The Strings Of Heart

15

Sitara POV

"Sorry, what did you say?" I ask Kavya as I pass my papers to Isha. Pranav and Nithya are working on their project. I preferred Kavya as my project partner.

"I asked if we can exchange our numbers." Kavya is a shorty with brown hair. She is good at work and doesn't irritate me like Nitya. Isha partnered with a guy she crushes on. Which made Pranav and Nitya project partners. Pranav asked me to be his partner but I declined and went for Kavya.

"Sure, pass me your phone," I say, she smiled passing me the phone.

"It's good to work with you, hope to work together in future," Kavya said as I typed my phone number.

"Will surely work together, I like you girl. Let's hang out whenever you are free." I say truthfully saving my number on her phone. I gave a call to my number so that I can save hers. Her eyes widen in excitement.

"You will hang out with me?!" I looked at her confusingly. I save her number on my phone.

"Yeah, why are you so excited about it?" I gave her the phone back. Started packing my bag as I don't have anything to do here.

"It's because you are the coolest student of our class and you never went out with anyone. You don't know how many of us want to talk with you." I smiled rolling my eyes.

"Trust me I'm not, even you are cooler than me. I don't hang out with anyone because I'm busy and they aren't my kind of friends." I tell her sitting beside her. Kavya doesn't have many friends, everyone in the class kind of ignores her. Which is why I find her so cool. I saw her many times sitting alone taking notes and then going home.

"Really, does that mean I'm your type of friend?" She asked pushing her glasses off her nose. I poke her chubby cheek, I really like when I have friends with chubby cheeks.

"Obviously, are you free after this class?" I ask her. Isha is looking at me and Kavya. She turned to call Nitya and Pranav.

"Yeah, I don't have anything to do later. I will be going home," she said. I nodded my head.

"Cool, wanna spend some time at my home?" I ask her turning my head to see her.

"Hmm, I'm not sure because I go home by bus or auto. It would be difficult going home from your home." She gave me a sad smile.

"It's okay, I will drop you home. You don't have to worry about it."

"I live at dilsuknagar, it will become far from your place." She seemed unsure.

"As I said I will drop you, distance is nothing," I assure her. We don't have any classes after this and I don't have any work.

"Okay." I turn my head and look at the mam who is continuing the class. After twenty minutes of her ranting about the subject, the class ended.

"You going somewhere?" Pranav asked as he, Nitya and Isha walked towards where I sat.

"Yes, Kavya is coming home with me," I tell them pulling my phone out to text Farheen Aai to make some food for two and also that I'm bringing a friend home.

"We will also join you two," Nitya spoke and the other two agreed. I turned my face to see Kavya's face. She seemed not sure, Nitya doesn't like Kavya. I don't know why she kinda behaves and comments when she sees Kavya which I hate.

"No, I just want to hang out with Kavya. Maybe some other time you guys can come over," I spoke. Pranav looked away while Isha gave me a sad frown and Nitya glared at Kavya.

"Why are you hanging out with her? You are with us, you never hang out with us." Nitya said which irritated me. My expression turned to my deadly cold expression.

"Watch ya words girl, I never was and will with anyone. I don't have to answer you. Keep your glares to yourself. If I see you glare at Kavya again..." Nitya's eyes widen looking at my expression.

"It's okay Sitara, I will go home. You hang out with them," Kavya spoke lowly pulling on my sleeve.

"Nonsense, come on. Let's go, the last bell rang." I got up taking my bag with me, Kavya reluctantly followed me. I'm using my activa scooty to college.

I drove home with Kavya, mumma is at the office. Elora is out with her best friends as David is leaving.

"Your home is so beautiful," Kavya spoke in awe as we walked inside the home.

"My mum designed the whole house," I tell her throwing my bag on the sofa.

"Keep ya bag there," I say pointing to the sofa. She keeps my bag and her bag properly making me chuckle. She followed me into the kitchen. I gave her water as I read Farheen Aai's message. She went to the market and will be back after an hour and about the food.

I look at the kitchen island to see the vessels. "Wash ya hands," I tell her. I wash my hands too before going to the cabinets to get the plates. I arrange the plates and high stools to sit.

"Your mumma is a businesswoman?" Kavya asked as I get the water bottles from the refrigerator.

