CHAPTER 16
MISHTI'S POV
I sit on my bed and leave a heavy sigh. I've been cleaning my room from morning today since Ketki and Nishanth are coming to my home in another half an hour for the first time. My mother has practically forced me to clean my room since she doesn't want to get 'ashamed' in front of my new friends.
So much drama for cleaning a room.
I roll my eyes and take all the books that are scattered on my study table and arrange them in proper order in the book shelf. Books are my best friends. I have a big book shelf in my room, consisting of books of all genres. They give me company when real people don't, and they give me solace when the real world doesn't.
I go through all the papers lying on the table and put them in my college folder and put it in my bag. Now, my table relatively looks really neat, with a study lamp, my laptop and a framed photo of a seven-year-old me, and ten-year-old's Abir and Kunal, all three of us covered in paint. Abir and I are standing while Kunal is sitting on the floor, painting something seriously. I am scowling at the camera with my arms crossed across my chest while Abir is hugging me by my shoulders and grinning at the camera.
I smile at the picture of the distant memory, as it comes crashing to my head.
***
I sat all alone in the hall of our house, waiting for Teddy and Abbi to come home after playing cricket outside with their friends. They were supposed to be helping me in my Arts and Crafts project, which I had to submit tomorrow.
The two of them had promised me that they would help me with it and yet, it was already 7.30 PM and they were yet to return home. I decided to never talk to them again. This is the second time they have totally forgotten our plans together.
The door bell rang, disrupting my thoughts. Knowing who it would be, I sat in my place on the sofa without moving an inch to open the door for them. I folded my arms across my chest as I heard the boys continuously ringing the bell.
Mom came out of the kitchen, running to open the door for the boys, scolding me on the way for being irresponsible and lazy. I felt bad for her, but still, those two idiots got on my nerves today.
As she opened the door, the two monkeys walked through the door silently, with their cricket bats and balls still in their hands. I smirked as both of them seemed nervous about facing me.
Good. They needed to be nervous.
Both of them dropped their equipment in the corner of the room and walked towards me and stood silently, waiting for me to react.
Teddy and Abbi kept nudging each other and started whispering to each other, but they were loud enough for me to hear them.
"Abir, you apologize first."
"No Kunal, you do first."
"No, you."
"Not me. You."
"Okay what do you want? I'll give you my latest video game."
"Kunal, I don't need those. I want you to be the first one to apologize. Now go."
Kunal shook his head slightly at Abir, "Not happening. You go."
I decided to break their conversation, "Do you guys realize that I can actually hear you?", I asked, with one of my eye-brows raised, and my hands still crossed.
Both of them turned to me with wide eyes, as they realized their folly.
I raised both my eye brows questioningly at them.
Both of them looked at each other first and then turned to me and gave me their cutest puppy-dog face possible. They held their ears with both their hands and said in unison, "We are sorry!"
I rolled my eyes, "Not forgiven."
Abbi was the first one to start asking, "What do you want in return? Kit-Kats?"
Kunal continued, "Or, I'll give you my favourite Teddy bear!"
"How about we watch your favourite movie now?"
I shook my head for all three suggestions, "Not working at all. Nope.", I said popping the 'p' of 'Nope'.
Kunal said exasperatedly, "Okay, we will do your project all by ourselves. Then will you forgive us?"
And that made me silent. That was a very good deal. The two of them will do it for me while I can simply just watch them do it.
I smiled evilly, "Okay, you are forgiven. Now get to work both of you!"
Abir gasped at me and turned to Kunal, "Hey! You know I suck at arts! Idiot Kunal!"
I turned to Abir, "Why Abbi, don't you want my forgiveness?"
He looked at me for a few seconds, and then sighed heavily, "Okay fine, I'll do it. But only because I can't handle it when you're angry with me."
I grinned widely, "Really? You'll do it for me?"
He nodded slowly and mumbled, "Yeah, we'll do it together."
I jumped and fist-punched into the air, as I saw the two boys work hard to do a flower vase out of waste cardboard for the next one and a half hours.
Dad came out of his room and saw the two of them covered in paint, trying to paint the cardboard that they just stuck together in the shape of a vase.
He gasped and turned to me, "Mishtu, did you make them do it?"
I nodded with a proud smile on my face.
"This moment has to be captured. I'll go get my camera.", with that, he walked back to his room to bring his camera.
Kunal rolled his eyes and continued his work while Abir immediately stood up and tried to escape up to Kunal's room. I stood in front of him and stopped him from escaping.
"Mishtipie, move!", he whined like a baby.
"Why? I want you to be in this picture, working hard for me."
"No! I do not want a picture of me painting and covered in paint!"
"Well, I want a picture of you painting and covered in paint."
He stayed silent for a few seconds before smiling evilly at me and walking towards Kunal. He reached for the colour palette and dipped his fingers into the paint and then walked towards me, outstretching his hands.
Realizing his evil motive, I started to run away from him, only to get caught by the hand within a few seconds, leaving a paint-mark of his palm on my arm. I gagged at the brown colour paint on my hand and frowned at him. He laughed at my reaction and rubbed his cheeks, which was covered with green paint on my shoulder, leaving green stains on my favourite blue shirt.
Dad then walked through the room with his camera.
"Aw, come on Mishtipie. You don't look good when you frown. Smile now.", Abir slowly caressed my cheeks, applying a layer of brown paint on my face. I groaned and crossed my arms across my chest in response.
He chuckled slightly and hugged me across my shoulders with both arms and smiled at the camera, while Kunal sat down and painted the entire vase with utter concentration and I scowled at the camera, my upper body being covered in paint now.
***
I smiled as I recalled this memory. I actually remember dipping both my hands in red paint and pasting it on Abir's all white shirt, forming my hand-prints on it, later that night. I sighed and placed the picture back on the table. Mom somehow loved this picture and decided to frame it.
I chuckled slightly and went downstairs as I heard the doorbell.
As I went down the stairs, I saw mom opening the door and welcoming Ketki and Nishanth, who seemed to have come here together.
With a wide grin, I welcomed both of them and hugged them.
After arguing for around half an hour, we decided to watch The Fantastic Beasts together. So, we sat on the couch, with me sitting in between the two of them, and started watching the movie.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, I heard the doorbell ring. So, I walked upto the door and opened it to find Abir there, looking slightly bored.
It has been two weeks since we spent time together at the hideout. He has been dropping me to college everyday, but somehow, we did not get much time to spend with each other, since he got busy with his office work and me with my college work.
Once he entered, I locked the door and turned to him, "Hey Abbi, we're watching a movie. Join us!"
He grinned at me widely, "Yes Mishtipie, I'll come in a minute, after talking to Rajshree Ma."
I nodded at him and sat on my seat again, focusing back on the movie. In another two minutes, Abir came and stood exactly in front of us and hid the TV.
All three of us groaned in irritation.
"Abbi, move!", I whined.
He cleared his throat and tried to sit in the tiny space that was available in between me and Nishanth. In the process, he almost sat on my lap.
"Abbi! What are you doing?", I asked in irritation.
He looked at me, trying to put on an innocent face, but I could see the irritation beneath the mask, "You asked me to watch the movie with you. That's exactly what I am doing!"
Huh. Jealous Rajvansh.
I rolled my eyes. And that's when realization struck me.
Did I just say he was jealous?
***
Hey guys! This is Chapter 16!
Hope you guys liked it!
I will be a little irregular in updating until mid-July due to my dance performances and college interviews, but I will be regular after that, I think.
But I will definitely update update at least once in these two weeks!
Thank you!