Friendship, Love and Passion (Chapter 9 special)

Hey guys!!!

I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY! YOU HAVE NO CLUE HOW MUCH I MISSED YOU ALL !!!!!!!!!! I was too busy and occupied, didn’t mean to leave you guys hanging with the story!
Here is the link to the last part:Chapter 9 Part 3

This is a special episode for Tanya’s b’day, I have always narrated the story from my view, but now for the first time, let’s get into Tanya’s head and see what she is thinking!
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I walked through the crowded hallways of the school, thanking everyone for their warm wishes. Okay, that was extremely unexpected, I mean who bothers to remember the birthday of the new girl in school? Apparently this school does. I swear, there is something wrong with the looks they are giving me, suspicion starting to fill my mind. I quickly brushed it off, who wants to waste their once in a birthday thinking about some looks random people were giving me. This was my day and I was determined to celebrate it without letting ‘him’ take over my mind again.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” I heard the twins squeal as I approached my locker with a wide grins on their faces.

I saw them standing at my locker which was covered with cards, balloons hanging from the top, streamers taped all around it, my photo with a birthday hat on it. The girls really did go over the top working on it.

“OMG! OMG!Oh my gawd, this is amazing,” I exclaimed taking once more glance at the colour combo’s, everything was purple and turquoise, my favourite colors.

“Happy birthday,” they said, less of the squeal from before.

“How am I supposed to thank for all this,” I asked as I looked at different greetings from people neatly taped on my locker, they were from all the people I knew, Armaan, Sahil, Ryan, Sammy.

The minute I saw her name up there, I turned and tilted my head up to the girls, wait what, as in Sammy? How on earth did they get her to write ME a message on MY birthday. Hello, Breaking news in history was going on.

“A hug will do,” Anisha stated while I kept on blinking at the name Anirudh written in the corner of the paper.

I realized what she just said and gave them both a bone crushing hugs to partially make up for the awesome present they gave me.

“I need to get to computers, are you coming?” Minisha asked calmly with a gentle smile on her face.

“Yeah, give me a sec to get out of my winter jacket and I will be at your locker in 5,” I told them with grin from ear to ear, even though I tried to take the goofy grin off, it still made it’s way back.

I guess that’s the the treat for my birthday, new year, new beginning and a new mission, REVENGE.
A smirk appeared in place of the grin as I opened my locker and threw in my jacket and grabbed my stuff for computers and science. As I walked to the twins locker, a realization dawned me, Anirudh’s locker was right next to theirs. WOW! I am walking right into the lion’s den, I sarcastically thought as I walked ahead to their locker with my head up high and a tight smile.

Anger and hatred were the only emotions playing my face at the moment as I saw Anirudh leaning against Anisha’s locker and laughing. His muscles were loosened, he was engrossed into deep talks with them till his eyes landed on me.

His face softened a little bit, while mine turned rigid, he had a boyish grin on while I had a blank, poker face. His face was calm and gentle while I was burning like a volcano, how did we ever end up as friends in the first place?

“Happy birthday,” he said in a low whisper, yet with extreme caution and care.

I looked blankly into his eyes, not knowing how to respond. Now I can’t even say thanks to people who wish me on my birthday. I looked away at Anisha who choked on her water and started to cough badly, it was not an accident, something told me it was from what he said.

“You okay?” I asked her with concern as I stroked her back lightly to comfort her while Minisha sniffled a quick chuckle.

They both were gazing astonished at Anirudh who just shrugged at them and went in the other direction. What just happened?
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“Nope,” I said bluntly as I made my way through the staircase.

The morning classes were okayish, this was the last week before the end of 1 semester and exams. All the teachers were giving us last minute exam reviews and marks back from the beginning of the year. Ever had the teacher who gave marks back 3 to 4 months later? That is how all my teachers are. Late.

I sighed as I glanced back at Anirudh who was eyeing me with anger. For the past 20 minutes, he was trying to persuade me to come somewhere with him and I am trying hard to get rid of him. I am trying my best to turn him down without being rude, but this young man was stubborn as a rock, determined not to move from my way at any cost.

“It’s been 20 minutes we are standing like this,” he stated flatly with bored eyes scanning my face for approval which I didn’t bother to show.

