Meet Me in the Middle

Chapter 8

December 2016

"Ayesha ki party! Ayesha ki party!" Muskan bounces next to me while climbing the stairs to canteen.

Gauri comes up to us and asks as we stand around the corner, "What for?"

"VIRGINITY LOSS PARTYYYY WHOOOOOOO!" She literally whoops and suddenly the entire focus of a hundred people is on us. From the opposite corner, I see Bharat talking to Kiddo and he gives me a hard look as I approach.

I tap on Kiddo's shoulder and he turns around with a smile. "Yes princess?"

"You have got to talk to Muskan about shutting her loud mouth... Everyone heard her!"

"Yeah... I'll talk to her... " Bharat can't seem to keep the sneer off his face.

"I... I'll go..." I can't take his smug face for another minute.

"Yeah I'll be right there."

I walk back to Muskan and she says with a grin, "Mrs. Tiwari a pleasure as always?"

"I'm telling you! Every time he looks at me, it's like he's insulting me mentally! The disgust on his face! As if he wouldn't even look at me if he had that option!"

My phone vibrates and I see the text from Kiddo.

*You look so damn beautiful, I wanna cry.*

I laugh at it and look at him but he's still in conversation with Bharat and has his phone in his hand.

Sicko appears out of nowhere and startles us. "Well, he has every right to. Even I wouldn't look at your ugly face if I had the chance."

Muskan glares at him then replies, "Since when do you hang out with us?" Kiddo finally bids bye to his mistress and comes back.

"I like him. And Sicko, you're only calling me ugly because if you didn't overcompensate, you would fall in love with me." I say to Sicko while batting my eyelashes excessively.

"Tiwari, control your girl!"

"Bro she's not a puppy I can put on a leash." Kiddo says with a forced smile

"You should never put a leash on a puppy..." I mumble and they all collectively ignore me.

Sicko walks away grunting, as I start laughing. Muskan's face turns weird.

"Do you have to flirt with Sicko? I don't like him all that much."

"I like him but even I would prefer you wouldn't flirt with him..."

"I really do have to flirt. He gets super annoyed and I love it!"

Kiddo shakes his head in defeat but doesn't comment further. This might be a good day after all.

*******

I clutch the envelope tightly in my hands. He loved me. Anuj loved me. He was IN LOVE with me. I hastily wipe my tears lest someone else sees me like this. Muskan tries to comfort me by rubbing my shoulder but it only enrages me further. I just don't wanna be touched.

Last week, I found out from dad that Anuj left me some things. Gifts for every birthday till I was 19. And this year's gift was an envelope. Full of letters. Letters he had written when he was alive. I read the very last paragraph once again.

Ayesha Sharma, I am absolutely, unconditionally in love with you. Always was and always will be. I never broke your trust. Even when you weren't in your senses. I never did you wrong. Just couldn't find the courage to tell you this. We might've turned out to be something better, but we always were the best. I'M SORRY! PLEASE MAAF KAR DE YAAR! ITNA GUSSA ACHCHA NAHI HOTA!