ShivOmRu SS ~ Cross Connections

Chapter 9

Tia was sitting in her hostel room applying nail-paint. Malli was sitting on her bed with a Mills & Boons in hand, but she wasn't reading, she was absently staring at it. Tia frowned, Malli was changing. She wasn't as bubbly as she was even a week or so back. The girl who could chatter around non-stop and even make Tia's brain go fuzzy, nowadays the same girl remained aloof thinking all the time - who knew what ate her? It would be wrong to say that Tia wasn't concerned, unlike the behenji, Tia was quite fond of her roomie Malli. But right now, her curiosity about Daksh's personal life, surpassed her concern for Malli. This was the right time, she could drop in the small question and if she knew better, Malli wouldn't even notice she asked her, she would just answer in monotony.

"Oyi Malli, you okay? You seem very lost" began Tia.

"Huh? No...no I am fi-fine" she muttered in response.

"Acha woh Daksh, doesn't he have a girlfriend?" she put in as casually as she could. But it didn't help, Malli's head snapped up at the mention of Daksh. She looked at Tia with an uncertain hope in her eyes, something Tia couldn't quite place. Then she asked,

"Why do you ask Tia? Does he look like he is in love?" Mallika asked, she didn't notice Tia's intention behind her question, she just wanted to know about Daksh - did others see his love for her? Did she only not notice?

Tia looked at her face, well there was no teasing coming from her tonight, it was safe.

"I don't know yaar, he seems like someone who can hide his personal life, that makes people curious. Does he have a girlfriend? Have you ever asked him?"

Mallika lowered her head in anguish, she wanted to tell Tia that Daksh did have a girlfriend, and a soon to be fiance too - but she remembered that Daksh wanted to hide the news, it hurt her, but she kept quite. Then an idea struck her,

"I don't know Tia, but I can ask though" Mallika wanted to know her worth in Daksh's life, her asking would have made Daksh feel she was immature, she didn't want that tag anymore - but Daksh seemed okay with Tia, however she is, so she decided she could ask this question and say Tia wanted to know - she and Tia would both get their answers then. She cheered up a bit.

Tia smiled, her plan had worked, she would soon know.

***

Shivay was waiting outside the apartment ringing the doorbell for five minutes now. He kept waiting, no one answered the door, he was a bit irritated now, the message was delivered all right, and then what was cooking? He waited for another fifteen minutes and then left the place in blatant irritation.

When he reached the multiplex, he saw that all of them had reached already, they were waiting for him. He eyed her with coldness, and she looked away - her indifference stung. Shivay ignored her and went ahead to chat up with Rudra and Somu. Somu looked a bit disturbed though, he wondered why.

When they entered the seats row in the screening room, Shivay noticed Anika jovially chatting with both Daksh and Om, she paid him no heed. Tia's eyes were obviously on Daksh's movements, but he had had enough - he saw Om taking the corner most seat inside, of their row. Daksh followed him. Tia was about to follow Daksh, but Shivay held on to her hand and gave her a hard look. Tia obviously didn't want to be too conspicuous so she kept mum and waited with Shivay. But in Shivay's attempt to keep Tia from Daksh, he realized, he gave a free pass to Anika to glide in next to Daksh. An angry puff escaped his lip, and before anybody could walk in next, he did, still clutching on to Tia's hand. After them Rudra and Somz followed.

All wasn't lost, thought Shivay. Anika and Tia, both were on his either sides. Well the bummer was Anika had Daksh by her other side too.

The movie began, Tia let out a bored sigh, she wasn't interested in these movies, her object of interest wasn't near her and being stuck between psychotic Somz and her brother Shivay wasn't exactly going to help her case - especially when Shivay looked annoyed for some reason and Somz looked disturbed.