Chapter 58: Oh, You Will

“How childish.” Aanya passed her view about their antics.

“Immature.” Aakash didn’t miss the chance to add on, his face conveying clear contempt.

“This from the guy who doesn’t know what ‘fuck off’ means?” Harshil retorted.

“And from the same guy who asks his mom what porn is when he can search Google.” Cabir added on.

“Plus, the guy who also rats his friends out even in Class 8th. Momma’s boy. Tattle-tale.” Harshil carried on relentlessly.

“Firstly, I asked mom because I don’t trust you all. If you asked me to search and not tell me directly then that means there’s something fishy-” Aakash began.

“Isn’t that more reason to not ask aunty, Aakash?” Aanya butted in gently.

“Ah…”

“Slipped your mind?” Aanya giggled. “Well, I guess you were right.”

“In asking Mamma?” Aakash’s face brightened up thinking he had gained a staunch supporter.

“For saying that staying with these two has rubbed off on you and made you an idiot too.” Aanya clarified with a smirk. “I am not taking sides in this tell or not-to-tell business. Fight it out amongst yourselves.”

“As if this nerd could beat us in a fight.” Cabir snorted.

“…actually, he beat you the first time you two met.” Harshil pointed out.

“Whose fucking team are you on?!” Cabir snapped.

“As they say, an unreliable teammate is more dangerous than a strong enemy.” Aakash mused.

“Nerddddddd...” Both Cabir and Harshil drew out the word simultaneously, almost reflexively.

“You two are made for each other, aren’t you?” Aanya latched on.

“Like hell!” Harshil scrunched up his face while Cabir made a warding off gesture as if something unspeakable had been spoken.

“Don’t even say that. I barely tolerate him because I’m a good person.” Cabir patted his own chest.

“You look so pretentious right now…” Aakash said straightforwardly.

“Shut up, fake friend!” Cabir didn’t even bat an eye as he returned to his earlier pose.

“I agree.” Harshil nodded. “How sad for me! Such friends I have! A pretentious bastard and a traitor!”

“You fuckin-”

“Freeloader!” Aakash interrupted Cabir’s response.

“What freeloader? Cabir is the one who ate my lunch!” Harshil looked affronted.

“What about all times you made us pay for your food in the canteen?” Cabir jabbed a finger at him.

“Can’t you three do anything else except argue?” Aanya interrupted. “There’s not much left before the break ends. Seriously, both Janya and Farzeen just had to be absent today!”

“Well, you never take permission before falling ill. Why should they?” Harshil asked in a testy tone.

“I don’t ask permission before smacking Cabir too when he annoys me. You’ve been lucky so far. Wanna end that streak today?” Aanya raised a fist threateningly, a whimsical smile appearing on her face.

Seeing the look, Cabir swiftly stepped back, putting some distance and Harshil’s body between her and himself. Harshil too immediately retreated, grinning weakly, “No no, No need, haha.”

Completely unruffled, Aakash stood up and went towards his bag, shooting a look at Aanya over his back, “I have a deck of cards in my bag. Wanna play bluff?”

“Didn’t you learn your lesson after that sir confiscated your deck last time? Why are your bringing cards to school again?” Cabir cast him a sidelong glance.

“It’s not like it’s not allowed.”

“Consider it an unwritten rule. Uno cards are still fine.”

“I have that too.”

“You sure don’t learn your lesson.” Harshil noted.

“I guess another thing that rubbed off on me. You keep watching porn and I keep bringing cards.” Aakash didn’t even raise his head as he rummaged around his bag.

“Those are not even on the same level!”

“Yeah, yours is worse on the 'bad things' scale.”

“Okay, okay. Enough of that.” Aanya clapped her hands, stopping the verbal battle in its tracks. “Aakash, it’s their decision, ok? You warned them about the consequences and they are old enough to understand it. If they still let it pollute their minds there’s nothing you can do. Watching and letting it affect them are two different things; they are smart enough to know the difference.”

“And if they let it affect them?” Aakash raised his head as he brought out two decks of cards, one in each palm.

“Then that’s their decision, isn’t it? If they fuck up, the onus is on them. What are you going to do? Tell their parents about it? No, right?”

Catching hold of Aakash’s tight gaze, Aanya was speechless for a second. Then she sighed- a long, drawn-out sigh envisioning the coming storm- moments after the words slipped out unwittingly, “Oh, you will.”