Chapter-22

Navya glanced at the watch on her wrist. A few minutes to two o'clock. She had already informed her driver not to pick her up from college today. The lecturer who was giving a lecture in front of the class finally ended today's material. Navya and her friends walked out of the master's lecture hall.

"I'll go first, I've been picked up," said Navya, pointing to Suraj's silver BMW which was parked in front of the faculty gate.

"Eh, you changed your cars, Navya?" Sanjana asked curiously looking at the BMW.

"No, I'm going home with my friend." Navya answered smilingly.

"Aah ..., understand me," said Shraddha in a teasing tone. "Must be the white guy from yesterday, huh?"

Navya's smile already answered Shraddha's question.

"He's so handsome, Navya!" Shraddha whispered while putting her arm around Navya's shoulder. "If I don't have Saurabh, I want a guy like that too." She said to her.

"Huh!" Navya pinched Shraddha's cheek excitedly. "You said, you are faithful..." Navya said to her.

"Well, I'm loyal! I told you that if I don't have Saurabh then only." Shraddha defended herself, laughing.

Navya also laughed. "Yes, yes, go ahead!" She waved to her friends and walked over to Suraj's car.

Suraj got out of the car, opened the front passenger door for Navya. He looks dashing in a red collared shirt and blue denim pants.

"Thanks, Suraj," Navya responded with a smile. Suraj got back into the car through the driver's door. He looked at Navya with sparkling eyes.

"I really miss you, Navya" he half whispered.

Suraj really knows how to make a girl's heart flutter. Navya blushed.

"Where are you going now? Wherever you want, I'll take you," continued Suraj.

"Mmm..., I'm bored at home. Where's the best place huh? I want to go to a different place," said Navya.

"Hmm, you like unique places, don't you? It suits the person," Suraj commented. "Do you want to try wall climbing or not?" He asked her.

Navya's eyes widened. "Yes, yes! It looks like fun!" She answered.

"Okay, Let's go!" Suraj said and drove to the place.

The wall climbing arena in Delhi is quite crowded, but Suraj always seems to be able to make Navya feel special. Suraj rented a special VIP room for Navya so that they could climb up to their heart's content. Navya has never tried wall climbing, but she learnt quickly. Many times she managed to climb to the top.

"Great, Navya! You are really a brave girl, huh!" Suraj praised while clapping his hands, when Navya succeeded for the tenth time in a row.

Navya jumped down, letting her body be carried down by the safety rope tied. "That was great, Suraj!" She cheered with a beaming face.

Suraj laughed loudly. He approached Navya and untied the rope around Navya's body. "Rest first, Navya. You have climbed up and down more than ten times." His eyes were so calm, and the touch of his hand seemed to linger on Navya's skin.

Navya smiled to cover her nervousness. Suraj's romantic attitude frankly made her nervous. The two of them sat on the chairs that had been provided for rest.

"Have you been here often, Suraj?" asked Navya.

"Yeah, a few times. Rahul invited me first. That stupid man!" Suraj ends with a curse.

Navya looked at Suraj curiously. "How are they? I mean Sonia and Rahul?" Navya asked him.

Suraj shook his head. "I don't know, never contacted again. Maybe they were in rehab or jail, I don't know." Suraj shrugged.

"I also never contact with Sonia again," said Navya.

"Don't worry about it anymore. Let's just say they're just the past. What's important now, you and I ..." said Suraj looking at Navya meaningfully. "Dinner with me?" He asked her looking in her eyes.

Navya glanced at her watch, it was already past five o'clock. Soon at six o'clock, Mohit may have been getting ready to go home or even arrived home.

"Let it be" Navya thought. This is precisely the purpose of her going out with Suraj.

"Oh Yes, Suraj. Where are we going for dinner?" Navya asked him.

Suraj took Navya to a fancy restaurant, even booked a special private room for the two of them. The room was decorated with dim colored tumblers, making the night even more romantic. That restaurant located on a hill, so they can enjoy the view of the city of Delhi in the distance from behind the glass wall that surrounds the private dining room. The city of Delhi always looks beautiful in Navya's eyes, even at night.

"Delhi is really beautiful, huh. Look at the view from up here!" cried Navya pointing out the glass wall. "Always miss you Delhi." She continued.

"Yes, just like the beautiful girl in front of me now." Suraj looked at Navya with shining eyes.

Navya chuckled. She bribes a piece of salmon steak into her mouth. So soft and juicy in her mouth.

"Mmm..., the steaks are really good, Suraj! How do you know so many good places in Delhi? You know the wall climbing arena, then this restaurant. I, who had lived in Delhi for three years, didn't know this place" Navya commented.

"That's called the power of relations. As long as we have a lot of relationships, we can get any kind of information. But don't get me wrong, the power of money is also important." Suraj said while laughing.

Navya and Suraj laughed together.

"That's clear. It seems that as a YouTuber, you are very successful, you can enjoy all these luxuries," said Navya.

