Chapter 16
Kabir's Perspective
Monday mornings were never my favorite, but this one felt particularly off. I wandered through the school corridors, my thoughts still lingering on yesterday's hawan puja. The day had been a blur of rituals, family, and a certain someone who had managed to occupy most of my thoughts.
Just as I turned the corner, I spotted Raghav heading in my direction, his usual mischievous grin plastered on his face. I knew that look—he was up to something.
"Kabir bhai, kal tumhara din bada interesting raha hoga na?" Raghav started, his tone all too casual for my liking.
I raised an eyebrow. "Haan, theek tha. Kyun?"
He leaned in slightly, dropping his voice as if sharing a secret. "Bas aise hi... Waise kal tumne kuch suna to nahi tha, na? I mean, jab Aditi di hum sabko daant rahi thi?"
I knew exactly what he was hinting at, but I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that I had, in fact, heard every word. Aditi's scolding had echoed in my mind all night, especially when she admitted to liking being called "frosty." But there was no way I was letting Raghav in on that.
Feigning ignorance, I shrugged. "Suna? Nahi yaar, kuch khaas nahi. Waise bhi, us waqt to main busy tha."
Raghav gave me a scrutinizing look, clearly not buying my indifference. "Haan haan, busy..."
I could tell he wasn't going to push it further, at least not now, and I silently thanked whatever gods were listening. But just as I thought I was in the clear, Ma'am walked into the classroom and announced a change in seating arrangements. Great, just what I needed.
To my dismay, I was assigned to sit next to Priya. As I moved towards my new seat, I could already feel the dread settling in. Priya was nice enough, but she was also extremely talkative, and I wasn't in the mood for endless chatter today.
The moment I sat down, Priya's face lit up like she'd won the lottery. "Hi, Kabir! Isn't it great that we're sitting together now? We can finally talk during class without getting caught."
I forced a smile, nodding politely. "Yeah, great."
She didn't seem to notice my lack of enthusiasm and launched into a monologue about her weekend. "So, you won't believe what happened yesterday! I went shopping with my mom, and we found this amazing dress. I think it's perfect for the school dance next month. Do you like attending school dances, Kabir?"
I muttered something about them being fine, but my mind was elsewhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Aditi entering the classroom. My heart did that stupid fluttery thing it always did when she was around. But then I saw where she was heading—right next to Raghav.
Perfect. Just perfect.
Internally, I groaned. "Mera rishta aage badh nahi raha, aur ye bhabhi ke devar saare abhi hi usse bonding kar rahe hain." I could see the two of them chatting, and from the way they were grinning at each other, I knew they were probably talking about something related to me. Raghav was notorious for digging into things he shouldn't, and if Aditi was in on it, I had no doubt they were plotting something.
Priya was still talking, oblivious to my wandering thoughts. "And then we saw this cute puppy, Kabir! You would've loved it. I was thinking maybe we could go see it together sometime? You like dogs, right?"
I nodded absently, my attention still fixed on Aditi and Raghav. Priya kept chattering away, her words blending into background noise as I watched Aditi lean in closer to Raghav, whispering something that made him grin even wider.
Great, just great. Here I was, stuck with Priya, who was talking about puppies and dresses, while Aditi was out there getting cozy with Raghav.
Priya's voice cut through my thoughts. "Kabir, are you even listening?"
I snapped back to reality, forcing another smile. "Yeah, sorry, just... thinking about something."
She gave me a quizzical look but seemed satisfied with my answer. As she continued talking, I couldn't help but feel frustrated. Every time I glanced over at Aditi, she and Raghav seemed more engrossed in their conversation. Whatever they were talking about, it was clear that Raghav was thoroughly enjoying it.
For a moment, I wondered what it would be like if I were the one sitting next to Aditi, teasing her, making her laugh. But instead, I was stuck here, pretending to listen to Priya's endless stream of chatter. My gaze drifted back to Aditi once more, and I noticed a flicker of something in her eyes when she glanced my way. Was it irritation? Or maybe... jealousy?
I couldn't help but smirk at the thought. But the smirk faded quickly when I realized that I was still no closer to knowing what she had really said to Raghav yesterday. And worse, I had to endure Priya's chatter for the rest of the class.
As Ma'am started writing questions on the board, Priya finally fell silent, focusing on the task at hand. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief and tried to concentrate on the problems, though my mind kept drifting back to Aditi.
Every now and then, I'd catch her and Raghav whispering to each other. The way they interacted, so comfortable, so familiar—it bothered me more than it should have. But I pushed the feeling down, focusing on solving the numericals.
Still, one thought kept gnawing at me: whatever was brewing between Aditi and Raghav, I needed to figure it out—and soon.
