| Tied By Destiny |

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝟷𝟸

Outskirts of Shimla

Arjun's Pov

It was difficult to sleep amidst all the tossing and turning she was doing. 

And once someone wakes me up, I do take a time to fall asleep again; but a sense of nervousness had grasped me all over as I lowered my eyes and peered at the figure on the other side. 

I was denying to admit.....but deep down I was feeling a bit guilty with all that happened. She didn't even have her dinner properly; should I check upon her once? What if she's burning?

Bad idea Arjun. 

Or should I perhaps....even after a paracetamol, she was uncomfortable. I brushed my fingers through my hair and heard her sigh softly. To claim that I wasn't bothered would be a lie, I surely did not like her but that didn't mean I am nasty enough to let her suffer alone all like this. 

Heck...given that I am feeling guilty for everything I do-there was once upon a time I didn't even freaking care of what happened to her. 

 I sat up, and crouched slowly towards her. She was closing her eyes, not asleep yet the light from the lamp hinted that her face had turned slightly red and it was warm. "Reet?" I slightly poked her arm, making her open her eyes weakly and blank.

Of course. 

She didn't respond but lowered her eyes, perhaps still pissed with me for whatever happened. Really? Even like this she is still thinking about the argument and all? I breathed in, "You need your temperature to be brought down." I mumbled straight away, not thinking anymore.

Her face gave it all.

"What....?" She rubbed her eye with her finger and glanced at me with crossed brows, "No....I-"

"You are sick, let me help you." I tried to make my tone sound neutral as much as possible, and grabbed a bottle and took out my handkerchief. 

 She raised her head above trying to say something, but I ignored her and dabbed my handkerchief, soaking it enough. Crawling over to her, I saw her expression perplexed, "Come on, lie down straight." She didn't seem to protest but obeyed silently.

Too tired to protest, I guess. 

Reet not protesting every move I made, that was enough confirmation to prove that she was screwed. Whatever....

I plopped the soaked handkerchief over her head, while she closed her eyes, sighing. She was blinking underneath, rubbing her palms together to warm them down. I covered her more with the blanket, specially her feet otherwise she might add up catching a cold too. 

"Feeling guilty?" She tilted her head to the other side, while I plopped another piece of cloth which I retrieved from my bag. What? Her lips tugged into a curve on the other side, seriously? 

This girl-

I was wrong. She wouldn't bother to tease me even when she would be falling from a cliff ten feet deep-

"Really? Is that all you conclude about me?" I tried not to display my slight annoyance.

"Of course....there can't be any other reason for you being good to me." She had the audacity to say it even. I rolled my eyes visibly. Seriously? Why is she like this? 

"This is basic humanity." I glanced away, not to eye her smiling a bit. Heck! How does she manage to get on my nerves even without doing anything? I decided to ignore her weak smirk and began to change the cloths. She sighed after a while, closing her eyes at times and then looking away the other side; probably thinking something.

I wasn't really look at her face but was absent-mindedly changing the cloths one after the other, till my glance finally fell at her. Her expressions were rather peaceful this time with her head tilted towards me; even the flush had disappeared from her face. I stopped placing the cloths and touched her forehead, great! She wasn't warm any longer. 

A breath escaped my lips, I too was tired and feeling dozy. Standing up I closed to the creaking window since the winds had picked up speed, and glanced at my watch.

It was two a.m in the morning. The weirdest day of my life had ended but only to begin with a new one.

I crouched below and was about to gather the bottle and the cloths when Reet flipped more and extended her arm away from the blanket.

Wild woman even in sleep. 

Grabbing the blanket carefully, I pulled it over her body and dug her arm inside it. She didn't flinch but held the edge of the blanket with her fingers, the yellow light flickering over her face clearly. The flames danced upon her toned features, man. 

She didn't seem to change even in these six years. Same features, minus the plump and the maturity that had added over to it; of course. 

I still clearly remember the day when she was outside our school campus, all her friends from her batch had come down from their classes to say her their last good byes. The fifteen year old made sure to give them chocolates and hug all of them.

 I too had come down, but not to bid her good bye of course. Just to irritate her even on her last day, because why not? 

"Hey little nuisance!" I called up upon her, with the usual smirk dancing on my lips and hands in my pocket. She rolled her eyes visibly upon the nickname, gave her usual saccharine smile of getting annoyed, continuing to pack her bag.

"Look I am not in the mood of ruining my mood, so get lost." There was a certain sense of dryness in her tone. 

"Feeling sad, are you?" I blinked to annoy her even more, and sat on a railing nearby while she began to walk away.

"Yup, was, but suddenly seeing your face reminded me that I wouldn't have to see that anymore. So I guess I am super happy?" She shrugged animatedly at the comeback, making me bite my lips a bit hard. 

"Of course, there will be peace in my life atleast...." I leaned against the wall, stretching my arms, "No more hearing your annoying voice, and getting my mood sour everyday..." Was I evil? Yes I was. 

She didn't respond, but continued keeping her last book inside. Zipping the chains, she flipped the bag over her shoulder and walked away; surprising me for a moment. Reet Krishnaa Raichand was not a girl who would tolerate any sense of tease from my side-this was surreal to be honest. 

"And your everyday baseless arguments!" I tried to rile her a bit, so that atleast she would look at me and give a comeback.

But she didn't. 

And it frustrated me for no reason. I was not used to see Reet like this. 

Breathing in, I was about to say something but she swiftly carried her bag, and pushed me a bit, leaving from there in a jiffy.

Not even a word.

She did not even turn back even once; hopping down the staircases as fast as possible. 

I decided to follow her, since an unknown sense of feeling churned in my stomach--but the guards from the main gate told me that she had already left.

She left. 

I didn't knew why I kept staring at the gate with some hope that she would atleast come back and respond with a come back.

But she didn't. 

'Little nuisance' I stretched myself against the bed, a small smile touching my lips as those days flooded in my mind all of a sudden. 

***********

A/N

Little nuisance 👀✨

Signing off for today!

Nushkie