True LoveChapter 16
Ishika sneezed as she made herself a cup of hot chocolate. She had had three cups of smoothies last night at the caf while she strolled around anxiously taking orders while her friends watched her. To not seem rude to her customers she kept the cup at the counter and would go to it every few minutes. It was freezing and she knew she would catch cold but it was the only way to make her shiver and take her mind off Antara's and her social status.
Apparently she had become their attention from what ever topic they were discussing before she walked up to them with their order. Surprisingly for her caf ran really busy during night. She would have expected people to go to bigger restaurants specially her rich friends instead of choosing some light junk food.
She zoomed her way to college keeping the cup of hot chocolate in one hand. The warmth from the cup was spreading in her body through her hands and making her a feel a little alive as her thoughts ran. Who am I now? She thought of Antara, having life that our friends were not part off. She can't think of keeping secrets from her. Antara was that part of her life that she herself was not. How can we know for sure if our friends are really our friends when they don't know who we really are?
Rushing into the warmth of the nearest building, she took in deep breath and sipped her hot chocolate. All she knew was no doubt Dhruv and Yash were truly Antara's friends. May be, Yash was more than friend.
She sneezed again and accidentally bumped her forehead in the lockers. Frowning she rubbed her center with her empty hand before proceeding to unlock her locker.
"That's what you get for having three cups of smoothies in winter."
Ishika rolled her eyes hearing her best friend's voice. Not caring to face her she replied, "You guys should not sell them during winter then I would not have had them." Thus, she didn't realize others had walked in the lockers area too.
Antara unlocked her locker, "Seriously, three cups?"
"Yeah. You know what? Any cold beverage should be banned in Kashmir during winter."
Antara giggled, "Sure princess. Anything you ask for. I will personally type out letters for all the near by shops and caf's in this town."
Ishika slammed her locker shut and glared at Antara. "Just be thankful to me for once. Because of you I had to lie to your mom when I have never lied to my own mom."
Antara flinched from the slam. She grabbed the cup out of Ishika" hand and sipped the drink before replying, "I am grateful to you and about the lie you could have warned me so that I don"t look blank when she comes to me."
"You see I didn"t have time to warn you as I was too busy covering both your and my shift."
Antara balanced her books in one hand and eyed Ishika. After five whole minutes she closed her locker and asked, "Is this really about me?" She watched Nikita and Jayraj walk out to reach in time for their first lecture. She had not seen Sunayna and Raj and they had not even come to their lockers.
Ishika bit her lower lip and looked Antara. "Sorry, I just had to divert my mind and -"
Antara handed her back the cup and said, "What's wrong? Did uncle say anything?" Not waiting for her reply she said, "No uncle won't say anything harsh to you, let me guess, auntie?"
Ishika nodded as she remembered her aunt yelling at her for no reason what so ever when she returned after her work. She was already busy worrying on what her friends will tell her next morning and on top she had to un-puzzle the reason as to why she was being scolded.
"That B -"
"Hey!" Ishika looked at Antara bewildered, "Watch your tongue missy."
"Sorry, it's just that I can't seem to understand as to what insanity could have taken over her to yell at you for going out of your way to be so supportive."
"Beats me," Ishika replied and turned around to see Yash and Dhruv standing by Dhruv's locker. She turned back around to face Antara.
Antara nodded, replying to her unspoken question. Have they been here all along?
Ishika added, "Oh wait she does not know that I work with you." She handed the cup to Antara as she was not in the mood to drink the rest of it.
"Trust me it's good that she does not."
Ishika narrowed her eyes not sure why everyone saying that. Shekhar had told her to keep it from her aunt and now Antara seems to give the same message.
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Antara pulled the chair opposite to Yash in the cafeteria and pushed the paper towards him. Yash looked up at her and closing his folder eyed the paper and looked back up at her.
"That's the list of students I came up with to interview for the PR position. Can we please tell them they cannot take it lightly and if they leave it will affect their academic standing in some sort of way?"
Yash smiled, "I thought I was the one who had to do this task."
Antara sighed, "I am sorry I snapped at you the other day. Besides you can still do the task, you can go through those six people and see if you agree to interview them all or remove some names or add what ever you want to do. I can send out emails to them and see if they are interested."
Yash nodded, "They are all really good according to their records over here. Thanks I will take care of the rest."
Antara glared at him, "First you argue that I don't do anything and now that I am, you have to be the good guy and say you will do the rest."
Yash bit his lower lip to keep them from curving up. "I am just saying you did half the work, I will do the rest half. Once I go through the interviews I will ask for your opinion. I promise."
