Chapter 21

It was a silent day. The day after. Not a lot of people showed up on campus grounds, not a lot of commotion, not a lot of loud noises.

Just how Naina liked it.

She had gotten up early, around 7, and finished her showering and everything and made her way to the campus grounds, where she had just finished studying - as usual.

"Good Morning." She heard a deep husk voice as she stood in the counter for her coffee.

She turned around and noticed Shaan, standing behind her in line. "Hi, What are you doing here?"

"Good morning to you too, Naina!" He chuckled.

Naina smiled, "Sorry. I thought you would have gone back to Delhi by now."

"Leaving a bit later. I have some family here so I thought I'll stay here for a while." Shaan added.

"That's wonderful." Naina said and got her coffee.

Shaan picked his up and followed behind her, "I must say, you're too quiet for your own good. How do you live being so quiet?"

Naina chuckled, "I don't know. I guess it's just something I've been used to since childhood. It can be infuriating for others, though."

"Have you never partied or anything?"

This question pull a chord in her mind. She had partied, and she had done something she wished to forget in that party. What would she say? "I... I attended one, with my friends, but it was more due to peer pressure. Parties aren't my thing."

"I could tell. I'm surprised to even hear a yes. But if you have come before then I don't find it weird to invite you to the party I'm having this weekend, at my place in Mumbai."

"Oh... no. Shaan, I don't know. I'm not really a party person and I don't want to be a buzzkill."

"You won't be," he reassured her, "You just come and be yourself. I'll save you a nice seat in the living room by the fireplace and keep a couple of books on the table, okay?" He teased.

She chuckled, "I'm bringing Ananya and Meera."

"Of course. I am due to invite them when I see them anyway. But you can do it now that you know. I'll send you the address. What's your number?"

Naina took his phone and typed her number in. Then she bid a small goodbye to Shaan and walked back to her flat, where she was greeted by Meera and Ananya.

"Where did you go off to so early?" Meera asked.

"I went to study." Naina said, and Meera and Ananya nodded. They settled on the couch as Meera passed Naina a cup of chai, which she declined, "I got coffee."

Naina continued, "By the way, I met Shaan in the canteen."

This sparked the interested of both the girls as they left their phones and looked at her, "What?"

"Yeah," Naina continued, "He invited us to this party he's having this weekend. Like tomorrow night. You two have to go."

"What do you mean you two?" Ananya asked, "I hope you know that you are coming too. He has invited you, invited us through you, you have to come, Naina."

Naina chuckled, "He said he'll add a nice corner with books for me as long as I come."

Ananya and Meera looked at each other, with a look that Naina didn't understand, "What?"

Ananya smirked and deleted herself next to Naina, holding her hand, "Babe, that's called flirting in our language."

Naina tsked, "Not everything is flirting!"

Meera rebutted, "Not everything is, but this very much is. Oh my God, she's in a literal love triangle. Ayaan and Shaan. Wow she's living every girl's dream."

"Well," Naina added, "I don't want this dream. I think you two should go. I'm not interested." After a small pause, she added, "especially because, he'll be there too."

Meera and Ananya looked at her, then at each other and then back at her, "Naina. It's actually perfect."

Naina looked up, confused, "Meaning?"

"You should come," Ananya explained, "And enjoy with Shaan. No one is saying get close and touchy. Just enjoy with him. This way Ayaan will also understand that you aren't into him and so he'll move on too - if he's still stuck."

Meera wasn't in agreement with her friends. She knew that Ayaan's feelings for Naina seemed genuine because he knew the guy from first year. But at the same time, if she was wrong, it would really hurt her friend and she didn't want to do that. She cared for Naina like a mother caring for her children, she wouldn't let anyone hurt Naina, especially because she knew how emotionally vulnerable Naina was. She knew not to do anything until she was sure about Ayaan.

"I agree." Meera then said, "Come and enjoy his company. If anything, I'm sure he'll be there to attend to you and worst case he isn't, we are there. We'll keep you with us."

Naina nodded in agreement, "alright then."

Meanwhile, 3 kilometers away, in his room, with his friends, Ayaan was not having a good day. He had stepped out for gym in the campus in the morning and was welcomed by seeing Shaan and Naina sitting in the canteen, with Naina passing Shaan's phone back to him.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on there. And he wasn't happy about it.

He had spent almost 4/5 days away from Naina to figure his own feelings out, because he wanted to see if she was right. Maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. But that shouldn't feel so weird? Right? Ayaan's feelings were confusing him. He was used to clarity, not confusion.

"You need to sort yourself." Rohan tried to calm his friend down, "You haven't even spoken to Naina since that day."

"Because she walked away that it was a random thing and it shouldn't matter. And I can't help but wonder if she meant it."

"You need to talk to her for that. If you do, you'll know." Rohan said, "Look, if I didn't know any better, Shaan must have invited her for the party tomorrow, she'll come. Talk to her then."

"Naina," Ayaan chuckled, "Naina and parties? You really think she'll come."

"I think Shaan personally invited her. She has to come, even if she doesn't want to."

"How do you know so much about what Shaan is doing?" Ayaan's curiosity peaked.

Rohan sighed, he didn't want to tell his friend about what Shaan had told him the other day, but he needed to. He was Ayaan's friend first before Shaan's, "I know because.... before the game, when Shaan and Naina spoke and Naina left, Shaan asked me if she was single."

Ayaan's face turned to Rohan in a jolt. His eyes were oozing emotions which no one was able to decipher, "He what?" He said slow and slow.

Rohan slowly nodded, "Yeah. He asked me if she was single."

"What did you say?"

"What could I have said, Ayaan? I can't lie and say she's not. I can't expose what happened between you two. So I said yes."

Ayaan sighed. He knew what Rohan did isn't wrong. But knowing that someone else is trying on Naina wasn't fitting right for him.

"We're going to that party. And you are going to keep Shaan away from Naina." He growled.

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