"Yup, my sister Elora works with mumma. They both are businesswomen." I tell her.

"You eat chicken right?" I ask.

"Yup." I nodded my head.

"Feel at home," I say patting the chair beside me. She gets on the stool and I serve her plate. Aai cooked corn rice and chicken.

"What about your parents?"

"My dad is a bank manager and mum is a residential teacher." She tells me as I eat my food.

"Your mum doesn't stay at home?"

"No both my parents aren't in Hyderabad. Like dad needs to relocate every three years and mum too, I stay in Hyderabad to finish my studies. I don't want to disturb my studies," she said eating her food.

"Woah, so with whom you live?" I ask her.

"I live with my parental grandparents."

"Oh okay," I reply.

"I heard that you were from boarding school, is that true?" she asked.

"Hmm, yeah. I studied at Hebron. Ugh, I miss that place more than anything," I tell her truthfully. I really hate it here.

"Tell me about it," she asked.

"I have a group of friends. We actually stayed best friends for almost 12 years. We did every s**t together and we are more like family..." I tell her all the stories.

I usually don't like to share my things, but when she asked me to tell her with that innocent look to know more about it, I told her all the stories.

I have a feeling that Kavya is going to be my close friend or more than that. I got this feeling of peace I get when I'm with my best friends.

"You are missing your best friends so much, I never had best friends or a friend. I was always the invisible girl," she says with a sad look on her face.

"Why?"

"Hmm, you know Nithya right? She and I are from the same school. She doesn't like me because I always top her in the class. She kind of hated me for that and spread some rumours making no one talk to me," she said.

"Chill out, I don't have any friends here. Let's hang out together," I say and I hear voices coming from the living room. Before I could say something my sister along with her friends walked into the kitchen.

My eyes met David's who is wearing a white shirt with sleeves rolled up. I felt something weird inside me seeing him. He was laughing hearing to Aarnav.

"Oh hi Sitara," Elora said waving her hand.

"Your friend?" she asked. I nod my head.

"Hello, I'm Elora. Sitara's sister," Elora walks over to us while I blankly eat my food.

"Hello, I'm Kavya," Kavya introduces.

"Wassup tiger? Eating chicken alone?" Aarnav says standing beside me.

"Yes," I say. He chuckles shaking his head.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you told me that you will be staying out?" I ask Elora.

"Oh, change of plan. Don't you know?" Aarnav answered instead of Elora.

"What plan?" I ask.

"We are having a send-off dinner tonight, everyone is going to be there," Aarnav said. I stop eating and face Elora.

"Is that the reason why Aai went to market?" I ask her seriously.

"Hmm..."

"Is that the reason why Aai went?" I ask her again. I hate it when they make Aai prepare all the food for the together dinner. They like her food so they make her.

"Listen, I don't care who the f**k comes or what the f**k happens. Aai is here for me! She is here for me! Her health isn't good and you people make her do the cooking when we have a damn cook in this house."

"Call the cook and make her do the work she is assigned for," I say seriously before standing up with my food.

"Pick your plate Kavya, we are going to my room." I walk away with Kavya following me behind.

"I'm sorry about that, I just lose my cool if I don't like something."

"It's okay, I understood."

"Wow sitara, I love your room." She spoke looking at my newly done walls and change over room. I redecorated my room as I'm going to stay here.

"Thanks, I decorated it." I placed the food plate on the wooden tray and placed it on the bed.

"You are talented, even I decorated my room recently. I loved the outcome," she says. I sit on the floor and take the wooden tray.

"Don't mind sitting on the floor, if you are comfortable sit on the bed."

"No, I'm comfortable here."

"You decided to study here or?" she asked.

"I don't like it here, to be honest. I planned of moving to Mumbai but Amma made me study here."

"Oh."

"I will be moving next year. She wanted me to stay and help her in the company that's the reason I skip classes or go afternoons."

"You will be moving to Mumbai next year?"

"Yup, the present college they have a branch in Mumbai and they agreed to transfer me to Mumbai branch next year. This is why I joined this college after cracking the entrance exam."

"That's cool."

"You play basketball?" she asked after seeing the volleyballs laying on the floor.

"Yeah, I love playing basketball." After finishing eating I saw her as she went through the photographs stuck to the walls and photo frames.

