Chapter 5

shazia

@xarmaanx

plz comment and Reviews please!

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ridz raced down the hallway, precariously balancing her five textbooks. She was going to be so late! muskaan had kept her up most of the night asking for more details about her and armaan 's 'relationship'. If you could call it a relationship, she thought almost bitterly. After much interrogation by muskaan  and angie, ridz had finally come to terms with the butterflies in her stomach that conveniently appeared whenever armaan was around.

She liked him.

ridz knew that armaan was just there for the baby. Nothing else. Besides, it wasn't like she was anything good anyway. She wasn't pretty, she wasn't popular, she wasn't anything. She was used to that. Her heart feeling heavier than it used to, ridz sped round a corner, clearing her head of all armaan thoughts and hurried to class. Too bad she didn't see the person in front of her.

"Oh!"

ridz found herself plopped on the ground in a most undignified manner. Her books were scattered on the floor. Rubbing her stomach gently from the collision, she sighed and began to pick up her books. Not even noticing the person beside her.

"Here"

Her books were neatly stacked under his arm as he reached out to help her up. ridz looked up at the person who bumped into her. A blush tinted her fair cheeks. Wow, he was cute! Hauling herself up with the help of his hand, ridz started to apologise profusely, grabbing her books from his hands.

"Oh my God, I am so, so sorry! I'm such a klutz, I didn't even see you! I'm just late to class and I was rushing and you were just there and-" ridz began to hyperventilate.

That probably wasn't good for the baby.

"It's okay, really. I should've seen you. Besides, I'm new around here and I guess I got lost" The stranger cut in her apology and flashed her a dazzling smile.

ridz nearly swooned. She smiled nervously back at him as she rubbed the back of her neck, lost for words. She decided introducing herself to the new guy might help smooth over the awkwardness.

"I'm riddihima gupta. I'll show you around the school if you want" she offered, sticking out her hand.

ridz inwardly cringed. Was that an attempt at flirting? angie must be rubbing off on her. The new guy grinned, chuckling as he shook her hand. This school was definitely growing on him.

"Hi, I'm angad khanna. Nice to meet you, ridz"

****************************************************************************

armaan snuck a glance at the door. He looked down at his watch, muttering curses under his breath. ridz was late.

And he was (just a little bit) worried.

After a night of lying and denial on his part, and threatening and jeering on his friends' part, armaan had finally made it through rahul and atul's bad cop, good cop routine. He knew he didn't like ridz. He couldn't. He had been with so many girls, and he had never cared for any one of them.

So how could he possibly care about ridz?

armaan had that idea firmly planted in his mind. Nodding to convince himself, he began to take notes from the board. He had managed to get through five minutes of World War II extracts when-

"Sorry I'm late, sir!"

armaan's head snapped up when ridz's sweet voice rang out from the doorway. She looked flushed, apologetically smiling at the teacher. Behind her trailed a tall, handsome guy with a killer smile. A flurry of whispers and passed notes broke out in the classroom.

"Who is he?"

"He is like, so cute!"

"But what's he doing with ridz?"

"Do you think they're going out?"

"Oh, that lucky b-"

angad flashed a charming smile and walked to the teacher's desk.

"Hi, I'm angad khanna. I just transferred from West High. I hope you guys can help me out around the school" he grinned, waving politely.

Girls giggled. Boys rolled their eyes. armaan glared at angad fiercely. angad  was taken aback at the boy's defiant stare, but covered it up deftly. armaan cursed under his breath. What was he doing with ridz? angad turned to the teacher.

"I hope you can excuse riddihma for being late. She was just showing me around."

ridz nodded feverishly. She didn't want to ruin her perfect attendance record. The teacher pursed his lips, before nodding grudgingly. ridz beamed at angad gratefully. He grinned back at her. armaan felt his blood boil. What was she doing, flirting with the new guy, when she was carrying his baby?armaan nearly snapped his pencil as he watched ridz slide in her seat, her eyes fixed on angad and still smiling.

Wait, was he jealous?

armaan's eyes widened. He couldn't possibly be jealous! That would mean I care for her, he thought disbelievingly. And he didn't.

Honestly.

Out of the corner of his eye, armaan saw angad wink at ridz. That was the last straw. He couldn't stay in the room and watch the new kid charm his way into ridz's heart. But armaan knew better than to start a fight in the classroom. So he did the next best thing; leaving the classroom.

He couldn't really fight, anyway. not in front of everyone

Pushing away from his desk, armaan stood up. Girls giggled and batted their eyelashes. armaan could be such a bad boy sometimes. Almost rolling his eyes as they fawned over his actions, he brushed past the teacher, angrily muttering something about a stomachache. He stomped out of the classroom and down the corridor, ignoring the stares he was receiving from his classmates. He just needed to clear his head.

ridz bit her lip worriedly as armaan walked out of the classroom. What was wrong with him? She subconsciously rubbed her stomach.

"I wonder what's up with your daddy" she mouthed to her baby.

A grin tugged on her lips. Her baby was finally going to get a proper family, complete with a loving mother and father. Sure, the mother and father didn't love each other, but it was enough. Staring out the window, ridz let her mind wonder to thoughts about armaan. He was acting weirdly yesterday, when he dropped me off at muskaan's place, she thought, tapping a finger on her chin. armaan was twitchy and nervous, refusing to look her in the eye when he talked to her and mumbling under his breath. Then again, so was she. We were both jumpy from the almost-kiss, she mused, a giggle bubbling its way up her throat, before sighing.

So she liked armaan; so what? It didn't mean that he liked her back. He had told her he was only there for the baby; nothing else. But it didn't stop her from worrying about him. armaan looked upset when he had left. An imaginary lightbulb flashed above her head as a slow smile spread across her face. A single thought ran through her head, making ridz almost giddy with excitement.

Maybe I'll go talk to him later.