That Desi Romance

8. RAKHI

Phoolon ka taaron ka
Sabka kehna hai
Ek hazaaron mein
Meri behena hai
Sari umar....

"HAME SANG REHNA HAI!" Aksh, Aayush and mama 'sang along' with the music blasting through the speakers in their divine voices as maa and I tied rakhis on their wrists.

Maa and I looked at each other and shook our heads.

Every year.

Chalo ab paise nikalo." I opened my palms in front of my brothers, waiting for my money.

Both of them rolled their eyes before putting the money in my hand.

Oh yeah. I'm rich bitches.

At least all the torture to my ears was worth it.

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After a while of pointlessly bickering with my brothers and eating tons of chocolate brought by mama, Aksh and I left for our day out.

After more pointless bickering, we decided to watch a movie and grab lunch.

"So, I heard you got a huge project at the S&S corporate building." We were now at the restaurant for our lunch after watching the movie and going to the library where I had also successfully blackmailed Aksh into buying me some hardcovers.

"Oh yeah, Vijay uncle just called yesterday. I'm redesigning the entire top floor! I'm gonna turn that outdated place upside down." I didn't realise when a huge grin spread on my face. But this was my first project since I came back. And better yet,  it was for Vijay Shekhawat himself.

It's also kind of nerve-racking though. Knowing Mr. Shekhawat, I know how hard he is to please. You've got to be beyond impeccable to impress him.

"Finally, all those sleepless nights in Bangalore will pay off."

"Speaking of Bangalore...." He started off.

"What?

"Is there something you wanna tell me?" Oh no. I know what's coming.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've been meaning to ask you this since you came back, but never got the right chance. You've been....stranger than usual since you came back from Bangalore, more anxious of your surroundings. What is up with that? Kuch hua tha udhar?" That came out of nowhere. How has he been noticing all this, even I wasn't aware that I was acting such way.

"How did you notice all this?" I scrunched my eyebrows.

"I'm your brother Avi, when have I not noticed  when something's wrong with you." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Right." I said, earning a curious look from his side asking for answers for his question.

I resisted at first, but finally gave in to his scrutiny. "Alright alright, but you can't tell anybody, especially maa and papa. I don't want them to worry."

"Aisa kya hua tha jo unko bhi nahi bata sakte? Dude are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine. It's just..." I told him all about the stalking incidents in Bangalore, all about the guy, how I met him, about his creepy comments and behaviour, leaving no detail.

You know, I generally tell people that I don't like talk about it, but who am I kidding, it feels really good to actually confide in someone, especially if that someone is Aksh. It's like a heavy weight has been lifted off of my chest.

When I was done with my story, I looked at my brother to find him frozen in his position, mouth open in shock.

"What the actual fuck? He followed you to your apartment?!" That earned us a few confused looks from people around.

"How the hell could you hide something like that from me?" He was full on yelling now, beyond caring about the crowd looking over at us.

"I didn't want to worry you, look at how you're reacting right now. And it's all over now anyways." I spoke in a low voice, trying to explain myself.

"Well, I have a right to be worried Avantika, and don't you think it hurts me more that you felt like you have to hide something this huge from me? We talk about everything." The hurt look on his face broke my heart.

"I'm sorry okay. I wanted to talk to you, I wanted to tell you everything, but it's not as simple, you know that."

After a few seconds of silence, he sighed and nodded his head. "You're right. I'm sorry, it must've been hard. And I'm glad you told me everything. But just so you know, I might just visit Bangalore to have a conversation with this guy." He said it while laughing, but we both knew he had a strong tendency to do it.

"Like a conversation you had with a certain classmate of ours in high school?" I said just as our food arrived.

"What?" He scrunched his nose, looking genuinely confused.

I sighed, "You know the guy Aakriti asked about joining your sangeet?"

He nodded.

"Turns out he used to be our classmate back in school and that he had to leave due to some unfortunate circumstances. Would you happen to have something to do with it?"

"Depends. Which one was he?"

I rolled my eyes. "His name is Yash. It's the same guy I told you about having quite a few coincidental interactions with. He left mid semester in 9th grade. And it turns out your best friend beat him to shit before he left. Ring a bell?"

After a moment of confusion, a grin pastes on his face. "Oh yeah. Good times." He shakes his head, seemingly hit with a pump of nostalgia.

I raise an eyebrow at him, obviously annoyed. So he does know about it. Everyone fucking knows except me.

Seeing the look on my face, he raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, don't look at me like that. I didn't tell him to do it."

"You didn't?"

"Nope. How much of a bully do you think I am?" He took a bite from his food.

"I mean...."

"You know what? Don't answer that."

"Anyway, if you didn't tell him, then what pissed him off?" Although Lakshya was a bit.... intimidating to people in school, he wasn't one to easily lose his shit and resort to physical violence.

"Beats me." He emptied his plate and clawed on mine seeing it untouched. I would normally go on a total rampage at him, but food was the least of my concerns right now.

"And-and why didn't I hear about the incident?"

"That I know. I remember he specifically 'requested' the entire school not to tell you anything. Wonder what that was for."

"What? And you didn't think to tell me about it? Whose brother are you?" I didn't know whom to be more pissed at. Lakshya or my own brother.

"His, obviously. And I trusted he had a good reason. Besides, I didn't think you'd care anyway." He shrugged.

I took a long breath. He was technically right. I didn't care that much. But now that I'm the one who was specifically not supposed to know, I just have to know. And why only me? What the hell did you do Lakshya?

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