The Strings Of Heart

24

Sitara POV

"Come on Sitara Akka... Everyone is playing. We want to play basketball..." Rishi said pulling on my arm.

I removed my shades and look at him, "I'm sure you all are enough to play three on three match play."

"Nah, Nihal Anna, Aansh Anna and David are one team. Pihu and I are in one team, Pihu isn't that good at basketball. We need one more player... Please Akka, we know you are good at it."

"Please Sitara Akka, we always lose playing with them. We don't want to lose this time..." Pihu adds.

I just wanted to enjoy some solitude and read a book. I read two pages, Rishi and Pihu came and now they are not leaving.

"Ask Elora Akka," I tell them looking back at the book. I wanted to read Lolita for so many days but never got the chance to read it.

"Elora Akka doesn't know how to play basketball. She is the referee," Rishi said.

"See they are ready to play the game... Sitara Akka pleasee..."

I lean towards the balcony railing to see David talking with Aansh and Nihal. Our aunts and uncles are sitting on the benches wearing shades with snacks and drinks in their hands.

David placed his hands on his hips, I observe him. He looks so good wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts.

"Fine... Just give me some time, I will change my clothes."

They all are wearing sports clothes while I'm dressed in PJ's.

"Okay." I stand up with my book from the chair.

"Yes!"

"Yes!" Rishi and Pihu hi-fi each other while I go to the room.

I go through the luggage, I have brought my shorts but they are a bit small. I pulled the sports bra and the t-shirt

I'm not exactly blessed when it comes to my boobs. I got the normal B sized boobs which I'm perfectly fine with. My ass is small but cute.

Tieing my hair into a bun and then using the washroom before putting on my running shoes I go out.

"Sitara Akka is here..." Rishi said. David turned around and looked at me. I caught him checking me out.

"Everyone knew the rules right?" Elora Akka asked.

"Yes."

"Yup."

"Yeah." I nodded my head warming up my muscles. Even Elora Akka and Pihu are wearing shorts so it's not an issue.

"We will start in ten minutes," Elora said going over to the other side.

"This is the first time we are watching Sitara play," Shravya vadhina (sister-in-law) said.

I relax my muscles and do the warm-up exercises to release the tension. I have never played with them, so I need to observe their moves and play.

"We are going to win this time," Pihu said looking up at Nihal. Nihal and Pihu are siblings while Aansh and Rishi are siblings.

"Haha... Keep on dreaming," Nihal replied. Nihal and Aansh are best friends, they both played basketball in their school. I don't know how good they are but they don't know about my play.

"Shut up," Pihu said slapping her brother on the arm.

"Ready?"

"Yes." I walked over to Rishi and Pihu. We have a full-court, my gaze met David's. He smiled and I looked at him blankly even though I felt those stupid feelings inside me.

"We will go easy on you Sitara as it's your first time playing with us," Aansh said proudly. I rolled my eyes and decided to flip him off but everyone is watching us so I flipped him in my mind.

The ball was thrown in the air and the game began. I went easy in the first round as I need to understand their moves.

"What happened Sitara?" Aansh teased. I rolled my eyes while Rishi and Pihu groaned.

David looked at me with the confused look but he quickly understood which confused me.

Elora blew the whistle the second quarter started.

I didn't go easy on them, used my quick reflections and made a goal from behind the three-point line.

Aansh looked at me shocked along with Nihal. "Woah."

Rishi, Pihu shared a look with me before laughing and jumping. "Yeah!"

The game went seriously, David is competitive. He is good at playing basketball. I had fun playing with him, I guess even he enjoyed playing with me.

"Damn! Didn't know you were a pro," Aansh said shaking his head. I whipped the sweat off my forehead smirking at them.

"We won!" Pihu jumped before Nihal. Nihal pushed her by the forehead.

"Let's have a one on one," David said looking at me. I raise my brow, he wants to play along with me.

"One on one?" I ask him.

"Yes." I look up at him nodding my head.

"Everyone, David and Sitara are going to have a one on one. Results will be declared after their match," Elora said as I sat on the chair taking the water bottle.

"You played so well, I was so surprised and I'm happy," mum said placing her hand on my sweaty shoulders.

"Thanks."

"Why didn't you tell me that you are a pro at basketball?" She asked sitting in the chair beside mine.