“Exactly, move,” I yelled at him arrogantly as frustration started to take over me. This was NOT how my birthday was going to go, pinned to the wall by his strong arms. I should have learned karate when I had the chance to.

“I can stay for the rest of the day, so why don’t we agree, I will give you your present and you can leave,” he finally made a deal with me.

My mind stopped working midway, what did he just say? Present, for me? My heart beat was in my throat right now, I tried to suck in huge amounts of air to cool me down, but no luck. He moved his face away from mine, creating more space than before, raising his eyebrow for a proper approval.

“Again, NO,” I screamed at him, trying to make him understand the word no. What part of a simple 2 letter word didn’t he get?

“Why not what is the problem?”

“I need to go eat my birthday lunch and cut the cake in the caf, so I don’t have time at the moment,”

“Or is it because you don’t want to know what I got for you,”

“Partially, you asked me for a coffee date for the first time which ended up with buying the group of girls coffee, next time it was a food eating competition and then we went on a shopping spree instead of a date, so I am not sure what to expect now. And besides, it is never like we want it to happen anyways, so what is the guarantee that it will happen this time?”

“I’ll let you go now, but just watch you come to my present by yourself,”

“Fine,”

“See ya there,” he replied confidently which shook me a little.

He is a person who makes bet only when he knows he will win it, I know him from childhood and I can confidently say that he has a plan brewing in his head. He always placed a chit only for things he knew he would win in draws, in bets he would often stay at the side unless he for sure he knows to win it. He was a smart player rather than a risky player.

Enough of the admiring, I said to myself as I ran up the hallway into the caf to see a giant cake on the side waiting for me. It was a chocolate cake which had a dancing ballerina on it and read, WISHES TO THE DANCING STAR OF THE SCHOOL, TANYA.

“Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you,” Armaan started to sing in his loud, unmelodious voice while the twins added their voices to it to make it sound a little more presentable.

I was on edge of crying, this was such a sweet surprise, who wouldn’t like it. After they finished all the 5 verses of the song, yes 5. I don’t how they managed to pull out all the verses from the original song, but they did and sang which made most of the caf join in to.

“Time to cut the cake, ballerina,” Anirudh stated as he handed over the knife to me. Hearing that word after so many years from him felt….really good. I was stunned for him to say that, he used to call me ballerina as a nickname.
I brushed of all the thoughts and cut the cake and ate the first bite of the cake myself, hey, it was MY birthday after all. Everyone in the caf chuckled while the gang around me gave me death glares for not feeding them. I honestly had no idea who to give the cake to first, so why not eat it myself?

“Sorry, losers,” I exclaimed as the coffee flavoured cake melted in my mouth. They bought me coffee cake!! OMG!

“Tanya,” everyone snapped angrily as they grabbed icing off the cake and made their way towards me.

“No, no, no, no,” I cried as I ran right out of the caf in the most fastest run I could bring myself to do.

“Yes, dear, should have thought before,” Anisha screamed as Sahil and Ryan caught by and the twins slammed icing all over my face.

“I hate you guys,” I spat as I rubbed the icing of my face. My entire face was covered with icing while I saw all of them smirking at me. Evil friends, I need to hunt down for better ones.

“Happy b’day!” they yelled innocently like nothing happened.

“More like stuff your face on your b’day,” I sarcastically said. I need to find better friends, NOW.

“I need to show you something, come,” Anisha said to me as I washed the icing off my face.

She dragged me from the washroom to the other end of the hallway which had a balcony which undersaw the atrium downstairs.

“Why are we here?”

“Come on,”

“Is it really my b’day?” I asked with confusion as she basically dragged me all the way across the hallway.

As we walked closer and closer, I spotted Anirudh standing against the railing of the balcony.“Why is he here- oh…OHHHH” another realization dawned me, she led me right into his trap.

See, it told ya, he only makes bet when he knows he will win it. Why am I happy about it? I should be sad that I lost, forget the part that I didn’t even bother to try to win.

“Finally here,” he mocked with a smirk.

“How can you do this to me?” I snapped at Anisha who just shrugged at me.

“I guess so, where is my present?” I curtly asked Anirudh who was little shocked seeing my rude behaviour.

“Right there?” he said coolly, indicating the bottom of the balcony.

