𝙰𝚌𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 II A Shreyas Iyer Fan Fic II

⁘Chapter 2⁘

***

Rakesh stared eagerly at his laptop screen for something to happen. The clock icon at the bottom of the screen dinged, Rakesh snapped back to alert. It was 10:00 AM, the planned meeting time had arrived. But still no call request, Rakesh could have replicated his laptop screen perfectly, he'd seen and memorized every small detail. Finally, his zoom pinged with an alert. Rakesh sat up quickly, it was so fast that he'd hurt his back.

Shreyas Iyer Is In The Waiting Room.

Rakesh glowered, angry at his former best friend.

A devilish idea formed at the back of his head. "I had to wait." He chuckled. "So will you."

The time ticked by, Rakesh fiddled with the photographs he had hanging on his wall. His gaze lingered at the one in the middle of the cream-colored wall. It was a photo from the days of his college. Rakesh was in the left corner, laughing at something Mridula was telling him. Her brown curls were flying behind her. Shreyas was at the right bottom part of the picture, he was watching Mridula with a smirk. At the left bottom corner, Alia, Mridula's best friend knelt and was posing for the camera. She was watching Shreyas out of the corner of her eye. A few of their other friends stood in the center posing alongside the four of them.

Rakesh felt a sharp pang of pain in his heart, he knew that those times could never be re-created nor replaced. Alia had passed away the year after all of them graduated. Rakesh shook out his depressed mood and went back to the desk. He allowed Shreyas into the zoom meeting, he double-checked that the photo was hidden from view. Shreyas hated remembering college as much as Mridula did. That was the only thing the two of them had in common.

"FINALLY!" Shreyas practically yelled, he seemed as though he'd been watching paint dry for around an hour.

"I've been in the waiting room for fifteen minutes." He huffed with annoyance, Rakesh smirked with a smug look forming on his face.

"Well, down to business." Rakesh sighed, knowing Shreyas would hate the coming parts of their conversation. Rakesh hated being the middle man, Mridula already hated him and now Shreyas will too.

"What did she say?" Shreyas winced and shifted on his chair, there was an ice-pack on his shoulder. Rakesh felt a bit of sympathy for his friend, Shreyas had tried to reach out to Mridula multiple times. Every time he failed.

"You want to know her exact words?" Rakesh asked, there was a pause before Shreyas exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Yeah." He breathed with a tinge of curiosity glinting in his eyes.

"No." Rakesh mimicked Mridula's blank expression and tone, Shreyas frowned with confusion.

"What-?" Shreyas started, he looked a tad offended but Rakesh hurried to explain.

"That's exactly what she said when I suggested the idea," Rakesh explained, he made sure that the sympathy he felt for his friend wasn't heard in his voice nor seen on his expression. Shreyas hated sympathy.

"Oh.." Shreyas's lips formed a moue of disappointment. "Did she at least say why?"

Rakesh winced knowing that this question would pop up in their conversation.

"You remember Alia?" Rakesh sighed and massaged his temple. Shreyas frowned but nodded.

"Well, do you remember why she... passed away?" Rakesh worded the sentence carefully, Shreyas's frown deepened. He shook his head once more, Rakesh heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well, she doesn't want you seven meters close to her," Rakesh muttered bitterly, Shreyas's eyebrows drew together.

"Wait... Why did you bring up Alia in our conversation?" Shreyas's eyes darkened and fixated themselves on Rakesh.

Alia Kumar, Mridula's best friend. They, meaning Alia, Mridula, Rakesh, and Shreyas, all studied together in a college for a year. Mridula got a scholarship to study at a medical college the second year, and Shreyas pursued his career in cricket. Mridula had never really spoken a whole conversation with Shreyas. To her, he was just another distraction. Rakesh was the one who'd brought Shreyas into the group. Alia had fallen for Shreyas quickly. Shreyas and Alia briefly dated. Rakesh hated it because he too liked Alia. Halfway through the year, Alia and Shreyas broke up. Alia was unable to soothe her broken heart. She jumped off their dorm building and died due to the impact of the fall. It left Mridula with a deep hatred toward Shreyas.

Mridula had blamed Shreyas ever since, Shreyas although grew a liking toward her. She wouldn't come to the reunions if Shreyas were there, and she tries to avoid him in every way possible.

"Look dude," Rakesh attempted to change the conversation. "I don't how I'm supposed to get her to agree!"

"Your wing needs donations right?" Shreyas bit his lip looking deep in thought.

Rakesh knitted his raised eyebrows together, "Yeah?"

"I'll handle that," Shreyas said with determination, he straightened his back and winced when he did.

"Be careful, you dolt!" Rakesh hissed under his breath knowing that one wrong move could hurt him even more.

"I just really need to talk to her." A sigh broke off Shreyas's lips, Rakesh's eyes softened.

"I'll try to get her to agree." Rakesh offered the little comfort he could.

"Thanks."

***

Ooppp-

Wonder how Shreyas is going to get Mridula to forgive him...?