The Rivals (Rewriting)

Shot-56

*Flashback continues*

P.S- (3544 words, my personal best) Be ready for a really LONG read.

The pained look on Randhir's face as I turned him around in the hallway gave away everything he was having in his thoughts then.

His eyes darted behind me before turning back on my face. The usual musky scent of his was replaced by something I couldn't decipher. His steps swayed a little as he created some distance between us with a hurt expression.

"Had fun dancing in the party with our enemy Sanyukta?" His expression almost radiated the hatred he felt for the guy behind me and for me too probably.

"Randhir, I.." He cut me off by saying some of the most hurtful words that ever left his mouth for me.

"Oh I am sorry. Did you guys want some privacy? That's why you left the hall right? Oh my bad. I won't be in your path from now on.." His voice was animated and he roughly shoved me off, making me tumble a bit and walked away from me and Rehan.

I watched his retreating back in shock and anger. How dare he assume that? How dare he even humiliate me in front of Rehan when we were supposed to be partners against Rehan's team?

We were a team.

We were friends.

I had myself shielded from any hurt. I had presumed that nothing could hurt me anymore. But why did his accusation pierce my heart? Why was I feeling so helpless? Why did my heart ache to run to him and pour out the deepest of my emotions? Why did I feel like justifying myself to him? I had stupidly presumed that maybe his behavioral changes in the last few months indicated to something growing between us. I had assumed that he liked me back! And also to think I packed food for him in a tissue! Gah!

It's just than my heart clicked that whatever happened, I'd always be running back to him. He felt like home to me. I liked him so much that it hurt then. His anger hurt. His words spoken in anger hurt. His stupidness hurt. Him walking away from me hurt. Him assuming something going on between me and Rehan hurt.

From then on I decided that assumptions aren't that good of a thing.

A hand on my shoulder pulled me back from my thoughts. I looked around and met Rehan's concerned gaze.

"Sanyukta.. It's okay. You don't need to feel bad about that. He is being a jackass now."

My mind couldn't help but commemorate Randhir's hurtful words and that pained expression that was etched in his face. I was angry at him for humiliating me but at the same time, I wanted to follow him and ask him what had caused him that pain. I was caught up with so many emotions in such a short time that my head felt like on the verge of exploding. But I still needed answers.

"Rehan.. I will see you around. I need to lay down for a bit. I am way too tired to go back to the party.." He aligned his lips in a thin line before nodding curtly at that.

"Take care.." I heard him whisper as I turned on my heels and walked towards the exit that Randhir went through few moments ago.

******////*******

I tried to control myself. I tried hard not to think about him while ascending the stairs to the dorms but as soon as my heels clicked on the floor of the last stair, I found myself,-albeit frustratingly-,striding opposite, towards the boys dorm.

I turned the handle of the door, reading the name plate 'St.Louis-1'. I wondered why there were two rooms designated to St.Louis in the boys dorm. All we girls got was a single room with bunker beds. Well the room was spacious and comfortable enough to be honest. The boys room was painted in a deep shade of blue and that instantly got me judging on St. Peter's sexism,-pink for girls and blue for boys? I mean, who wouldn't judge them?