The shoe of hatred

The sun was over the head and the sweat of boredom flew from her pinkish blushed cheek to the neck then making a way to the middle of her Breasts. She hated sweat, as sweating could wipe out her expensive makeup and gave her body a bad odour. Putting her right hand into her pocketbook, Roshni took out her phone and touched her slender fingers on its screen to dial a number.

The number you are tryin' to call is currently unreachable. - the server said.

"Ugh! Why didn't Aster arrive yet?" She puffed out while patting dry her face with a wet wipe enriched with tea tree oil, then took a walk towards the stop sigh standing outside the cinema hall -The big Picture, looked out for Aster in the crowd of hundred people, entering and exiting, and then again strode her way back to the shad behind the stairs.

After ten minutes of waiting and peeping, she got the glimpse of Aster who was also looking for her.

"Hey, Aster. I am here."

She caught the sight of Aster. They both stepped towards each other, greeted and shook their hands.

"Thanks for waiting for me." Aster said.

"Oh! No worries. I was about to accept the fact that we are gonna watch movie after the interval." Roshni said in a sarcastic way.

"Oh! Actually, I was..."

"Oh come on, don't try to defend yourself. It's all right. I am not going to eat you." Roshni smiled, "Let's get in now."

After watching the movie, they decided to eat food in an nearby restaurant-Food and Bite.

Siting on a table, they ordered vegetable cuisine and rice. Aster picked up the phone from her bag and dialed someone.

"Whom are you calling?" Roshni asked her.

"Actually, when I was in the theatre Dad had called me. So I have to call back." She replied.

"Oh! You must miss your family here."

"Yeah! That's true. You know, I was crying so hard, when I shifted to Amber city for studying. You guys are really lucky, you don't have to be separated from your families to fulfil your dreams."

A voice came from the speaker of her phone. "Oh! Dad picked the call. I 'll be back in a minute."

Roshni was silent. She rolled her eyes downwards and In her mind, there were words like, " mom... why... why'r you leaving Dad. Who's he Mom. You can't replace Dad. Sister... Sister... I am scared. Please sleep with me."

Her hands started to shake and her thoughts erased the fact in her mind

Aster bashed the spoon on her head.

" Not Again. "

Roshni jerked out of her thoughts. "Why didn't food arrive yet? I am starving." She tried to dodge the issue so that Aster would not ask anything.

The waiter arrived with mouth-watering Indian vegetables cuisine.

.......

While wiping her mouth, after finishing food, Roshni suggested that they should visit Wheel Pond. Aster gave in as she also wanted to go out with her new friend.

Wheel pond was an artificial lake. From above (from the helicopter or dooper), it gave the resemblance of a wheel. From entrance, it splits in two different directions and after covering a distance of almost 21 km, they meet their confluence, making a circle. There were almost 10 bridges interconnecting the bisects. Its entrance was called Head wheel and near it there were many food stalls, artificial boats, beautiful horses for horse riding and wheel shaped Gate. It covers about 20km in length and 25 km in width. It is a very eye-catching lake.

Both Aster and Roshni were roaming around the lake, chitting and chatting.

All of a sudden, some semisoft thing tumbled on Aster's head.

"Ouch!" She screamed.

"What was that?" Roshni was looking here and there.

"A shoe?" She picked it up from ground,

"Who would throw shoe at you?"

Nina. Her mind came up with a name.

A voice came from behind.

"Please excuse me for what happened, its mine," Dev pleaded, "Can I get my shoe back."

Aster's face was covered with scarf so her blotches were not visible to Dev so he didn't get any problem.

Few minutes ago....

Dev and Krish had been clicking selfies, while sitting on the beautiful bridge which intersects the lakes.

" One's Charm King Mode On and other's popstar." Daisy mocked her friends, "Should I watcha guys whole day?"

"You could take some too." Dev said.

"Ahh! I don't have much followers who would like my post and I am really not into it ."

"You should be, otherwise who will blew whistles when you perform at the spring festival." Dev answered.

She signed. "I don't feel like I will perform." She hummed to herself.

"Krishie, come here. Take a closeup for me."Dev asked Krish.

