New AvNeil SS: The Challenge | CHAPTER 7- PG 17 |April 04 - Page 12

If you let your secrets be out to the winds, you cannot expect the wind to not tell them to the trees.

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There are secrets that you want to keep locked forever and throw the keys away to the land of Timbuktu so that no one can fetch it and nudge with what you have kept hidden.

And then there are secrets that become the worst kept ones in no time, due to catalysts that can be a person, the wind, your thoughts, and anything under the sky.

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Teacher caught you peeping into your classmate's answer sheet?

Check.

Mom caught you stealing ice-cream from the refrigerator at midnight when you thought everyone's asleep?

Check.

Dad caught you sneaking into your mansion's bar and trying out the royal brands of scotch when you were only 16?

Double check.

Your entire class seeing you make out with your self proclaimed arch rival-turned girlfriend-turned pretend arch rival?

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No comments.

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That's what Neil Khanna felt right now.

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SAME DAY OF REVELATION

The Commons, Department of Science, Hillridge International College.

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"So. You ARE dating Mehta? For REAL? For like, really, really, really Real?"

Vidyut asked, for the nth time now, in the last 15 minutes.

"Add a 100 more REALLYs to that, the fact wouldn't change! Yes, I am dating her! Problem, much?"

Neil retorted, his tone fully coated with let-the-adrenaline speak approach.

He looked around and saw the Science Commons to be looking like an interrogation room though, like we see in those movies? The CIA interrogating an accused.

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"But how?! I mean HOW, Khanna? I mean, I mean.. YOU and... Mehta?"

It was Ved's turn now to express his shock.

"Yeah so?"

Neil spat.

"So? So I mean, you guys HATE each other."

"Uh-uh. -TED. HaTED."

Neil corrected the still in shock Ved in a theatrical fashion.

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"Okay, hated each other. Then how? How can all this-"

"Oh give me a break Ved! Looks like someone needs to give up studying science for a while and pay attention to some Mills & Boons stories. Perhaps then you can get the answer to that HOW!"

"Hate turns love, love turns hate: What's the biggie? There's science in that too you know? Just saying."

Neil shut him up.

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"That means.. Bro."

DD began, his mind doing some mental math as he pondered for a while and continued,

"That means every time, you went to Neela Aunty's house for those family functions and made faces saying how you had to tolerate Avni, you were.. You were acting?"

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"Eeeyup."

Neil enunciated the phonetics in a dramatic fashion, while DD stared at him with widened eyes at the moment.

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"Oh come on, DD! Close your mouth! A fly might get in there!"

DD immediately tightened his lips while Neil smirked seeing that.

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"So even.. Even Mehta was acting? I mean, I mean Avni."

Riya modified her addressal for Avni immediately, seeing Neil's heated reaction

"How much did you score in the mid-term last month Riya, darling?"

Neil asked, making Riya slightly surprised trying to find the relevance of it.

"Uhh.. 72. Why do you ask?"

She inquired in a confused tone.

"See? I knew it! Stop wasting time watching CID and that ACP Pradyuman! Because you have developed his tendency of repeating the same thing in multiple ways and see what happened? Even your academics are being affected!"

AND she got the reference as well as the relevance, with his mocking tone.

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"For the final time now! Yes, I have been dating Avni Mehta since the last one month. Yes, Avni Mehta has been dating me, since the last one month. Yes, I am in love with Avni Mehta. Yes, Avni Mehta is in love with me. Yes, I care for Avni Mehta. Yes, Avni Mehta cares for me. Yes, I was only acting to hate her. Yes, she was only acting to hate me."

He said without a pause, deliberately in a sarcastic tone while others only stared at him. Though their first hand shocked expressions now subsided, a coat of being hit by something unexpected still did remain on their faces.

"Done there! Active, passive, straight, reverse. Hope I have made myself utterly clear?"

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"Just one last question."

DD stated.

"Shoot!"

Neil replied, tired with all the day's drama.

"When were you gonna tell us about it?

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"Duh! Never!"

Neil replied instantaneously.

DD was shocked at that bluntness from him for a brief moment, but he wasn't too surprised at those words on a second thought. He knew his brother-like friend very well and the most fundamental trait of his was that he never considered himself accountable to give justification to anyone. Second was of course doing what he liked.

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"Now if you all are done with your Q and A, let me remind you we have a thing called West Gala to prepare for?"

He said casually while some nodded at him and others only mumbled to themselves.

