ONE LAST TIME (Discontinued)

CHAPTER 16

Hello! I know I said I will update soon but ugh, I suck at keeping promises, but here it is. Hope it's not bad. 

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"Nandini are you going to sit there all the time?" Alya's loud voice dragged me out of my brooding thoughts and I whipped my head around to see her and Navya standing in the aisle beside the seats with hands on their hips and reproachful looks painted on their faces.

"Come on! Join us!" Alya implored shrilly and I looked between both of them in silent contemplation even though my answer was already ready.

No thanks.

Ever since he had left me without an answer, I hadn't moved a single inch from my place, there wasn't any point to it and it wasn't like I was up for walking around the plane, pretending like all this was normal and that I wasn't just more than a hundred feet above the ground. Even the thought of it gave me shudders and the clinch of the seat belt around my waist was the only solace.

That and the enchanting view outside my window were the only things that were safeguarding my mind from descending into a painfully tumultuous chaos that would end up hurting me even more than I already was.

"Nandini!" Alya shrieked, "We are talking to you!"

Had I zoned out? Of course. My mood was too black to concentrate on anything at the moment and now wasn't the time I could entertain Alya and her plans.

"I'm sorry Alya," I said as sincerely as possible. Putting out every word was a struggle since my mind begged me to go back to the serene calm I had successfully enveloped myself in, "I'm fine here."

"You are missing out on the fun!" She whined and it really touched my heart that she was making so many efforts to include me with them but it just wasn't cutting it for me, "Come on Navya! Tell her!"

On her command, Navya gave me a scrutinizing look and I shied away from her gaze. She knew me too well to know that something was amiss but I was determined to avoid an interrogation by her. Talking about it to her was a wasted exercise.

She was the last person who could do anything about it.

"Alya its okay, let her be." Navya spoke and I stifled a groan. I could easily identify her tone and the look in her eyes. She wasn't bailing me out from Alya, she was just reducing the party for an unwanted (on my side) tête-à-tête. Dammit! Navya siding with me was NOT a blessing this time!

"You go ahead, I will catch up later." She told Alya firmly drowning out her loud protests but one silent look from Navya was enough to send her packing which was absolutely detrimental to my mission to remain in solitude.

No. No. No.

I could see Alya pouting petulantly as she moved away and I was briefly inspired to throw a childish tantrum, complete with kicking and screaming, if that's what it took to preserve a little bit of my mental peace from Navya's inevitable assault.

I began hurriedly, as soon as she slid into the seat next to me, "Navya you can go. It's okay. I don't-"

"Shut up!" She snapped so authoritatively that all my words turned to ash in my mouth and I was left gaping at her. Navya?! Who knew she had it in her?!

"What's going on between you and him?" She demanded, directly cutting to the chase and my eyes widened in shock. I knew an inquisition was about to come but her being so biting and frank had caught me off guard and my natural reflex to avoid and run kicked in.