" Nah! I am busy right now."Krish replied.

"Oh!come on, Daisy is terrible in taking pics."

"Fine, I am coming."

Krish walked towards Dev.

"Dev, Do you remember, the day you took my girlfriend away."

"No I didn't took her away. She came to me,"Dev was combing his hair with his fingers, "she was quite hot chick. So I kept her." He was sneering.

"Do you also remember that you and I were fighting on this same bridge."

"Yeah! Time travel fast. We were only 16 at that time."

Krish grinned and had been rotating his Hazel eyeballs. "Oh yeah! then you will also remember that I had punched your nose."

Krish came closer to Dev and stood behind him.

"What! Getting emotional remembering old days." Dev patted on his back.

Krish gave an evil smile.

He kneeled down and pulled Dev's shoe out of his foot.

"Hey!" Dev shouted.

Krish had been running and Dev was chasing him. Daisy was just standing there, enjoying the whole show.

"Give me back my shoe." Dev said while limping.

"You remember, after I punched on your nose, you had also taken my shoes and threw it in this, saaaamme ponnnnndddddd." He stretched the word "same pond".

"But we had cleared out our misunderstandings that we were not cheating on you. It was basically a prank on you. And it was Daisy's idea," Dev was limping towards Krish, "So give mine back and take hers."

"Hey, don't drag me into this. It was you, who had taken his both, bothhhhhh," Daisy stretched the last 'both', "shoes and threw them into water."

"Oh shit! What a loss. I should had another one too."

"You vixen!, don't you dare to put petrol into fire." Dev bursted at Daisy, "and help me to get my shoe back."

"Nah! I am good, here." She said with laughter.

Krish was gasping so he stopped at a place. "So... now... It's time for.... tossing the shoe." He said while panting.

"No, Krish." Dev tried to stop him but he had already launched that shoe in the air.

That shoe had bashed Aster's head, so she screamed in pain.

"Oh No! That shoe must've hit someone," Krish got shrunk at his place, "did I murder someone, am I going to end up behind the bars."

With his Hazel eyeballs, he stared at Dev, "Amber city sweetheart, please save your friend. My all girlfriends are yours."

"Oh! I don't need them. I already had enough chicks." Dev beamed with a mischievous smile.

"Dev, save our reputation... please! Otherwise people will call us friends of criminal." Daisy teased Krish.

"Daisy! Is this the way to help someone." Krish said.

"No need to save reputation." Daisy 's back shot led to surrender of the most savage person of their group.

"My apologies. Please save me this time."

"Well, let's get my shoe back." Dev agreed.

They all headed in the direction in which Krish had tossed the shoe and reached where Aster and Roshni were.

.............

"I am really sorry for what happened," Dev pleaded, "Can I get my shoe back."

Daisy and Krish were hiding behind the trees.

"Roshni! That wenche!" Daisy vent out her annoyance of dance rehearsal by taking her name in a hateful bitter voice.

"Did you know her." Krish asked.

"Yeah! She is in my dance class."

"She is quite hot. Could you please get her number for me." Krish requested.

"Shut up Krish. I am already annoyed at you. Don't try to rage my anger."

"But why! You must be friends, right?"

"We are not friends." Daisy groaned in anger.

"Fine, I will directly ask her. But did you know another girl too."

"Not at all. Do you?"

"If I know, would I ask you? Girls really have brains in their knees." Krish taunted her.

Daisy gave him a stare of hawk.

"Took back my words." Krish answered.

.......

Dev Raichand! Aster clenched the hook of her bag and she was glaring at him.

Dev noticed the girl standing there, who was biting her lips and giving him a death stare.

Gosh! Why is she here! And why is she staring me.

Aster's face was half-hidden with scarf but Dev identified her by looking at her eyes which were first angelic to him but after getting glimpse of her whole face, those eyes converted into devilish eyes.

Thank Goodness, her blotches are hidden, otherwise.... Dev was thinking in his mind.

"Oh my goodness! Is this yours," Roshni's mouth was wide open, "Dev, I am your big fan."

Dev transfered his vision to Roshni. "Yep. But could I get it back." Dev responded with a cheery smile.

"Yeah. Sure but can I get a selfie with you."

