Chapter 25

She returned the books back to the library and was going back to her classroom. Somebody pulled her by her waist to the corner from the back covering her mouth. She knew this style. He had dragged her in the same manner, when she had mistakenly entered into the men's washroom. He kissed her upper cheek. She smiled. But, she thought of playing a lil mind game with him. She hadn't seen him yet.

Sanyukta: (Payfully) "Aah..huhh...tum yaha? Kisi ne dekh liya toh? Agar Vardaan Sir ne dekh liya toh? Dekho tum abhi jaao yaha se? Main baad mein ko aaungi na tumhare dorm mein, jab tumhara woh room mate nahi hoga tab!"

Vardaan was taken aback by this statement. He twirled her around, making her face him, not leaving her waist. Sanyukta giggled and Vardaan knew she was joking.

Sanyukta: (Playfully) "Huhh...you! I thought it was..hehehe...Randhir!"

She pronounced his name lil slowly, stressing on each letter. She knew this name was enough to make him jealous. He gripped her waist and she winced. He came near her ears and huskily whispered,

Vardaan: "I know, you are trying to make me jealous. I cannot believe you can be so childish. But believe me, I am a better kisser than your loser best friend."

Sanyukta: (Widening her eyes) "How do you know that? Did you kiss him? Are you gay mister?"

Sanyukta was laughing loudly hitting his shoulders playfully. He came ahead to kiss her, when she moved back and kept a hand on his lips.

Sanyukta: "Huh...Umm...not here. Koi dekh lega."

Just then, they heard somebody's footsteps. Sanyukta become wary and was trying to free herself from his grip. But, he was not ready to leave her.

Sanyukta: "Leave me. Koi aa raha hai. Dekh lega!"

Vardaan: "Toh? Dekhne do. And waise bhi, you were being very bold just a few minutes back near the conference room. Now, I really want to see. Come on, show me."

Saying this, his hands playfully proceeded towards her shirt button to open it. She immediately pushed him and went back. She came out from the corner and saw that Prof PKC was coming towards her direction. Vardaan pretended as if he did not see Sanyukta at all. PKC came and stood exactly in front of her.

Prof PKC: "Sanyukta, I have to talk to you about something."

Her heart was beating fast, thinking if PKC has witnessed her's and Vardaan Sir's recent activity.

Prof PKC: "I have observed your class. No doubt, your class is intelligent, but it lacks the zeal and enthusiasm. You see, everytime in my lecture, more than half of the class just sleeps. I don't understand how you all manage to score well in the exams and..."

Sanyukta: (Thinking) "We don't lack the zeal and enthusiasm, in fact you lack some serious teaching skills."

Sanyukta was getting bored to death by his dreary non stop lecture. Vardaan was listening to this and having a good time. Vardaan came near both of them.

Vardaan: "Hello, Prof PKC. How are you doing? Any problem?"

Prof PKC: "Aahh...Hello Vardaan. I am fine. The problem is that students of Sanyukta's class always sleep in my lecture. I know I teach the best in this college...and"

Sanyukta opened her mouth hearing this. Vardaan looked at her expression and was trying hard to control his laughter.

Sanyukta: (Thinking) "Best, my foot! You are the worst professor in this college. You are a total book worm. Whatever is written in the book, you just ratofy and narrate to us. Forget about that, agar shakal acchi hoti, toh chalo hum sunn bhi lete. Aur baate bhi itni cheap karte hai, who kya tha...baba ramdev ka churan! Yuck!! Look at Vardaan Sir, itni handsome shakal hai ke, aadhi class toh sirf inki shakal dekhne ke liye jaagi rehti hai! And what an amazing knowledge he's got!"

Sanyukta was busy drooling over Vardaan, when PKC called her three to four times.

Sanyukta: "Huhh...umm...yes Sir, I understand your concern. I will tell to the class regarding this."

She was about to leave from there. But, PKC's tape recorder was playing the same music again and again. She was getting bored. She cut him in between his talks,

Sanyukta: "Sir, I got your point. I will convey your message to the class. Right now, I am getting late for the lecture."

She left from the spot. While going she saw that Prof PKC is telling the same stuff to Vardaan and by looking at Vardaan's expressions, she could make out that even he was getting bored.

