Chapter Four

Sarita woke up later that morning and realized that despite her scream, her parents didn't wake up to find out what was going on and then she remembered that they were heavy sleepers. Even if the earth was shaking, they'd never wake up.

She got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She rotated her arms and felt the pain which made her frown. 

"Very funny." She muttered under her breath. She'd probably overworked her arms during gym class yesterday and the pain wasn't due to the yanking her arms had been subjected to in her dream.

After her shower, she put on her uniform sans jacket since it seemed as if it was going to be a hot day and sat at her reading table to read for the history pop quiz she knew they'd have that day because the history teacher Mr Bradley was predictable like that.

She tried hard to read but she couldn't concentrate as her mind decided to take a trip down memory lane which was early this morning about the dream. She found it absurd that Vikrant Suryavanshi would like someone like her. 

She wasn't beautiful like Kalyani or Divya, she was on the pretty side of the scale with her auburn hair, pale skin, round face paired with lips that Kaly claimed she was jealous of, hazel eyes and she was not that tall.

"If Raj didn't notice you one bit for the past three years, why would Vikrant?" Her subconscious sneered at her, making her shake her head to clear the thought from her mind.

By 6am, Sarita went to the kitchen to help her mother out, helped Abhimaan look for his socks and they had breakfast before Kalyani arrived, then they both left for school. 

School was no different that day, it was like all the other days and as usual Kalyani sat with Michael and his teammates at the jock table but Vikrant was absent.

"Library?" Kaly guessed as Sarita made her excuses.

"No. I'll be in the music room." She said,

"Okay." Kaly nodded then looked around as if just noticing something. "Mike, where's Vik?"

"Dunno. He left the court immediately after practice." Michael replied. "Seemed kinda... off today. Are you worried?"

"About him? Nah." She shook her head.

Michael chuckled and shook his head. He'd never understand the relationship between his girlfriend and her cousin. They weren't enemies but they weren't friends either.

Sarita found her way to the music room since she didn't feel like going to the library and it was lunchtime so there won't be anyone there now. She wanted to see if she could learn to play some tunes on the piano but on getting to the music room, she heard someone already there playing a tune on the violin. 

This made her curious so she gently opened the door, stepped in and shut the door and was shocked to see Vikrant Suryavanshi with his back to her, playing a very sad song.

She felt like crying when she heard the song and a tear immediately dropped on her hand which surprised her because she'd not actually planned to cry. She sniffled, blinking back the tears when he turned sharply and glared at her for the intrusion.

"Who are you?" He bit out.

"Um.... I'm so sorry." She unconsciously took a step back as he set the violin down. "I... didn't know someone was in here." It was a blatant lie but it was better than telling him the truth. "I'll go." She hurried to the door.

"Wait." He called and waited until she turned back to look at him. "Do you want to use the violin?"

"Er... No." She shook her head. "I play the piano."

"Very well?" He questioned.

"Yeah... I think so." She shrugged. "I've been playing since I was six so I think I'm very good at it. Although, now that I have seen and heard how amazing that tune sounds on the violin, I think I want to learn."

"You think a lot, don't you?" His lips curled up in a half smile.

Sarita's gaze was riveted to his lips and she wondered what would happen if he actually smiled fully.

"Earth to, redhead." He snapped his fingers.

Sarita jumped. "Oh! I'm sorry. You were saying something?" She blinked.

"My lips feel weird all of a sudden." He remarked and lifted a finger to stroke his bottom lip. "Were you thinking about kissing me?"

Sarita froze. "What?" Her face went white.

"You spaced out." He said.

"I wasn't thinking about your..." She coughed and cleared her throat. "I'll leave you to your... music." She turned to go.

"I'll teach you." His voice made her freeze in her tracks.

Sarita whirled around with a shocked look on her face. "Really?!"

His brows furrowed. "Yes. Why are you so shocked?"

"Ah... Well... Because, you're Vikrant Suryavanshi?" 

"You say that like it's a bad thing." He muttered with a frown.

Sarita shrugged. "I'm just surprised you're willing to teach me, even though you don't know me." She told him.

"And this is where you tell me your name since you know mine." He suggested.

"It's Sarita. Sarita Madhav."

"You're Indian?" He looked surprised.

"Yes. Why are you shocked?" She threw his words back at him.

"You look like you're from here." He shrugged.

"Thanks?" She didn't know whether that was a compliment.

"You're welcome."

So it was a compliment. "So, um... If you teach me how to play the violin, what's in it for you?" She demanded. He couldn't just offer a fantastic opportunity like that and not want anything in return.

Vikrant stared at her for a few seconds before he sighed and put his hands in his pockets. She would do. "I have this... event I have to attend for my dad. It's next Saturday and I don't want to go alone." He said.

"In other words... you want me to go as your date?" She inquired.

"Yeah. Just this once though." He replied.

"Um... Okay." She said, She didn't know if her parents would let her go but she was willing to convince them. It was the first time in her eighteen years of life on earth that she'd be asked out by a boy. 

Well, he didn't exactly ask her out because this was a quid pro quo sort of deal but it was something.

"Okay? That fast?" He'd expected that she'd tell him that she would like to think about it but then she was a girl and she didn't look like someone who had boys breaking down her door to ask her out.

She was very beautiful in her own way with hazel eyes, and lips he was having trouble keeping his eyes away from whenever she opened her mouth to talk.

"Did you want me to think about it first?" She frowned.

Even her frown was cute. Don't get ahead of yourself, Suryavanshi!

"No, that's okay." He said quickly. "We'll be photographed together and stuff, you know?"

"Yes I know." She nodded. "My dad goes to these sort of events too."

"Your father is a businessman?"

Sarita was embarrassed to tell him her father worked for his father but she did anyway. He probably wasn't a spoiled rich kid who looked down his nose at other kids who were below his status like Divya whose parents weren't even half as rich as Kaly's.

"Um... He's the head of marketing and advertising at VS group." She muttered.

"Head of marketing... Oh!" He said. "Your father is Jevan Madhav?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"I like him." He said. "He's an honest man."

Sarita was glad Vikrant had something nice to say about her father and she was also glad he didn't think he was better than her because he was a rich man's kid.

Vikrant stared at her with a frown. "How come I've never seen you in school before?" He asked. "I know almost everyone in school. Well... Seniors."

"GGH is a big school so you can't know everyone." She said,

"You must know Kalyani Singh, then? She is annoying and loud. You can't miss her." He grumbled.

"Kaly's my best friend." Sarita chuckled. "And she's anything but loud. She's the sweetest girl in the world."

"What? Really?" His eyes widened as he looked her over. "Tell me you're kidding? Since when?"

"Ten years and counting."

"Blow me! Seriously?" He covered his mouth. 

Sarita didn't understand why he looked so shocked but she found it amusing that he was.

"Wait, is your name Anushka by any chance?" His brows furrowed.

Sarita blushed. "Yes. How did you know?" No one else apart from her family members and Kalyani knew her middle name.

"I might have gone through Yaya's diary once." He explained with a smirk.