"Of course, but before that can I get my shoe back, as I don't want to limp in selfie." Dev said.

As soon as Roshni uplifted her hand towards Dev to hand him his shoe, Aster hurried towards her and snatched it.

Oops! How could I forget that Aster is also here! By seeing Dev here, her wounds must've got freshened up. Roshni 's hands were shaking and she felt a sudden acceleration in her heart rate.

"Hey Caster! Give my shoe back. I am really not into fights with girls." Dev yelled.

"except Daisy." He whispered.

Aster didn't reply back instead she took steps towards the lake and splashed the shoe in it.

"You.. What did you do? You... You threw away my shoe... in the water," Dev was astonished by this act of Aster, "How could I get it back, now?"

"Aster..." Roshni' mouth was open.

"Jump in the lake and get your shoe back," Aster mocked him, "Dev, oops Mr. Charm King."

"You are not supposed to do that." Daisy popped up from behind the trees and confronted Aster and Roshni, "Roshni, your friend did a terrible job. What are your excuses?"

"Yeah! the shoe is his, but it was me, who threw the shoe, so it's not his fault." Krish said.

"Daisy, you didn't tell me that you are friend of Dev." Roshni tried to divert the issue.

"Oh! Please. We are not that close." Daisy crossed her arms and was frowning at her.

Roshni was sweating. She could not understand what she should say in this situation. "Um, If you ask me, it's just she is still under the trauma of that day. So please forgive her."

"Which day?" Daisy asked.

"I am Aster, Aster Malhotra who got tramped like garbage in front of whole college." Aster replied in a bitter tone.

"Aster.... I had heard your name before," Daisy frowned her eyebrows, "but where?"

"Obviously, Mr. Kiyaan had announced her name too, for award." Krish said.

"Nah, I am not talking about that day. I had heard it from someone else, but I can't remember whom."

"Is this the issue now?" Dev shouted.

Calm down Dev. Dad had told you control your anger and to be soft with girls.

Dev gave a fake smile.

" Miss. Aster, You threw away my shoe, now get me new ones, right now, otherwise How am I gonna walk now."

Aster rotated her head to other side and remained silent.

Calm down Dev, calm down.

"Miss Aster, It was decided that I would apologise to you in Miss Samantha's office but you didn't show up. Was that my fault."

Aster again didn't answer back.

Dev couldn't hold his pot of patience. His face turned red and he made a fist out of his hands. He stepped towards Aster and was hawking at her.

"Get me a new pair of shoes. I will give you money and also the fare of the cab." Dev said in a strong voice.

"In your dreams, man," Aster twirled to Roshni and asked, "Do you wanna stay here whole day."

"I don't wish to see you in my dreams either," Dev yelled, "but you can't go like this. You have to get me a new pair of shoes."

" Roshni, 'm leaving. If you wanna stay here with your charm King, you can. I don' have any prob."Aster turned to leave.

Dev held her arm and pulled her towards him. Aster's melanite gaze locked with neptune iris. Neither Aster felt relaxed nor Dev felt her angelic. Their eyes were hollow like their heart.

"Leave me" Aster shouted and she was struggling to free her hand.

"See I don't like playing with ugly girls. So don't test my level of patience."

"Dev, mind your words," Daisy walked towards him, "Leave her."

"Ugly.. Ugly duckling.. Beauty vs beast.. Now I am prettier than you.. Go watch mirror.. You are horrifying. We will not play with you.." These words stroked Aster's mind and her oldest wounds regained their pain. I am unable to breathe. I am choking, I am feeling burning sensation on my face like I felt on that day. What is happening to me. I wanna free myself. I wanna be free.

'Leave me,"Aster yelled and pushed Dev so hard that he fell on the ground.

Roshni was still standing there in dilemma. Ahh! I shouldn't have came here with Aster. Who should I support now? Dev or Aster.

"Umm-hmm, You deserve this. "Daisy said, as she lend her hand to Dev to help him to stand up.

"Are you sure Daisy we are friends." Dev said as he stood up, "Huh! Krish? Are we?"

"Kind of, may be." Krish

"Man, my clothes." Dev was waving

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