"Om, where is your girlfriend?" whispered Anika as she sat by him, a couple of rows ahead of their friends gang.

"She is here. She saw us too, and she doesn't look too happy seeing me with you"he muttered, as he stole another quick glance at Mallika sitting few rows behind them, she was looking at him too. Om wondered if his "fake"plan of making his girlfriend jealous was actually happening in real - even if it was, they were siblings, Mallika wouldn't ever put in any effort to come back he sighed.

"Om, maybe now you can tell me her name?" asked Anika hopefully.

"No Anika, not until the time is right, when we patch up, I will introduce her to you" Om lied defiantly. Anika sighed.

Shivay was sitting with Tia on one side and Soumya on the other, beside Soumya was Daksh and Mallika, followed by Priyanka, Rudra and Reyaan. Soumya noticed that Shivay's eyes were more on Om and Anika than the screen, after a while, when Shivay caught her looking at him when he was spying on Anika, he gave an embarrassing nod.

"You know bhai, you should focus more on the movie" she smiled. "Anne and Om are having too much fun to miss us" there was a certain bitterness that didn't go unnoticed by Shivay - he found a connect with Soumya - she was going through a hard phase accepting her true self, and Anika was her constant support, but having been left behind suddenly to spend special time with someone, must have made Somu feel a little lost he thought - she was bitter too seeing them together, whatever her reasons maybe.

Shivay smiled, "It's just that, I have never seen Anika so involved with anyone you know. She is always quiet and available and around people - for her to cull out her own niche ignoring all, it is hard to digest" commented Shivay thoughtfully.

"Bhai, Anika was always like this. She bonds with less people and whomever she does, her entire world starts to revolve around that person. It is in her character" she replied looking at Shivay with a piercing gaze.

"Strange, I never noticed her fawning over anyone like this" he almost grumbled.

"You never did because earlier the person around whom her life revolved was you bhai. You never felt it but we did. Its just that now the person has changed. Yesterday it was you, today it is Om" she replied sighing.

"I guess I am past Somu" he replied and he himself was surprised to hear the pain in his voice.

"I always thought she was the perfect girl for you - I wanted to see you both together, but I guess you guys weren't meant to be - too different .."she mumbled.

Shivay was stumped at Soumya's revelation. He and Anika? "Hmm..we are too different"he mumbled back, but even he wasn't convinced with his words. Him and Anika? But why would Anika like a jock like him? Wouldn't she prefer someone calm, caring, and level headed? Someone like..errr..Om? Of course she would, guess she made a good choice he thought and looked at them again - they were laughing about something now - her life use to revolve around him? How did he not notice? And there was Tia too, who selflessly loved him he thought and smiled looking at her, she was too engrossed in the movie to notice.

Mallika was glancing at Om, he seemed to have a great time laughing with di. They seemed happy. She tried to smile.

"Stop staring Mallika, you're making it very evident" she heard Daksh mutter from beside her. She darted a glance at him. He was right, if not di, then what if someone else noticed this and questioned her?

"Sorry" she muttered back.

"And why does your Daku get to decide whether you can stare at them or not? You're so SOLD Mallu" Mallika heard Priyanka mutter from the other side and gasped. She had forgotten she was there and she had a sharp ear.

"No No he meant they might be uncomfortable" she tried covering up in haste.

"Don't know about Om, but di would definitely be uncomfortable if she spots you staring so lovingly at her boyfriend" she returned. Mallika turned to look at her shocked.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice? You love him don't you? And he loves di?" asked Priyanka. "Don't even try telling me you love Daku - you don't, I have seen it in your eyes the moment I entered" she supplied.

Mallika didn't know what to say and in the spur of the moment decided to ignore her point blank and focused on the movie.

Soumya glanced to her right and saw Mallika and Priyanka engaged in a conversation, was anyone watching the movie at all? All were holding private conversations! Rudra was probably watching, he is always so engrossed in these things she thought smiling and turned to look at him - her smile froze. He was not watching the movie at all, he was looking at her, with curiosity plastered on his face. She smiled at him, and he seemed to realize he was staring, so he quickly turned away.

***

After the movie when they all were dispersing, Shivay felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, he turned around to see Anne looking at him timidly. He didn't know why but the sight of her made him angry in a childish way - he was angry because she hadn't given him any attention all evening - he was angry because not even once throughout the movie did she turn back to see where he was - because she chose Om's decision to sit separately over sitting with the gang, and more angry because her world didn't revolve around him anymore.

