Arnav asked as we reached our table, “So?”

“So?” I repeated in confusion. I didn’t get the point of going over and asking him those questions.

“Does he still scare you?”

I looked at him as if he grew a pair of horns. “Ofcourse he does.”

“Why? You heard him. He’s such a friendly guy.” He insisted.

I countered, “I think the word you’re looking for is polite.”

“Come on, didn’t you see how he gave honest answers? If he was trying to be polite, he wouldn’t have gone into details. He’d have stated numbers and stuck with one word or fragment answers.”

“Dude, just hearing his opinion on some questions isn’t going to change my opinion about him. I don’t even know the guy.” Even if they were honest answers, I can’t know that he didn’t lie. Arnav had lied to him about why we were asking questions and Harry believed it. Just like that, Harry could lie too, right?

“Wow, are you serious? Are you going to question everything a guy, any guy, does or says around you?”

“Well yeah, all guys that aren’t Armaan, Angad or my dad.”

He accused, “Skeptical and paranoid, aren’t you?”

Angry, I stood up abruptly with my bag. “You would be too if you were in my place!”

How could he take this lightly and call me out on how I am behaving when he doesn’t understand how difficult it is for me to even let him help me right now and talk to him when I don’t know what his intentions are? He hasn’t yet earned my trust.

“Look, I didn’t mean it that way,” he got up to follow me. I turned a deaf ear as I pushed the door to get out of the café. He falls in step with me, “I was only saying that you can’t be so skeptical. I get why but if you want to move past it, you have to start somewhere.”

“No, I know exactly what you meant. Thanks for trying to help, Raizada, but clearly this ain’t going to work.” I walked at a faster pace, taking short but quick steps in an attempt to walk away from him.

“Not so fast, sweet pea,” he still managed to grab my bag and halt me effortlessly. “I already said you can’t back out. I may not have the right attitude about things but I am not a saint anyway and I don't claim to be so I don’t care. If I say something that offends you, feel free to offend me right back. But, just because it gets difficult and you hit a wall does not mean you quit.”

“I’d rather quit now then make myself worse,” I tried to leave but ofcourse his grip tightened.

“I’m not letting you walk away without even trying because it’s ridiculous.”

I attempt to free my bag, “Think what you want but it is ridiculous and I am quitting. I don’t care what kind of person that makes me. I am letting it go. I accept this is how I will be and you should too.”

“I want to show you something.” Did he not hear me? “This weekend, will you come?”

I scoffed, “Honestly, Raizada. Do you ever listen to anything anyone is saying or do you just like listening to your own voice? I am not interested.”

How else can I make it clear to him?

He snapped, “No, I don’t listen to others when they are being stupid and ignorant, refusing to understand they are harming themselves.” Then, he ordered. “This weekend. You better be ready Friday evening before I march up to the apartment to come get you and then you can explain to Kripa what’s going on.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

He raised a brow, “Wouldn’t I?”

I glared further, “I don’t like threats or ultimatums.”

He released my bag, “Good thing this was neither. It’s a request that you listen to me because unlike yourself, I know what I am doing is for your own good. See you on Friday.”

See him on Friday? As if. I was pretty sure I’d be seeing him before that. It just told me that even if he saw me before that if the whole group get-together or he came over to visit Kripa, he wouldn’t talk to me so I wouldn’t have to explain to anyone why suddenly, we were talking and all.

He walked off. Ugh. I wanted to be the one to walk away! He is taking all rights away from me on how I should live my life.

If I had no proper reason to hate him before, can I say I have one now?

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

Arnav slumped down on the chair in the living room coming out of Kripa’s room. He must have been in there for hours since I had returned from classes about two hours ago and had been camped out in the living room watching TV since. From the looks of it, he had been asleep.

To be cordial, I asked, “Chips?” It was the only thing available and I knew I needed food every time I woke up from a nap. I didn’t know if he was like that too.

He asked bored, “That’s the best offer? Kripa isn’t back yet?”

“She’s got a study group in the library. Why were you sleeping here?”

“Need to pick up Anjali from the airport and this is closer to airport.”

I recalled this was his sister so I simply nodded and focused my attention on the TV. Some minutes later, he got up from the other couch to sit in the cushion next to me. I teased when I saw him forward his hand from the corner of my eyes, “Don’t you have anything better than chips to eat?”

He snapped, clearly not a happy person after a nap. “Just give it.”

“What’s the magic word?”

“Sweet pea.”

