The One

Ch-18 The Plan

Diya:

"We will save Neelam first."

"We will complete the task first."

"I said, we. Will. Save. Neelam."

"And I said, we. Will. Complete. The. Task."

So, guys let me keep this short. The whole 4 hours passed since Nitin called a meeting for all the main characters, but till now, he and Manav, have not come up with any objective to discuss over. Yes, Manav formed an alliance with us, officially. 

Arjun was spacing out in every 10 minutes and he has already informed everyone to decide whatever they want. He is anyways going to save Neelam anyways at 12 pm. It was already 11:30 now. 

Risha was talking to other remaining people by screen. And I... Well, I was just trying to keep up with everything. The feelings I thought I can't have, or maybe I shouldn't have, were festering inside me slowly. After my father died, it broke me to the shreds, and the person I expected to be there beside me, is nowhere near me, and since then, I have forgotten the feeling called affection with almost everyone.

But when I had started to think again about the days when something bad had happened, Amayra's name was included every time, but there was this another name in the shadows I hadn't notice then, Triyansh, and by the time I did notice it, I had already lost my favourite person. 

Then at last, yesterday, I got a reason to talk to him. The feelings I felt, when I saw him staring at me on the road; like there is still some of that thing called affection inside me.

When I had seen his sapphire blue eyes gazing into my black scarlets, at that very moment I had felt all the feelings inside me shouting just one name, Arjun. After that, I had made a promise to myself that I will make him smile always; that I will protect him always and never ever leave that monkey, just as Amayra wanted from me.

But I failed. Alas!

He was the one who had tried his best to protect all of us. He again got hurt. He again was left alone to fight with the evil doers, and here I was just distracting myself. I knew my breakdown will break my sister too, who was panicking in fear but still stayed calm all the time, just for my sake. All I am doing is standing behind the shield. I couldn't protect him. I couldn't be with him. 

"This time, you seem to be spacing out; which is unusual." Arjun noticed my silence. 

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about the whole damn day." I grunted a bit.

"It is awesome to be positive. If Neelam would have been here, it would be awesome for real." 

"I know right."

Silence got both of us again, except the continuous quarrel between 3 of them, including Arjun's bratty friend too now. 

"'No matter what happens in your life, keep joking like you always do. It makes me strong.' That's what I had said when I was stuck in that fire in our school when we were preparing for school fair. You shouted from the outside that you want those roasted potatoes we baked to encourage me in your own specific way to force myself out of the school. I did succeed, but we were scolded and you were teary but smiling. I still remember that. I meant what I said back then. So, don't worry much. You helped me to keep my attacks far from the people."

He saw; he felt.

"But you should worry, the strongest. I don't think I am going to be with you if something ever happens to crack jokes." 

"And why the hell are you saying this?"

"Because that friend of yours right there is staring us from a while with those jealous brown eyes." I darted my eyes across the room to Saumya who was standing with Nitin.