Chapter 2: Double Trouble
[Kairav's POV]
Vanshika was still walking in front of me. The ridiculous one-inch distance rule was still in full effect. She was literally stomping her little flats into the dirt with every step, making sure I knew exactly how mad she was.
What even is she? I wondered, watching her practically vibrate with annoyed energy.
Suddenly, the sharp sound of a bell ringing echoed through the quiet street.
Tring, tring.
Down the road, an ice cream cart was slowly pulling up.
Instantly, Vanshika's stomping stopped. She froze in her tracks, completely mesmerized, like she was being hypnotized by the sound of the bell. Without even looking back at me, she took a sharp U-turn and started drifting toward the cart.
"Le chali madhumakhi bhin-bhinati hui phool ki aur," I muttered to myself, watching the Kankhajuri practically float toward the cart.
["Take flight, little bee, towards the vibrant, colorful flower."]
I fastened my pace, easily closing the distance between us. Just as she was about to cross the road, I reached out and clamped my palm flat against the back of her head, gripping it like a small basketball.I stood completely still, my arm fully extended, effectively stopping her from taking another step.
She winced, her illusion instantly breaking.
"What are you doing?!" she yelled, spinning around as much as my grip would allow. She immediately started swatting at me, trying to hit my arm, but my reach was way too long. I kept her at a safe distance, still holding her head in place while she swung at the empty air.
"Lactose. Intolerance," I said. Two words. Completely deadpan.
She stopped swinging and glared at me. "So what?" she snapped, aggressively pointing a finger directly at my face. A universal warning sign. "Dekh, pehle hi tune mera dimaag bahut kharab kar diya hai."
["See, you have already irritated me enough now."]
I raised an eyebrow, entirely unimpressed by her tiny, angry finger.
And then, just like that, the switch flipped. The angry bird vanished, and the dramatic girl returned.
"Mujhe ice cream chahiye! mood theek karne ke liye!" she started whining, dragging out the vocals as her face crumpled into a massive pout.
["I need an ice cream! you have already spoiled my mood! only an ice cream can save it now!]
I let out a heavy sigh, dropping my hand from her head in utter defeat.
I seriously cannot understand this girl. She is the literal definition of 'never let them know your next move.' One second she wants to punch me, the next she's whining about her mood. It tempts me to run away as far as possible from her because I absolutely hate unpredictable people. They are a real menace to society.
But instead of running, I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked up to the cart.
"Bhaiya, ek orange bar dena," I asked the vendor, purposely picking the dairy-free popsicle so she wouldn't end up sick tomorrow.
["An orange bar please."]
"Two!" Vanshika suddenly shouted from behind me, popping up over my shoulder with a massive grin on her face.
I looked down at her smiling face. Eww.
I turned back to look at the vendor, my expression flat. "Two orange bars."
As the bhaiya [uncle] handed over the popsicles, she immediately took both. She turned to me, holding one out slightly.
"You wan' some?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. She looked exactly like that innocent little rat-with-a-bow meme. [search it up, if you don't know]
I sighed and reached out to grab it. But the second my fingers brushed the plastic wrapper, she snatched it back to her chest and stuck her tongue out at me.
I take my words back. She doesn't look innocent at all. I hate her.
"Are yaar, tu YouTube shorts nahi dekhte hai kya?" she asked, happily ripping open the wrapper of her stolen popsicle.
["Don't you watch shorts bro?"]
"Tu din bhar memes hi dekhti rehti hai kya?" I asked, raising a single eyebrow. Internally, I was heavily praying she would get a brain freeze.
["unlike you, people know there are real content too to watch on social media."]
"Arre haan, main toh bhul hi gaya. Tu hi toh ultimate brainrot hai," I added, my voice completely deadpan. I would rather die than admit it, but my jaw was clenched because I was actively struggling not to smirk.Vanshika's jaw dropped.
["Oh! sorry, my bad. I forgot you are a chimpanzified barbaric brained buffon."]
"Main chal hi kyu rahi hu tere saath?" she muttered to herself, her face twisting into a grimace. "1 minute, mai tujh jaise gadhe se baat hi kyu kar rahi hu?"
["I had agree with you, but then we had both be wrong"]
Without waiting for a response, she fastened her pace, almost jogging to cover some distance ahead of me and then started walking away from me.
Five minutes passed. Neither of us said a single word. She had already finished her first orange bar and was happily starting on her second one. The popsicles , which I paid for, and didn't even get a bite of.
I stopped in front of my house, watching her figure in confusion as she walked right past my gate. Her parents were still inside, probably chit-chatting with their best friends. Their car was literally parked right in front of my house.
I fastened my pace to catch up to her. "Where are you going?" I asked.
No reply. She just kept walking."Kankhaj— Vanshika, I asked you something," I said, my voice dropping into a much firmer tone. I shoved my hands deep into my pockets just to stop myself from physically grabbing her and dragging her back to my house.
"My house," she said, still not looking at me, staring straight ahead.
I checked the time on my watch. "It's 10:45 p.m.," I stated.
My meaning was clear. I was not letting her walk all the way back to her house alone. It wasn't too far—only a fifteen-minute walk—but the streetlights were out, and the second half of the route was practically pitch black.
"None of your business," she replied in a flat monotone.
I paused. Monotone. That was my cue. She wasn't just being her usual dramatic self; she was actually mad.
Seriously, Vanshika's dramatics never cease to amuse me. I was angry at myself. It was like I had completely forgotten my own golden rule: If she goes right, I run left.
