We Are A Match [COMPLETED]

Chapter : Twenty Eight

Chapter : 28

Rishav's POV

I was tapping my fingers over the table impatiently. Meanwhile the rest of the guys were busy eating. We were all in the hostel canteen and it was 1:56 PM now and Ananya was still nowhere around. Kabir was also framing a worry stricken look like me. I hadn't given much thought to Ananya's angry exit but, now that she hadn't showed up, I was starting to feel a weird feeling rising in my gut. It was similar to the feeling I had felt when I had hurt Ananya by yelling at her when she had tried to help me with that English Assignment.

"Do something, Rishav," Kabir said as he kept his eyes around the entrance of the canteen in case she showed up.

"What do I do?" I asked defensively.

"Fix the mess you created," he muttered.

I sighed out, exasperated. I still don't understand. Ananya is not some seven-year-old who should get bothered by silly little remarks.  It's her fault that she had an immature thought process. Why do I have to be the one at fault in this?

"At least text her. Ask her where she is," Kabir suggested.

"Don't you think I would have done that already?" I asked.

"Please tell me you have her number, at least," Kabir sighed and placed his head over the table, hopelessness radiating off of him.

I was about to dial Ravi's number but it seemed like a bad idea. What would I tell him? 'Hey Ravi! Listen,  I ended up offending your sister and she stormed off somewhere. We don't know where, so can I get her number?'

I shuddered at the reactions possible. Ravi would show up in here in no time and be looking for my throat to choke with his hands. He does love her a lot. It was evident in the way he had bashed that poor junior who had passed a comment on her the day before Ananya had stepped into the school.

My mind suddenly flashed with an idea. I fished out the ID card which belonged to Ananya. It had stayed with me ever since I snatched it away from her. I felt a ray of hope emerge when I saw a number printed over that card. I cautiously dialed the number and put the phone on speaker as both Kabir and I listened to the ringing caller tune.

A moment later, it went to voicemail. I sighed.

"Try again," Kabir suggested.

I redialed the number but this time it went directly to voicemail. Guess what? She ain't gonna talk to even a stranger number now! Can't she just pick up?

"No use. Try texting her," Kabir suggested with slight doubt.

"Yeah," I said and opened the messenger.

I paused as I gazed at my phone. Text her, right. But what do I tell her? No way in hell was I going to apologize, and this wasn't a friendly chat either.

"Oh for God's sake, Rishav! Do it," Kabir threw his hands in the air.

"Hey, where r u? Lunch is about to get over. U better hurry." - Rishav.

I typed and pressed send.

A moment later, she replied.

"I m not hungry." - Ananya

"Oh just stop fussing now Ananya. We all r worried." - R.

She didn't reply this time.

"Show up at the canteen in the next 10 mins or I m coming to find u."- R.

"Good luck with that."- A.

I frowned at her reply. Somehow, it felt like this wasn't Ananya texting me. It sounded different than her. I know it sounds crazy but the way the replies were framed, it just didn't sound like her.

Taking up on the challenge, I put the phone into my pocket and raised myself out of the chair. Kabir's eyes silently trailed me as I walked out of the canteen.

The afternoon sun was blazing hot and barely a few students were at sight. I did say that I would go looking for her. But where to look for her? This was a huge campus and it'd take me hours to skim even half of it.

Clueless, I started walking in just whichever path took my interest. I paced along the routes, keeping an eyes for the brunette. A while later, I sighed and gazed up at the sky. My regret was eventually transforming into anger. This was being unnecessarily stretched up now.

Can't we just meet and talk things out? I'm not fond of playing hide-and-seek.

My phone buzzed, causing a surge of hope to fill my chest as I quickly checked it.

"10 mins huh? It's been over half an hour now. Let's give u a hint: try looking for the waters."- A.

I clenched the phone. Why was Ananya acting so repulsive? She seems to have gone nuts.

Keeping those thoughts aside, I closed my eyes shut and tried to think about the hint. 'Waters'? My eyes flew open when a brilliant idea struck me. I hastily opened the navigation app  and skimmed across the satellite imaging of the IIT Campus. I smiled triumphantly when I noticed the bird's eye-view of a blue lake within the campus. I checked where I was and quickly rushed to that location.

15 minutes later, I finally reached the lake. I was huffing as if I had ran around 7 laps over the cricket stadium grounds. I noticed Ananya's little figure settled over the green bench, her knees pulled up close to her and her head shaking as if she was... laughing?

The next thing I noticed was that a trio of three guys who were sitting over the grassy ground, facing her and engaged in an interesting conversation with her. They seemed to be IIT students and it felt like Ananya was having a great time.

I felt a sudden pang of I don't know what. It was a weird feeling. But it certainly didn't feel good. She was talking to those guys as if she didn't have a care about the world while I waited for her for hours, worried sick. She gets offended over childish comments from me but she herself is busy talking to guys like a little kid.

"Keep enjoying. Come back when u r done." - R.

Before I could have second thoughts, I pressed send. I don't know why I wrote that to her but it just came naturally. Not waiting for a response, I walked back to the Hostel Room.