"You don't have to ask me, I know you will make a good enough decision with out me.:
Yash watched her walk towards one of the glass doors not sure what her response will be by the time he gives his final pick. He prayed to God to save him from anything harsh specially after she actually went through the work to help him out.
Before she opened the nearest door he called, "AT."
"Yeah?"
When he didn't say anything she walked back towards the table and sat down. "Well are you going to speak up? I have ten minutes before my next lecture."
"I am sorry."
"Sorry, for what?"
"For last night, I should have made sure of where we were going."
"It's not your fault. We all know how our friends are once they make up their mind."
"Yeah but -"
"Yash, I would love to hear sorry from you but for things where you are at the fault, not for the ones were you had done nothing wrong." Antara lightly touched his hand and got up.
"You didn't tell me - us that Ishika worked there too." He stopped her yet again.
Antara opened her mouth and closed it with out saying anything. He saw her lips move but was not sure if she said anything because he didn't hear a sound.
Yash was about to speak up when she said, "Well, I didn't thought that learning she worked with me would have made any difference."
"Of course it does not. I am just saying that we tell each other most of the things and lately it seems as if you are keeping a lot to yourself."
"Well as you said, most of the things and those most of the things are about ourselves. If and where Ishika works is not my thing to share with everyone."
"Are you sure about that? Because last I checked Ishika was your friend and you are my friend. I thought Dhruv was wrong but now I am starting to feel his thoughts."
Antara starred at him, knowing very well she was already late for her class, putting her books down she asked, "What are you talking about?"
"I think you already know."
"Sorry to disappoint you but I don't."
"Come on AT, who are you kidding? We get it you are not as rich as us but you just seem to neglect us. Do I have to state it out that we are not really rich, it's our parents. But that's the same with Ishika yet you don't seem to avoid her in ways you avoid me and Dhruv."
"I am not avoiding anybody."
"When was the last time you hanged out with us? The last time I remember was a night in garden when you announced Ishika was coming in town."
"Ishika is different, and she is not like you two. We both are friends since we were kids. I can't believe you are jealous of her."
"I am not jealous of her. I am just asking you to explain to me how she is different than us."
"She is... just different."
"Fine, don't tell me. Keep on with more secrets but I am tired of you. None of us are judging you. I never judged you but all you seem to be doing is judge me. You have known me for one and half year, yet don't know me at all. I am not saying don't judge me but at least know for sure if the judgment you make towards me are even justified or not. Just because I come from a different background then you do not mean I have low respect for you."
Antara stood motionless. She wanted to stop him but can't come up with what to say. She watched him push through the doors she had nearly walked out of before he stopped her. She blinked her eyes several times pushing back the tears threatening to spill out. She was not even sure where her life was leading her anymore.
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Ishika went straight home, to her bad luck Kalika had decided to stay home. The day she wanted to avoid people, the very same day they seem to be surrounding her all the time.
Purposely she didn't stay on campus after her last class. She didn't go to her regular spot at the outdoor cafe knowing Dhruv would come to her and would ask questions. She was not yet ready to share her life with anyone, she was not yet ready to let any one into her life in a way where she would hurt herself or worse, hurt them. She eyed her aunt in the kitchen and crossing her fingers rushed towards the stairs.
Unfortunately Kalika had heard her come in. "Don't run away, get in here and help with dinner. You are staying here for the rest of your life, at least until you are married away. Least you can do is help around the house."
Ishika squeezed her eyes shut, taking in deep breath she put down her back pack at the foot of the stair case and made her way deep in towards the kitchen. " didn't know we would be cooking meal today and so I had thought I could go on up and start on my homework as first set of exams are only a week away."
"No need to use studies as an excuse to dodge work. You are not going to college to become a doctor or lawyer. Even if you were, I would not care. If you have so much studying as you claim to then you can stay up late and wake up early. Now get in here and cut those vegetables."
"Sure, I was just saying. I thought you would want to know."
"I know enough. I don't need you to be my news reporter."
Ishika eyed her aunt from the corner of her eyes, not sure what she meant by she knows enough. Not wanting to worry her brain over her aunt's riddles she concentrated on cutting the vegetables. When she was nearly done, her aunt spoke up.
"Later on in the evening I want you to go the Rosemary and see what your uncle does and start helping him in his work."
