Faded Ties, Rekindled Hearts

Chapter 10

As Yuvraj parked his car at school and stepped out, he heard a familiar voice call out from behind him, "Dekh raha hai Abeer? Log senior year mein aate hi kaise badal jaate hain, bina bataye school aa jaate hain!"

Yuvraj turned around, already laughing at the playful tone. "Ho gaya tera, Adi?" he shot back, his grin wide. Standing before him were his best friends, Adi, Abeer, and Aryaman, each with their own smirk plastered across their faces.

Adi, the drama king of the group, dramatically placed a hand on his chest. "Hum yahan apne bhai ke intezaar mein aankhein bichaaye khade hain, aur ye sahab bina message kiye school aa gaye! Dosti ke rishton mein itna distance kabse aane laga?"

Abeer, the more sarcastic one, chimed in with a smirk. "Senior year mein paon kya rakha, attitude badh gaya hai bhai ka. Ab bina bataye hi aaye ho, kal ko bina humare gym bhi chale jaoge?"

Yuvraj shook his head, laughing. "Tum teeno ka drama kabhi khatam nahi hota, hai na?"

Aryaman, the wittiest of the group, added with a deadpan expression, "Ab hum tumhare life ke villains ban chuke hain, Yuvraj. Tumhe humse dosti nibhaani padegi."

The four friends burst into laughter, the lighthearted teasing and banter flowing naturally between them. Despite the jabs and jokes, their bond was as solid as ever. They had been through thick and thin together, and moments like these—filled with carefree banter—reminded Yuvraj of how lucky he was to have them in his life.

"Chal ab andar chal," Yuvraj finally said, slinging his arm around Adi's shoulder. "Mujhe tum teeno ki silly baatein miss ho gayi thi, waise."

Abeer raised an eyebrow. "Silly baatein? Excuse me, humari ye priceless commentary hai."

Aryaman nodded, continuing the joke. "Ha, aur yeh commentary har kisi ko naseeb nahi hoti."

They all laughed again, their voices echoing through the parking lot as they headed toward the school building, teasing each other like always.

As Yuvraj put his bag down on the last bench in class, he suddenly felt a soft hand grab his bicep from behind. A familiar, sultry voice whispered, "Ohh, Yuvraj... poore summer vacation mein tum ek baar bhi mujhse milne nahi aaye. Kitna miss kiya maine tumhe."

Yuvraj's expression instantly changed. Anger flashed across his face as he turned around sharply, only to find Avni standing there, smiling up at him with fake innocence. Without hesitation, he pushed her hand away, his voice cold and firm. "Stay away, Avni. Don't you get it? Aur yeh konsi misunderstanding hai tumhari ki hum dost hain? Mai to tumhe acknowledge bhi nahi karna chahta. So, please, stop this."

Avni's smile faltered for a moment, hurt flashing in her eyes before she quickly masked it with a pout. "Yuvraj, tum aisa kyun behave kar rahe ho? We're friends..."

Before Yuvraj could respond, Adi, who had been watching the whole scene from a distance, stepped in with his trademark grin. "Friend? Avni, tu toh khud ko ek tarah se Yuvraj ki best friend samajh rahi hai. But truth bomb—ye banda tujhe apne 10km radius mein bhi nahi chahta."

Abeer, who was leaning against a nearby desk, snickered. "Kya yaar Avni, ab toh tumhe samajh jana chahiye. Bhai has drawn his lines pretty clearly."

Aryaman, always more blunt, simply shook his head. "Yuvraj has other priorities, Avni. Tumhe usse dosti ka koi idea kyun lagta hai, ye toh samajh ke bahar hai."

Avni, trying to maintain her composure, bit her lip. "Fine," she muttered before stomping off, her frustration clear.

Yuvraj watched her leave, feeling a mix of relief and annoyance. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair as if trying to rid himself of the lingering irritation. "Kab samjhegi yeh ladki?" he muttered under his breath.