She sent a message to him on his cell phone. Vardaan opened the message and a smile formed on his lips. The message was, "interesting...very interesting!"

In the next few days, Sanyukta was busy focussing on her studies. She didn't want to neglect her studies because of her new found love. In between, she used to look into the matters of her father's company as well. She knew her priorities very well. And this is the quality that Vardaan admired the most about her. She used to be in the library for hours. One such day, she was too stressed out studying. She rested her head on the table and closed her eyes. Sleep came to her naturally. Vardaan packed locked his cabin and was leaving. He saw Sanyukta sleeping peacefully in the library, while passing by it. He went inside and sat next to her.

Vardaan: (Thinking) "Oh god, she looks like an angel while she sleeps."

He sat there resting his elbow on the table and keeping his hands on the chin, without waking her up. He was admiring the mesmerising beauty in front of him. He sat there for about fifteen minutes when a flick of her hair fell on her face. It irritated her nose. He move his hand to put it back when she sneezed and woke up. She stretched her hands and opened her hands. She saw Vardaan sitting next to her. She smiled looking at him.

Sanyukta: (smiling)"Hi. Long time. When did you come?"

Vardaan: "Just when you were sleeping."

Kaustuki called her up to inform her, that the dinner is being served in the mess. Vardaan thought of an idea.

Vardaan: "Are you hungry?"

Sanyukta: "Yes."

Vardaan: "Come let's go to a restaurant."

Sanyukta: "I have a better idea. Let's go to some dhaaba. I feel like eating something really oily."

They smiled and left the college, of course not together. Vardaan met her on a highway which was away from college. He helped her put on a helmet on her head. She looked like a combat soldier. He smiled and pulled her cheeks. She sat on the back seat of the bike. She was conscious of holding his shoulder. But then she thought, "Come on, Sanyukta. Agar tu inke ghar jaa kar, inhe kiss kar sakti hai, toh shoulder pakad ne kya problem hai?" She held his shoulder and they headed off. She noticed that he was driving really slow. All the other bikes overtook them.

Sanyukta: "Why are you driving so slow? Hum dhaabe mein kal subeh pohoch jaaenge."

Vardaan: (Laughing) "You had only screamed at me, that you'll kill me if I ever crossed my speed limit over 40. Remember?"

She recollected the first time she had met Vardaan in Delhi. He had hit her scooty real bad and outside the police station, she had warned him to never cross the speed limit over 40. She started laughing remembering it.

Vardaan: (Smiling) "I swear, tumhara gussa bohot zyaada khatarnak hai! Uss warning ka asar ab tak hai, dekha! And that slap..it ached! But seriously, your love and your hatred, both are on the extremities."

Sanyukta stopped smiling and hugged Vardaan from the back. She felt guilty.

Sanyukta: "I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that. But, thik hai. What you said, was also so wrong. You seriously, thought that I was a lose character girl."

Vardaan: "Honestly, I don't know, what crept into me, that night. Jealousy or fear of losing you? I could not digest the fact that you could love somebody else. In the mask of jealousy, I didn't even realize that a girl and a boy can be good friends."

Sanyukta: "Well done Mister. I seriously don't like guys, who are obsessive about their girlfriends."

She tapped his shoulders appreciating him. They reached the dhaaba and sat on a makeshift bed. He told the person sitting at the reception to charge his mobile phone as the battery was almost dead. He ordered rumali roti, methi ki sabzi and steam rice, really healthy and non-oily. But, she insisted on eating aloo paraatha draped with butter and her all time favourite paav bhaaji. Her stomach was growling with hunger. She wasn't even listening to what Vardaan was saying. Their order arrived and she folded her sleeves and jumped into it, to eat it. He smiled at her antics. After a few minutes,

Sanyukta: (munching a morsel) "You seriously, don't want to have this. This is really yummy. Aapne kabhi taste nahi kiya?"

Vardaan: "You know, paav bhaaji was my favourite, once upon a time."

Sanyukta: (widening her eyes in amazement) "Really? Yakeen hi nahi hota. Toh itni yeh, itni healthy cheezein khaane ki aadat kisne daali?"

Vardaan: (instantly replied) "Niharika ne."

