Shrishti Reborn

Chapter 41. Shrishti is Shrishti!

'You better now?', Raghav asked as he sat beside Shrishti worriedly. She nodded, her hands cupping the water glass that Raghav had handed to her once they had come home.

'Do you want anything else?', he asked her. She shook her head.

'Do you want to be alone? Or are you ok with some company?', he asked and she turned to look at him with anxiety.

He smiled at her gently, 'I don't want to leave you alone. But I don't want to overstep either.'

'Stay.', she whispered, the first word she had said since they reached home.

He nodded and continued to sit beside her.

After Shrishti finished the water, she finally spoke, 'I don't know what happened to me.' She knew she was lying. She knew what was happening. But how to tell Raghav her insecurities when she was supposed to have never met Lekha before this?

'It is ok.', Raghav murmured as he patted her hand.

Just then they heard some car coming to the drive way before bell rang. Her Pappa was at work, so who came now? Raghav went and opened the door and in came Arpit, Daljeet and Divya.

'What are you guys doing here?' Shrishti stood up, surprised.

'What do you mean by that?', Daljeet came over and hugged her right away, 'We are worried for you.'

Shrishti was surprised. She did not expect her friends to come to her out of worry for her. Daljeet pulled away and now Divya was hugging her. 'What happened? Are you ok?'

'I am fine now. Getting away from college helped.', she replied. What else was she supposed to say? Getting away from Lekha helped? She could not say that.

'What happened though?', Daljeet asked as even Arpit came and hugged her. 'You looked so pale when you walked away to washroom. It was good that Arpit went looking for you worried for you. Or else he would not have found you crying in that garden.'

They all sat down on the sofa. Shrishti had Divya on one side and Daljeet on the other. The boys sat on the chairs nearby.

'Did anyone notice it? Me crying that is.', Shrishti asked worriedly. She had enough of being called crazy in her past life. She did not want to be called that in this life too.

'Nah! No one did.', Arpit replied, 'Some girls from our class came to ask where you were after you left. They were surprised to see us three alone and not with you. But I just told them that you were feeling unwell, so we sent you home.'

'Lekha asked too. She seemed genuinely concerned.', Daljeet spoke up and Shrishti who was looking at her lap had to work hard not to show any expression.

Daljeet continued, 'But Arpit just said you are having stomach pain. She sent her well wishes.'

Shrishti nodded, unable to show any other reaction. She could not fake being happy about Lekha's kind words. But she could not show her actual reaction either. She would be asked why she had dislike towards a girl she had never met before. What a conundrum!

'Sweet girl, that Lekha. Very kind and helpful.', said Arpit and Shrishti wanted to wail about another friend falling for Lekha's sweetness.

Daljeet huffed and said in a sweet voice, 'Take down this note, Arpit. Never praise a random girl in front of your girlfriend.'

Shrishti looked up to see Daljeet glare at a cowed looking Arpit. Shrishti giggled.

Her friends smiled at her giggle and Arpit brought her backpack from where he had dropped it near the door. 'Here is your bag. We checked your eco notes too. Divya corrected it for you.'