Chapter-16

"Navya, come on! We're going to have lunch at the mall. It's Shraddha's birthday today," Sanjana told Navya this afternoon. They had just finished college around one o'clock.

"Birthday? Sorry, I don't know about it, Shraddha. I haven't bought a present yet," Navya responded.

"Ah, it's okay, you don't need to use gifts at all," said Shraddha quickly. "This is just a meal for thanksgiving." She continued.

The four of them, they got in the car. Saurabh headed to the Ambience Mall which is located on Vasant Kunj. Navya had already informed her driver, that he don't have to pick her up this afternoon from college. At first she also wanted to send a text to Mohit, but Shraddha said they must be home before six o'clock.

'It's okay, it's only until six o'clock,' Navya thought in her mind and decided not to text Mohit.

Arriving at the mall, Shraddha invites all of them to have lunch in a restaurant. They ordered Chinese food. They had fun and enjoyed the grilled meat menu.

"Eh, Navya, are you married?" Shraddha asked. Her eyes fell on the ring on the ring finger of Navya's right hand. "I think you didn't wear a ring yesterday," she continued, laughing, meaning to joke.

Navya smiled. "This ring belongs to my late mother." She explained.

She felt bad for lying. The answer was already prepared, because she still did not want to take off the ring. Navya also doesn't understand why she still wants to wear the ring. Maybe because Mohit also never took off his ring.

"Wow, the ring is beautiful, you know! I think it consist of real diamond!" Shraddha continued to comment.

"Oh, you've been given the code, Saurabh," Sanjana joked to Saurabh. "Shraddha has asked for a ring!" Sanjana said and they laughed together.

"If it's just a ring, it's easy. But to prepare for a wedding, you need more than just a ring," replied Saurabh with a laugh. "House, car, steady income, if necessary already established first." He continued.

"Eh, am I a old girl?" Shraddha responded with wide eyes, joking of course. Everyone laughed again.

"Well, what's more important is that his heart is solid, he's committed to being loyal," continued Shraddha. "If there are many treasures, but your partner is unfaithful, it's of no use." Shraddha responded.

"You're right.... usually it's guys who like to be unfaithful," said Sanjana.

"Ah.... no, there's a lot of girls who cheat too!" Saurabh protested angrily.

Navya listened to her friends arguing. Her heart for a moment seemed to be sliced again when she heard the word cheating.

"How about you, Navya? Have you got a boyfriend yet?" suddenly Sanjana asked.

"Umm... not yet..." Navya responded.

"You're cute like why you don't have a boyfriend yet? There must be too many people around you, so you're confused about which one to choose," joked Shraddha, laughing.

"No." Navya shook her head slowly. "I don't want to date yet," she made up an excuse.

"Don't close your heart, Navya. It doesn't matter if there are no more guys who want to approach you because you keep refusing, you'll just be confused," teased Shraddha again.

Navya smiled wryly. She knew Shraddha was just joking, but her friends didn't know the real reason why she had turned a blind eye.

Around five o'clock in the evening, Navya and her friends left the restaurant. They still walked around the mall for a while. After that, Saurabh asked them to wait in the front lobby while he headed to the car parking.

Suddenly a voice called out, "Navya!"

Navya looked back. "Suraj…?" Navya uttered. She was surprised to see Suraj coming out of the front door of the mall and walking towards her. Suraj smiled broadly, apparently pleased to see Navya again.

"What a coincidence to meet you here" Suraj said.

"Hey, Suraj! What's up?" said Navya rather awkwardly.

"I was meeting a friend earlier in the mall. When I was about to go home, I accidentally saw you, then I followed you all the way here." Suraj said to Navya.

Navya felt bad. "Is Suraj still expecting it, even though from a few days ago, I had always refused every invitation to meet Suraj?" Navya asked herself.

"Navya, I'll take you home, okay?" Suddenly, Suraj was holding her left hand.

Navya was taken aback. "Sorry, Suraj... I'm with my friends. These are my friends," said Navya, pointing to her friends. "Sorry, I will go home with them." She continued.

"Navya, please... I have something to tell you. Give me a chance," Suraj pleaded.

"It's okay Navya, if you want to be with your friend," Shraddha suddenly interrupted. She must have heard Navya and Suraj's chatter.

Saurabh's car stopped in front of them. Navya began to hesitate, Suraj kept holding her hand, not wanting to let her go.

"Suraj, I have to go home fast." Navya said to Suraj.

"Please, Navya..." Suraj again pleaded.

Shraddha and Sanjana were already in the car. "It's okay, Navya. You guys just talk first," said Shraddha through the car window. She even blinked an eye.

Navya sighed. "What else can we do about it?" Navya thought in her mind. "Okay then, you guys be careful." She said, waving to her friends.

