KiyaRa OS ~Not Too Different~

"Chadi mujhe yaari teri aisi
Jaise daaru desi
Khatti meethi batein hain nashe si
Jaise daaru desi"

Kiya gritted her teeth and forced herself to calm down.She KNEW he was doing it just to annoy her.But she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was succeeding.Nope'she was just gonna be patient and ignore him.

"Chadi mujhe yaari teri aisi
Jaise daaru desi
Khatti meethi batein hain nashe si
Jaise daaru desi"

The volume had magically increased.That was it!!!!That was enough patience for Kiya Gujral.She turned around and glared at him.

"For God's sake Lover Boy!!!!Can you stop with the strumming and bellowing already!!!"

Ranveer stopped playing his guitar and cocked an eyebrow at her.Kiya Gujral...they had been together in the same class since 4^th standard, and yet they couldn't simply stand each other's presence.She was possibly the only girl other than his Moti and Bobby whom he hadn't hit upon.Surprising considering the fact that they had been considered perfect for each other by the students of Royal.Both of them born with a siver spoon,singers,one the "Royal" diva ,the other the "Royal" casanova and both having a seemingly inborn tendency to be... careless with their words and in their actions.However, rather than sparking off something between them, their similarities had put them on the war path against each other.They had spent the last 8 yrs, with an ocassional taunt or snub thrown each other's way, but generally steering clear of the other.Until the fated detention that is.

The worst part that day...they were the only ones present.Too big a coincidence.Maybe?But the fact was that out of the six assigned to the two week detention classes,Kiya and Ranveer were the only ones present. And that...was not fun.

"Aww...What's wrong Kiya?Lost out on your beauty sleep last night?"

"Shut up doofus.I'm just in the mood to hear your cawing today.",said Kiya.

Ranveer looked at her with an amused expression.

"FYI...girls in this school go crazy over this sexy voice and 'cawing' of mine."

"Yeah right.",scoffed Kiya."As if I don't know about your...'achievements'.Looser!!!!"

She almost hated him as much as that Stone face.She wished he was present.Kiya would rather fight with HIM than this idiot.

"Excuse me.",said Ranveer,standing up with an angry expression."How dare you call me a looser?"

"Don't give me those tough looks Lover Boy.",said Kiya."I'm not afraid of you."

"Is it so?",said Ranveer in a menancing tone."Why Little Miss Perfect?Because you know that you can hide behind your sister's bodyguards."

Kiya stood up in anger.

"Don't bring my sister into this conversation!!!!",she shouted.

"I will say whatever the hell I want and you..."

"ENOUGH"

Kiya and Ranveer  got a panicked expression on their faces and scrambled to their seats.It was like a daily routine for them in detention class.No matter what they might bitch about Jaitley behind his back, his presence and his powerful voice was enough to send them to their seats, like good,obedient children.

"Hopeless!!!!That is the word for you.",said JJ."You are in DETENTION and yet I can hear you fighting all the way to the assembly hall.Have you got absolutely no shame."

Kiya and Ranveer  kept their heads down and bit back their retorts.They were NOT people who were used to being humiliated.

"I have a very important meeting in 15 min which I cannot miss.As it is I was on the verge  of losing my job thanx to you guys..."

The Royals bit back their smiles.

"...but, don't think that the two of you get to take a day off from your detention.Just because I am not here.The two of you will each submit an essay to me, tommorow.And mind you...IF I don't get it...well I'm sure Banga sir will be more than happy to increase your punishment."

That wiped the smile off their faces.

"Tommorow!!!!",said Jaitley, as he made his way out of the room.

"But sir",said Kiya, making him stop in his tracks."What do we write our essay on."

JJ looked back at them and smirked."Each other"

And on that note, he walked out of the room, leaving behind two students with their jaws reaching the ground.

 *******

"No freaking way!!!",exclaimed Kiya."There is no way in hell that I am conversing with you."

"NAHIN!!!!",said Ranveer in a filmy tone,his voice dripping with sarcasm."How can you do this to me?I am just dying to get to know you...NOT!!!!But unfortunately for you Ms Diva,and me, if we don't  do this stupid task, well I have no idea what Uncle meant by increasing our punishment, and I have no wish to find out.So how about you get over yourself and come here, so that we can get this over with."

Kiya looked at him in complete abhorrence and stomped over to the seat beside him.

"So what is there to you other than chasing everything in a skirt?"

Ranveer glared at her.  

"Is there anything to you besides flipping your hair and putting down everyone who crosses your path?"

