Hope of it all

4. The debate

Author's note
....

I will be updating one chapter every day as the book has just started. I will gradually update twice a week after the book picks up the pace. Please keep reading and I promise you will enjoy the ride. Love y'all and thank you for 47 reads, it's a lot more than I expected for such a short span of time. 🫶
Also, follow my insta account : aastha_writes888

Author's POV

"I am Aastha, me and my group stand for 'money can buy happiness'. Everything these days runs on money. I am sure a poor person is not as happy as a wealthy person. I mean, c'mon we all can agree that crying in a BMW is better than crying on a bicycle" she says with a chuckle.
Her team cheers for her when she finishes.

"My name is Aarav and this group stands for 'money can't buy happiness'. Wealth is good and all but it shouldn't replace joy. What if that one rich person doesn't have what we all need. Love, care, support, a family basically. Then he's just a poor man with money."

His team cheers for him and pats him on his back. But he doesn't even smile. He just glares at her.

Sushant, sitting on the third bench from Aastha's team gets up to speak "That rich man still has food to eat, a shelter to live under. He will survive."

The class erupted with ooos and aahs.

"Will he survive though? Who will make sure he eats the food he's given?" A girl from Aarav's team replies with confidence and Aarav gives her a high five.

Aarav's bench partner, Harsh adds on "arey paise hath ka mail hote hai. Kabhi hai toh, kabhi nhi hai"

(Translation: Money is not permanent. It comes and it goes)

Aastha rolls her eyes at them and looks at Khushi, her bench mate coming up with a point. "When you have wealth, you have control. Power. Respect. No one corrects a rich person's grammar."

"Money is a number and these numbers are endless. A person's greed will never let them be satisfied wi-"

Aastha cuts him off and says "Agar tumhare paas itne hi paise hai toh mere account mein transfer kardo".

He huffs with irritation and begins to counter but the bell rings.

He was filled with annoyance and anger. He hated losing. But he just realised that the thing he hated more was loosing to her.

Aastha smirked at his obvious fury. She loved winning. She smiled with contentment and satisfaction.

When she begun to pack her things, her phone pinged with a notification.

"Aarav Banerjee has transferred Rs 11 to your bank account"

Aastha's POV

HOW DARE HE! He's such an arrogant asshole! He must have found my number from the class group. I look at him and he's already looking at me waiting for me to react but I don't give him the satisfaction. All I do is look at him with a neutral expression. Khushi tells me that we need to leave or else we would run late for the next lecture.

So I stand up and look away from him. I walk away and he does the same. Me and Khushi turn right and he takes a left.

He's not in my next class. And that's a good thing.

"Then why did you feel disappointed?" My subconscious asks me

Spoiler alert: My subconscious hates me

After 4 lecture filled with introductory speeches. College was finally over. That asshole and me only have one lecture in common.

An hour later, I ring the door bell and my 8 year old sister, Kaashvi wraps me in a hug. "Didi...aap mere liye kuch laye kya?"

(Translation: Sister.. did you bring something for me?)

"Aashu, mai college gayi thi... Shopping karne nahi".

My mom comes out of the kitchen "kon aaya aashu?... Aastha! Kaisa tha din?"

(Who is at the door,aashu? Oh it's aastha! How was your day?)

"Accha tha mumma" I reply

(It was good, mom)

"Maine pakode banaye hai. Fresh hoke aaja"

(I have cooked. Freshen up)

I change my clothes and wash my face . I come back to the dining table where both my parents were sitting. I join them by taking a seat. "Kaisa tha first day of college?"

(Translation: How was your first day of college?)

"What do I tell you, dad. Everything was perfect until this guy bumped into me and spilled coffee all over my manual. I spent so much time making it. And then in English lecture, we were debating and I won. And he-"

"Arey, mera baccha, relax! You will find guys like that a lot. Don't be bothered by them" he says interrupting my rant.

I smile at him and mumma stuffs a pakoda into my mouth while Kaashvi giggles at me.

Aarav's POV

I sent money to her account and expected her to react but she didn't. She looked straight into my eyes. Under her gaze, I feel... Bare.

Some eyes touch you more than hands could ever.

Anyway, college was finally over and I unlocked my front door.
The emptiness and silence greets me. But soon enough Coco, my dog barks and runs toward me.

I laugh, genuinely, the kind of laughs and chuckles I only give to my dog.

"Hey Coco! How was your day?" I ask him as I give him belly rubs.

I hear the front door unlock and it's my dad

"Aarav! You're home. Freshen up, i will make you some tea and we can talk about your day"

"I don't really feel like it, dad. I'll just take a nap" I walk to my room

"Oh alright. How was your day though?" he asks obviously dissapointed.

"Fine." I slam the door shut.

I hate doing this to him. He cares about me and he's worried. I don't even deserve such a caring and loving father like him.

A tear streams down my cheek but I brush it away and collapse on the bad.

I hold Coco as I fall asleep...

💗

Well, that was a long chapter. If you're reading till the end.. trust me, I am so grateful.
Keep voting and commenting and make sure to add "hope of it all" to your library/reading lists.