Chapter ~13: Shrutika

“At the end of the day” she paused “It’s nothing, I can do about this feeling.”

I don’t know how to console her. What should I say?

I was just blankly listening to her.

The main problem was neither about her talking nor my incompetency to console her but was that she was smiling.

Smiling!
I never knew a smile can be this broken.

I never knew a smile can be this painful.

I never knew a smile can be this hurtful.

I never knew a smile can be this lonely.

I never knew, until I saw hers!!

“Vanshika!” I called her name while getting up from the couch.

I walk towards the bed, sat beside her and asked, “Are you ‘ok’?”

“Yes!” she said with tears filled in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

I was feeling so useless.

I don’t even know what to say?

Out of sudden she hugged me tightly like her life depend on a single hug.

She starts sobbing…

I want to say something, all to make her smile but words were too heavy.

I too hugged her tightly and start sobbing.

Seconds passed then minutes we were just sitting there, hugging each other while sobbing in each other’s arms.

She murmured “I expected too much!”

I broke the hug!

“NO!” I said with rage in my voice “No, it is your right to have expectation, every girl has expectations.”

“But-” she was about to say something, I cut it and said “There is nothing wrong in having expectation and there is not only one boy in whole universe! That stupid vomited whatsoever you can’t say that was truth. You have lot more worth than that stupid’s assumption. If he didn’t treat you better the other will, sticking on him will lead to the downfall but all you deserve is the best.”

What the hell I just spoke.

Words just came out all sudden from my mouth.

How could she think she expected more?

I took a deep breath and wiped her tears, put her head on my lap and start caressing it.

“Vanshika, we all deserve someone special in our life, ‘A Special One’ who bloom our life and fill it with the scent of love.” I said, what I believe somewhere in my heart.

For once I didn’t believe that Nishkarsh can do it, though he is a little rude toward us but what he did today was too much.

After few min she falls into sleep, but sleep was far away from my eyes.

All I was thinking about what happened and what is going to happen.

When Vanshika and Nishkarsh will meet again, how will she react?

Whole night I was thinking what will happen?

What will I say to Vanshika? How to console her?

It was all messed up!!

--

I yawned while sipping the coffee, whole night I couldn’t sleep.

My father as usual was reading newspaper, my mother was serving the breakfast, and my brother’s nose was in his book.

“So how is the preparation going on?” My father inquired.

“It’s good!” My brother replied with a smile.

Now everyone’s eyes were on me.

I look back at them with a blank face.

“Good!” I spoke in least interested tone.

“We will see the result.” He spoke.

Ya! Ya! What else do you even see?

After eating my breakfast, I head to my room.

‘I missed you my room’ I said and threw myself on the bed.

--

“Jitni tu milti jaye autni lage thodi-thodi!” I murmured the lyrics, while sitting at my study table with micro-economics.

I rubbed my eyes which was filled with sleep!

This lyric properly shows my relationship with my sleep.

I slapped me to wake myself up.

Suddenly my phone rang.

Now who the hell is it?

Screen lit up and it was his name on it.

I don’t know why but something tingles in my heart when I read his name from my phone screen.

I pick up the call and a sweet, gentle voice came from other side “Hello!”

But I can sense something was off!

“What happen?” I asked.

I heard some fighting noise from other side and then a girl spoke “Hello! Shrutika, Anshika this side. How is Vanshika? Is she ok? Did she tell you anything? What had happened between them?” She asked all of it in one go.

For once hesitation took over me.

Should I tell them what happened?

But Nishkarsh is their friend, hadn’t he spill anything?

What should I do, tell or not?

Aarav spoke from other side “It’s your wish to tell us. We know that Vanshika is your friend, and you too are angry about what Nishkarsh had done.” He paused then Anshika continued “But that stupid hadn’t uttered a single word. If you could tell us what had happened, then we could plan something.”

“I don’t want any planning plotting. That bastard does not deserve her. He is a bloody rascal and why would he tell you about what cheap trick he had used on her.” I spatted angrily.

Everything that Vanshika said to me came into my mind.

My blood was boiling.

“I don’t want that bastard even wonder around my friend ever!” I said while controlling my anger.

“Shrutika!” I heard his calm yet anxious voice.

“Hmm!”

“We can’t comment anything because we don’t know what he had done.” He spoke.

“You want to know. Then listen, your friend harassed my friend and said her that she is not long-term material type.” I gritted my teeth; every word came out from my mouth was a venom.

That smile on her face was so heart broken.

The pin drop silence was on other side. No one spoke, so, I hung up the phone.

Really! They don’t even know what type of friend they had. I never expected it that Aarav would have these types of people around him.

(Next day in school)

Three of them were sitting at back on their usual place behaving ‘normally’ like nothing happen.

How could they even act like that?

Vansika enters!

Her face was dull, her undereye were covered with dark circles. Here hair was in messy-bun, messy bun.

It was looking like she just woke up and came to our class without even looking herself at mirror.

A normal Vanshika would never look like this, she was both the perfectionist and the stylist, never have I ever saw her without a beautiful hairstyle and perfect face until now.

For a moment she paused and looked at last bench but then forced her muscles and sat beside me.

What a useless friend I am, don’t even know how to console her, how to share her sadness?

How to make her happy?

Whole period she was silent, lost in her own thoughts.

Even the teacher eyes were filled with pity for her.

“Let’s go washroom!” She spoke.

I nodded and followed her.

Whole girls’ washroom was empty.

She sat, with the support of wall, on the floor she put her palm on her face and started crying “I am done with all this mess! I can't do it anymore, Shruu. I just can't.
I am sorry!”

I was shocked at her sudden break down.

She was into a mess!
A deep mess!