"Ugh...",said Kiya."This is getting us absolutely nowhere.We are even now, so let's get actually started on this."

Ranveer agreed grudgingly.

"So...",trailed off Kiya.

An awkwardness settled over them.Fighting,retorting,insulting each other...that was their comfort zone.Not this...

"How is it like having a popstar sister?",said Ranveer, blurting out the first thing which came to his mind."And no...I didn't ask you to piss you off.That's the only thing that I connect to you."

He was also genuinely curious.Not that he would admit it aloud in a million years.

Kiya felt a bitterness settle over her.Of course, that would be the only thing ANYONE would connect to her.Her perfect,teenage-popstar sister...

"It's...hard.",said Kiya.She suddenly felt a desperation in her, a need to get it out.And as she spoke, she forgot who she was talking to, finding the release that she had been looking for."There are always so many...expectations on you.Always a need for you to be better.To be as good .Because you know that if you aren't good enough, there might come a day when...you are forgotten,just a someone who could not match up.And that is hard.Because sometimes, you don't wanna  be that kind of a good.And there's no one to whom you can say that.Cos' there's already a mark to cross.And the fact that there is no one to talk to.There is no way to judge whether the person you are talking to is with you because of you, or because they see a chance to live their "15 min of fame" dream.So after some time, you just give up, because trying to figure it out every time you hold a conversation...is exhausting.It is just so much easier, to let people think you are heartless,so that people feel it isn't worth the trouble.It makes you bitter because...you feel as if you are being punished, for something which you aren't even responsible for."

She didn't cry.She hardly ever did, but moroever, she didn't feel sad or unhappy.She just felt...free.From the burden she carried around, from the bitterness in her.How long had she held it in?She could hardly  remember.And so , she simply stared into space revelling in her release,until the horror of what she had said, and to whom dawned upon her.

W*F!!!!!What had she done????One of her worst enemies knew every single thing which she had not intended anyone to know.EVER!!!!She mentally kicked herself.She was officially the biggest idiot in the world.She warily turned to look at the person, wishing that the ground would open and swallow her up.And got another shock.

The smirk or the pity that she had been expecting...it wasn't there on his face.Instead there was shock(not completely unexpected) and...familiarity.She looked away from him hastily and cast her eyes to the desk in front her.She was unable to get up and leave for some reason.

"I get it."

This was definitely an afternoon of one shocking revelation after another.Kiya whirled in her seat, her earlier hesitation and horror forgotten.

"What did you say?"

"I said I get it.The expectations,the uncertainty,the pressure to be better,to prove yourself worthwhile...all of it."Ranveer almost laughed at the look it brought to her face."Is that so hard to believe?Why do you think those girls flock around me?Because of my charm and good looks?Well, they do have a major part to play"That brought on an eye roll from Kiya and a smile to her face."But it's majorly the fact that its Ranveer Shergill...popular and RICH Ranveer Shergill that brings them to me.And that...well doesn't do much to a fellow's self esteem, especially when his parents are away every other day.Makes me feel that...maybe I'm not enough to hold them back.Maybe I need to do better.And believe me...that is not too great a feeling.So I try getting over it in school.Where I get attention and love, albeit for selfish reasons...but I try  to not remember that.I am living a fake life, just like you.You were right...it is exhausting.And not at all easy to share, because it makes you vulnerable, open to attacks.And that is the last thing I need...or want.Right?"

"Absolutely right",said Kiya softly.She gave him a smile...hesitant, but genuine and comforting.They were a lot more similar to each other than they ...or the rest of the Royals thought.

Never in his wildest dreams had Ranveer thought that he would one day sit in the detention class, where he abhorred going, and share all his secrets with his 8 yr old rival.Except of course, his worst secret.The fights,the arguments at home. No,that was something which he hadn't had the courage to even share with his Moti,a secret which he still preffered to keep buried within him.But other than that...

They revelled in the comforting silence , until they heard the bell ring,Kiya picked up her bag and made her way out.She stopped at the door and turned around.

"Hey Lover Boy.",she said, making him look up."Thanx for your honesty."

Ranveer smiled."You too Ms Diva.You too."

 *****

When the next day,Ranveer and Kiya  gave small,actual smiles to each other on entering the detention room, it elicited a lot of reactions from the Royals, but the one which was common to them all was...

Shock.

The world was turning upside down.

Kiya and Ranveer made their way to Jaitley and held out their essays with defiant expressions on their faces.Jaitley looked at them and smiled.

"I think I won't take it after all.I have a feeling that whatever is in those sheets...is for your eyes only."