"You already knew that I was a captain for the basketball team." I watch as her brows frown in confusion.

"You don't know that I was a captain. I get it, I was a captain for three years in a row and I'm good at the game." I don't give her a chance to speak as I stand up. It hurts that she doesn't know about this. Basketball has been a very important part of me and it still is.

I can't believe she doesn't know about this but she knows everything about others.

David gives a challenging look when I stand before him. I don't say anything just watch him, it's going to be a bit tough playing against David. He is as good as me.

I ducked and David tried to defend, there were times where our bodies touched as we tried to defend.

The innocent and careless touches fired something inside me. There was a change in David's gaze which was like pouring petrol at a burning fire.

A tension surely built in between us, he gulped down the lump as our gaze met after I shot the ball from the half-court.

He is breathing heavily with his hands placed on his hips. I check him out, his t-shirt is drenching in his sweat. I look away when I see my aunts and uncles gaping at David and me.

"Wow! We won by one point!" Rishi yelled loudly.

Elora Akka looked at David and me weirdly before shaking her head. I guess even she felt the change between David and me when we were close.

"You guys were good."

"You two looked ho," Nihal replied.

"Thanks," I reply taking the towel from Pihu.

"What are our gifts?" Rishi asked.

"Gifts?" I ask them.

"Yes, they will give us gifts if we win." True to Rishi's words I saw mum and Lilly aunty bringing the money envelopes. They handed us envelopes, I open mine and count the money. They gave us 5000 rupees.

"I got 5000," Rishi said.

"Same."

"Same."

"Thank you pedha mummy," Rishi said.

"What we have to eat?" I ask them as my stomach starts growling.

"Snacks I guess. We will be going out for dinner in an hour," mum replied.

"I'm going then." I start going inside. I look at where David and my sister stood. They are talking, it looks like David is explaining to her.

My brows frowned but I moved into the house. I went upstairs to where my room is. Thankfully, I got a room to myself. I opened the door and pushed it but it didn't close fully.

I enter the bathroom removing my t-shirt and throwing it on the bed. I look at myself in the mirror as flashes of David's eyes repeat inside my mind.

A smile grows on my face when I remember the innocent touches which I still feel. And that is weird...

I wash my face and hands before stepping out. I can take a shower after filling my stomach. I walk into the room go to the table where they placed the snacks.

"What do mean? Sejal is perfect, I have met her. I'm telling you, you should start dating her..." I heard Elora's voice.

I stopped picking the chips packet, I went to the other side near the balcony door.

I leaned a little to see my sister and David sitting on the balcony of my sister's room. I leaned back and went over the snacks rack.

"Should I start dating her?" I heard David's voice.

"Yeah, Tanu aunty loves Sejal. She would be happy if you marry Sejal. You are not having feelings for someone. Why not date her, unless you have someone whom you like."

What about his happiness? Is he going to be happy marrying Sejal? How can my sister be so shallow about it? She should ask him if he is happy marrying Sejal not his mother.

"Hmm... No, I don't like anyone nor there is anyone." I sat on the chair eating the cupcake.

"But tell me what was that earlier. I saw you and Sitara sharing looks," Elora Akka asked. I stopped eating as I waited for David's answer.

"What?" He let out a chuckle.

"There's nothing going on. Sitara is kiddo and we shared looks because we were playing."

"I thought you guys got feelings for each other. I mean you two surely looked at one other like lovers look at each other," Elora spoke.

"Woah, your sister and I? Not happening. As you said before, she is a good person just a bit different. Other than that, there is nothing going on."

I bite my lip hearing that, I guess I had to hear that. I stand up from there and go over to the bed, put on my earphones after connecting to the phone.

I play a random song, as feelings of rejection which I'm very aware of and habituated to hit me in force.

"It's fine, we are habituated to this," I tell myself bobbing my head eating the cupcakes.

I didn't know how time passed, I finished the cupcakes and went for other snacks while watching the healer Korean drama.

"Sitara?!" I pause the screen, remove my headphones and get down the bed.

I open the door to see my sister and David. I look at them blankly while David looks away. "Everyone is going out for dinner."

"I will join you guys later, send me the location," I tell her.

"Aren't you coming with us?" She asked.

"I need to take a shower."

