Entangled Lives

Chapter XXXI

ACCIDENTALLY RIGHT

Prachi paced around in her room, placing the hoards of dresses, that she was compelled to choose yesterday, in her closet. She didn't want to buy more than three, but everyone had persuaded her to buy so many that she had lost the count after the eighth one. She was usually the responsible one, but the exhaust had made her dump the bags in a corner that she was now putting away.

Placing the last one in the desired place, she turned to her locker, to get out the jewelry she was to wear tomorrow.

For her Mehandi.

She rummaged through the small cabinet, straightening when she got her desired box. She was arranging the boxes back when her hand brushed a solid chest.

A wooden one.

She took in a deep breath. Trying to get some fresh air to fill her lungs and hopefully taking some of the pent-up remorse out. But it didn't help, for it only managed to bring a familiar prickling in her eyes.

"Shahana!" She called out loud, tilting her face towards the door.

"ShaHANA!" She called a little louder, doing all she could to stop her voice from wavering.

"Comming." Came the reply from the girl from somewhere in the house.

She came out of the closet, sitting on her bed, the wooden box still clutched in her hands along with the album she got on her birthday but didn't she dare open any of it.

~*~

Shahana, Aryan, Piyush, and Aarav were huddled up in the brothers' room in the early hours of the morning, planning on what, when, and how to do everything that they had planned.

"I have already sent you all the dates and the places that were needed, the rest is you guys' job." Shahana ordered around.

"Okay, we will do that," Piyush asked, keeping an arm around her shoulder, "but what will you do?"

"What do you mean by that?" Shahana asked, placing her fists on her waist, daring him with eyes to continue. Looking very much like a gingerbread person in the brown nightsuit of hers.

Piyush took the hint and gulped down the retreat that was already ready in his mind.

But Aryan, being the only candidate who willingly participated in the list of people that Shahana looks forward to quarrel with, and also being the top name on that list, couldn't keep his thoughts to himself.

That was the only reason. Yup, the only one.

No! Jealousy was not, Never-ever, Not in a million years, Nopity-Noputy-Nope, not the reason behind this irrational behavior of his.

And so he said, "What he means," mockingly, scrunching his face, "is that you are only providing us with the information, that too in clues, and then if everything sorts out, your attention-seeking nature will butt in and you will ask for, no wait- " He narrowed his eyes to tiny slits," -claim for, equal credit. So we should beforehand give you some responsibility."

Shahana gritted her teeth, swatted away Piyush's arm, causing the curly-haired boy to lose his balance a bit, and the 'I-am-not-jealous' person to mentally smirk.

Shahana stepped forward, coming face to face with her offender, and hissed, "First of all, it's 'when' not 'if' everything sorts out." Suddenly her angry expressions changed to amused and then into a smirk that closely matched the one he wore.