#7 The Ruthless Friend!

Mishti has been so busy with her work these days. Well better put she has kept herself equipped all the time. Why? She doesn't know. Maybe she is in no mood to meet anyone, maybe she doesn't want to have any spare time so that her stupid mind keeps shut up. Or maybe she is again doing what she is best at.... To run away...

But who is she running away from?

Abir Rajvansh? Anurag Basu?

Or from her own heart?

How stupid it is to not have a hold on one's own emotions!

"You are no longer a teenager Mishti. You won't find an escape every time. What are you going to do? When did you become so selfish Mishti? Since when you started playing around feelings of others? When did it become so difficult to make a firm decision?" Mishti cried.

Mishti is a survivor. She has always been.

She has seen her father dying in front of her eyes. He was punished... Punished for raising his voice against the so-called holders of law. Death became his ultimate destiny for fighting against those who are wrong.

She has seen her mother struggling day and night, just to give her children a modest life. Mishti is well aware of her mom's fight for respect. After the death of her father, people put many false allegations on his image and Parul bravely fought against everyone. Neither Mishti nor Kuhu understood any of these things at that time. But now she knows, their Mom was a fighter. She managed everything alone and gave Kuhu and Mishti a life of respect.

Mishti is the daughter of the most powerful parents. Yet all she does is to either hide or put on a facade.

"Till when Mishti? You have to face the life you've created for yourself."

Suddenly her phone rang. It was Kuhu.

"Di, remember the internship I've applied for in the event management company?" Kuhu sounded happy.

"Yes K, so you got the internship right?" Mishti was happy indeed, she always knew Kuhu is wonderful at her work, it's just she is a little under-confident.

"Yes Di. Finally... Finally... But Di.." Kuhu paused, "Di, I just got to know that my first project will be... I mean Di, the company I'll be working with is..." Kuhu was getting nervous.

"Rajvansh Industries?" Mishti spoke. "What's there to get so nervous K? Come on, smile and get ready. You know right, nobody has any issues with Rajvanshs. Now I've a few clients to attend. But we're partying tonight okay.. Our little K has grown up after all."

"We'll be waiting for you Di. Come back soon." A joyful Kuhu hung the call up.

Mishti sat at her desk.

"When are we meeting Mishti? I want to see my friend." Abir has texted.

Abir Rajvansh. No matter how much she tries not to cross paths with this boy destiny always plans against her. "Why God? Why do you have to do this every time? Don't you think you've complicated my life a little too much?" Mishti complained.

She was actually tired. Everywhere she goes, somehow situation will bring Abir there. Every time she was about to start a new journey, Abir somehow entered the scenario. Every time...

Abir Rajvansh hold her mind in a way that Mishti herself can't let him go!

Everything happens for a reason... And the reason is always a good one. No matter how much it hurts you, but what is meant for you, will find you anyway.

But Mishti would never understand what good Abir's presence is doing in her life. Strange! How Mishti has an explanation to almost everything, be it good or bad, but when it comes to Abir, her senses stop working.

All her studies, knowledge and intelligence leaves her in a whirlpool of unresolved emotions; she just drowns deeper and deeper unaware of where is it heading to.

"It doesn't matter anymore." She has been reminding herself for last 7 years. But a mere mention of something related to him makes her breath heavier, her heart race faster...

She doesn't love him. But he's always there being a part of her.

She just couldn't understand whether he took that space forcefully, or Mishti is giving him the power willingly.... She would always find answers to her questions, but her knowledge on psychology was not willing to let her relax! She has been running away from Abir all along, yet she her paths somehow stops at him only.

Maybe understanding the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance is easier than this...

"Someone is here to meet you Ms. Mishti. Please come to the visitor's room once.

-"I'm coming, thank you." Mishti replied to the receptionist.

***********

Life is a nothing but a circle.

Anurag couldn't get Mishti when she said this. But right now, maybe he was understanding where she was coming from. Life is indeed a full circle for him. Years back he found Mishti when she was struggling with Abir, and today he is on the verge of losing her... Again with Abir.

