It Started With A Stolen Tiara

7. pranked

-approximately 6 years ago-

"Uday, listen to me when am being nice," Aarav said with gritted teeth. Uday shrugged. "Listen, it's true I proposed to Tanya because of a bet.. But.. come on yaar, Ladki toh mast hai na? I am not an idiot to let her go!"

Aarav lifted up his fist only to be stopped by Vijay in time. His other three friends who had tagged along, aggressively stepped up in case a fight broke out. "Aarav. Not worth fighting him."

Aarav glared at Uday who simply stood there like he was negotiating a business deal. "Leave her bro. You don't want to mess with him!" Vijay tried to reason. Uday laughed, "Pagal hai kya? I have never dated such a beautiful woman in my life. Do you even know how innocent she is? When I told her, I want to touch her, she thought we were going to hold hands!! Haha! And come on, she is extremely cute and super hot! So, no boss. I am not leaving her."

Vijay was clearly aware of how angry Aarav was getting with every passing second. They needed some plan before he decided to murder Uday, dig a grave and dump him for eternity.

Once again he tried to threaten Uday while Aarav stood there glaring at him with his hands fisted against his pocket. When the discussion didn't work out, Vijay sighed. "We have to make him bleed."

Aarav shrugged, "We will. But before that, he needs to know something."

Standing face to face with Uday, Aarav spoke, "Extremely cute and superhot?"

"Yes. So? You aren't jealous I landed the best girl in college, are you?" Uday asked showing off. Aarav laughed.

Without wasting a moment, he pulled out his phone, opened his gallery and showed it to Uday who watched in horror as he checked the screen. Taking a few steps back, "Now, let's make him bleed." Aarav informed his friends who charged at dumbstruck Uday without wasting a second.

That night Uday broke up with Tanya over a frightened phone call and ever since he had avoided her, her friends, Aarav and his friends and their friends of friends too. He doesn't even walk on the lane where their shadows fall. Tanya did try to catch him a couple of times, in corridors, in the library, and even in the parking lot.. Whenever she got any close, he would sprint like his tail was on fire!

She had even shown up on his doorstep when he slammed the door shut on her face before telling her 'you snore, you are so ugly without makeup, you are fake!'. He might have also mentioned the credit for his enlightenment goes to the great Aarav!

-present day-

Tanya grunted loudly. "So? So what if he was with me because of a bet? At least he was sweet! Just because of that reason, you would just show him my ugly pics? Which were taken by you while I was sleeping! And you also clicked some pictures when I was at my home wearing some home-made face-packs!! Who do you think you are? How dare you!?" Tanya grabbed his collar. Even if the back of her mind told her she did the same thing for years, she ignored it. After all, it's a pot that has to call the kettle black, right?

"Those were funny na?" He finally said laughing. Seriously Tanya's home avatar is something entirely different from what she shows to the world. Devoid of all make-up, wearing over-sized clothes, mumbling old-Hindi songs, playing ludo with her maid and cuddling her dog like she couldn't breathe without it. She was the epitome of cuteness. Wait..wrong adjective! She looks weird. But.. a little cute. Aarav laughed again when she stomped her foot splashing the water to her face in the process. She scrunched her nose and pouted at the saltiness of the sea. Aarav couldn't help but chuckle. At the same moment, he recalled why he had started getting into 'Uday-business'.

"But wait, before that do you remember you broke my favourite bike? My Daada's only gift! Who in their right mind sets a 7 Lakh Rupees bike on fire after crashing it into a tree? You are evil, Tee!" 

"Oh please, Aarav! I did that because you burned my personal diary! How could you, you monster!"

Aarav stared at her flabbergasted. A bike in return for a mere diary? Someone had to teach her the basics of mathematics or at least a bit of common sense! Not that he had any. 

Once again, she tried to push him. When he stood still like a freaking pillar, she started punching his chest. Aarav had to grab her arms before she broke his ribs "Don't you forget you were the one who actually burned my college notes, So I burned down whatever I could grasp at that moment. You should be thanking God it wasn't marks card or something!"

Tanya felt her head spin; Recalling all those episodes of fun and never-ending frustration! The anger and the wicked laughter. One after the other, they listed out each of their pranks, annoyance, and revenge games. They continued their charade until they couldn't remember what had they done to bring each other down. The list was so long that the time just flew in simply remembering them! After 20+ years worth of hatred laced behind unknown feelings, isn't something that could be sorted out on a single night, right?

Infuriated, she groaned loudly and walked away from him. She sat on the bonnet of his car with a huge pout on her face and her arms crossed against her chest. Aarav watched her in irritating silence as he brushed his air. He followed her slowly and sat beside her on the bonnet.

"It all started because of you! If only you didn't steal my tiara on my birthday, we would have continued to be great friends Aaru!" She said punching his arm.

Aarav's parents and Tanya's parents were best pals. So when Tanya came to this world, it was made sure they would be in each other's life by hook or crook. Sharing the same lane for their mansions served very well until she was 5 years old and the big birthday party was thrown at her place.

Aarav vaguely remembered he was her favourite person until that very party. After that, he suddenly transformed into her archenemy. Knowing that freaking tiara was the reason for her sudden dislike towards him, cleared a lot of questions buried in his heart. She didn't hate him. She didn't not like him. She was simply angry with him. For what? A damn tiara?

He could never figure out why she had turned into a grumpy cat the next morning after her 5th birthday. Now that he does and that annoyed him more than anything. Why did she never tell him? Idiot!

"Are you kidding me? You were what 5 years old, Tee! By the way, I didn't steal your tiara! You lost it during the party by the poolside! I just found it."

♛

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