Forever: The phone call | Part 2 | Complete

Chapter 29

The chirpy little kids were enjoying themselves in the garden while the basketball ground of the sports complex was filled with dignitaries, speeches and a lot of donations.

After the car incident, I didn't specifically try and speak to Abhaas. It is all very confusing for me. I don't know what exactly I'm doing, loving him or pushing him away. But as of now, I'd stay away.

I was at the refreshments counter, serving lemonade and sweets to all. I was chatting with this sweet old lady when a guy came at the stall.
“So the legend is right, beautiful Ahana Kulkarni is here.” He commented.

After Kautuk and Roop, I'm very wary of being around flirts. So I just used my defence mechanism, Sarcasm!
“Oh, the legend is right. Creepy girl repeller is here.” I replied.

His smile dropped the instant and he further said,“And I know exactly why Abhaas was so scared of you.”

" Hey! You know Abhaas?”
" Yes, that guy didn't introduce us. I'm Bhavik your idiot boyfriend's best friend from Pune.”
He gestured his hand ahead.
I shaked my hand with him and said,
“Hi, I'm Ahana and he's not my boyfriend."
" He didn't propose to you?”

What kind of question is that for a first impression????

" He was going to propose me?” I asked.
" YEAH. That's why he came all the way from Pune. You don't have any idea how many times he practiced those lines. Ihave heard them so much I could propose you right now. The flowers that he gave you, he grow those himself.” Bhavik went on and on..

" Bhavik, um. I'm not trying to interrupt you but, I never got the flowers, neither the proposal. You do know that he had a major accident the night he was going back to Mumbai, don't you?”
He was stunned.
" Are you serious?”
" Yes. He never made it to the college party. We were scared when we got the news.”

Bhavik took a few moments and thought to himself standing like an iron statue. I don't really know what you do at such times so I just distributed some sweets in kids. When I was back, he spoke,

" I'll talk to him later. As of now Ahana, you both better get together. I have suffered a lot because of him.”

" Suffered as in?”
" How much he talks about you!! Ahana likes this, Ahana likes that. That girl talks like Ahana, that girl looks like Ahana. Being his roommate for two years enlightened me about anything and everything that Ahana Kulkarni is.”

" I wonder if he told you why he ran away from Mumbai in the first place.”
" Oh that! I can see why."

What does he mean by that!!!!!

"Look Ahana, I'll be honest with you. You are beautiful and hot but you are intimidating. When I saw you here at the counter, I had to go through two minutes of training session before I could even approach you. You have the vibes which say 'I Have Standards and I'll Judge You’. So when he realized how madly he's falling for you, he got scared. He told me how you threw shoes at him.”

" In my defense, the books from the shelf were over.”

I was irritated. Bhavik knew so much about me and he knew Abhaas loved me. Abhaas told everyone about this love. Freaking everybody except me.

“Yeah well, I'm glad there weren't knives and blades on the shelf.” He commented sarcastically.
I gave him a duh look and he continued.

“So fact of the matter is that the guy went back to Mumbai to propose you. I'm sure had he succeeded, you two would be married by now.”
" Okay dude, creep alert.” I went back a few steps.
" It is a metaphor Ahana. He was prepared that well. I'll tell you what happened on Rose day. So there was this public voting and Abhaas was voted as Rose king last year. Of course, there was this other girl voted to be Rose queen. They both danced on a song and then gave a thank you speech. There, on the stage, with over a thousand people watching, Abhaas said and I quote him ‘ I thank Ahana for this lovely dance’.”

I looked at him. Shocked.
" The Rose queen corrected him. When she told him that Ahana wasn't her name, he's asking, 'you aren't Ahana….well then who are you?’
We had to pull him down the stage because he was making a complete fool out of himself. He has such huge fan base there in college and he even dated few of them but none lasted a month. He was dubbed the ladies man of college and only we friends knew which lady's man he actually was. It took over two months to finally convince him to come and talk to you.
So when I see that you two are still 'just friends’ it hurts me. I have worked harder than a bodybuilder on that guy and yet nothing is working. What are you? Scaring my friend to his worst fears.”

" You make me sound like a monster. I'm not scaring him. I'm just confused. What if he runs away again?” I was being logically reasonable.

" Ahanaaaaa. The one thing that that guy wants is to be with you. The mere thought of angering you made him leave the city. Imagine. He's hesitant. But he loves you. Loves you so much. He's so committed that I'm refraining from flirting with you for his sake.”
He smirked and I made a poker face.

"Jokes apart. Ahana, you love him. I can see that. He loves you. I have experienced that. So you both better get together or I'm going to capture you two and get you married myself.”

" Bhavik, please don't irritate her.”
Both Bhavik and I turned behind and saw Abhaas there.
“Dude, I was just flirting with her. A tough nut to crack though. Not possible for me. Why don't you try?”

Abhaas held him by his collar and took him away. All this while, I was staring at him. Bhavik is right. I just can't hate that guy. I love him. I think I'm going to propose to him when we're back in Mumbai. It is time I do that. I know I love him, I really do. He left me but he came back. He's my Abhaas. My cream sweater. My love. Time to get my love back.