"You were captain, you look so beautiful here..." she said pointing to the picture where the principal was handing me the trophy.

"I was..."

"This is your gang and best friends?"

"Yup, the guy beside me is Abhinav. He is the closest..." I told her the names and the stories.

I smiled as she laughed holding her stomach listening to the stories of me and my best friends.

"Oh my god, that sounds crazy."

We don't know how three hours passed with us talking about all the stories and laughing out loud.

"Ignore the voices when we go down, there's a get-together going on," I tell Kavya. We go downstairs, I can hear their voices as they sat in the living room talking with each other.

I have the keys with me but we forgot our bags in the living room. As soon as I entered everyone looked at me. I have a blank face as I looked over for the bags.

"Sitara, you brought a friend home?" Amma(mom) asked.

"Yes." I saw the bags on the teapoy.

"Hello aunty, I'm Kavya," Kavya greeted mum. She folded her hands together and gave a namaskar which instantly brought a smile to my mum's face.

"Hello beta." (Indian call beta as endearing like honey, sweety, darling etc...)

"Stay for dinner, beta. the dinner will be served soon."

"It's okay aunty, I need to be home. I told my grandparents that I'm starting."

"I insist, we will drop you home safely," mum said.

"Next time I will stay aunty but now I need to go aunty. Sorry."

"She will stay for next time. We will go now," I tell mum.

"You are dropping?" mum asked.

"Yup."

"No, take someone with you. You are new to these roads and I can't trust your driving at nights." I roll my eyes.

"Amma, I'm not new to these roads and I know driving."

"David needs to go somewhere, he will drop them and still Vishal babai(uncle) and Rithika pinni(aunty) aren't here," Elora said.

"No, I will drop her," I say.

"Yeah, David will drop Kavya and you tag along," amma said.

"Amma, It's his send-off dinner party and you want him to drop us? No, he will stay enjoy the dinner with you guys," I say sarcastically turning my head and looking at David for a second.

"Lol Sitara, he is going to Yashoda Hospital, Malakpet. He will be back for the dinner that's the reason Elora said he will drop you two," Aarnav said.

"Fine, whatever," I say knowing they will argue until I say yes. I heard Elora and Aarnav mutter all the best to David.

*

"Thank you for the amazing day and for becoming my friend," Kavya said. She surprised me by hugging me.

"Next time you need to come inside and stay," she said.

"For sure," I reply with a smile on my face. She looks behind me to where David stood looking like a faint.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome," he replied. He got inside the car and waited for me. I wasn't sure if I should sit in the back or in the front.

"Whatever..." I mutter under my breath opening the passenger seat door. My gaze goes to him as I put on the seatbelt, he is tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

'kabhi kabhi mere dil mein khayal aata hai' song is playing in the background. I didn't know that David liked old melodies.

We didn't speak for ten minutes as he drove to the hospital only seven minutes away from Kavya's home, but it took about fifteen minutes because of traffic.

"If you want you can come with me," he spoke parking the car in the parking area.

"Sure," I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Huh?"

"Sure, I will come with you," I say. I know he asked for formality but I said sure.

"Hmm, okay." I follow him looking around. The outside is bustling, unlike other hospitals this hospital is situated on the main road and main centre.

The roads are bustling with vehicles, I can say the hospital is busy with patients and their visitors.

"You wait here, don't go anywhere. I will be back in twenty minutes," he said looking down at me.

"Okay," I say sitting on the waiting chairs. He kept looking at me, I raised my brow.

"Aren't you going?" I ask.

"Dr David? Dr Vishal is waiting for you," a nurse came and said. He looked at me making me roll my eyes.

"Array baba, I'm not a kid. Go, I will wait here," I say. He looked flushed when the nurse chuckled hearing that. I watch him go away, my heartbeat came to normal.

I don't want to accept this but he makes me nervous and I easily get irritated. There is this stupid pull that pulls me towards him, I watch his back exhaling heavily, he looks good in that white shirt.

I look around before I pull out my phone and go through my message box. I text Gaurav and Krishika. I chat with Krishika for a while before watching videos on f*******:.

After exactly thirty minutes David came back. I stood up from my seat, "Let us go."