Anurag didn't know when Mishti became so important to him. But just a day without her feels like a week. But now, he is unable to contact her for three days!

"She has already forgotten you. Maybe she really doesn't need you anymore." Anurag looked at himself in the mirror.

"Anu, your phone was ringing in the dining hall. You left it there. Now please call back, maybe it was an important call." Anurag's mother said in a hurry.

"Mishti?" Anurag thought. You see, that's the problem. Just a thought of her brightens up his face like no one else. He took the phone immediately only to face disappointment as it was an unknown number. Again the phone rang.

"Hey Anurag, how are you?" The voice said.

- "Who is it?"

"It's me, Abir.."

Anurag didn't say anything. For a moment he felt like throwing the phone away, then chose not to. What if he has to say something about Mishti!

"How are you Abir? Long time ha... But what made you remember me?" Anurag wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.

Abir spoke with a sigh, "It seems Anurag Basu still dislikes me. But that's not the concern. I want to ask you about Mishti. I've heard that she is your best friend. So I suppose you know where she is right now."

Anurag has started to feel annoyed when someone says the word "Best Friend". But what shocked him was Abir ignorance to Mishti's whereabouts.

"First of all Abir, I am not her best friend. And secondly, I've no idea where she is. In fact, why would I know? Naira is her best friend so you may ask her."

Naira? When did Naira become Mishti's friend? That too best friend? Abir was in for another shock. Maybe one more shock and he's going to die right away!

"Okay, I get it. But Anurag, do you know anything related to Nishant and Mishti?" Abir asked after thinking for few moments.

"Who Nishant? That best friend of yours? Again, why would I know Abir? I'm busy right now. Will talk to you later." Anurag hung up the call. He was really annoyed now.

Abir Rajvansh... Anurag never really liked him since schooling. Actually they never had any kind of enmity but Anurag was always irritated by the mere mention of Abir. Maybe because they were competitors in almost everything during school. But Anurag will never realize that Abir's relationship with Mishti was another factor!

But right now, his was worried about Mishti. He immediately called Naira.

~~

"No Abir, we're never friends. I don't think we should meet."

Abir was staring at Mishti's last text. How easily this girl always rejects him. He still remembers the day when they were probably in 5th standard and Abir proposed Mishti for a friendship. Of course he liked her since the day he had seen her for the first time, he would always keep looking for even the smallest chances just to exchange few words with her. Abir won't say that Mishti was the prettiest girl of their school. But his chubby little cute Mishti was the most beautiful girl he has ever known.

Abir grinned. "How easily you rejected my friendship that day! Just a cute little baby you were, still so much of attitude! Silly Angry little bird..." Abir stated making faces. He still remembers clearly, how nervous he was yet he dared to utter those six words in front of her.

"Kya tum meri dost banogi Mishti?"

- "No Abir, we're never friends."

Abir's face saddened. Mishti always said this. In fact, they were truly never friends... They were always more than that. And when that something ended, he lost a part of his life.

He lost Mishti completely.

And today, Mishti again rejected him and his friendship.

"Life is indeed a circle Mishti." Abir looked at Mishti's text once more with a wan smile.

***********

"How long are you planning to keep running away Mishti? Do you really think nobody can reach you if you sit here silently? What are you doing? Think about others later. But right now, you're hurting yourself Mish." Naira stormed into Mishti's chamber.

Mishti didn't turn to her.

"What are you doing Mish? I understand how can meeting Abir may affect you, but why are you avoiding Anurag all of a sudden? He has been calling me, what do I say him now? That you are avoiding your own heart, Mish! Say something Mishti, you know right, you're running away from yourself.."

Suddenly Naira stopped realizing she hasn't heard anything from Mishti yet.

"Mish?"

- No response.

"Mishti..." Naira ran to her terrified.

Mishti was laying unconscious in the chair in a pool of blood !!

***********