When You Find The Right One

Chapter 8

When she hid her feelings
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Niharika sat on the table beside the huge glass window in the Cafe with her chin propped over her elbow listening to Mayank narrate a story from his childhood as he had his back rested against the chair.

It felt like one of the scenes in movies where the protagonist would just keep on staring at her love interest and everything around is blurred as Niharika noticed him making those adorable faces while talking.

"Yeah then what happened?" She said in between making sure that he knows she is listening to him and not just gawking him the whole time.

"Kabir stepped over my foot and I fell down from the stage" He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Stage? Really?" She replied with her eyes wide apart. "That must have hurt"

"Yeah it did, and apparently I have proof for that too" He shifted closer to her showing a little scar on his wrist but his hand ended up hitting the glass water lying over the table.

"The laptop" Niharika said as she saw Laptop being inches closer from the water, making Mayank immediately pick it up and keep it on the chair beside him, "Oh thank God"

"I'll just call the waiter" He said making Niharika nod her head in a yes as she looked outside the window while Mayank signalled the waiter to clean the table.

But outside she saw something, that make her stand up saying, "Hey, I have something to do, Do you mind if I..."

"Yeah sure, see you soon" Mayank replied getting up from his seat to give her a side hug before she left the Cafe.

Outside, Niharika walked up to the person she had seen through the window and as she reached closer to her, she tried to get her attention, "Ava?"

Yet, Avantika who wasn't expecting her, shifted in her position a little before composing a calm face as Niharika continued, "Everything alright? You seemed a little tense."

Niharika had seen Avantika earlier through the window, when she sat on a bench in the garden with her phone stuck to her ears and her other hand massaging a temple. Avantika had her eyebrows scrunched together as she talked over the phone which made Niharika walk up to her to make sure she was fine. After all, that's what friends are for.

Avantika cleared her throat to make sure she was able to hid her feelings as she answered, "Umm yeah, just a little work stuff."

Niharika looked at her puzzled seeing her acting strange. She wanted to say 'But I have never seen you getting so worried about work!'

Which was true, Avantika was a really calm and composed person. She wouldn't normally get worked up over something small. Whenever anything went downhill, her first reaction was not to panic but instead, think of ways to do damage control.

But Niharika didn't say anything, even though she knew Avantika was lying. Niharika wasn't the kind of person who would force things out of others, maybe because she understood the value of privacy, and she never really minded people not sharing things with her, because she had other ways to ease their tension.

But this time it was Avantika who wanted to keep secrets from her, same person who had taught her the value of opening up a few days ago, the same person who wanted to strengthen their relationship by making Niharika share deep feelings. And now she was lying about hers?

That fact had really hurt Niharika as she said, "Okay sure, so I'll just go back home" before leaving Avantika on the bench alone.

Later as Niharika sat on the dining table with her lunch laid in front of her, Avantika entered the house. Neither spoke anything to the other as Avantika walked back to her room closing her door behind her.