Rishabh's POV
I stood infront of a small old house marked Dixit Villa on one of the crooked gate-pillars. The house looked quite dilapidated and the paint had worn off on many places.
The wretched condition of the structure made me doubt whether anyone could live in such a place. And the thought immediately punched a hole in my gut as I imagined Sanvi's state in that house.
I had come to know about the existence of this property for the very first time. Although I wasn't very cheerful about the condition of the apartment Sanvi had led me to that day, this house appeared hellish in comparison to that filthy apartment building.
I stood in front of that house for the first time and I had already begun producing a sense of dislike at the sight.
Perhaps the dislike wasn't so much directed towards the house but the people living in it?
The house stood mere one block away from Dhruv's lavish mansion and I was quite surprised that I had never taken interest in this fact whenever I drove past that street while visiting Dhruv.
Did I even think about her so much back then?
She was kind of an annoying flea to me until the past month. Our ego clashes had never resulted into something fruitful.
The girl named Sanvi Dixit in the other section solely possessed the audacity to trigger my nerves.
She was the only one who could ignite the fire of competition in me and I sure as hell didn't like the times when our names would be together in the result sheet hung after every exam on the school bulletin board.
My blood boiled at the letters inked next to me in bold and I hated the prospect of sharing my rank with her.
Anything related to her would always bring the worst out of me.
She had her admirable qualities for sure but I didn't care for them. I couldn't let my mind care for them. I had a rank to protect. I had never seen her as a person with a background of her own.
While in reality, she had quite a compelling one at that. I could never look at her the same way after having read her diary.
If someone would have told me that I would be standing in front of Dixit's house in the middle of the night, with nothing as particular in mind, but the prospect of seeing her and perhaps apologizing for my indecency, I would have laughed my ass off at that person's face and then flipped them off.
Running my sweaty fingers through my hair, I contemplated on the proposition of going through the crazy act I was about commit.
It felt weird to admit but I had never been that nervous in my life. The nervousness wasn't solely caused by the idea that I could be jailed for breaking into someone's house at midnight.
It was mostly for the fact that I needed to confront her after all that had happened.
But I wanted to sleep and in order to have a guilt free sleep, I needed to apologize to her immediately.
That girl had already been driving me crazy since the last month, I could perhaps take a few more minutes of her temper, right?
"Calling bell is definitely a bad idea." I muttered to myself while running my gaze around the area of the house, looking for a way to sneak in. My fingers nervously tapped my thighs over my ripped blue jeans.
I came this far and I didn't even have her phone number!
After everything, I was a bit reluctant at the idea of sneaking into her room when I didn't even know which one was her room. My genius brain was lagging and Sanvi had everything to do with that.
As if on cue, the lights on the upper storey window switched on and I saw a slender silhouette throw the window open.
My feet scurried to hide myself from the line of the person's sight behind the half-wall. I peeked from the top of the wall and saw Sanvi standing at the window with the curtains flying in the cold breeze.
It might sound weird but I was sure that I could see her crying from that distance as she held her head upto the sky.
What might've caused her to cry?
My chest tightened as I was transfixed by her scrunched up crying face. Her frame glistened in the moonlight as she leaned her head against the window sill while gazing at the sky as she sniffled countless times.
I could gauge a certain idea about the cause of her state after reading the diary.
But, why was I huddling there when the person I so ardently sought for was standing mere meters from me?
The moment I decided to show myself to her, she disappeared into the room, leaving the window open as the breeze made the curtains flutter.
I grimaced when I heard loud voices emanating from her room. Whatever overtook my senses right then made me restless to get to her.
I looked around wildly for a path to climb up to the room and my gaze fell on an old ladder propped up against the little shed in the overgrown lawn. I hauled it beneath her window but it appeared to be a bit short. At least she had kept the window open.
That was my only chance.
I sighed as I grasped the flimsy ladder tightly and started climbing up. It was a good thing that the wooden ladder was entirely rotten.
At least I wouldn't have to worry about jail time if I did fall.
I'd also not have to face Sanvi in that embarrassing stance.
Thankfully, I reached the top before I could fall and perhaps wake the entire neighborhood.
I placed one foot on the slab of the joint and attempted to peep through the window into the room. The lights were left on but there was no one in the room.
I was so sure I had heard people shouting in there a minute before.
Unfortunately, before I could have a clearer look, the plank that my other foot was resting on broke under my weight and I grasped the window pane for my life.
The slanted ladder fell down with a loud thud and I was left dangling from the first floor window.
Well, shit.
I had already started calculating the time until I was caught in that compromising position by the residers after that deafening sound.
I was literally hanging from the first floor holding the window pane and my stupid sweaty fingers were loosening by the second.
I closed my eyes fearing a devastating fall which surprisingly didn't come.
Seconds into it, I suddenly felt someone breathing down on my head and the moment I looked up, I came face-to-face with a shocked Sanvi Dixit. She had a bat above her head and she looked ready to strike it down on my head.
I pleaded her with my eyes not to do such a thing and closed my eyes, fearing the worst.
But the next moment I felt a soft pair of hands holding my right arm tight and pulling me up. I toiled to propel myself with the only foot on the concrete slab and was somehow pulled in.
That puny human had managed to muster up such strength that I almost slid like a fish into the room through the window.
Wow, Hulk-Sanvi was good.
Shocked would have been an understatement for my disposition when I was standing on my feet in her room. My stomach hurt a little from the friction but I looked at her wildly, having experienced the thrill of my life.
She stood there, looking flabbergasted as she held onto both of my arms, huffing everso profusely after hurling me inside like a potato sack.
I didn't realise but I was smiling like a madman until a shrill voice of alarm ruminated from the downstairs.
However, before I could even speak a word, I was toppled over something soft. Her petite body hovered over me on the bed and my mouth was sealed by her palm.
"Uhmhmmmm.." I tried to speak through my sealed mouth.
"I swear to my books, I'll end you if you make a sound! Whatever the hell you are here to do or say, keep it in until I return. Remember the time I saved your ass in front of your mother. "
I heard her whisper aggressively against my ear as she withdrew her palm from my mouth.
She stood up from the bed, threw her blanket over my head and scurried to close the window. I was rendered mute as I peeked out of the blanket with a surprised pikachu face.
She turned around to momentarily sneer at me before storming out of the room and locking me behind.
Okay, I guess the atmosphere is misty around here. I thought to myself.
"Sany, Sanvi? Where are you? We heard a loud sound from outside.." I heard a female voice call out from downstairs as I kept my ear near the key hole.
"STOP MAKING A RUCKUS OUT OF EVERYTHING WOMAN! It's probably those idiot neighborhood kids riling up in the middle of the night! YOU SONS OF BITCHES, I'll get you one day! I HAVE NAMED MY BULLETS AFTER EACH ONE OF YOU!"
I didn't need a second guess to construe that the aggressive male voice belonged to Sanvi's Father. I've already been acquainted with his vile temper through her disgusted words in the diary.
"DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO COME DOWNSTAIRS, YOU INGRATE? THERE'S NO NEED TO HEED YOUR MOTHER'S STUPID WORDS. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, BOTH OF YOU, IF YOU'RE SO INTERESTED IN THE OUTSIDE!"
Wow, what a charming fellow Mr Dixit must be.
"Yes, Maa. I heard that.. Must be a thief. Come, let me check.." I heard Sanvi's unnerving calm voice as she completely ignored the insane howlings of her father.
A father he was indeed to use such words. I felt a sudden bout of anger bubble inside me at his ramblings as I clenched my jaw and went back to sit on her tiny bed.
I was in no position to say anything there.
*************
To Be Continued.