Aathiya's POV
I didn't have any relatives from whom I could ask for help. I had been sitting on the lawn of someone's place for the past hour, crying. It wasn't the act of leaving that brought me to tears, but the manner in which I was being forced out and the betrayal of my friend. Sometimes, we hold someone in such high regard that they become our whole life. But then, those very people shatter our illusions and snatch that life away when we need it most. I felt like I could trust no one anymore. I thought of calling Aaru, but after today's incident, I wasn't sure if I could trust another friend. After much overthinking, I decided not to call her. Enough is enough, Aathiya, I told myself. You will not cry for someone who has driven you to the streets. I decided not to go anywhere until the end of this month. I had paid the rent, so I would stay. With this resolve, I went back home. It was daytime, but nobody was home. I went into the kitchen, took my plate of food that I had left there, and went to my room. I ate while thinking about how I could tackle this situation. I texted Ishika that I wouldn't leave until the end of this month as I had already paid for this month and the next. I wrote that I should be given one month's notice or she would have to return my rent; otherwise, I wouldn't leave. After sending the message, I turned off the lights and dozed off because I had a shift to cover.
I woke up to the third alarm. I saw there was a text from Ishika, but I was running late, so I decided to get ready first. I could read the message on the bus. After boarding the bus, I checked the text: "You can stay for this month but not for next month. The landlord has said that your rent will not be refunded." A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it and replied that I wasn't leaving until I got my money back. I told her she could call whoever she wanted, but I wouldn't leave without my money. After sending this, I muted her contact because any further notification from her would increase my anxiety, and I couldn't handle that. I had to focus on my work and college.
I reached Paradise and relieved the on-duty concierge. At least my shift was going fine. I checked all the emails and saw that Aaru had seriously emailed senior management about yesterday's incident, and they had responded. The email stated that if that person ever showed up at the hotel again, he would not be assisted. I was impressed. I didn't think these high officials would take a stand for their part-time employees. I continued my regular work, and the shift passed smoothly. A new batch of cleaners came in the morning, and I handed the keys to them. A few of them asked about my health, and I replied plainly. I didn't want to bother anybody, but somehow people could read everything just by looking at my face. I attached my DOR, and Aaru arrived on site.
"Hey Aathiya, how are you?" "I am good, Aarohi, and you?" "I'm fine too, but what happened to you?" She asked, and I cursed myself inside for not being able to hide anything. "Nothing, Aaru, everything is fine." I left the desk and went to the staff room to get my bag, and Aaru followed me. "First of all, if everything were fine, you wouldn't have called me by my full name, and secondly, you wouldn't be avoiding eye contact with me. So tell me now, what happened?" I lifted my eyes and saw concern on her face. My eyes brimmed with tears. She placed her hand on my shoulder and asked in the softest, most genuine voice, "Are you okay, bro?" That was it. My tears started flowing uncontrollably. She instantly hugged me. "Hey, Aathiya, what happened? Why are you crying like this? Did someone say something to you? Tell me, bro. You are scaring me." I hugged her back tightly. Her concern for me made me cry even more. My breathing became uneven with the loud sobs. After my crying session, I told her everything.
"How dare she! That bitch stooped that low. I can't believe it, and on top of that, she's not even returning your money. This is not done. I've already told you a hundred times to leave that toxic place. Don't worry, she can do nothing. Nobody on this earth can remove you from that house like that. In fact, you can call the cops. Your landlord and this head girl will learn their lesson then."
"No, Aaru, I don't want to live in that place anymore. That place, that room, haunts me. It reminds me of the humiliation I've faced there. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was for me to sleep there last night. I just want my money back. I will look for something today itself."
"But how will you find a place in 4 days, Aathiya? It's hard."
"I know, Aaru, but I have to try. Whether she gives my rent back or not, I'm not going to live there anymore because that place suffocates me now."
"I understand that. I'll also see what I can do. Let me ask my landlord."
"No, no... it's okay, Aaru. Don't bother yourself for me."
"Shut up. I'm not like that bitch, your old snake friend, who will leave you like that. I am Aarohi Khurana, and you can count on me at any point, darling." She winked and bowed in front of me, and I laughed looking at her. "That's like my girl. By the way, where are you going now?"
"I am going to college for now. I have two classes."
"Well, that's good. I'll update you as soon as I find something, and same for you. Keep me posted....okay".
I nodded and left for my college.
After attending my classes, I was standing at the bus stop, waiting for my ride home, when my phone buzzed. I wasn't expecting a call. I pulled out my phone to see the name on the screen: Aaru.
"Hey Aaru, what's up?"
"Hey, did you find anything?"
"No, I just finished my classes and I'm waiting for the bus to go home." Home was a sarcastic term for that place now, but it is what it is. I wished I could go somewhere else. I was lost in my own thoughts when I heard Aaru yelling from the other end of the phone.
"Brooo... Ooyeee... Aathiya... are you there?"
