Best Friend

34: Peace In Chaos

I was attempting hard to keep my emotion in check as I was forced to act normal in front of my parents. Jiju hadn't mutter a word about the incident to anyone. He was smiling and acting his normal self but I wasn't able to fake.

"What's wrong?" Shruti questioned as she glanced at my fully-packed plate. "Why you're not eating?"

"I don't feel good..." I excused as I took the plate from the table.

"At least have some fruit," mom urged and I nodded as I took the plate to kitchen. I wanted to avoid Jiju as much as I could. I was afraid, what if in fit of anger he mentions the event to my parents? They weren't having good opinion about Faizal and I didn't want it to turn worse.

"What's wrong with you, Nivi?" Shruti came in searching for me. "From past few days you kept urging for Jay to make it soon and now, when he is here..." she shook her head. "You are hiding in the kitchen," she was glaring at me.

"I am not hiding..." I tired to defend myself but Shruti was dragging me out of the kitchen into the living room. "Shruti try to listen," I urged. "What if he doesn't want to speak with me?"

"Why won't I like to speak to you?" His authorative voice boomed in my ears. I widen my orbs seeing him few inches away from us. His orbs soften on seeing my orbs that was on verge of ending into tears. "You're of my sister's age but I consider you as my daughter." He smiled at me, "just because I scolded you doesn't mean I hate you, Nivi."

"Scolded her?" Shruti exclaimed in shock. "How on the earth is it possible that you scolded her?" She enlarged her orbs in horror. "I can't believe it!" She shook her head, "no wonder... she wasn't acting herself from the minute she arrived from the job. You scared her!"

"I didn't" he glared at his wife, "and even if I did!" He wrapped an arm around me as he pushed his wife away. "Its between us no need to interrupt," he mumbled as he dragged me along with him outside of the house.

My heart was beating anxiously, why he brought me out? Was he going to lecture me again about the incident that had taken place?

"Where are you going?" Dad inquired as he walked inside with a packet in his hand.
"Just strolling around with my favorite," Jiju mumbled while dad smiled at us as he walked inside.

We walked in silence; I didn't have the courage to break the silence. "Who was he?" He asked and my anxiousness spirit forced me to shut my mouth. "I know, I shouldn't have overreacted! But I wasn't able to hold my temper on seeing you so close with a male, a stranger in public." He sighed as he withdrew his hand from my shoulder. "I acted overprotective!" He confessed as he massaged his forehead, "I was scared of the type of male he could be." He paused for a second, "so I want to know who is he?" He pressed the question with utter-most care.

"A friend," I whispered. Before he could object, I raised my head staring at him, "he is really a friend." I urged him to believe me. "The friend that I had mentioned before..." I waited for a moment, should I mention his name? "Faizal..." his seemed confused as if trying to recollect if I had mentioned it to him. "The online friend..." and things made sense to him.

"Muslim?" That was the first word out of him.

"You knew that he was Muslim..." I countered back.

"But that time I had accepted him as your friend, a mutual friend whom you talk on infrequent days." He voiced out, "not someone whose hand you will grab in public." His stern orbs were fixed on me. He sighed as his glanced at my anxious face. "I don't want to upset you but he isn't good for you, Nivi."

"Just because he is Muslim?" A drop of tear descended my cheek. "His religion is going to decide if I can be friend with him or not?" I couldn't help the pain I was feeling in my chest. That was the reason I had hide about his existence to my parents. That was the reason I had mentioned only about Zoya.