Recess finally arrived, offering a brief escape from the monotonous droning of classes. I could feel the tension that had built up throughout the morning ease slightly as Raghav and I made our way to the canteen. It was a much-needed break, though I couldn't help but notice that Priya was still tagging along. She'd been chattering non-stop all day, and I had been doing my best to tune her out, nodding and smiling at the right moments without actually listening. Raghav was doing the same—our silent pact of mutual suffering.
As we entered the canteen, I scanned the room, half-expecting to see Aditi already seated at our usual spot. But she wasn't there. Instead, she was still with Raghav, which threw me off. She should have come with us, like she usually did. The thought gnawed at me—what was keeping her with him?
We found a spot in the canteen and sat down, with Priya, unfortunately, sliding into the seat beside me. I tried not to sigh too loudly, but it was hard to ignore the dull ache of disappointment that settled in my chest. My mind kept drifting back to Aditi and Raghav, wondering what they were talking about, what could possibly be so interesting that she hadn't joined us yet.
Before I could dwell too much on it, Raghav broke the silence. "So, Kabir, today in the evening I'm gonna hang out at Aditi's place. Would you like to join?"
I blinked, caught off guard. My heart did a little leap at the thought of spending more time with Aditi, especially outside of school. "Uh, yeah, I think I could manage that," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant even as excitement bubbled up inside me.
Priya, who had been sipping her juice quietly for once, suddenly perked up. "Aditi's place? That sounds fun! Maybe I could join too?"
I nearly choked on my water, shooting Raghav a desperate look. The last thing I needed was for Priya to be there, especially when I was hoping for some quality time with Aditi. But before I could think of an excuse, Raghav stepped in smoothly.
"Actually, Priya, it's kinda more of a small family thing, you know? Aditi's place can get pretty crowded, and I'm sure she wouldn't want too many people over."
Priya pouted, looking a bit disappointed, but thankfully she didn't push it further. "Oh, I see. Well, maybe some other time then."
I silently thanked Raghav, grateful that he'd managed to steer the conversation away from Priya's unwanted enthusiasm. But as I settled back into my seat, I couldn't help but wonder—why did Aditi invite Raghav over? And why did she mention it to him first? The thought was irritating, though I tried to push it aside.
As if sensing my mood, Raghav leaned in closer, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Kya hua, Kabir? Lagta hai Aditi di ke saath zyada bonding hone se problem ho gayi hai?"
I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the flicker of annoyance. "Nahi yaar, bas soch raha tha ke tum dono itna time kyun spend kar rahe ho aajkal?"
Raghav's grin widened. "Arre, tu to jealous ho gaya! Aise kuch nahi hai, bhabhi ke saath achi dosti ho gayi hai bas. Waise, shaam ko aana, interesting rahega."
I narrowed my eyes at him, not entirely convinced. But before I could respond, the door of the canteen opened, and Aditi finally walked in. My breath caught in my throat, and all my earlier frustration melted away as I watched her make her way towards us. She was smiling, and as our eyes met, I felt that familiar rush of warmth that always accompanied her presence.
But then I noticed something—she was looking at Raghav first, exchanging a quick, knowing glance with him before turning her attention to me. The smile on her face was still there, but something was different. I couldn't quite place it, but it made me uneasy.
She sat down across from me, and I tried to read her expression, searching for any hint of what was going on in her mind. But she was calm, collected, like she wasn't hiding anything at all.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Aditi said, her voice light and casual. "Got caught up in a conversation."
I nodded, trying to keep my tone equally casual. "No worries. We were just talking about the plan for tonight."
Her eyes flicked to Raghav, who was already grinning like he knew something I didn't. "Oh, so you're coming too, Kabir?" she asked, a hint of something teasing in her voice.
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, if that's okay with you."
"Of course!" she replied quickly, her smile widening. "The more, the merrier."
But as we started chatting about the evening, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something I was missing—something they weren't telling me. The easy camaraderie between Aditi and Raghav was getting under my skin, even though I knew it shouldn't. But every time she smiled at him or laughed at one of his jokes, I felt a pang of something that wasn't just irritation—it was more than that.
I tried to focus on the conversation, but my mind kept wandering back to the morning. Had Raghav really not asked Aditi about what she said yesterday? Or was he just keeping it to himself? And more importantly, why was I so bothered by the fact that they seemed so close?
Before I could overthink it any further, Aditi turned to me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Kabir, you're awfully quiet today. Everything okay?"
I forced a smile, nodding. "Yeah, all good. Just thinking about the questions Ma'am gave us."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my excuse, but thankfully she didn't press it. Instead, she just smiled knowingly, like she understood something I didn't, and that only added to the mystery.
The rest of the lunch passed by in a blur of conversation, but my thoughts were miles away. I couldn't help but feel like tonight was going to be more than just a casual hangout. Something was up, and I needed to figure out what it was.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of recess, we all got up to leave. Aditi and Raghav exchanged another quick glance, and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. Whatever it was, I'd find out tonight. And I just hoped it wasn't what I was dreading.