After Navya's friends left, Suraj led Navya to walk to his BMW which was parked not far from the front lobby of mall. He opened the car door for Navya, then he himself got into the car. The car slid out of the mall.

In the car, Navya felt uncomfortable. "Mmm... sorry, Suraj, I can't come home tonight. I promised to be home before six o'clock," Navya reasoned.

"Navya, I have a question. Please answer honestly. Are you avoiding me because you think I'm also an addict like Sonia and Rahul?" Suraj suddenly asked with a serious face.

"No, Suraj" Navya said quickly. "I never think you're an addict." Navya said to him.

"Is it because of what happened at the nightclub that time? Are you afraid that I'm a bad boy?" Suraj kept asking Navya.

"No, Suraj..." Navya again responded.

"Then why? Why did you stay away from me, Navya?" Suraj sounded like a desperate man. "That night, we were so close. I was so happy that you finally opened up to me. But after the police caught you, you drifted away again." Suraj continued.

"Suraj, I... I'm sorry." Navya was confused about how to express the reason. "I am just... not ready for a new relationship. I hope you can understand. We're just friends." Navya continued to explain her situation.

They were both silent for sometime.

"I see, Navya" Suraj responded in a low voice. "If you want to take it slow, it's okay. I also don't want to force you. But at least, please don't stay away from me. Don't ignore chats or calls from me. Give me a chance, Navya. I just want to be with you." Suraj turned to look at Navya, his eyes looked sad.

Navya felt awry. "Was I too mean to Suraj? Suraj is not wrong, it's not Suraj who made her arrested by the police at that time. But why did something in my heart keep me from opening up to Suraj?" Navya thought in her mind.

"I didn't mean to stay away from you, Suraj. Sorry, I won't ignore your chats or calls anymore." Finally, Navya gave up. She didn't want to continue arguing with Suraj. Suraj might not even want to take her home.

Suraj sighed. "I can't forget you since the first time we met, Navya. I don't know why either. I've never met a girl as attractive as you. You're both smart and mysterious...." Suraj kept praising her.

Navya chuckled. "Can 'mysterious' be interpreted as a compliment?" Navya said in her mind and smiled. Suraj seemed happy to see Navya's response. He smiled too.

"Well, I mean, you're unpredictable. Other girls I've met are too easy, they like to look at luxury cars. When they go out, they see cars and the physical appearance of boys first. What I'm talking about, nodding, even though they don't understand anything. They think the important thing is to make me happy. But I don't like these type of girls." Suraj kept pouring out his heart.

"I like girls I can talk to, have their own opinions, who are smart like you." Suraj started praising Navya again.

Navya is used to this nature of Suraj. "Thanks, Suraj. With your looks and everything you have, I'm sure you can get any girl you want." Navya continued.

"But I don't want any girl. I want a unique one, the precious one," said Suraj looking at Navya.

Navya smiled silently. Suraj is a master of making girl's heart flattered. Their car continued to drive south.

Around six o'clock, Suraj's car stopped in front of Navya's house. Navya saw Mohit's black SUV is parked in the front yard. She quickly unbuckled her seat belt.

"Suraj, thanks for dropping me. I'll go in first, okay," said Navya.

"When can we meet again, Navya?" asked Suraj hopefully.

"Mmm ..., let's talk about it later, okay," said Navya.

She opened the car door. To her surprise, Suraj also opened the car door, and followed her to the front of the fence.

"Okay, see you soon, Navya!" Suraj said with a wave.

"Bye, Suraj," said Navya curtly.

Suraj got back in the car and drove off. Navya sighed. She turned towards the house, there was no one in front of her. But frankly, her heart was curious, "Did Mohit saw Suraj?" Navya thought in her mind.

Navya stepped into the living room, there was no one either. Arriving in the dining room, Navya's steps stopped. Mohit was sitting on the dining chair, it seemed like he was just about to eat dinner. He was spooning rice onto his plate.

"Navya, you just got home? Have you eaten yet?" Mohit's voice sounded normal when he greeted her.

"Yeah Mohit. Earlier I was invited to eat at the mall, a friend had a birthday." Navya said.

"College friend?" Mohit asked her.

Navya nodded. She stands in front of Mohit, as if waiting for further questions from him.

"Is there something you want to say, Navya?" Mohit looks at her with a surprised face.

"Uh, no..." Navya responded.

"Okay then, you just take a shower first," continued Mohit. He was already enjoying the fried rice made by Miss Padma.

"Oh... well, I'll take a shower first." Navya said to him.

Navya walked towards the room, in a bit of a hurry. For some reason, a hint of disappointment appeared in her heart. Mohit didn't ask anything about the Australian guy who dropped her home earlier. "So, Mohit didn't wait for me when he found out I wasn't home yet? Oh god....what did I expect, Mohit was waiting for me every evening at the door of the house? Why did I think so?" Navya thought for sometime then shook her head coming to reality. She entered inside the bathroom.