“Sorry, wrong answer.” I moved the bowl on the opposite side of me refusing to offer him any for calling me that name again.

He questioned, “Are you going to act like a kid right now?” I responded by sticking my tongue out. Why was I suddenly so carefree around him? Just yesterday, I was mad for pulling that experiment with Harry. Then again… these are how drastic my moods were with my depression and post-trauma.

Today, I’d woken up in a better mood and it had stayed through the day. Whenever I was in one of these moods, I went with the flow for they were rare.

He grumbled, “Fine, be that way.”

I believe he’s given up. Plopping a chip in my mouth, I turned to TV once again and thus, didn’t see it coming when his hand crept around my back to reach for the bowl. I realized when I leaned back to support my back on the cushion behind me and his hand got caught between the cushion and my back.

I stopped chewing. He froze as well. He hadn’t expected me to move back. I snapped back when I heard him, “Khushi…”

I turned my head in its direction. “Hmm?”

He softly instructed as if knowing I was in a dazed state and wasn’t reacting on my own. “Move, sweet pea.”

My mind was numb.

“What?” Even though I had heard him, my brain wasn’t working to put together words and form sense.

Next thing? I jump slightly since his fingers tickled my side. He seized the moment to pull his hand back. Instead of being mad at him for touching me, I chose to glare for tickling me.

He commented digging his hand in the bowl of chips, “Good to know you’re ticklish.”

Taking the pillow from the side, I hit his arm. “Keep your hands to yourself in the future, Raizada.”

He challenged through a stuffed mouth, “If I don’t?”

“I’ll set loose Amy on you.”

“Amy?”

“Armaan,” I rectified realizing he wouldn’t know I call my brother Armaan as Amy sometimes.

“Who is that?”

I reached for the remote and switched channels to find something else to watch, “Consider yourself lucky if you two never cross paths.”

“Why?”

I smirked feeling proud of my brother and also because it was nice for a change to see Arnav needing answers. “Because, he’s a black belt and he will win against you.”

He frowned for a reason I cannot fathom. “You underestimate me.”

I shook my head, my confidence staying with my brother. “No, Raizada. I have seen his moves. Trust me, he’ll be on the winning side. No offense, but you just have the looks and the brain. He has all three.”

“Atleast you admitted I have the looks.”

My head snapped at him at his take home message. Huh… did I just admit he’s attractive?

“So, is he like your best friend or something?”

“Yes, and yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to watch the movie in silence.”

He expressed his disinterest in the said movie, “It’s an 80s movie.”

“Hush now.” I’d love to push him out of the apartment right now. “Don’t you have to go to the airport?”

He didn’t feel rushed at all, “I’ve got half hour.”

I ordered hoping he’ll go away, “Then go make me popcorn.”

He doesn’t. Muck to my dislike. “You sure do love ordering me around.”

“You took my chips. It’s only fair you replace them.”

“I’m pretty sure I bought these bags of chips anyway.”

I clarified, “No. Kripa got them.”

He laughed while pointing out, “No, sweet pea. Kripa would never set foot in a grocery store. She’d be lost. She must have got them from my car.”

I huffed getting up, “Fine, keep your chips.” Instead of going to the kitchen, I turn off the TV and proceed to go to my room.

He raised his voice on seeing I wasn’t going towards the kitchen, “Hey, where are you going? I need to talk to you!”

I sighed as I turned to return to the living room.If he needed to talk, why did he waste the past fifteen or so minutes in useless banter?

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“What time?”

“I don’t know, after 7?”

What does he need me for that late in the day? Tomorrow wasn’t Friday so it can’t be wherever he wants to take me to show me whatever it is. “Why?”

“Since di is here, we’ll most probably be going to dinner.”

Why is he telling me that? “Okay?”

He elaborated, “So, if you are free, you should come too.”

At first, I simply stared at him to check if he would laugh anytime soon and announce he was joking. When he doesn’t, I laugh. “And why would I come in between a family dinner?”

He seemed to get annoyed for he ordered, “Just come.”

“Sorry, Raizada. I would but as a matter of fact, I am busy.”

“With what?” He challenged for he didn’t seem to believe me. I don’t blame him. I should have said I was busy in the first question itself instead of asking him follow up questions. I had been curious however to see why he was asking I was free.

“Nothing you need to know,” I answered curtly.

He didn’t look much happy but I decided to not care and retired to my room. I wasn’t going to tell him my plans and I certainly wasn’t going to intrude on a family dinner. Why would I do that? Why would he even so casually invite me?

It’s not as if we are friends.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .