Chapter 5

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The dean helped Vardaan band aid his wound. Vardaan just could not help thinking about her. He was just lost in her thoughts. The dean asked Vardaann, is he OK now? Vardaan did'nt reply. Dean repeated again. Vardaan came out of his thoughts and responded that he is OK. He left to his cabin, her thoughts still on his mind. He sat on his chair and kept his legs on the desk...His signature style. He took out a cigarette to smoke. Those eyes, those tears. Her fragrance was still lingering in his nostrils. Some vanilla fragranced, perfume that she wore. The way she held his arms..she was indeed scared.He felt something poking on his neck, near his shirt's collar. He kept a finger near the source of the slight pain to feel what it is. Something came in his hand. He curiously held it. He was surprised to see, it was an earring. A small sized jhumka to be precise. He thought for a while, and then he came to the conclusion, that it might be Sanyukta's earring. She fell on him and may be this thing fell on him. He looked at it for some time and kept it in his drawer.

Sanyukta came running to her room and was crying slightly. Kaustuki very well understood as to why she was crying.

Kaustuki: "Sanyukta, please chup ho jao...I know it was just an accident...in fact everybody knows it was an accident..Woh toh kuch log bas baat ka bathanggad bana rahe hai.

Sanyukta: "Is mein meri kya galti hai, kaustuki?"

Kaustuki: "Koi galti nai hai..infact kisi ki bhi galti nahi hai. Vardaan sir ki bhi nahi. Unhone toh tumhari jaan bachaai hai."

Sanyukta disclosed everything to Kaustuki about how she had an encounter Vardaan ealier before joining FIM. She also expressed her fear that may be because of all these reasons, Professor Vardaan would not be fair with her.

Kaustuki: "Dekh Sanyukta, I think Prof Vardaan is a no nonsense man and very professional also. I don't think he will stoop to such level. You just study well for his subject and he'll be bound to give you good marks. Regarding today's incident, people will forget it soon.

Even Sanyukta thought, that she's thinking too much into it. She hugged Kaustuki and thanked her for her advice. They both were back into the campus for their second lecture, as they had missed the first one due to the incident. Either by bad or good luck, it was Prof Vardaan's lecture. Once she was in the college, she noticed that people were gazing at her and murmuring something. She entered her class and the entire class was staring at her. Vardaan came into the class. He asked the students, as to who is the CR of the class. Vidhushi got up.

Vardaan: "What is your name?"

The student: "Sir, I am Vidhushi Sachdev"

Vardaan: "Where did we stop last class?"

Vidhushi: "Sir, you were asking us our introductions. Then you stopped Jignesh midway..."

Vardaan: (Interrupting Vidhushi)"Thank you Vidhushi. You may sit down."

Vardaan: "So let's continue further. Starting from the last bench."

One by one, students started giving their introductions. Sanyukta was the last student remaining.

Sanyukta: (Stammering) Ssir, I am Sanyukta Agarwal, frrom A..Arts background, with an interest in Performing Arts. I have won..won awards for Carnatic singing. I am also good in martial arts. And I am a professional Kathak dancer. In fact Kathak is my passion.

Vardaan could clearly see that she was wearing only one earring on her left ear. Her right ear was bare.

Vardaan: "Hmm...interesting, very interesting. Do you think this is some kind of an Arts college. Let me tell you, there'e no place for any kind of art in this college. This course has only got to do with numbers, which requires brains. In fact we don't even allow students to have an annual function. What the hell are you doing here. There's no place for people like you. Naach-gaana karna toh kisi aur college mein jaayae. "

Sanyukta's face fell terribly. Tears were up to the brim of her eyes. Nobody had insulted her to this extent, ever in her life. Had he not been her professor and had they not been in the class, Sanyukta would have given him left and right. Some of her classmates were now smirking at her.

Vardaan: "You may sit down...and let me see how you cope up with finance subjects"

Saying this he turned towards the blackboard, to write today's topics to be covered for the lecture. As soon as he turned, the angel and the demon in him propped up.

Angel: "What have you done? You idiot. Look at her. She's about to cry. She's so damn innocent and naive."

Demon: "Innocent...my foot! Have you forgotten, she's caused you so much trouble. Don't go by her face. You have seen her nature as well. She is nothing but a loud boisterous brat. It is because of her that for the first time in your life, you were in a lock up. It is because of her that you got hurt."

Angel: "No, it is not because of her, that he got hurt. She never told him to save her life. In fact, it was I who told him to save her."

Demon: "Oh really, then you should be awarded The Padmabhushan for this."

Vardaan got irritated and screamed..."Stop irritating me!!"

The class was confused and looked at each other. None of them were talking. He started with the first lecture. Sanyukta was frantically writing down all the points that she thought were important. Vardaan walked in the space between the rows and could see that she was even recording the lecture. He thought, "Looks like Ms. Agarwal has seriously accepted the challenge." For the first time, he was smiling while teaching. Even the students were confused, as to what the hell happened.

Later in the evening, after the lectures were over, Sanyukta came to her room. Kaustuki and Sanyukta studied for some time. It was 8:30 PM. Sanyukta thought she could do some riyaas. But her room was too small for it. Kaustuki gave her a riskly idea of performing in the college auditorium. She told her that it's night, nobody would be watching. In fact the watchman sleeps day and night. Sanyukta thought of trying this out.

The auditorium was on the ground floor. She stealthily went to the auditorium. She was amazed looking at the sheer size. She exclaimed, "Itna bada auditorium. Aur yaha pe sirf academic awards diye jaate hai! Koi yaha pe koi perform nahi karta!"

She put on her ghungroo and and her mobile phone played the music, at the minimum sound level possible. Vardaan had come back to the college to collect his mobile phone, that he had forgotten in his cabin. While passing through the corridor, he could hear sounds of ghungroo. He saw left and right and identified the source of the sound. It was from the auditorium. He went towards it and slowly opened the doors and switched on the lights. There was nobody. He then switched off the lights. Sanyukta had hid backstage in the correct time. She quickly removed her ghungroo and kept it in her bag and was ready to leave, Without making noise, she jumped out of the window, only to fall in Vardaan's arms.

For seconds, Vardaan was again lost in those eyes. "Sh*t, Shit", exclaimed Sanyukta. "I am dead now. She tried to stand back on her feet properly, but Vardaan was holding her arm tighly."

She said, "Excuse me Sir!". Vardaan came to his senses.

Vardaan: "What the hell are you doing here, now??"

Sanyukta: "I am actually looking for my earring." (Looking here and there on the ground) "I've actually lost it"

Vardaan was now tongue tied. "What do you mean? I don't have your earring."

Sanyukta: "Sir, I never said that you had my earring."

Vardaan was at loss of words. He raised his voice his voice a lil bit and ordered Sanyukta to go to her dorm.

While she was leaving, the ghungroo in her bag, made enough sound, as the bag swayed, Vardaan noticed this and he thought, "Something is fishy!"

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I am done..phew...ouch...my fingers are paining! T his part was a bit longer. Comments are always welcome🤗