, my face beaded with marbles of sweat, my legs aching from running across the campus, and the cloth of my kurta sticking to my sweaty skin.

Great. This is what being around Vihaan for even the slightest moment gets me into. People who were in the other class look at me strangely once they realized I wasn't there before. So I don't dare to initiate a conversation with them.

I feel the makeup melt right off my skin and I regret wearing such heavy jewellry and hot clothes. My hair I am sure, looks like a birds nest after it was messed up against the wall. The butterfly clip now hangs loose in my hair, compared to how firm I clipped it in before.

I catch a glimpse of the disastrous state it's in the shiny window , and immediately, my hands reach up to their work. But as I do, my ears pick up the assumptions I hear about myself from the other students, as they walk in taking their seats and huddling with one another

I think she was with Vihaan.

Omg their dating right?But I thought he had tried to choke her?

Yeah yeah.

I heard he was out too!

She looks so messy what happened to her?

Right? What did he do to her?

I don't think I want to hear anymore. But their words do scare me a little on how fast this was going. How everyone is already making assumptions about us. That is usually my task to figure out, it's usually my task to assume, find out if they are true. But it doesn't sit right being on the other side.I

Suppose they think it is true? That we're…

Anyway, whatever. I am just here to figure out what's with this weird guy.As long as no one finds out about who is responsible for Drama Quill I don't care what they think, nor what rumor they spread about me. But still a part of me wonders how far the rumour must have spread. Who knows? Did my father hear about this? Forget him-does my mom and my brothers know?

But then she comes in.

When I see Amara walk in, with a bewildered expression sitting on her face, all that flies out the window. Does she know that we are actually dating?
She must have heard the rumor.

I swallow slumping back in my seat
But her eyes scour the room until they land on mine, and  she makes her way to me.
Great.

What was I going to tell her? If I lie to her saying that I did this one on my own will and terms then she can take it in two ways:
She would probably think that Mr.Leela is still forcing me to do this,or she would think I am betraying her.

No matter what I cannot let her think the first one…but how could I let her think that I betrayed her?

There was no time to make a decision,because in a few moments she slithered around the desks and chairs between us until she was right before me.

I don't dare to turn to her, but it didn't matter, her eyes were lost somewhere else. she gulps sitting down.

"Payal," she mutters, her eyes were shiny, holding back years .

"Han" I say, still not looking at her.

"A-are you dating Vihaan?"  She blurts, her hands fisting her satin pink skirt.

I pause, my voice heavy, unwilling to answer.

"Yes" I say anyway.

"Why?" She asks calmly,  "Is it because of Mr.Leela?"