My jaw clenched. I clenched it hard enough to grind my teeth painfully together. Summoning every last ounce of patience and sanity I possessed, I took a breath to stop myself from shouting."Turn around and go back to my—"
"Fuck off, Kairav."I stopped dead in my tracks.
This freaking five-foot-tall, basketball-headed brat with stubby legs, I swear!
Calm down, Kairav, I thought.
It was a thought I had to repeat like a mantra the entire way to her house. I followed her from behind, keeping exactly a one-inch distance between us. Close enough to make sure she was safe in the dark, but far enough because I didn't want my patience to finally snap and force her to go back.
The walk was completely silent. The only sound was of her flats thumping on the ground and occasional barking of dogs from the next street.
When we finally reached the outside of her house, she stopped at her door. She turned around, looked me dead in the eye, proudly showed me her middle finger, and stepped inside.
SLAM!
The door shut loudly in my face.
I stood there in the quiet street, staring at the closed door.
"Badla liya jayega, Vanshika," I muttered into the empty night air. My jaw clenched tight enough to snap a pencil.
["Revenge will be taken, Vanshika"]
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
{2 DAYS LATER}
[Inara's POV]
I am currently standing in the middle of a loud, crowded bazaar, heavily questioning all my life choices.
Vanshika had apparently decided that today was the perfect day to drag me for bangle shopping. And because I suffer from a fatal weakness when it comes to my best friend, I couldn't say no to my darla, she's just so cute to say no to.
But right now? I am deeply regretting it.
We have wandered in and out of at least ten different bangle shops because she is looking for an exact wine-red shade to match a specific outfit, paired with the perfect golden kadas.
"Kitni der aur?!" I shouted, trying to make sure she could hear my voice over the insane hustle and noise of the bazaar.
["How much longer?!"]
Suddenly, Vanshika spun around, her face lighting up with a victorious smile. "Finally! Mil gaye!" she squealed, holding up a set of glass bangles. "Ab bas golden kade aur kharidne hai, fir aaj ka kota pura ho jayega!"
["Finally! found them! Now we have to buy only golden kade and then we are done for the day!"]
I let out a loud groan, my head dropping back. "Ek hi din me sab kharidna zaroori hai kya? Kal le lena," I complained.
["Do you seriously have to buy everything today? can't we just come back tomorrow?"]
Vanshika slowly lowered the bangles and shot me a lethal death glare.
"Fine!" I almost whined, throwing my arms up in frustration.
"But we are leaving this street right now. I need my hearing back." I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the suffocating crowd, leading her straight towards "my love."
I threw my leg over the seat of my sleek black sports bike and settled in, immediately feeling the annoyance from before evaporating. I patted the leather seat and gestured for Vanshika to get on the back so I could turn the engine on.
"Can you please stop calling your bike 'my love'?" Vanshika asked, her eyebrows knitting together as she gave me a heavily judging expression.
"It's weird, dude."
"Did I say that out loud?"
"Apparently, yes."
I rolled my eyes.
Vanshika reached up, her hands grabbing my shoulders, her perfectly manicured long nails digging into my shirt for support as she prepared to climb onto the back seat.
But suddenly, before she could even lift her leg, a large hand clamped down on Vanshika's shoulder and physically moved her out of the way.
"Hey—!" Vanshika yelped, stumbling back.
Before I could even process what was happening, a heavy weight dropped onto the back of my bike. The suspension dipped.
I whipped my head around to glare at the intruder.
"Idhant?!"
"Chal! Chal! Bhaga!" Idhant practically yelled, furiously tapping my shoulder. His chest was heaving, his hair was a messy flop over his forehead, and his eyes were wide.
["Hurry and start the bike!]
"Kya problem hai?!" I shouted back, completely irritated. Vanshika was standing on the pavement next to us, looking completely dumbfounded.
["what the fuck is wrong with you?!"]
"Areee mata! Baad me bataunga yaarrr, tu bhaga abhi!" he urged. His voice had that specific tone of urgency mixed with pure, chaotic mischievousness. He had definitely done something problematic again."Bkl uttar!"
["I promise I'll tell you explain everything to you later! For now! just turn on the engine!]
[Get Off of my bike!]
I turned around fully, entirely prepared to push his heavy ass right off my bike. But just as I raised my hands to shove him, a loud roar of angry voices echoed down the street.I looked past Idhant's shoulder. A literal mob of random uncles with long knives and batons were sprinting toward us, waving their weapons aggressively.
"Pakdo saalo ko! Chhodenge nahi! Kaat dalenge!" one of the uncles screamed at the top of his lungs.
["Catch those bastards! don't let them go! We'll kill them!]
And running about ten feet ahead of the angry mob, looking absolutely furious and completely out of breath, was none other than Kairav.
"What the fuck did you do?!" I screamed at Idhant. I knew for a fact that Kairav, unlike his problematic twin, was not a troublemaker. Which meant Idhant had caused a disaster and dragged his brother down with him.
"Just drive, Inara!" Idhant yelled, tapping my shoulder urgently and ducking his head.
I cursed loudly, kicked the stand up, turned the key, and aggressively twisted the throttle.
VROOM!
My love roared to life, and I shot forward down the bustling street, leaving a highly confused Vanshika in dust. And a very angry mob splitting into 2 teams One chasing kairav and the other half getting their bikes ready probably, to chase us.
"FUCK YOU! IDHANT!"
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________