Conundrum 》ICT AU

-21-

"Is it just me or does today seem exceptionally hot?" Meera asked, fanning herself.

"I'm here, that's why you feel so hot." Hardik snickered. "Ouch, my fucking arm! That hurt, you tool." He runner his arm, frowning at her while she laughed. Though the smile took over eventually.

"Serves you right." She laughed, pointing to a restaurant. "I'm so tired from walking, let's have some cocktails!"

"You mean mocktails, since we're neither legal nor do we have the money." He laughed. "More like sugarcane juice, you know?"

"Shut up and let me live, bitch."

Ah, the times where we only had to worry about where to hang out next and where to ge the cheapest food.

—

"So when you said food, I really was expecting you and Meera, you know?" Gia said, sitting down and removing her sunglasses and looking at him.

"How are you Hardik? What's going on with you?" Hardik said in a higher voice. "Oh I'm fine, how are you?" He said in his voice, laughing when Gia rose to try and hit him.

"Okay okay!" Gia laughed. "What do you want to eat?"

"So, what's the one thing that you've been hiding from the general population?" Gia asked, as they both ate.

"Hmm, that's easy." He said, putting down his spoon. "No one knows I'm from a middle class family, well except Meera." He shrugged.

"You're from a middle class family?" She asked, astonished. "How in the world did you even hide that?"

"No one asked, they all just assumed." He grinned. "Best lie I've told in my entire life and it's not even a lie."

"Hmm, that's smart." She hummed, eating her food.

"Same question." He wipes his mouth with the napkin. "What's the one thing you've been hiding from the general population?"

"If this got out, this could ruin me." She spoke after a few minutes. "You have to promise me you don't tell anyone."

"Promise."

"I'm adopted." She grinned, wiping her mouth. "Check please." She gestured to the waiter, turning back to look at him who still had his mouth open.

"How? You guys look the same!" He gestured.

"We are family, just that I'm not their daughter." She said. "I'm their niece, actually. My parents died in a house fire and no one knows because I was about 2 months old when they died."

"For all purposes, they are my parents, really." She shrugged. "I've never known anything else."

"I'm sorry." He said, eyes filled with pity. "I really am."

"Don't be." She laughed. "You should feel really special, you're only the second person out of the family to know this."

—

"What's really the matter?" Simran asked as she walked in the washroom, Anushka waiting there.

"First of all, I'm sorry." Anushka said, taking her by surprise. "I'm sorry that we targeted you and potentially ruined your relationship. I'm personally sorry for blackmailing you too."

"What brought this on?" She asked, doubting her.

"I'm tired." She said, walking towards her. "I really am. I just want a good life, man."

"Way to go about it." Simran snickered. "You ruined my life."

"To be really honest, you ruined your own life when you said yes." Anushka glared. "But I'm saying sorry."

"You're right, for once." She sighed. "I'm sorry too, you know? We used to be best friends and this shit happened."

"Friends again?" Anushka extended her hand.

Simran looked at her.

"What really brought this on, can I know?"

"It was something Virat said." She put her hand down. "He's just being the bad guy because he only knows how to do that. Knowingly or unknowingly, I've pushed him there as well. I just want all of us to go back to normal."

"If you really want all of us to get together, you need to know this." She takes a deep breath.

"I'm kind of in love with Virat."

—

It's been a while since Simran and Anushka was shown in a good light, so I'm really happy with them!
#progress

Also, which character is number one on your most hated list right now? There's so many to pick from!

And I'm also thinking about bringing some side characters to centrepieces next chapter, a good filler?

Meh😅