Darmiyaan :- Incomplete but beautiful...

Ch - 14 Fading Bonds

As Vansh and the boys who had been involved in the fight walked out of the examination room, everyone immediately crowded around him. Anny, Rudra, Tani, Tanish, Himansh, Dishu, Prish, Nick, Ansh and Sakshi—all of them looked worried and curious. Their eyes were filled with questions, and it was clear they wouldn't let him go without some answers.

"What happened, Vansh?" Rudra asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Why did you fight with them?" Tanish added, looking at the group of boys who were now walking away in a different direction.

Vansh shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid their expectant stares. His hands found their way into his pockets, and he shrugged casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

"It was nothing," he said, keeping his tone light. "Just a normal argument that got out of hand. You know how these things happen sometimes."

But no one was satisfied with that answer. Anny crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "You’re telling me a simple argument turned into a full-on fight? Vansh, come on, we know you better than that."

Sakshi added softly, "If it’s something serious, we can help. You don’t have to hide it."

Vansh shook his head, brushing them off. "It’s no big deal, really. Just some misunderstanding. Don’t worry about it, guys."

For a few more minutes, they tried to press him, asking what had really triggered the fight. But Vansh kept his responses vague, repeating that it was nothing worth stressing over. The tension in the air slowly began to dissolve as they realized he wasn’t going to open up.

Eventually, Dishu broke the silence, glancing at the time. "We should head to class before we’re late."

Reluctantly, the group agreed. One by one, they started to move toward their respective classes, still exchanging glances as if they all felt there was more to the story than Vansh was letting on. But for now, they had no choice but to let it go.

As Vansh walked to his class, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of their concern behind him. He knew they'd ask again, but for now, he was relieved they didn’t push any further.
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~Time skipped to the 7th period~

Anny stepped out of her classroom, her head feeling heavy from the back-to-back lectures. The school day was dragging, and she needed a moment to clear her thoughts. After getting permission from the teacher, she walked down the hallway, heading towards the water cooler to fill her bottle. The air outside the classroom was refreshing, but her thoughts were elsewhere—mostly on Vansh and the fight from earlier.

As she made her way back, she spotted Vansh near the ground, where his games period was in full swing. The memory of lunch came flooding back, and the questions she hadn’t gotten answered kept nagging at her. Without thinking twice, she hurried over to him.

"Vansh, mujhe tujhse kuch baat karni hai. Come with me," she said firmly, grabbing his hand. Vansh, caught off guard, let her lead him to a quiet corner away from the field.

Once there, Anny wasted no time. Her eyes were sharp, focused on him. "Mujhe sach janna hai, jhooth mat boliyo. Kyu lada tu unse?" she demanded, her voice tinged with frustration.

Vansh, knowing he could never lie to her, stayed silent, avoiding her gaze. He could feel the weight of her anger building.

"Vansh, I'm talking to you!" she pressed, her tone growing firmer. She was visibly upset, her brows furrowed and arms crossed tightly. Her patience was running thin.

Finally, Vansh exhaled deeply, surrendering to her persistence. He knew there was no way out—Anny wouldn't leave without the truth. He began to narrate the entire scene, how the boys had been making comments about her and how he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

Anny listened quietly at first, but as Vansh finished, her expression shifted from anger to disbelief. "Seriously? Vo mere baare mein bol rahe the, toh tu unse ladne lag gaya? Are you mad or what?" Her voice was sharp, but there was a hint of exasperation, as if she couldn’t believe Vansh would fight over something so trivial.

Vansh’s face tightened with anger. "Toh aur kya karta main? Vo tere baare mein kuch bhi bolte rehte aur main sunta rehta?" His fists clenched at his sides as the anger bubbled up again.

Anny’s voice grew louder, her frustration spilling over. "Toh har cheez ka solution sirf gussa ya ladayi nahi hoti, Vansh! Tujhe last warning di hai teachers ne, lekin tujhe kahan samajh aane wala hai. Tujhe toh bas ladna hai!"

Vansh snapped back, his temper matching hers. "Toh tu mujhse aur kya expect karti hai? Koi mere kisi dost ke baare mein kuch bolega toh main ladunga! Aur specially tere baare mein bolega toh zarur ladunga!" His voice was fierce, and his eyes burned with a mixture of frustration and protectiveness.

Anny, now completely flustered, shouted, "Kyun ladega? Kyun ladega specially mere liye? merko itni special treatment kyun?" Her voice echoed in the empty corridor, her anger laced with confusion.

Vansh, cornered, shouted back, "Because I...!" But his words got stuck in his throat. He froze mid-sentence, realizing what he was about to say. His face softened for a second, but he quickly looked away, his expression guarded.

Anny’s eyes widened, her heart racing. "Because I what, Vansh? Bol na! Aage bol! Because I kya?" she pushed, her voice lower but filled with urgency.

Vansh swallowed hard. "Kuch nahi," he muttered, his voice barely audible. He couldn't look her in the eye anymore.

Anny shook her head, clearly hurt by his refusal to open up. "Fine. Tujhe meri baat sunni toh hai nahi, mat sun. Aage se samjhaane bhi nahi aungi." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed back towards her classroom, her steps echoing with frustration.

Vansh stood there, watching her walk away, frustration clouding his thoughts. He clenched his fists, still simmering with anger. But beneath all that, he knew the truth—no matter how upset they were, they couldn't stay mad at each other for long. Their bond was too strong for that. Vansh knew Anny, just like him, wouldn’t be able to go without talking to him for too long. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. This silence between them wouldn’t last, and deep down, he was already counting the moments until one of them broke it.
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The final school bell echoed through the halls, signaling the end of the day. Students poured out of classrooms, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Vansh, feeling a mix of guilt and determination, made his way toward the main gate, hoping to catch Anny and set things right.

Outside, Anny stood with her friends—Himansh, Tani, Rudra, Sakshi, and Tanish—waiting for their respective vans and rides. They chatted about the day, unaware of the conflict simmering between Anny and Vansh.

Himansh noticed Vansh approaching and nudged Tani with a smirk. "Woh dekho, hero aa gaya apne apology leke," he whispered.

As Vansh reached them, he forced a smile and tried to meet Anny's eyes, but she looked away, her expression stiff. He took a deep breath and walked closer.

Vansh :- Heyy... Nish😅

Anny doesn’t respond to him and tries to leave from there.

Vansh :- Are yaar sun to mujhe terse kuch baat karni hai

Anny :- Lekin mujhe terse koi baat nhi karni

Vansh tries to stop her, but she walks toward her van. Meanwhile Tani and Himansh notice all this and try to talk to Vansh.

Himansh :- Tumhari firse koi ladai ho gyi kya

Vansh :- Haan bhaii

Tani :- Ab kis baat pr

Vansh :- vhiii...ki me lda kyu😮‍💨

Tani :- Are koi nhi maan jayegi kabtak hi baat nhi karoge tum...chill

Himansh :- Haan tumhara to roz ka hai ek din ladte ho agle din fir saath ghoomte ho

Vansh :- hn...hope so maan jaye jaldi

Vansh nodded, trying to muster a small smile, but his gaze remained fixed on the road where Anny’s van had vanished. Inside, a swirl of questions and regret filled him. Had he done the right thing by confronting those boys? Did Anny really think he’d overreacted?

With this....this chapter ends here
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Thanks for reading 😇