His Aratrika (On Going)

22. Best friends know everything

Saptarshi's Pov 

"I need to get her number. " I mumbled to myself.

"Whose number do you want?" Hearing the voice I jumped at my place and turned around only to get almost a heart attack.

"You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?" I asked as I spotted the culprit...or I say the culprits.

"First answer my question, whose number do you need?" Akash asked as he entered followed by Priyansh. 

Yes , they were Akash and Priyansh.

"Umm...I was thinking about a case ." I said looking at my laptop screen.
"Oh...So which is the case? Murder case? Road accidents? Drugs case ?." Akash asked me as he sat down in front of me on the bed.
"Oh...you forgot the most important one…. Case related to the heart?" Priyansh said, pretending all innocent and sat down beside him.

What the fuck are they saying? 
How do they know? 
I think they are just teasing me or something. 

I kept my face neutral which I have adopted pretty well due to the kind of job I am engaged with. 

"What nonsense? Leave all these,  why are you guys here?" I asked nonchalantly. 

" Stop acting Rishi. We know you well to understand when you are being real and you are acting in order to hide something. " Akash said . He sounded quite annoyed. 
"Yes, now spill the beans..will you?" Priyansh said.

I took a sigh. I guess that I can't hide anymore.

"Well, I like someone." I confessed.
"Like as in? Platonic or Romantic?" Akash asked.
Rolling my eyes ,I said ,"Obviously Romantically, dude." 

"And I guess ,I know who she is." Priyansh said ,making my heartbeat pick up its pace.
"Aratrika Mukherjee, my sister-in-law." Akash replied with a smirk. 

I looked at them in astonishment. 

"How did.. did you know?" I asked them dumbfounded. 

Am I so obvious?

"On the day of my Aashirwad ceremony, the way your eyes were stuck only on one person, the way you were restlessly searching for her when she wasn't around…. And not to forget ,the way you were smiling while talking to her and stealing glances at her throughout the ceremony….these were enough for us to know that you were interested in her." Akash said. He sounded very proud as if he had achieved something very big. 

"Yes, he is right. Because after college, you never gave any attention to any kind though you came across many. And suddenly you were being so worked up around Aratrika ...we knew for sure that it was a matter of your heart." Priyansh said with a wink.

I laughed and nodded my head.

"Yes...I like her… a lot in fact. " I said ,scratching my nose. The smile on my lips was still there.

"Wow, dude. " Akash said excitedly.
"But what changed suddenly?" Akash asked with a frown.

I understood what he wanted to say. 

I mean to say that a month ago I was literally spitting venom whenever I was  hearing her name. 
And now when I am confessing my attraction for her which is obviously kind of surprising for them.

"It's just happened…. I don't know. I was attracted towards her and I didn't want to fall for her...and that's why I was just searching for a reason to throw her out of my heart." I said to them the half truth.

I didn't want to tell them about the book fair incident where I first saw her and got a crush on her or got an instant liking towards her because it was kind of personal for me….very personal.