But in all this, Rhea stood in an isolated corner, her eyes moistening at Neil's blatant and honest confession about his love for Psycho Mehta. A part of her pained, while a part of her remained too angry.

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Meanwhile in the Commons, Department of Psychology, Hillridge International College.

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Avni applied all the theories from the subject of Psychology to calm her mind as well as heartbeat. One of which was counting the alphabets backwards.

She sat on the white sofa of the common room, her injured foot resting on a nearby chair while her classmates surrounded her.

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Getting caught while sneaking out of the house for a slumber party?

Been there, done that!

Getting caught for saying you knew how to play basketball when you actually didn't?

Been there, done that!

Getting caught by the professor at the mall when you had said you are sick as f*ck and hence you can't submit the assignment on time?

Grrr, definitely been there done that!

Getting caught by your classmates while you are French kissing your boyfriend?

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'Ugh! Someone kill me already!'

Her mind shouted.

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"Why did you act Avni? What was even the need for all this?"

Juhi asked, her face showing a combination of hurt and disappointment.

Avni hated this about herself. She had notions that she could always be strong and able to tackle any kind of situation, but to her dismay, when such situations happened for real, all she could do was sob or remain silent.

"I-I am sorry guys, I really didn't mean to disappoint you all like this."

Avni said, genuinely apologetic for whatever happened.

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She knew her classmates wouldn't nudge her much with this for they weren't the type to be so intrusive. But that didn't mean they won't be disappointed by her hiding her relationship with Neil.

"You could have at least told me."

Ali spoke, his tone conveying how hurt he was with Avni's charade.

And she felt extremely guilty witnessing something like that as she didn't respond to it. Rather, she couldn't, and she lowered her gaze.

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"Guys, I think that's enough now. It's already late. And Avni is unwell as well as injured. We can leave all these discussions for some other time."

Sunehri said in a serious tone making everyone nod at her in understanding before they started walking out of the room.

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"Sunehri, I-"

Avni started, only to be interrupted by her best friend as she replied,

"No, Avni. I am not angry with you. There would have been reasons for you to keep all of this under wraps. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't bother me to see my sister like bestie with her so called enemy turned boyfriend in a compromising position, in front of the college!"

Avni understood as well as agreed with where Sunehri was coming from.

Her best friend had always been a mature personality and today was just another instance where she proved it.

"Now stop making that cry baby face! Your eyes already look so puffy!"

She told Avni in a joking tone, making her chuckle between her tears.

"The driver is here already. Come on let's go!"

Sunehri said, as she helped Avni stand up, and walk her towards the exit of the hall so that they could finally get some rest back home.

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"So how bad was it?"

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"Bad? Avni! It was GREAT!"

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"Neil, stop it!"

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"Stop what?"

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"Joking!"

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"What the F? When did I joke?"

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"Just now!"

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"No I didn't"

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"Yes you did!"

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"Fine! It wasn't great, great. Okay? But it wasn't bad either."

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"Hmmm."

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"Now stop being a tragedy queen."

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"Hmm"

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"Again Hmm? What are you? A humming bird?"

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"Hmm." .. "Err, no."

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"Hahaha."

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"<sigh>"

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"Avni, relax. It will all be fine."

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".. I, I don't know Neil."

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"But I know. Just trust me."

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"I know. But just that, I hate it when people are upset because of me, you know."

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"Yes, I know."

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"I mean, Juhi, Preeti, and maybe even Sunehri, I don't know."

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"<sigh>"

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"And then Ali too.. I don't think he will ever even talk to me again."

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"That's good news!"

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"Neil!!"

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"*chuckles* Kidding yaar."

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"Hmm"

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"Don't worry. Give it sometime. They will all come around, eventually."

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"Hmm. I hope so."

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"How is your leg now? Does it hurt?"

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"Nah.. Only a little.. I will be fine."

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"Hmm."

"By the way, Avni?"

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"Mm?"

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"Be ready at 8 a.m. tomorrow."

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"But why?"

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"I'm picking you up for college."

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"Huh?"

"But why?!"

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"Err, because I am your boyfriend?"

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"Yes, but-"

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"Yeah, I have a sexy butt, and so do you!"

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"Neil!!!!!"

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"*chuckles* No ifs and buts Avni. The clandestine tag has expired for good. Might as well enjoy the public eye now."

"Be ready at 8. Love you!"

And with that he just hung up the call while she only gasped thinking of the certain change of course in her life.

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