Arnav was right.

This was a thought I roughly had two weeks ago. The crazy, ridiculous, absurd, impossible thought.

And here he was… saying the exact things as if he could read my mind. Logic told me to accept his help and my heart told me I would come to regret it. How was I to bring myself to trust him? I needed a guy I could get along with. Be friends. Him? I just could not imagine it.

I needed… Before I could even finish the thought in my head, I surprised myself by asking, “How can you help?”

His perplexed face turned into a smile. “A step after another. Leave that all to me. All you need to do is focus on doing what I ask you to. Some things might seem absurd but they will help.”

I scoffed, “Nothing can be more absurd that me actually accepting your help.”

His smirk grew as if in agreement. I ignored how charming it made him out to seem as I asked, “So… what kind of things are we talking about here? I will not have any talking sessions. Don’t dare pull any of that therapy shit on me.”

He assured, “No, none of that. I’m not much of a talker myself. Wouldn’t force you to do something I wouldn’t do myself. Besides, I already told you. I won’t ask you any questions ever.”

I found myself nodding in response but I was careful. He was being too nice about this. “What’s the catch?” There has to be one, for a guy like him to offer a girl like me his help. Guys like him don’t turn to look at girls like me for a second time.

“That’s for another time. For now, we start by being friends.” He brushed it off intentionally.

I crossed my arms and interrogate, “I’m supposed to believe your intentions are pure? Just like that? Take your word for it?”

He took a step towards me and my muscles tensed even though he wasn’t in my personal bubble. “Yeah, sweet pea. The first step towards trusting me. Now, come on, you’re either in this completely or you’re not. And if you are, you stop asking questions and stop questioning my methods or my intentions. What do you say?”

I consider it for a second then decide to ditch all my concerns and act impulsively. Here, I have a chance and trust… isn’t it a leap of faith anyway? We’ll find out soon enough what kind of a guy he is… if I can trust his word or not. If I can trust him or not. If I can’t… well, I won’t be any worse off than I already am. I don’t think that is even possible. Hence, where is the harm in trying?

I did use to believe once… trying is everything even if one doesn’t succeed for atleast they can have the satisfaction of knowing they gave their best.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

I nodded, more confidently though I put forth a condition, “But, I will back out any time it gets too much?”

He shook his head, “No, can’t do. I already said, you are either in this completely or you are not. Decide now.”

I do not like ultimatums and thus it gets the worst of me. “Why does it matter so much to you? You want to help. I am letting you. But, I decide when it ends. I know I am broken but I am not a broken thing which should fascinate you enough for you to want to fix it!”

This might be the first time I see a flash of anger in his eyes. His dangerous step towards me instantly chills my bones, scaring me. I scurried back a couple of steps. As if realizing, he took that step back and ran a frustrated hand through his hair before speaking in a much more composed tone.

“Sweet pea, you are not a broken thing that I want to fix. I don’t believe that at all and you shouldn’t see yourself that way either. I have already told you many times today. I. Just. Want. To. Help. Why… is it so hard for you to believe that?”

He really sounded like he wanted me to believe him, expected me to, but it was so much easier said than done.

I answered honestly, “Because, people like you do not help people like me out of the goodness of their heart.”

He looked confused at first, as if wanting to question what I even meant by saying that. But he was quick to shed that confusion and answer back, “Then just believe I don’t have a heart if it’ll be easier for you to accept it. Make up whatever image you want to, I least care. You are Kripa’s friend. You matter to her and she matters to me. Thus, you matter to me. Now will you stop doubting me? It won’t work with me or anyone else if you won’t stop looking for the worst in people.”

In a daze, I nodded. It might be the most I have heard him speak and the way he says it… looking right into my eyes, it forces me to nod. People don’t usually lie looking people straight in the eye. For now, I believed him. I was willing to do that because I could not think of any other reason why he would want to help.

As it was, I had accepted it. Kripa was the medium between us and we weren’t going to rid ourselves of each other any time soon. We would always see each other. There would be many such days… years even until we graduate. Might as well try and make the most of the time.

He nodded back, “We’ll start tomorrow. Get all the peaceful sleep you can tonight.”

My brows narrowed in confusion, “What do you mean?” He raised a brow and I murmured, “Right, no questions.”

That was the deal. He wouldn’t ask me any questions of my past. I wouldn’t ask him any questions over his plan on how to help me.

He informed, “I’ll walk you to your apartment.”

It wasn’t an offer and nothing I said would make him do otherwise. Thus, I did not even bother to start an argument here.

Just as we reach the door, he spoke again. “Meet me at the café tomorrow at 2.”

“I have a class till 2:30.”

He rolled his eyes, “Sweet pea, waiting for thirty minutes isn’t going to kill me when you made me wait three hours today. Or wait, are you chickening out already?”

I did not appreciate his tone or his challenge. Ofcourse, I don’t know why I cared because in the past couple years, I had gotten better at not getting caught up. Or so I thought. I wasn’t able to avoid a challenge as well as I thought. Just look at the New Year’s resolution challenge Riddhima wrapped me up in.

I scoffed, “Huh, no!”

“Then be there.” He took a step toward me and I again walked backwards.

“Fine.” I snapped thinking he would move back. I grew wary when he took a second step towards me. Then, his hand went behind me to turn the door knob and my body instantly relaxed when I saw he was simply opening the door for me.

I do need to stop assuming the worst will happen at every action.

His voice was low, almost a whisper as he shifted back, “Good night, sweet pea.”

Okay, that’s it. I warned, “I am only going to show up tomorrow if you can learn to call me by my name. Khushi. It’s a pretty name if you ask me and I happen to like the name my parents gave me.”

Obviously, I ranted more than I intended to as I couldn’t handle his endearing nickname. I couldn’t even understand where he got ‘sweet pea’ from.

My lips snapped shut when he took a step in my direction again. Then, a rare smile appeared on his face that I didn’t understand, “See you tomorrow.”

I was hoping he’d say my name so I’d know he’d learnt his lesson and listened but instead, he turned and walked away. Letting out a sigh and dropping my shoulders in defeat, I enter the apartment. It was going to take a lot more than a rant to get him to stop calling me this weird name and speak my name instead.

Now… I had gotten myself into this. And I already knew, I wasn’t going to come out of this unscathed. I had no idea of his plans or what the coming days would bring but it did bring anxiousness in the moment.

If I am to trust Arnav… it wasn’t going to happen overnight. He was going to have to earn it and I was not sure how that would come to pass. Nothing I know about him helped. And this play of his, always doing the exact opposite of my wishes, wasn’t helping his case. If he’d just show he respected it, stopped calling me this strange endearment, then maybe I would give him a chance.

Alas, the depth of my heart knew it was merely wishful thinking.

Today, the way he had waited three hours without a single whim… it did tell me one thing. He always got what he wanted. He made sure of it. So, if he was set on calling me sweet pea and defying me continuously… then was there anything really that I could do to change his mind?

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .