DARLING - Chapter 4 TEASER - Page 5 - Page 3

Originally posted by: -Nive-

Bumping into the thread to make sure it doesn't get closed before I post the next chapter. Story has been on hiatus for months as I wasn't satisfied with what I wrote for the next update. Sorry for that.

The next chapter will be up in a week (Hope anyone might be still interested)

Originally posted by: Nynaeve

Dear Nivetha,

Such a breezy update, I was so engrossed that I was surprised when it came to an end. Nice interplay of emotions and relations.

And the quote by Holmes - agree with him "it is of highest importance, therefore,not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones"

The only problem that the definition of useless and useful varies from person to person, time to time and mood to mood.😉

love,

Nyna

Originally posted by: vishuv

Congrats for the new story Nive!!!

Chapter 1: interesting ...so Ragini calls her friend "Darling" instead of Shruthi which embarrasses her! Why does she feel that she is responsible for Shruthi and Aakash break up?

Originally posted by: vishuv

Chapter 2: Nice update! Came to know a bit of Sherlock Holmes... Ragini is more into Novels than school books. Shruthi is good...I am still in confusion who is the hero and Heroine Lol!! Prem called her "chubby" instead of fat... that's so nice. My bad! I am used to "fat"!!

Is the story set in South India? Coz Dosas are staple food here in my hometown!

Aakash wanted to reconcile with Shruthi. Will she agree?

Thanks for the PM! Sorry for being late...read in the morning itself...but was feeling sick. So commented now!

Classes got over and Ragini was crossing Shurthi's class, stopping by the window for a moment looking for Shruthi.

"Hey!", she heard Prem's voice and turned around.

"You?", she asked as she turned around.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't your friend come?"

"She didn't come?", she said to herself than to Prem

"You don't know?"

"No. I came to college early", she replied.

"She missed an interesting lecture today. Tell her we had Professor Rajesh's lecture today."

"Okay", she said and was about to leave.

"You ok?", he asked.

"Why? Do I look like I am upset?", she smiled.

"I wasn't sure before but now your smile tells that you're definitely upset"

Ragini was taken aback by his reply for a second.

"Don't worry. I won't ask you what it is about. But whatever it is, remember All is Well'.", he smiled at her and did something that she wouldn't have expected before leaving her shocked to react for few seconds.

***

The door was already open when she reached home. Shruthi was arranging books in the shelf. Ragini wanted to know what happened in the morning and whether her and Akash's meeting went well but she was quite scared of Shruthi's reaction.

15 minutes passed but none of them talked. Shruthi started humming a song and that made Ragini assume that Shruthi was in a good mood.

"Prem told you missed an interesting lecture today", she began

"Interesting lecture?"

"Yes, Professor Rajesh's lecture"

"Ohh What was the topic?"

"Umm... I didn't ask him", Ragini let out a sheepish smile.

That was it. Silence engulfed their room again until Shruthi started talking.

"You still didn't ask me why I didn't come to college today"

"Haan, yes. I wanted to ask but I forgot"

"I met Akash today"

Ragini's eyes showed a mix of curiosity and hope as Shruthi began talking. She almost had tears when Shruthi told that she and Akash have decided to give time to each other. It was not what Ragini wanted but still Shruthi was saying that she didn't want the relationship but then, she has decided to give it a chance. So what if she said she needed time? At least she was not saying No. As Ragini hugged Shruthi, Shruthi was apologizing to Ragini in her mind.

"I am sorry Ragini. This is a lie. But I don't want you feel guilty or keep trying to mend things between me and Akash. This lie is good for all of us"

Chapter 3

"Now why are you smiling like an idiot?", she asked him but he was still smiling. It took her few seconds to realize the reason behind his smile.

"Yeah I remember it."

"History is repeating"

"Listen, I didn't mean it that way. I would have said the same if any other guy had come behind me-"

"You know you don't have to explain yourself. I know you"

"Uff... Why are you here?"

"You don't know?"

"Didn't I tell my answer already?"

"You're being unreasonably stubborn"

"Yes I am. So, why don't you leave me?"

"What the...?", he banged his fist on the wall nearby.

"What are you doing?", Shruthi said concerned. She had to suppress her urge to see whether his hand got hurt. He was silent and she felt that silence was her enemy at that moment.

