Meant to Be

3. Gargee

"As the conversation flowed, I couldn't help but feel tad awkward about my silence. So, I decided to dive in and share my own high school experiences.

'Actually, my school life was quite unique compared to yours,' I said, 'I spent classes six through twelve at a boarding school in Mussoorie.' Ritu, Prisha, and Akshat exchanged knowing glances, familiar with my backstory, but Vedant's eyes lit up with curiosity, his interest piqued by my revelation."

"I was always drawn to the idea of living away from my parents, free from pressure and surrounded by friends," I shared. "But my time at boarding school taught me valuable lessons, and I decided to pursue my graduation in Delhi."

Vedant's curiosity got the better of him. "Don't you want to explore other places, beyond Delhi?"

I thought for a moment before responding, "I do want to travel, but since I didn't spend much time with my family, I'd like to make the most of these college years with them. After graduation, I'll be open to moving farther away."

As our conversation came to a close, I headed to pay for my choco vanilla cake, only to discover that Vedant had already taken care of the bill.
We stepped out of the cafe, and I expressed my gratitude. "Vedant, you shouldn't have paid for the cake alone; I had a bigger share of it!"

He smiled and reassured me, "It's alright, Gargee, no worries."

I insisted, "Next time, it's my turn to treat you."

Vedant agreed with a warm smile, "Okay."

Prisha chimed in, "Vedant, you shouldn't have paid for her; she's peculiar about not owing others money. It took her a while to get comfortable with sharing expenses."

Vedant's face lit up with a joyful smile. "I didn't know, but she's promised to treat me next time. I'm looking forward to it!"

I wondered if he was always this cheerful or if I brought out this side of him.

As Akshat had suggested, we gave Ritu and him some alone time.

We cleverly sent Ritu to the restroom and made a quick escape to Vedant's car in the parking lot.

Our next stop was a stationery shop, where I needed to pick up some essentials for Rishi.

Vedant and Prisha assisted me in finding what I needed, and I paid for the items.

As we returned to the car, Vedant joked that he didn't want to look like our chauffeur, so Prisha sat in the front seat. He offered to drop us off at our respective homes.

During the drive, Ritu called to let me know that Akshat would be dropping her off, which was fine since our families were already acquainted with our friends.

Akshat dropped Prisha off first, and as she exited the car, he asked me to sit in the front seat. I did, and we both chose to enjoy the silence during the rest of the drive to my home.