"What do you want?" he asked in a flare and his stomach crunched hearing his own cutting tone at her. She gasped slightly at the tone and then shook her head and started digging out something from her bag as Shivay waited. She produced a notebook.

"I know Tia can take care from now on. But I had already begun making these notes for you. Thought of finishing it and giving you - my last notes for you" she replied softly.

He flinched at her last words. There was a certain finality there, it was like she was leaving him forever, he didn't like it one bit - he slowly took the notes and gazed at her, as she steadily looked down to avoid eye contacts.

"Well Tia doesn't really make great quality notes you know" he mumbled.

"She will learn" whispered.

"I like your notes" he whispered back holding the tip of her little finger gently with a shook head, not looking at her anymore.

"You will learn to like her's too" she barely whispered.

"What went wrong Anika?"Shivay asked in a pained voice, his rationality didn't have any more control over his voice.

"Nothing, I think I should leave" she barely managed to mutter, choking on her tears and cursed herself for falling for this man's drama again.

"Will you come for my rehearsals tomorrow?" he coaxed gently with a wavering voice, still not letting go of her finger.

"I will have to check with Om" she replied, with massive effort.

"Now that you have someone special in life, friends are side-lined huh?" he gently chided her. "We miss you Anika" whispered. But before she could respond, she felt Om gently pull her and tell her that she would be dropping her and Somu home. As Anika let Om pull her away from him, she let that long due tear of her's finally fall.

"I meant, I miss you Anika" Shivay whispered to his own self as he saw her leave with Om.

***

Shivay was dropping Tia and Mallika, Rudra left with Priyanka and Reyaan left with Daksh as they stayed in the same area. Shivay breathed out and turned around to see Mallika staring at Anika and Om in the same longing way as he did a while ago.

"Missing di?" he asked her with a smile.

She was surprised at first, then she turned to him and smiled a little, but didn't reply to his question, instead she asked him, "You are, aren't you?"

Shivay shrugged and tried to ward her comment off - what was happening to him. Why was he so attached to Anika and why did her proximity with Om bug him so much? Why did he long to see her all the while and why was it evident to everyone? Was Anika special? But Tia? He loved her..Right?

He walked away with Mallika and Tia with Anika's notes clutched tightly in his fist - he wanted to see her - alone and get a few things cleared - they were friends after all, and at no cost was he going to give up on that.

***

Anika's elective papers begun from two days later, putting everything aside, she was focusing on revision - hair tied up in a messy bun with a pen holding it together, a faded old tee, boxers from the night suit pair and papers flying all around her room, precariously chewing the end of her pencil looking at a practise test sheet intensely - that was how Shivay found her when he barged into her room uninvited.

"Err..Anika..I err..actually..I am..."but he couldn't comprehend what he wanted to say, seeing Anika in such a careless attire seemed to do something to his senses - there was careless beauty there, she was nature - tangled and clumsy yet beautiful. He was at a loss for words absorbing her beauty, he forgot why he was there - he stammered for a while, but then stopped even trying to say anything.

"Shivay! You, here?" she asked slowly, clearly she was as surprised. Her words seem to break him out of his tranze, he reluctantly shifted his gaze away from those mesmerizing pair of eyes - he focused on why he was there - finally replied.

"Tia hasn't given me any notes. Now she is asking me to manage from what I have. Anika, will you share your notes with me? I never attended these classes you know" he struggled.

Anger towards Tia flashed in Anika's eyes. How irresponsible of Tia. If she couldn't make notes, why take responsibility - didn't she know Shivay needed good scores to show his family that he is balancing out academics and music well? Didn't she want to see him score well even?

"Don't worry Shivay, I will coach you for these chapters and also share my notes. But promise me you will be good and study seriously" she replied with a small smile.

"I will Anika. I promise I will. I won't let you down" he replied warmly. It was the first friendly exchange they had ever since the day he started going out with Tia - he felt happy.

"In fact I was wondering, just so that I can really focus and cover up everything before Friday, I will stay over here at Soumya's room"he glanced at her surprised expression, "Just so that you can scold me and make me focus into these when I don't" he added as validation. Anika nodded in understanding. Who knew why she felt that the hole in her heart had suddenly mended! He is staying here for studying Anika, he loves Tia - and he is using you again - Well at least she had prior knowledge now that he was using her, he shouldn't be guilty - another arrogant part of her brain told her and laughed.

As Shivay sat down to ruffle through the notes, he couldn't help not smiling, what would Om have to say to this? Now how was Anika going to ignore him or give Om more time? HAH.