"Oh, sorry Aaru, I zoned out for a sec. What were you saying?"
"I was saying, don't go to that crappy place. It will disturb your peace of mind. Come over to my place. Stay here until you get a new place."
I was startled for a second. I couldn't believe there was still someone who genuinely wanted to help me, who was on my side. She was kind enough to offer me a place to stay, but no, I couldn't be a burden on her. I couldn't bother her with my issues. "No Aaru, it's okay. Thank you so much for offering, but I'll manage there until I find something. I hope I'll find something soon, bruh."
"The time you took to answer me shows how much you can manage there. And another thing, why do you have to manage, girl, when you have an option? Believe me, you won't find a more wonderful roommate than me."
"Hahahaha, I know, Aaru, but..." She cut me off halfway.
"I am sending you the address. I already talked to my landlord, so you won't have any problem. One of my friends has a car. We'll get your important stuff tomorrow from there, and the rest we can take during your move-in to another place if it's okay with you."
"Yeah, I don't have any problem. All my bags are locked and secured, and she won't do anything with them. Thank you so much, Aaru. You don't know what you have done for me. I'll be forever in your debt," I expressed to her.
"Stop, stop... save your farewell speech for another time. There's nothing like that. I'll be home soon... See ya."
"See ya."
I disconnected the call and reached her home. She lived alone in a one-room apartment. She sent me the lock code. I punched it in and entered inside. It was a small place but beautiful, with absolute silence that didn't resonate with my inner turmoil at all. I wished I could absorb this silence inside me as well. As per Aaru's instructions, I took a blue pajama and a purple oversized T-shirt and went to freshen up. Luckily, we were the same size, so I didn't have any problem with the clothes. I decided to cook something. It would distract my mind, and Aaru liked my food. I made stuffed ladyfingers with rotis. When I was almost done with making rotis, I heard the door clicking and saw Aaru coming inside.
"Areee... wahhhh... ye mera hi ghar hai na... itne ache khaane ki smell... kya banra hai bhai?" (Woah... is this my home? Such a nice aroma of food... what are you cooking, bro?) She excitedly entered the kitchen and removed the lid. "Wow, my favorite Bharvi Bhindi" (stuffed ladyfinger).
I smiled at her reaction. After she freshened up, we had our food in peace.
"Well, you really didn't have to cook, Aathiya, but I must say you are an excellent cook. I loved it."
"Thanks, Aaru, for everything."
"How many times are you going to thank me? Just forget about it and tell me what your plans are for this weekend."
"What plans? Nothing special. I'll just complete my assignments." I couldn't even think of any plans right now; my plate was already full with so many god made plans.
"Come on, I'm also a full-time student, but we should get some time for ourselves besides work and college. Plus, neither you nor I have shifts this weekend. So, let's go somewhere."
"I seriously don't want to go anywhere, Aaru. I will—" She cut me off halfway.
"My college mate got tickets for a Garba event, and guess what? She got two extras. We are going, Aathiii."
"Wait....what did you just call me"
"Aathiii" She said with wide smile
"What is that even...it sounds weird"
"Ohh please it's not weird at all. As Aarohi is Aaru same way Aathiya is Aathiii. I was thinking of a nickname from long time and see today I found just a perfect one.
"Hahaha....what a wonderful explanation. But what will we do there? Garba is far... I can't even dance normally, we don't understand the language and I don't even have any appropriate dress for such an event."
"Oh, damn, man! How many excuses do you have to avoid going? Let me tell you one by one. I also know nothing about Garba, or Gujarati language and I don't have that typical Gujarati dress either. We're going there to have some fun and experience a new culture. Remember one thing: the best part about this event is that it's not a Punjabi event where we usually feel judged. This is a Gujju event where nobody knows us, so we can do whatever we want. After all, we're never going to meet any of the people present there ever again. (A/N: Only if they know😛🤡). We'll have a blast, and your mind will relax a little. Let's go, Aathiiiiii... please." She pleaded with her best puppy eyes, to which I couldn't deny.
"Okay... fine, we will go."
"Perfect! So, we still have tomorrow to finalize our dresses. We will go to your place to get your dress." I nodded positively. Later, I went into the room to do my assignment while she started writing something in a notebook. I finished my assignment in about an hour and saw she was still holding the diary and the pen.
"Hey, what have you been doing for so long?" I asked her out of curiosity.
"Nothing, just relaxing a bit."
"How?" I noticed her handwriting in the diary. "Do you write poetry or something?"
"Oh no, Aathi, it's just my personal diary. Whenever I have time, I like to write. It gives me peace of mind and makes me feel like all my doubts and troubles have ended. It basically takes away all my stress. Thanks to your cooking, I got some time today, so I thought, why not use it in the best possible way?"
"That's a wonderful way to express your emotions. I never imagined a lively girl like you would pour her heart out in a diary rather than to people. I thought you were an extrovert."