"I am sorry. I know you are trying hard. But please understand me. I don't want this. Why do you want me to be in a relationship which I don't want?"

He huffed.

"What did you expect from me, Shruthi? I am a perfect man. I am not. I make mistakes like every other human being but I accept them. I made a mistake. I agree but this punishment you're giving me. I don't deserve this. You know I didn't..."

"It's not about you. It's about me. It's about my expectations. If I share something about me only with you, I expect you to keep it a secret. But you broke my trust."

"Come-on. It's not a crime. What if others know that you-"

"Stop it"

"Shruthi, please"

"It's not about others knowing. I trusted you enough to tell you something that I didn't share with anyone. Anyone includes my mom and Ragini too. But you used it to your advantage"

"Advantage? What do you mean?"

"You were angry with me so you spilled out my secrets"

"It's not like that. You know why I behaved like that- Listen I am just tired of explaining myself. Haven't I explained this 100 times already?"

"I don't want explanations"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Be happy and let me be happy too"
"That's what I am trying to do"

"You are doing what you THINK would make me happy. It is not the same as what makes me happy."

"What makes you happy? BREAKING MY HEART?", shivers ran down her spine when he shouted the last three words.

"I... I..."

"You don't have to say anything. It's going to be the same. You don't want me. Fine. I won't beg you"

She could see that just another word from her could break him down. His eyes were raging with anger and pain and she didn't dare to speak.

"Just don't tell Ragini anything about this fight."

"Okay"

"If she asks you what happened, just tell her some lie. I guess that wouldn't be difficult for you", he murmured before leaving the place.

After all these days, he taunted her for lying. It hurt her deeply though she knew he had this habit of spitting fire when he was hurt or upset. He was not the kind of guy who is always understanding or mature. When he got emotional, he made stupid decisions and remarks. But since their fight that night in his home, he was trying to make amends with her. He had apologized innumerable number of times. He was being so patient that she began to doubt whether he was the same guy she fell in love with but his taunt had reassured her that he hadn't changed.

She finally succeeded in making him give up but this victory didn't please her. It actually made her unhappy.

***

Classes got over and Ragini was crossing Shurthi's class, stopping by the window for a moment looking for Shruthi.

"Hey!", she heard Prem's voice and turned around.

"You?", she asked as she turned around.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't your friend come?"

"She didn't come?", she said to herself than to Prem

"You don't know?"

"No. I came to college early", she replied.

"She missed an interesting lecture today. Tell her we had Professor Rajesh's lecture today."

"Okay", she said and was about to leave.

"You ok?", he asked.

"Why? Do I look like I am upset?", she smiled.

"I wasn't sure before but now your smile tells that you're definitely upset"

Ragini was taken aback by his reply for a second.

"Don't worry. I won't ask you what it is about. But whatever it is, remember All is Well'.", he smiled at her and did something that she wouldn't have expected before leaving her shocked to react for few seconds.

***

The door was already open when she reached home. Shruthi was arranging books in the shelf. Ragini wanted to know what happened in the morning and whether her and Akash's meeting went well but she was quite scared of Shruthi's reaction.

15 minutes passed but none of them talked. Shruthi started humming a song and that made Ragini assume that Shruthi was in a good mood.

"Prem told you missed an interesting lecture today", she began

"Interesting lecture?"

"Yes, Professor Rajesh's lecture"

"Ohh What was the topic?"

"Umm... I didn't ask him", Ragini let out a sheepish smile.

That was it. Silence engulfed their room again until Shruthi started talking.

"You still didn't ask me why I didn't come to college today"

"Haan, yes. I wanted to ask but I forgot"

"I met Akash today", she began.

Ragini's eyes showed a mix of curiosity and hope. She almost had tears when Shruthi told that she and Akash have decided to give time to each other. It was not what Ragini wanted but still Shruthi was saying that she didn't want the relationship but then, she has decided to give it a chance. So what if she said she needed time? At least she was not saying No. As Ragini hugged Shruthi, Shruthi was apologizing to Ragini in her mind.

"I am sorry Ragini. This is a lie. But I don't want you feel guilty or keep trying to mend things between me and Akash. This lie is good for all of us"

***

A week later...

"You woke up so soon?", Shruthi said as she sat up and looked the clock showing 4 am.

