A/N: Heyya guys, 'm back with part 11.
This part is dedicated to Shalini (Shalini_Shakti), due to whose 'order' I have decided to update early !!
To all readers, thank u so much for encouraging me!
Read on!😳
CHAPTER 11
"Life...it is indeed a strange thing. One moment u think everything is perfect, and the next moment u are sucked into a darkness that becomes impossible to escape.."
----*----
"U are not my best friend, Randhir. U are my brother. We are a family."
That's what he had said. That's what they had always been. Family.
Randhir didn't know how he had managed to get away from Sanyukta while keeping his composure. All he knew was that the moment she had uttered that name, his world had crumbled. For a spilt second he did have his doubts about the validity of her statement. But one look at her face, into her eyes told him that she was being cent percent truthful.
Karan.
How could he? Didn't he know what his actions would do their friendship? Did that have no value to him? Was revenge so important that it shadowed 15 years of friendship?
*CRASH*
The glass that Randhir had been holding was flung across the room and it crashed on the wall opposite to him, breaking into several pieces. It was almost as if the glass was a metaphor to Randhir's heart, which had been shattered into million pieces by Karan's betrayal.
The tears that he held back at the canteen, now left trails across his face. Today even the 'infamous' punching bag wouldn't suffice. His anger and the consequent hurt that he was feeling was too much to channel onto a mere air-bag!
"All this time i kept thinking it was Parth...And all this time my best-friend was plotting against me in the name of revenge...That's it. I am done with trusting people. I am done with getting attached and ending up broken..."
Randhir sat up against his bed and vowed never to let anyone else get close to him again!
~0~
Sanyukta sat still on her bed, her mind somewhere far away, constantly replaying the actions that took place that day.
Just then a panicked Kaustuki entered the room and spoke in a hurry, "Sanyu, someone from FITE has been disqualified."
The word 'disqualified' caught her attention and she sat up straight.
"What?? Who??"
"I don't know. Let's go and find out", replied Kaustuki.
And off they went.
"Please please please God, don't let it be Randhir...Not him...He's innocent..." a tensed Sanyukta kept praying all the way. As they approached the dean's cabin, they saw a crowd assembled before it.
"Sahil, Kaun disqualify hua hain?" Sanyukta asked her fellow classmate.
"Vidushi...usne uss RCE wale ka project churaya...Kya naam tha uska...arey haan, Parth..." Sahil replied.
"What? Vidushi stole the project? Matlab that irrigation project wasn't her idea? I knew it! Me and Jiggy were wondering where she came up with such a brilliant concept...I can't believe she stole it...My god that girl!" said an exasperated Kaustuki.
But for Sanyukta all that mattered was that it wasn't Randhir.
"Huh! I was right! Vidushi is a culprit, one way or the other...Thank God she has been caught!" she thought.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Sanyukta decided that now was time for some action. It was time to teach that 'bas***d' a lesson!
~0~
-TECH FEST DAY 1-
The much awaited day had finally arrived. The camous buzzed with activities. The projects had all been lined up for display, while members were asked to stand next to their models for explanation when the judges arrived.
Sanyukta was walking past the classrooms searching for a certain someone who was nowhere to be found.
"Yeh chuha chup kahan gya? Ek baar mil jaye toh muh fod du saale ka" she told herself.
Just then she spotted him, leaning against the wall, waiting for someone.
Just the sight of him made her blood boil. Oh how she hated that face!
She approached him with quick strides, her mind made up on how she was going to deal with the traitor.
"You think u are very smart, right? So smart that u thought u could outwit us..." she told him in the meanest voice she could muster.
He looked up, at first surprised, but soon registering the situation.
"Look who is here! If it isn't the one and only Miss know-it-all!" Karan taunted.
"Just shut up! Don't u dare taunt me, u bloody bas***d!" Sanyukta bellowed.
"Why? What are u going to do? Destroy my project?" Karan retorted, laughing.
"You foul creature! How could u do this to him? U think u took revenge? U think u did him a favour? RANDHIR IS BROKEN U FOOL...ALL BECAUSE OF U...And u are ok with that???" she screamed, unable to take it any longer.
"Sanyukta, enough..." someone spoke from behind her.
Both Sanyukta and Karan were startled for a moment.
It was randhir.
It broke Sanyukta's heart when she saw his state. His eyes looked hollow, his face contorted.
"Randhir yaar.." started Karan. But he was cut short when randhir suddenly held him by his collar and pushed him against the wall.
"R-an-dhir...Kya kar ra-ha hain?" Karan mumbled struggling to break lose.
"KYA PROVE KARNA CHAHTA HAIN TU?? BOL...JAWAB DE..."