Suraj smiled widely. "There's still a lot I can show you, Navya. As long as you want..." Suraj said.

Suraj's words held a very clear meaning for Navya. Suraj offers new luxuries and adventures, as long as Navya is willing to open her heart to him.

After eating, Suraj asked Navya to dance. Like at Sonia's birthday party, they danced passionately. Suraj's pair of blue eyes couldn't take their eyes off of from Navya. But for some reason, what was pictured in Navya's head was a pair of Mohit's gentle eyes.

Navya closed her eyes tightly, annoyed with herself. "Why did I have to remember Mohit, even though Mohit never paid the attention I expected from him?" Navya said in her mind.

"Ummm... Suraj I think we should just go home, let's go. I just remembered, tomorrow there is a presentation assignment on campus. I have to come college a bit early," Navya reasoned. It's true that tomorrow there will be a presentation assignment on campus, but in the last hour of class, not in the first hour.

"Oh, alright. Let's go home. But..., tomorrow we can meet again right?" Suraj asked her hopefully.

Navya smiled. "Sure, Suraj" she replied.

When Suraj's car stopped in front of Navya's home fence, it was already nine o'clock. As usual, Suraj got out of the car and escorted Navya to the front of the fence.

"See you, Suraj!" Navya waved her hand, deliberately raising her voice as Suraj's car passed.

Navya turned towards the house. There was no one in sight on the front porch. She walked on until she entered the living room.

"Navya...." It turned out to be Mohit who welcomed her. He was sitting on a teak chair, a book lay in front of him. "Where have you been? What time is it?" Mohit's voice was firm.

Navya pretended to glance at her watch. "It's not past nine yet, Mohit. My curfew is nine, right?" She answered, deliberately emphasizing her voice in the last sentence.

Mohit got up and walked over to Navya. His eyes looked inquisitively. His face looked displeased with Navya's answer.

"Yes, but you should have let me know when you came home at night. Who were you going out with again? That Australian guy again?" Mohit's voice sounded furious, even though he tried to appear calm.

A speck of victory flashed in Navya's heart. She finally managed to get Mohit's attention too. Mohit is angry to see Suraj drive her home!

"Didn't you ever said that I'm free to be friends with anyone?" Navya rebutted with braveness "I also have the right to have fun like a girl my age right? Did you forgot?" Navya continued her firm voice.

"Yes, but that's not how it is..." Mohit lowered his voice. "Remember, in this house there are Miss Padma and your driver. Around the house there are also our neighbors. The guy even openly got out of the car and showed his face. What would people say if they saw you being driven home with another guy at night? ? We don't want it to be said anything wrong with the neighbors." He continued.

"You're just afraid of what the neighbors will say? Not because do you really care about me?" Navya's voice rose high. She didn't care anymore if Miss Padma and her driver heard their debate.

"You are free to go alone with your friends, come home late at night, don't tell me too. What's the difference with me?" Navya continued to let out all the feelings in her heart.

Mohit looks stunned. Their eyes met each other in silence. Then Mohit took a deep breath.

"If I've done something wrong, I'm sorry," said Mohit, his voice turning more gentle. "I promise, next time I will tell you. I also don't mean to forbid you to be friends with anyone. But please, Navya..., don't be so overtly like that. Are you dating that guy?" Mohit asked her.

Navya's chest began to rumble. On the one hand, her little heart wanted to melt with Mohit's tenderness. She just wanted to get Mohit's attention. But her stubbornness made her want to keep fighting until she felt she had won.

"That's none of your business!" said Navya quickly.

"I've told you before, if you want to date, you have to tell me who that guy is," said Mohit, but he still spoke in a low voice, as if afraid of being heard by others.

It felt like a knife was slicing Navya's heart. Mohit doesn't even care if she's dating another guy. In Mohit's eyes, their relationship was never more than an agreement!

Navya gritted her teeth. "Yeah, I'm dating him!" She said in a curt tone, then hastily turned her face away so she wouldn't have to look into Mohit's eyes.

They were both silent for a moment.

"What's the boy's name?" Mohit asked

"Suraj" Navya replied.

"Suraj who?" Mohit again questioned.

"Suraj Rathod" Navya answered.

Silence again for sometime.

"Next time if he takes you home again, please ask him not to get out of the car, so no neighbors can see. You have to let me know if you want to come home later than six in the afternoon. And your curfew stays until nine." Mohit seemed to be reading the terms of the new agreement again.

Navya's eyes started to tear up, but she held back and hardened her heart.

"Sorry, navya... This is all for your own good. I promised your dad that I would take care of you," continued Mohit. "Okay, now you can rest--" Mohit said her.

Before Mohit finished speaking, Navya immediately ran away quickly, entered the living room, and continued to her room. She didn't even care if anyone saw her entering through her own door.

Navya threw herself face down on the bed. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She hates that stupid deal! And she hates Mohit! Because in Mohit's eyes, she was never more than a means to repay her father's debt of gratitude!