“Huh?” I asked confused as I walked up to him, did he hand my present down the balcony.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANYA!!” I heard 300 different voices scream as they all stood to form TANYA in the atrium. They threw balloons and streamers at me.

“Woahhh…” I said shocked as I let out a gasp, this is the BEST surprise ever I must admit.

“Thanks a lot guys, I am truly honoured, thanks a lot for doing this. I’m going to give you all a treat in the next few days!” I told them enthusiastically and they all cheered for me, and dispersed from the area.

“How was it?” Anirudh asked me huskily waiting for my reaction.

“Not bad I guess,” I stated as I keenly observed his facial expression change from excitement to hurt, col face, “I mean, don’t you think it was a little too simple, getting a bunch of people standing in the letters of my name and having people throw streamers at me?”

“Maybe,” he said in a strained voice, evident that he was deeply hurt. Nothing compared to what he got me through.

“I don’t mean their effort, I mean your part in this whole scheme. You said it was your gift, this is done by 300 other people,” I bitterly stated.

“It was my idea and I called them together,”

“Look, I agree the idea was yours, but they came here either because of your popularity or due to their admiration for me. The streamers you gave them were from your dad’s money I suppose, and the scream was their voices, so what did you exactly do?”

“Nothing much I guess,” he admitted with a sigh and frown filling his sad face.

“Right,” I stated in a low voice and turned to Anisha who had her mouth hung open.

“I need to get to class, wanna come come to my locker?” I said as I closed her mouth and dragged her with me.

“Yeah,” she said, still in the shock from my confession.

“Tanya, you shouldn’t have said that to him,” Anisha silently mumbled as she looked down at the marble floor.

“I know it was a little rude but I was trying to be honest and it is my birthday,” I replied casually, like it was no big of a deal.

I was indeed hurt to see him like that, he looked broken and devastated when I said those bitter words. But, to be honest, I had no other choice, he was growing too much fond of me, I can see that, I needed to avoid him at any cost. That would be better for both of us, it would prevent us from going through another heartbreak.

“But he did put a lot of effort into it. Convincing the whole grade to come and stand in order is not that easy of a task,” Anisha whispered with concern and anger.

“Do you think he really convinced them? He is good friends with have the people standing there, if all of them bring a few friends each, tada, there you go,” I said in a fake happy tone.

“But coming from Anirudh is a little different,” she said which took me off guard.

“What do mean?” I asked confused,.

“Look, Anirudh for some reason in his childhood hates birthdays and parties. He neither celebrates his or wishes anyone except us and his family for their birthday. And he for the first time in his life, organized a gift for someone and wished them, believe me, that itself is surprising and crazy. He always said that the parties reminded him of his long childhood best friend,” she said in a low voice so the people around my locker wouldn’t hear her.

Ofcourse, that makes perfect sense, he hates birthday’s after Rohan’s b’day and what happened to us. Did he actually miss me which is why he didn’t want to celebrate them? Probably not. We didn’t celebrate them for a few years after that too, it only gave me pain and flashbacks of the sour night.

“I didn’t know that, I wouldn’t have said that if I had known,” I sounded like I knew nothing she was talking about, which was hard to lie about. I knew more than anything she does on this topic. It was hard to avoid the fact that I was his ‘long childhood best friend’. These big titles carry big pain sacrifices, I tell you.

“You’re right but wasn’t that rude though,” she said a little more open now.

“I am going to apologize to him in the party, happy?” I said without thinking twice on my words.

“Sounds better,” she said happily.

Oh great, now I have to face him at the party then! That was a good plan though,when he sees all my cousins, relatives, parents, he will automatically understand who I am and I will also act along with it. In that way, everything will be out in front of him at once and importantly, I don’ t need to tell him about all this. It will seem like we both got to know it together. I need to tell Rohan this before, I need to prepare him before hand or the plan might fail.
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DO you think Tanya is acting a little selfish? Is her hatred against Anirudh justified from her point of view? Was it okay for her to ignore his present like that? What will happen in the party? Will Anirudh come after what she said to him or not? Do you want me to write the second part of the special in regular 3rd person POV or like today’s 1st person POV?
Do tell me your opinions, waiting to talk to you all after so long!!