Coming Home!!

Chapter 36

The following day, Inaaya was sitting in rehearsal hall with her guitar alone. She started playing some notes. As people came for rehearsals, they gathered around her forming a circle. She smilingly played a song. When Ayaan sat in the between the audience, her eyes fixed at him. Everyone applauded when the song ended. She zipped up her guitar and took her position. They were supposed to perform a song and dance routine. Ayaan stood close to her with his arm around her waist. She could feel his breath. He looked in her innocent eyes which stared at him. His heart skipped a beat. She felt claustrophobic. She ran to the outside where Ayaan caught her. She had started crying, "How are you so calm?"

"Do you think it is easy for me? I have been practicing with you for days knowing that I could not even touch you outside this hall" he replied. She scoffed, "I have been doing that for months. I had finally moved on and you had to drop a bomb on me like that"

"You came to me. I was dealing with it on my own. I was handling it" he replied. She shifted her weight and had her arms crossed, "Handling it? People started to worry about you. You were miserable. I am sorry that I cared about you. I'll not do that again. I am going. I can't deal with you today"

He shouted, "Fine, run away. I'll practice on my own and perform on my own"

"Fine" she yelled. As she was going in hall to get her bag, Ayaan caught her wrist and pushed her against the wall saying, "Just answer me one thing, why are we wrong for each other when everything feel so right when we are together? Why are you with him and I am with her? Why is that every time I am around you, I want time to stop. Why are you with him and not me?"

She tried to fight him but his grip on her arms tightened. She responded, "Because he is good. He is not like you. He is perfect for me"

She could feel his cuticles burying in her skin. She begged, "Ayaan, leave me. You are hurting me"

He let her go. He saw the red marks of his fingers on her arms as she rubbed her arms. She walked back to hall as he watched her go with a heavy heart.

*****

Nicholas sat next to Charlotte and kissed her. They have started dating some weeks ago when Nicholas invited her to go movie with him. Inaaya had suggested Charlotte to be herself rather than dressing up for the date. He looked over to Inaaya who was playing with her food. He glanced at Charlotte who replied, "She got a B- in Algebra. That's why sad mode on"

Ethan slipped next to Inaaya and placed cup of pudding in her plate. She replied, "I don't want it"

Charlotte slapped her hand on the table, "That's it. Eat that pudding or else I am going to drag you out of this cafeteria"

Inaaya cowered like a puppy. She started eating the pudding, "You are a very mean person. I hate you"

She pouted and shrugged, "I love you too"

Nicholas started talking, "So something weird is going on with AK..." he paused and looked at Inaaya. She shrugged, "You can talk about him. He is your best friend"

He continued, "He is studying. He refused to go to a party with me yesterday and today he had aced the Algebra test"

Charlotte turned to Inaaya with shock, "Did you know this kind of miracle happened"

She rolled her eyes, "Of course I knew. I take the same class"

Ethan remarked, "Maybe he trying to get his grades up"

Nicholas nodded, "Maybe"

As Ayaan entered the cafeteria, Inaaya noticed him staring at her. He turned away as Zara came. She was talking continuously while Ayaan occasionally glanced at Inaaya. Nicholas asked, "Inaaya, do you know anything about his weird behavior?"

She shook her head, "Nicholas, you are his best friend. You figure him out"

He laughed, "The real name thing is actually weird"

Charlotte squinted at Inaaya saying, "I told you it is weird"

Ethan wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder saying, "I find it cute"

Charlotte laughed, "You find everything about her cute"

While Inaaya was walking down to her History class, Ayaan pulled her in the janitor's room. She tripped over a mop as he caught her. She asked, "What are you doing? What is this weird obsession with studying? You don't study. I know that"

He smirked, "I am trying to the guy that you will like"

She sighed, "Ayaan, you don't have to change your life. You are YOU. Don't try to be like him. You can't"

"I can. I am taking the SATs. I will get better grades than him. I'll show you that I can be perfect like him" he challenged her. She cupped his face saying, "You are perfect"

He shrugged her hand off, "But I am not perfect for you"