Rosemary resort was her uncle's resort - 5-gold star resort in the whole of Kashmir. Ishika had never been to the resort. When she came in town, Kalika strictly told her she should stay away from the place and the business matters. She didn't want her to distract her uncle from his work. Ishika was not sure how she can distract Shekhar in any way. He was the owner of the resort a mare girl like her coming to his resort for a tour was hard to see as disturbance. But to keep on getting in bad records with Kalika, Ishika stayed away and kept to herself as much as possible.
"But, I was going to go to Antara's place to work on a project." It was a small lie, since she cannot tell her that she was actually going to go to Mystic as she worked there.
"Did I not say I don't want your endless studies to be excuse for dodging work?"
"Yes, but this is a group thing. I cannot just take credit for the work others do. I have to help out too."
"You go to Antara's house every day. What do you think I don't know you are with her all the time when you are out of this house?"
Ishika opened her mouth but Kalika pushed it shut, "I don't want to hear any stupid excuses. You are going to the resort. It would be better for you if you do as I say and staying away from that girl and her family will be for your own good."
Kalika stormed out of the kitchen on that note. Ishika stood dumbfounded. What was Kalika trying to say? Is she trying to keep me away from Antara? "But why?" she said out loud.
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As soon as Kalika closed the door of her room, Ishika rushed out of her room, and with swift run escaped out of the house. Forget the homework; there were other emergencies that needed immediate attention.
Pushing though the doors she rushed to the counter towards Varsha who stood behind the register. She patiently stood behind the two guys who were ordering a drink and hoped no one else will come in for some time.
She nearly bumped into the boys when they turned around. "Sorry." She heard a familiar voice above her. She looked up to see Dhruv starring at her with Yash next to him.
Great, they are last person in this world I need to face.
Before either of the boys can say anything Varsha spotted her. "Ishika, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be home doing homework?"
Ishika sighed, "Apparently, I am not supposed to use studies as an excuse to dodge work."
Both the boys and Varsha gave her a confused look. Ishika shook her head, "Forget it. I swear I will go insane in this town. I would give anything to go back to Manali right now."
"And do what? Leave your whole life by yourself. Rubbish."
Ishika smiled at Varsha's motherly concern for a moment forget that Dhruv and Yash were present in the scene. Diverting the topic she said, "I should not have said anything. About why I am here, I am sorry for what I am about to say, but do you think it is possible if I ditch tonight's shift?"
"Is everything alright? Antara told me you went straight home after college."
"Of course she has to deliver every single happening to you."
Varsha smiled, "You are forgetting you are now my daughter. I would like it if you would deliver your own happenings to me."
"Guess your wish got full-filled as I am about to do the very thing right now."
Varsha cocked her right brow up amused and waited for her to continue.
"Well, it starts this way. I was told to keep my job away from her."
"By Shekhar."
"Yes," It was not a question, yet she confirmed it. "So, now I am stuck with a lie - doing a project with Antara instead of being here. But it didn't work and now I am ordered to go to Rosemary."
"Wait a minute Kalika wants you at the resort?"
Ishika nodded and Varsha continued, "Never thought that would be possible."
Ishika frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Well, when you finally agreed to move here we all knew Kalika would not want you any where near that place."
"Yeah, you see I didn't agree I was forced to," Ishika cleared. "Really? Gosh why does it seem that you all know her more than me?"
"You recently started living with her, while we have shared this town for half of our life. If you ask me every one in this town knows Kalika Dhanrajgir's nature."
"You are Kalika Dhanrajgir's daughter?"
Ishika jerked her head to her left to see Yash and Dhruv still present. It was Yash who had asked the question.
Varsha eyed Ishika before saying, "They don't know?"
Ishika shook her head, "No body knows besides AT. Anyways, I know uncle is out of town, and I feel really bad for asking you after all the trouble you guys went through to take me in but do you think it's possible? I mean she is in really bad mood these days, and if she found out that I didn't go. Let's just say I don't want to go that far to face whatever she might do."
Varsha nodded. There was nothing else in the world than to see Ishika happy. "It will be fine, go to the resort. Moreover, I am curious to learn why she had a sudden change of heart."
Ishika grinned and leaned over the counter in between to hug Varsha. "Thank you. You are the best. I will see if I can get out early."
"I am always the best."
Ishika laughed, turned around - making sure to turn around the other way as she could feel Yash and Dhruv's gaze on her - and quickly rushed towards the doors.
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Next Part: Page 70
Firstly, I am extremely sorry for taking it over 2 months to update. Thing is I have few chapters already written, but college kept me so busy that I didn't get time to come and update. But, here we go again. I will try my best to update as often as possible. But, no promises because of this thing called 'studies'
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Edited by *mystic.moon* - 11 years ago
CID
Kumkum Bhagya
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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