chapter 57

Vibha's p.o.v       I had been standing in my balcony staring at the road for hours as if I hoped she'd miraculously walk to me from there. I heard the door click open .       " Did something happen?", dad settled on the bed with a cup in his hand setting the other on the table. I wiped my face with my sleeves before turning around to face him. I shook my head knowing very well he won't buy it.    " Did you get your heart broken or something?", he asked casually slurping as if he didn't press the paining nerve. " Oh my , did I guess it right? You got rejected or something?", he added amused. I turned back to look outside." Wait let me guess, is it your Arushi?" " Not mine.", my tone was way too flat for my own liking. I fiddled my fingers and scratched my nails against each other trying to hold back . "Huh?"" She wants nothing to do with me.", my own words peirced my heart, the realisations they brought forth , she doesn't want me , it hurt. " Why? What did you do this time? Blackmailed her for marriage?" ,he asked with a dry laugh." Very funny."" Okay okay. Tell me what happened?"I was at loss of words. I myself don't really know what happened, all I know is I followed that moron's stupid plan and ended up hurting her and now that she wants to get away from me, I am not ready to let go." I am pathetic.",I let the last restraint break as tears streamed down my cheek . "When it comes to love and expressing your feelings, yes you are."" You know sometimes not being honest is better?", I sniffed trying to pass him a frown. He laughed it off as if it were nothing.    " See my princess , I know, right now to you this must be a big deal and I won't blame you for it. But love , it's full of such feelings. It's not just about the bliss and romance and all garden and butterflies. It includes pain, rejection, separation, yearning, struggle , everything. That's the beauty of it.", he came over giving me a side hug. I looked away ." Okay. No more lecture. Tell me what exactly upset her?"" She started distancing from me so I thought of talking it out and we got into a misunderstanding, she started crying and -" " Why did she distance herself from you?"" She well....I kind of was with Abhijit and she just I don't know - she didn't like it. She started avoiding us and then she just kind of snapped. ", I fumbled out the words avoiding his changing gaze. " You were trying to do what with him?", his tone rose a bit and mine just turned inaudible." To make her jealous." , I could no longer face him. He wouldn't like the answer. I knew. " What kind of stupid plan was that?", he almost yelled looking at me in disbelief." I , I don't know he said if I made her a bit jealous it would work the trigger and she'd admit her feelings and like it would - ughh I don't even know what I was doing.", I tried to explain still facing the road while my hands tightened the grip on the railing.      " Why would you ask him when you have the best love guru in the world in your house? And why did you believe he wanted to help you? Are you that naive to not realise he's just using you as a pawn? You very well know he likes her , it's obvious what he did was simply to - " , he sighed and shook his head in disappointment. I felt like the most stupid being alive. Why was I such an idiot to trust him and do something like that. " You need to sort it out with her. Go to her and appologise.", he said more like ordered. " She doesn't even want to see me anymore. She wants nothing to do with me. She hates me.",  the words were heavy for myself. The feeling of being hated by the one you love . It hurts.     " And you do see that you hurt her? She was hurt , yes your plan worked , you got her jealous, she must have realised her feelings but at what cost? And now you don't even want to appologise, leave alone taking the responsibility of what you did? " , his tone was stern. I know his principles very well when it comes to love. He wouldn't ever allow any such idea. " I - will she forgive me?" , that was a stupid question. I know.     " It would be even be a miracle if she lets you stand at her door. So don't keep your expectations too high, just appologise. Be honest, admit your mistake and perhaps start over. If you are lucky, she might even give you a chance but it's not going to happen in snap of finger. Don't hope too high. You can expect worse right now. So better be prepared for it and don't make things difficult for her. For now just appologise and accept whatever she has to say. Don't do anything stupid to worsen the matter. " , he cleared himself with his usual eyebrows raised question mark expression. I nodded. " Now come have dinner. You need strength for handling the amount of problems you create for yourself.", he returned back to his jolly self but here I was stuck with guilt.     I had texted her but she didn't reply, not even seen my message. She definitely must hate me now.    Almost the entire night I spent was opening and closing the phone hoping she'd atleast see them. But no luck.     I was almost an hour early standing at the gate waiting for her. It were practicals she won't miss them. She shouldn't miss them but she wasn't here. Was she late? Was she not going to come ? I had been watching the door for way too long until I saw a familiar figure.    "Hey , umm where's Aru- Arushi?" , I stopped her friend with specs and they kind of were caught off gaurd.   " She got her journal certified last time . She and Neeta ain't coming today." , she answered despite of the look of confusion she had.     I nodded and stepped aside to let her go. What a luck I have. I sighed in defeat . Now she would skip the lectures as well right? But what if-    I ran back to that girl stopping her mid way , she must consider me gone case by now but that doesn't matter. " Will she come to lectures today?"   She started at me as if I were an idiot but then answered. " I don't know. I am not sure. "" Can you ask her?"     She looked at me confused for a while but then pulled out her phone calling her. I know she must be wondering why won't I do it on my own but I very well know I will be ignored . She won't bother answering my call. " Hey are you sitting for lectures today. "" No?" " Nothing just your friend- " she paused mid sentence facing me. " Nothing. I was thinking we could sit if you were coming. "" Not feeling well?" " What happened?"" Oh- take care then. Yes. "" No . If you ain't sitting I won't either. "" Byee. "   She cut the phone and looked at me shaking her head. " She said she has a headache so she won't come. "   " Umm okay. Thank you." , I smiled a bit and left not bothering her anymore. I don't know what all she must have thought about me in this span and I can't care more. I have already too much mess to sort out than worry about this. I am just grateful she didn't interrogate me or something.     I forcefully sat throughout the practicals and rushed out the very first moment I got the chance.     I didn't want to take it to her house but seems now I have no options. Let's just hope she doesn't slam the door shut on my face.      I stood at her doorstep ringing the bell. Now that's very rude to ignore a guest. Is there no one at home ? Her granny atleast should let me in. Did she cry that bad that now my in-laws won't even take me in? The door slowly opened revealing a puffy eyed Arushi almost as if she had just woken up . " Mom's gone with granny to the temple. I will tell her you-"  , she hadn't even opened her eyes before she started blurting like a tape recorder.     She must have noticed me as her eyes went wide and she almost slammed the door on my face if not for my foot which I set in between preventing her from doing so. " Listen to me first ."" Why are you here?" " Because you didn't come to college."" You don't take the attendance now do you?"" Pretty funny for someone who's been being a sulky baby all day."" Get the hell out ."" First let me in so you can kick me out."" Vibha leave. "" I won't. Never in million years."" If you don't in next ten seconds I swear , I will scream. "" Go ahead. "   She gritted her teeth as she pushed harder on the door but not with all her might. I can tell she's having a hard time caring and being angry at me. She loves me too now , doesn't she? " See give me 10 mins to explain and I will leave. "" No. Get out."" 5?"" Get out."" 2?"" Vibhavari leave!"" 30 seconds ?" " I said leave ."" Oh god can you for once listen?"" No ! I don't want to!" " I love you!"