SS Manvi and Virat from the beginning part15,16 - Page 36

Why can't he just leave me alone? How does he always read me so well? I don't want to talk to him about my problems, about my issues. He is my best friend alright but that is not enough. I don't talk about issues of my life with anybody, not even Jeevs. I turned away to shut him out and that is when he started speaking.

"I was barely four years old when I moved to the U.S. My parents got divorced and dad got my custody." He started speaking. I turned around to look at him. He was looked at the floor and I could tell that he wasn't comfortable sharing his story. At that moment I felt overwhelmed with emotions I had never felt before. No one and I mean no one has ever taken care of me like this. So that I would share my problems with him he decided to share his with me even though he clearly doesn't want to do it.

"Virat." I stopped him and he looked up. "You don't have to do this you know."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a bench. "Friendship is a two way thing Manvi. If I want you to share your problems with me I should do the same too."

True but if he is not comfortable why should he? Before I could say my thoughts out loud he spoke again, "Because if you trust me enough to talk to me about your life I should trust you too." Okay did he just answer my thoughts? What now he can read my mind? Creep.

He rolled his eyes at me and again read my mind, "You are easy to read Manvi. You hide everything behind that fake smile of yours but your eyes never lie." I looked at him wide eyed and tried to remember the last time anyone had tried to understand me, never. "Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Yes." I sat down properly and gave him my full attention.

"Like I was saying, dad and mom got divorced. During his trip to the U.S. he fell for another woman. I don't know how he could just fall for a random woman and leave his wife of ten years without a second thought. Dad's family as in my grandfather and my aunt were all upset with his decision as they love my mom. But dad wouldn't budge, he stuck to his decision and divorced mom. It was a nasty divorce. My grandfather, dad's own father pressed charges against dad. Then there was another battle for custody of the kids. I have an elder brother. Mom and dad's family got bhai's custody and dad got mine. They chose bhai over me and sent me to the U.S. with dad. They didn't even think once how a four years old kid would live without his mother in a different country. Forget about them my own mother chose my elder brother over me." His voice broke towards the end and I could tell that he was trying hard to control his anger. He was past the hurt phase now, there was only built up anger inside him. So this is Virat's story; he was left by his own family, his mom even and sent to the U.S.

"Virat" I tried to calm him down. I rubbed his hands with my fingers. I have seen every side of Virat, his flirty side, his annoying side, his oh I'm so cool side, his caring side but today I saw a new Virat; a hurt and broken guy. I couldn't see him like that anymore so I placed my head on his shoulder and looked straight ahead.

He entwined his fingers with mine and continued, "You know I hated my brother, I hated him so much. I always blamed him for everything. I blamed him for stealing mom from me. It took me a while to get rid of those hard feelings against him. Infact he is the only one from India I am still in contact with. He has always been like a father to me. Every time I am upset or in a problem I call him and he solves my problems in a minute."

We sat silent for few minutes. While I rested my head on his shoulder, he kept playing with my fingers. "Is your step mom nice to you?" I finally asked.

He thought for a while then answered, "Ahh she is indifferent towards me. Actually we both are, we barely acknowledge each other. She has good relationship with dad though. They go for vacations and trips often. Initially dad used to invite me too but I always refused to go with them. Nowadays he doesn't even bother to ask me."

"So who took care of you?"

"Oh there is this lady that used to work for us. Granddad sent her to the U.S. I call her chaiji and she basically brought me up."

"I'm sorry Virat." That was all I could say to comfort him- I didn't know what else to tell him. In front of his situation mine seemed rather small. Atleast I live with my parents, even if mom doesn't like me most of the times she didn't send me to some alien place with a servant to take care of me. I shuddered at the thought.

"Will you stop acting all sympathetic?" He asked annoyed by me.

"I'm not Virat."

He got up and pulled his own hair in frustration. "You have been calling me Virat the whole day! Will you stop it already?"

What is wrong with this idiot? "Hello, it is your name. What should I call you then? Idiot? Stupid? Dumass?"

He had a goofy grin on his face. Has he lost it?

"Finally." He let out a huge sigh and kept smiling.

"What is the matter with you?" I asked clearly confused.

"I am used to listening to insults from you. You never call me with my name and it feels weird when you do." He explained.

"You are such an idiot." I laughed at how he would rather I insult him than be serious with him. Suddenly we both started laughing. Every time we would stop one of us would start laughing and the other one would laugh too.

"Okay okay no more laughing. Now tell me why are you upset?" He asked.

"Look at me." I said and he did.

"Hot eh?" He said and winked.

"Arghh." I screamed and raised my hand to hit him but he ducked just in time. "Okay okay ugly. You are ugly." He said holding my hand to stop me from attacking him.

I pulled my hand away and looked at him angrily, "I. AM. NOT. UGLY." I said stressing each word.

"Girls." He muttered. "Okay you aren't ugly, you aren't hot. You are invisible."

"That is even worse." I screamed. God does this guy not know how to pacify a girl?

"I know how to pacify a girl. But you aren't a girl. You are some kind of an alien." He answered.

"What kind of a creep are you? How do you keep answering my thoughts? Will you stop reading my mind?"

He laughed at me and said, "Told you, you are easy to read. Now tell me why were you asking me to look at you?"

Wait why did I ask him to look at me? Shit I can't remember.

"I asked you why you are upset and you told me to look at me." He gave me a little recap.

"Oh right. I'm not upset anymore. See?" I said giving him a huge smile.

He rolled his eyes at me, "You were ten minutes ago, before I told you my tragic story. Now you are all happy that someone is more miserable than you." I glared at him and he immediately stopped talking.

I told him everything that happened- how mom forced me to meet her guests, how I was rude to the guests and what she told me.

"Thats it?" He asked.

"What do you mean thats it?" It was a pretty sad story, wasn't it? Was it sad? I don't know.

"So you were upset all day because 'in anger' your mom told you she regrets having you? You were hurt because she didn't apologize to you when YOU were the one that embarrassed her in front of her guests?" He questioned.

See there is a reason I hate this guy. He just put everything in perspective and now I actually feel bad for mom. I hate this guy.

"Did I mention that you are a complete drama queen and not to mention a total brat?" He continued with his Manvi is stupid speech.

"Oh shut up, you are my friend not mom's!"

"I wonder why?" He pretended to think and this time I smacked him on his head.

"Plan cancelled I'm not marrying you. I'll have to find someone else." I pouted and sat on the bench.

"Oh how will I live." He placed his hand above his heart and sighed dramatically earning him an elbow on the ribs from me.