I walk beside him to the parking lot. He looks like he is in dilemma about something. By the time we go to the parking area, we see that some boys parked their bikes in front of the car and were talking blocking the way.

"Where is the watchman?" David mutters to himself looking around but we don't see any watchman.

"You wait here, I will go and bring the car." I don't say anything just stand there. He goes over, starts speaking with those boys but those boys seemed to ignore him intentionally.

Those boys seemed trouble and David looked like a peace dove who doesn't know to speak loudly. Scoofing I walk over to where David stood.

"What's happening?" I ask David.

"Lo thumhari potti bhi agayi..." A guy commented and others made sounds. (See, your girl too came.)

"Kya doctor sahb potti achhi hain, kaha milthe aise pottiyah," the other commented. ("What doctor your girl is good, where you doctors get such figures?)

"Why are you here? I told you to stand there..." David said angrily. Ignoring him I turned and faced the local boys.

"Move your bikes," I tell them.

"Ohoh..." They made jokes before laughing. David was about to say something I placed my hand on his chest stopping him. I can feel his muscular chest underneath my palm because of the thin shirt. Woah

I was done when they started using vulgar slang commenting on me. I took hold of the boy who stood close to me and twisted his wrist.

He whimpered in pain, I applied pressure looking at others. "I will break his wrist and the man who is standing behind me will be the one helping you but I won't let him if you don't move away."

"Listen, I'm not in a mood to teach you guys a lesson. Stop being dumb and move," I add. They move their bikes away and look at each other.

"By the way why did you park your bikes in front of this car? Why you argued with him?" I ask as I wanted to ask them. This is a hospital and there so no point of arguing over parking.

"Sister I will tell if you leave my hand," the boy spoke whose hand I was holding. I leave him and wait for him to speak.

"His girlfriend works here, she is a new nurse and this doctor is hitting on her. We decided to argue with him and beat him without him knowing the real reason."

I looked back at David who is looking at them with wide eyes. "Lol, stop trying on that nurse. She got a guy."

His gaze shifts to me, "What? Me? I don't work here! I came here because I had to meet Dr Vishal."

"Array kaka(bro), you got the wrong person. I think it's someone. Why don't you ask your girl to send a picture of him? You won't do the mistake again," I tell the guy.

"She said he will be using a black Scorpio car."

They gave me awkward smiles nodding their heads. "Apologize to him, he doesn't even crush on single girls," I joke.

David glares at me while I raise my brow. They apologize to David before we get into the car. He starts driving while I look outside the window, I can't help but silently laugh remembering David's face.

"Hmm, how did you twist his wrist? I mean only a few people know where to twist not hurting the tissues..." he finally opened his mouth after a while.

"I learned muay thai and taekwondo for self-defence," I tell him.

"Woah, Elora never told me that you know muay thai and taekwondo." I looked away hearing that.

"If she knew about that, she would've told you," I say. No one knows about the things I learned nor they were intrested in my life.

I f*****g took every class even though I hated it just to make my mum know that I'm a perfect kid but no.

"Oh."

"So when you are leaving?" I ask him after a while.

"I'm leaving tomorrow night."

"Oh, you going to stay there for one or two years?" I don't even know why I'm asking him these questions.

He chuckled, "I will be staying there for two or three months. I will be returning back and work at my mum's hosiptal."

"Lol, they throwing a send-off party when you are leaving for only two months. How does it feel being everyone's favourite?" I ask him.

He turned his head, looked at me before shifting his gaze to the road. "Everyone's favourite?"

"Yup, everyone likes you, basically you are my mum's favourite guy ever and she adores you. So how does it feel?"

"Hmm normal." I nod my head leaning against the seat and looking straight.

"If you don't mind, can I ask you something?" he said. We almost reached home.

"Yup."

"Why do you dislike your family? You always seem to be in an irritating mood around your family."

I don't answer him just look at him with a blank face. We reached our home, he halted the car. Turned his face seeing me waiting for an answer.

"Ever been in a situation where you felt the unwelcomed vibes or fake love or been ignored?"

"Hmm, yeah." I don't answer his question unbuckle my seatbelt.

"You got your answer. Bye doctor," I say giving him a two-finger salute before getting out of the car. It took him exactly a minute to understand what I meant. Humming to a song, I walked away leaving him there. He is a cutie from close.