"Hmm okay."

"Peace." I close the door and look down at my attire.

"Oh." I was on my sports bra and shorts all the time.

"No issues," I say going to the bathroom.

By the time I take a shower, dress up and walk to the restaurant one hour passed.

"Sit here..." Aansh said pointing to the chair beside him.

I don't make any eye contact with anyone and start filling my plate.

"You got a bunch of fans," Nihal said. I tore the naan and eat it with chicken.

"Fans?"

"Yeah, we did a YouTube live when we were playing basketball. Our friends are going nuts for you and your play. They are asking for your f*******:. Can we tag you in our posts," Aansh said.

"I'm not going to accept any friend requests. You can tag me on your posts," I tell him loving the chicken.

"When did you start playing basketball? We never know about your play," Nihal asked.

I spoke with Nihal and Aansh ignoring everyone. I chuckled and spoke a lot with them. Even they laughed and spoke about their basketball matches in school.

Unknowingly David's gaze met mine but he looked away. I didn't care to look at him as his words kept ringing in my mind.

"I'm full..." Aansh said. I picked the spoon and ate the gulab jamun. This is my fifth but I can't get enough of the sweet.

"Didn't know that you like sweets," Elora said.

"Only a few times."

"Why are you silent?" Rishi asked Pihu. I looked at her as she is pouting.

"Mum scolded her for making David uncomfortable," Nihal said.

I shook my head, it's not Pihu's mistake. She crushes on David and wants his attention which makes him uncomfortable.

She tries to spend some time with him, while David keeps his distance.

We walk back home which is awkwardly calm. David dropped the bomb that he will be leaving tomorrow morning. He won't be joining us to Lonavala. A part of me is happy and a part of me is sad that he will be leaving.

*

"f**k!" I curse startled as a tear faced Pihu opens my bedroom door.

"Sitara Akka... Can I stay and sleep in your room?" She asks with hiccups.

"Okay?" She closes the door and sits on the bed. I keep the book away and look at her.

"Did David hurt your feelings again?" I ask her.

She turned her face and looked at me. She nodded her head whipping the new set of tears.

"I'm going to give up on him now."

"Oh."

"Won't you ask why? Or make fun of me?" She asks seriously.

"Why would I make fun of you if you want to give up on something you adore so much? It's your decision if you want to hold on to it or if you want to give up. So I won't ask you why."

She startled me as she jumped on her knees with her arms wrapped around my neck. Her body leaned on me as she hugged me tightly.

"Why is it so hard to forget crush on someone Sitara Akka?"

"Hmm... Honestly, I don't have an answer. You don't have to forget your crush on someone, having a crush on someone is special... You will only be able to crush on someone for a long period of time when your feelings from your side are true."

I honestly don't know what to tell her or how to explain her but I'm trying to explain. If that makes any sense.

"And you cannot expect the same from the other side. It's an individual's choice, you crush on them and they don't. And it's completely fine... When you know it's not going to happen, it's better if you start stepping away from that. If you stick to it to the end, it will become the end of your innocence. Innocence in the sense of love... They say there is always a person for a person. If this isn't the person then wait for the right person. You don't have to forget your crush, just cherish it as a good memory. Because having a crush is a sign that you have the ability to love someone..."

"It's great if you want to move on from one thing to other. It takes a lot of mental strength to move on. Cherish this crush in private, don't let anyone know. Maybe one day you will find a person who would go crazy over you," I explain to her.

"I love you Sitara Akka, no one understood me. Thank you so much!" She hugged me tightly as I felt the tears drops fell on my shoulder.

I'm not much of an emotional girl so it's kind of awkward for me. I patted her back before she pulled away but sat close to me with her arm wrapped around mine.

I looked at her in surprise as she leaned her head on my shoulder. I took my book and started reading, giving her space to think.

"Sitara Akka, do you have any crush?" She asked after a period of silence. I stop reading and look at the page. I don't know if I should tell her or not.

"Hmm yes..."

"Does he know?"

"No."

"Uh-huh, you did a good thing Sitara Akka."

"Hmm..."

She signs shifting her position and sleeps with her arm on me. I blink my eyes, I pull the blanket up and watch her sleep. I start reading my book with David on my mind.

I should give up too, there's going to be no chance...