Randhir's temper had reached its peak. He still hadn't let go of Karan's collar.
"Tune iss ladki ko humare beech aaney diya..." karan said, still struggling.
And that's when Randhir punched him, right across the face. His punch had so much power to it that it made Karan's nose bleed profusely..
"Saale dost bolta hain tu khud ko...Bhai manta tha mein tujhe...Aur tu...tune yeh kiya...Revenge?? Ladki ke liye revenge? Yeh hain humari dosti...YEH?" Randhir bellowed.
"YES REVENGE...Do u remember that once upon a time it was us - u and me...But now...u became friends with a girl who cost me my seat in FITE????" Karan argued.
"Seat haq se milta hain...I tried in every possible way and u know it...Janta hain tu...Par tera rank itna low tha ki kuch nhi ho paya..." randhir spat!
"SHUT UP" Karan shouted, "Mera rank low tha? Bol...aur bol...Kitna defend karega isko? Bol..."
"U bloody COWARD.." screamed Randhir, swinging another punch which Karan ducked narrowly.
"Ab kya karega? FITE is doomed...I made sure of that when I destroyed ur project..." Karan taunted.
His taunt was met by a cold sneer from randhir, "Randhir Shekhawat se panga liya hain...What did u think? Ki we are doomed? That now we will wallow in self-pity and lament at our misfortune? U want to defeat me? That too with ur cheap antics...Go ahead...Try me". Randhir emphasized on the last word, while inching closer to Karan, ready to pounce on him again.
Before things could get worse, Sanyukta interrupted.
"Randhir, chhodo...kya kar rahein ho?"
"Sanyukta stay away.." Randhir spoke heatedly.
"Iss ladki ne mera seat le liya...aur tu isko apna dost manta hain Randhir?" Karan piped, repeating the same dialog.
"ONE MORE WORD and i swear u will be in hospital Karan...don't test my temper..." randhir replied, almost ready to strike another punch.
"What's happening here?" said a watchman who had appeared on hearing the commotion.
"Bhaiya kuch bhi nhi...hum bas ja hi rahe the.." sanyukta lied and caught Randhir by the arm and dragged him away from the scene.
"Jah...ladki ke sath jah...Dosti tune toda..maine nhi..." came Karan's sneer.
Randhir's temper flared again. He pushed Sanyukta aside, but she clung onto him desparately.
"Disqualify ho jayenge hum agar kisi ne dekh liya toh...Chalo Randhir, please..." she pleaded.
And finally he turned around and walked away in a huff. Sanyukta sighed in relief and followed him.
~0~
"Ladies and gentlemen, I declare the annual tech-fest VISTAS officially open.." The dean's voice echoed through the campus, accompanied by a huge applause and cheer from the students.
Vidushi had been disqualified and 50 points had been deducted from FITE even before the start of the contest.
Parth's project had been returned to him and was now on display.
Randhir and Sanyukta stood at one corner of the table. Sanyukta could see Karan standing at the opposite corner with his partner, looking grim.
Randhir on the other hand had been mum since his meeting with Karan.
"Randhir", she nudged him softly.
He avoided eye contact with her, but nodded ever-so-slightly giving her a cue to go ahead.
"I was wondering...umm...u have made this project single-handedly...Umm...can I maybe do the explanation before the judges?"
She knew he would refuse. And he wouldn't be wrong to do so. This project was entirely to his credit. And it was perfectly ok for him to claim the final glory. But Sanyukta wanted to be a part of it. So despite knowing his reply, she still requested him.
But what left her speechless was that he merely nodded and went back to brooding. He had actually agreed to it...and that too without the slightest fuss!
"He is hurt...his mind isn't here..." she thought.
Just then there were murmurs all around. The judges had entered the room and would begin their inspection shorlty.
Sanyukta looked around and caught Kaustuki's eye. They mouthed best wishes to each other. She also sent a thumbs-up to Jiggy and Sahil, all of whom were responsible for the individual projects.
She could see vardhan sir talking to one of the judges. For a moment she met his eyes. He sent her a nod of approval. And suddenly Sanyukta was brimming with confidence.
She glanced at Randhir whose eyes were fixated on the model before him. She tangled her fingers with his, causing him to snap out of his thoughts and look at her.
She looked deep into his brown orbs, squeezed his hand to assure him of her presence and whispered with a smile, "FITE all the way, remember?"
She could see it in his eyes...the desparate plea for support, the need for someone to escape his loneliness and the urge to prove to everyone that he was the best...that he always did what was right.
But then he blinked..and it was all gone!
~0~
A/N: Thank u reading. Do leave ur feedback, like always!
Love u guys so much!!
-Anuradha😳
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