Riya

"I'm going to fucking kill you."

My feet stopped. No one wanted to hear these words when no one was around, and the campus was dead silent. But these words were not spoken to me.

I had closed the cafe and changed back into my kurta. I wasn't even far away from the cafe.

The cafe was on the south campus. It was at the back of the humongous gothic structure of our college. The south campus had grass to sit on and walkways around it. The area was filled with palm trees and different seasonal flowers that I didn't know the name of. Our cafe was nestled at the corner.

The area around it got quiet fast in the evenings. A predicament that I liked on regular days because it gave me time to think and soak up the silence. But not today.

The lamps around the campus on the pole showed the soft light on Raghav's face, who had just threatened to kill Abhay. And apparently, he brought a whole gang with him. My eyes fell on the three guys standing behind him.

What kind of family was it?

My heart pounded and I could hear it in my ears. I knew it was something that could easily turn violent. The right decision was to ignore and walk away.

Abhay had his back to me with one hand in his pocket and the other with the packet of corn that I gave him. He was standing beside his bike.

"Do you, now?" he asked, and Raghav's anger visibly increased. He grabbed his collar, and I flinched. The packet of corn dropped from Abhay's hands.

I could hear panic rising and slowly spreading across my chest. A sinking feeling sat in my stomach.

"You think you're so great?"

"It wasn't me who tattled to his parents." Abhay egged him on, removing Raghav's hands from his collar.

"At least I have parents to tattle to, you fucking asshole." he swung his fist toward Abhay, who sidestepped it with an ease of a person who has done it a thousand times.

The air between them turned vengeful in mere seconds.

I knew I should've stayed quiet but my mouth had a mind of its own.

"Leave. Or... I'll call campus security," I said, holding up my phone for some extra threat. I hoped my shaky breath was not audible to them or my false bravado was of no use.

Abhay turned to me, his eyes narrowed. Yeah, buddy, I had lost it.

"I have taken your picture...grabbing his shirt," I said, looking at Raghav, who suddenly had a calm face.

A slow smile formed on his face. One that did not reach his eyes. One that gave me creeps.

"My apologies miss," he said, still with the creepy smile. "I'll see you later, brother."

He looked at me up and down and walked away with his friends. His stare held a threat that I was in no mood to decipher.

"Are you dumb?" Abhay gritted out. I got ready for another round of 'Who told you to do that?'

"You showed two emotions on the same day. You need to be careful, or people might think you are a human being." He looked at me with narrow eyes, and I sighed. My voice still held some tremors.

"No," I said, keeping my phone back in my pocket.

"Why did say you took a picture?" he walked towards me.

"So they would leave quickly."

"So you told them that you have evidence that could get them into trouble?" He stood in front of me.

He again wore the mask, and I couldn't decide if he was angry or not. I wasn't sure if his clenched jaw was a concern or irritation. Possibly the latter.

"Evidence? It was just a lie. We're in college. It's no mafia and all." I put my palms on my face and groaned. The weight of the day settled on my shoulders. It was too many emotions for a single day. What happened to my simple life?

He looked at me as if I was dumb. Maybe I was. But this time I wasn't going to defend myself.

"You know these guys were not messing around just for shits and giggles, right?"

"Listen, I know I butt in, but if something like this is happening and I can intervene, I will. That's just how it is."

"So now what? You're gonna jump into any random fight you see?"

"I don't know everyone." Why would I jump in for unknown people? "I'm going home." I declared with a finality.

"Stop. Don't go alone. Let me see if Dhruv's free." He pulled his phone out from his pocket and put it to his ears.

"Where is he?" I sighed. I wanted him to be there for me for once. Such was his behavior for over a year.

"With the girl you work. He's not picking up."

"Angie? I thought he was dating someone else." I mumbled, grateful for a distraction from this situation.

Abhay looked at me funny but didn't reply. Lately, it felt more and more like Dhruv had turned into a stranger.

"Where the fuck are you? Come here before I chop you half." Abhay said calmly, but there was a hint of rage in it. His body language screamed alertness.

I guess Dhruv finally decided to pick up.

I just wanted this day to end already. 

Dhruv stopped his bike in front of my home, and I got down.

The haveli was often mistaken for being a place that housed rich people. But it was passed down to us from my mother's side as she was the only grandchild of extremely affluent grandparents. But the richness stopped there. It needed renovations which we had no money for.

"Raghav said Abhay has no parents," I said, hoping to ignore the awkward air around us. Abhay didn't tell him what happened neither did I. To Dhruv, it was just a matter of not picking up his calls.

"Hnn? No. He has his stepmother and his younger brother." He said. He was sitting on his bike ready to go.

His casual demeanor was stark opposite to what was going on in my mind. The turmoil had quietened down. But the Lingering discomfort remained.

"Then why did Raghav say that?"

"They don't have a close relationship, that's why." I nodded and he started his bike.

The more I got to know about him, the more questions I had. I wanted to ask why he and his cousin were fighting. What was this whole rivalry about? 

But before I could ask, someone called out Dhruv's name.

"Dhruv wait." I turned to see Chachi coming out of my house with my mother in tow. Both donned pretty sarees. Was some function happening in my home that I wasn't aware of?

"Wow! You look amazing. What's the occasion?" I asked, turning to them.

"We were trying it for a wedding," Ma said.

"Did you bring the things I asked you to?" Aunty asked Dhruv who groaned.

"I forgot."

"Go buy it or I won't let you enter the house."

"Ma!"

"Go away." Then she held my hands and dragged me inside. "Let's go. I have some dresses for you too."

I heard Dhruv starting his bike. "What did you ask him to bring?"

"Some things for the puja we're doing for his birthday."

Our mothers had a tradition of doing hawan for our birthdays. We would go to the temple. Sit in the sun for a while on the temple premises in front of the holy fire while our mothers would ask god for a long and healthy life for us.

Dhruv's birthday was in a week. In the middle of the fight and awkwardness, I forgot to buy him a gift. But I still had a week.

After a long session with Aunty showcasing some new sarees that I could wear for the puja, I was finally free to go back to my room.

My phone vibrated and I pulled it out to see a text in our group chat loml. It was decided by Sia after a very heartfelt talk we three had in that old shed behind our school building.

Guess what new thing I got to know about Dhruv.

I texted in the group. I didn't want to share what had happened throughout the day and live it again. So, I chose the safer option. I was doing that a lot these days.

That he's secretly a Casanova?

 I laughed, welcoming the respite. 

----

Do vote and share your thoughts <3