"I will sleep in few minutes", Ragini replied.

It took few seconds for Shruthi to understand that Ragini hadn't slept at all.

"I thought you slept when I-", Shruthi ran her hand through her hair.

"I slept but this problem woke me up. I couldn't sleep after that. I was trying to understand it. I am so close to it. Just need to know one more step and then I will sleep"

Shruthi tied her hair and went to washroom. It was one of those infrequent times where Ragini was engrossed in a book other than novels. Ragini was not a studious girl. Yes, she likes to talk about puzzles or Mathematical problems in general but she wasn't the one who worried about exams, assignments, etc. If a classmate tells her that he/she couldn't understand something and asks her to help, she would be more than happy to help but you also need to remember that she would be the last person to submit an assignment in the class and there had been days where she forgot that there would be a test.

"I totally forgot about the test", said Rani.

"Me too", Shruthi sighed.

"Most of us don't remember it. I think we can ask Ma'am to postpone the test", said Rahul.

"Are you nuts? She wouldn't agree. She would get even more furious", reasoned Shruthi.

As the students in the class continued to argue among themselves as to what they should do regarding the upcoming Mathematics test, there was one student who didn't have a clue of what was happening.

Ragini had no friends in the class and she hardly talked to anyone as she used to be engrossed in her own world. But that today, the whole class was busy talking about something important and she wanted to know what it was. From the few words she could manage to hear, she could guess that it was about some test. But she didn't know what was the test about and when was it to happen. She looked around in confusion and that was when she caught Shruthi.

She thought she could ask Shruthi. It was only when she went near her bench and no one noticed her standing, she realized that she didn't know Shruthi's name.

"Excuse Me", she said in a low tone.

Rani looked at her like she was an alien.

"What?", she said in a curt tone.

"Ragini", said Shruthi.

Ragini felt good that Shruthi knew her name.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Do you know about the Trigonometry test today?"

"We have a test today?", Ragini asked hesitantly making the classroom fill with laughter.

"See, even she doesn't know", said Rani and pulled Ragini to sit besides her.

"I think Ma'am would agree to postpone the test. Even Ragini doesn't know about the test."

Ragini wondered why her not knowing about the test was being emphasized.

Later that evening when Shruthi was about to pass the school gate, she saw Ragini coming to her.

"Yes?", said Shruthi.

"My home is also this way. Do you mind if I join?",

"Of course. Do you need to ask?", Shruthi smiled.

They started walking together from the school.

After few minutes of silence, Shruthi broke the ice.

"Actually I have seen you go through this way but I assumed you liked walking alone"

Shruthi was right. Ragini wanted to be left alone and away from anyone's disturbance. Hadn't she been curious about knowing something, she might not have joined Shruthi that day.

"Can I ask you something?", asked Ragini with her usual hesitant voice.

"You can. What do you want to ask?", replied Shruthi keeping the surprise in her voice to minimum.

"Why did your friends say that EVEN I didn't know about the test?"

"We didn't remember the test so-"

"No why did they stress that EVEN I DIDN'T KNOW?"

"Because you're the teacher's pet"

"What?"

Shruthi had to control her urge to laugh seeing Ragini's What is this joke?' kind of expression.

"Me? But I don't even know her"

"But you are the class topper in Mathematics"

"Am I?"

"You are really serious?"

Shruthi was appalled that a person could be so clueless like Ragini was at that moment.

***

Days passed smoothly as Ragini didn't talk about Akash until one day she used his name to chide Shruthi.

"Hello lazy! Wake up! You're not coming to college?", Shruthi uncovered Ragini's face and pulled off her blanket.

"I slept only at 12"

"College starts in a hour"

"Uff... If it had been Akash, he would have let me sleep"

"Yeah just like how he let you sleep on the day of our school practical exam and I had to come home to wake you up"

"Arghh.. I am getting up. Don't start now"

"I wish your kids don't be like you. Or else you would have a very difficult-"

"Kids? Seriously you're talking like you're my mom"

"And you're behaving like a small kid"

"It's my fault to argue with you even after knowing I couldn't win"

As Ragini got up to get ready for college, she felt happy that things are changing. If it had been few days before, the mention of Akash's name would have filled the atmosphere with silence. Her guilt burden got lessened as her hope rose gradually.