"Of course, I'm an extrovert, but not everything is meant to be said bruh."
"I understand, but remember, if you ever want to talk, I'm here to listen anytime."
"Even at 3 AM?" She asked, pouting her lower lip like a child.
"Absolutely. I work night shifts, so 3 AM is just perfect." I winked at her, and we both laughed like maniacs. Then, we went to sleep.
I woke up at 11 in the morning. Aaru had already left for her shift. She had evening classes, so she could work in the mornings. Students could work 40 hours a week until next April, so she was working full-time. Meanwhile, I had three days of college and two days of placement, all in the morning and it sucks. It was going to be a long day. I had to attend class, submit a case study for my case management class. Did I mention I'm studying Social Service work? I wasn't interested at first, but now I find it interesting and challenging at the same time . I also needed to go to my previous place to get some of my stuff. My class started at 11:30, so I had to hurry. I got ready, cleaned the room, and attended my class. It ended at 2:30, and I started working on my assignment, which was due tonight. It was almost done, just the conclusion left. I usually don't leave assignments until the last minute because it gives me anxiety, but this time, I couldn't finish it earlier because of my current situation.
I looked for some rentals on Facebook and Kijiji. Everything was so expensive. I left messages for a few reasonable ones to arrange visits, then took a ten-minute break and started scrolling through reels. When I checked the time, I realized I had been scrolling for almost two hours. This addiction to reels will be the end of me. I hadn't eaten anything since morning because I didn't have time, and here I was, wasting two hours on Instagram, waiting for a notification that would never come. It was my decision, so why was I dwelling on it now? I should focus on my future, not the past that only brings pain. I tried to shake off those thoughts, but I knew I was craving a conversation with him. No, I had to control myself. I couldn't do this, so I deleted Instagram. I couldn't take the risk. If I kept scrolling, I'd end up sending him a reel. I finished my assignment, submitted it, and got ready to visit my previous rental space. I don't feel like calling it home.
"Hey, Aathi, I'm home. Are you ready to go?" I heard Aaru calling me.
"Coming."
"Let me change quickly, and then we'll go. My friend is coming to pick us up."
The ride took 30 minutes. We parked in the driveway, and I went straight to my room. I didn't take Aaru inside because I had texted Ishika beforehand, asking her to have my rent ready. Aaru would have caused a big argument if she saw Ishika, and I didn't want that.
I heard a knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Hey, Aathiya, here's your rent." She handed me the money.
"I'll leave on the 1st."
"Okay." And she left.
I didn't want to talk to her at all. I packed some basic stuff and, of course, the dress that was entirely inappropriate for a garba event because it was a typical Punjabi salwar kameez, but I didn't have a choice. I returned to the car.
"I got the money back, Aaru," I told her as her friend started driving.
"Oh, that bitch was home. Why didn't you let me go inside? I would have given her a reality check."
"I don't want anything to do with her. I have full faith in Babaji (God). He will take care of it."
"True, karma is real. Anyway, you got your money back. That's good. Did you find anything?"
"Not yet. I've left messages. Hopefully, I'll get something soon."
"Don't worry. You'll find a good place. Have you eaten anything?"
"No, I didn't have time. Actually, I wasted time on Instagram."
"Hahaha, let's eat something, then we'll go home." We went to a nearby restaurant and had chole bhature (chickpea curry with fried flatbread).
We reached home, and after settling my stuff, I got ready for my shift. Today's shift was quiet, and I was feeling very sleepy because I didn't have a nap before coming in. Somehow, I finished my shift.
Aaru came home half an hour early and left food for me. She is the best. I had my meal and, as soon as I hit the bed, I felt so comfortable that I fell asleep right away.
""Uthjaa Aathiiii....late ho jaege....uth bhaii kbse sori hai!"
(Get up, Aathiiii, we'll be late! Wake up, bruh, you've been sleeping for a long time)
"Ten more minutes, Aaru, please."
"Pichle ik ghanta se yhi sunri hu me. Uthja ab vrna hum late hojaege"
(I've been hearing this for the last hour. Get up now, or we'll be late).
I woke up from my beauty sleep and went straight to the shower. I wore my blue and pink salwar kameez and did minimal makeup because I don't know how to do makeup. So, I just applied BB cream, lipstick, and mascara, and kept my hair in a ponytail. I love henna and I found one during the packing so I applied some of it before sleeping.
Aaru was dressed in a bottle green and magenta salwar kameez with mirror work. Her hair were open, and she had done a French braid with a middle partition in the front.
"You look stunning, Aaru."
"You're not looking too bad yourself, pretty girl. Just one thing is missing."
"And what's that?"
"Eyeliner." She took the eyeliner and applied it to my eyes. "Now perfect."
"Let's go now, or my college friend will unfriend me."
"Yeah, yeah, let's go," and we left for the venue.
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Hope you liked the chapter Janemans. Please share your feedback and let me know how you are feeling about the story.
Happy reading! 😊
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