Vardaan was about to put a morsel in his mouth. He stopped midway, realizing what blunder he had just done, by taking her name. Sanyukta was confused and curious at the same time.

Sanyukta: (Smiling) "Niharika? Who Niharika?"

Vardaan became serious and looked here and there. To change the topic, he said, "I'll just go and check if my mobile has charged up." He got up from the seat.

Sanyukta: (Thinking) "I know you are hiding something from me. But, it's OK. I'll wait. Whenever you are ready, you can tell me. Even, if you don't tell me, I have no issues."

She was smiling when he came back.

They ate in silence after that and were on their way back. He dropped Sanyukta at her hostel, well not exactly in front of the gate; a lil far from it. She got down from the bike.

Sanyukta: (Smiling) "So?"

Vardaan: (Confused) "So?"

Sanyukta: (Irritated) "Nothing. Bye. Good night."

She turned in anger to leave. He pulled her back and gave her a full blown kiss on her lips, sucking and kissing them with passion. He could taste the paav bhaaji she that she had. "Umm...this is a very sensual and a sexy idea of actually tasting paav bhaaji", he thought. She was surprised. She thought, "From when has he entered into my department? I was the one who is bold." They broke the kiss and Sanyukta was still surprised. He playfully ruffled her hair, winked at her, caressed her cheeks and said, "Now, that's called a good night kiss. Bye sweet heart." He put on his helmet and started his bike. Sanyukta saw his retreating figure and her mouth was still open. Within minutes, he was out of her sight; while she was still frozen to the spot. Her phone beeped and she checked it. Vardaan had sent her a message. It read, "Apna muh toh bandh karo. Machhar chale jaaenge!" She immediately closed her mouth and went to her dorm, blushing and smiling.

She smiled and went to her dorm. She got a call from Vardaan,

Vardaan: "Hey, I think you have forgotten something in my home."

Sanyukta: "Really? What?"

Vardaan: "I found your earring on the bed."

Sanyukta blushed heavily and replied,

Sanyukta: "I did not forget it. It had fallen there on the bed. I saw it and I purposely did not pick it up."

Vardaan blushed and was tongue tied at her response. He replied back,

Vardaan: "So what should I do with it?"

Sanyukta was surprised and irritated at her absolutely non-romantic boyfriend. She angrily answered, "Throw it in the dustbin." She cut the call. Vardaan tried calling her back but she had switched off her phone. He smiled and picked her earring. He kept it near Niharika's photo. He picked her photograph and was emotional.

Vardaan: (Thinking) "I know I am doing a mistake by hiding stuff about you from Sanyukta. But, I don't understand what to do? Will she understand me? Will she understand you? Will she ever understand our, your and mine's relationship?"

Next morning, Vardaan was in his cabin working on something. Sanyukta was going to her classroom. A peon was walking on the corridor, holding some files in his one hand, and a coffee mug in the other. He was walking really slow. Sanyukta was in her own world running to her class, as always she was getting late. She did not see the peon coming in her direction. And both of them collided. Everything fell from the peon's hand, including the coffee mug. Hot black coffee spilled into her hands and her skin was burnt. She twitched her eyebrows and screamed with pain. Everybody looked at her.

Peon: (scared) "Maaf kar do beti. Maine dekha nahi. Who itni saari cheezein haath mein thi na, isiliye. Meri complain mat karna."

Sanyukta looked at him. He was an aged man, approximately of her father's age and poor. She couldn't say anything to him.

Sanyukta: "Koi baat nahi kaka. Aap jaaiye. Main dawai laga dungi."

Peon: "Chalo beti, main marham laga deta hu."

She went with him. The peon applied an ointment and she was in tears because of the burning sensation. After a few minutes, the pain reduced to a lil extent. The peon requested Sanyukta to take coffee for Vardaan Sir, as he had ordered for it, a long time ago. And if the peon goes now, Vardaan Sir will definitely scold at him. She agreed. The peon prepared coffee and gave the mug to Sanyukta.

This time Sanyukta walked at a snail's speed. She finally reached his cabin. She knocked it and with a smile entered inside.

Sanyukta: (Smiling) "Good morning! And here's your coffee.

Vardaan: (Smiling) "Hey, now my morning has become beautiful looking at you."

Sanyukta: "By the way, how can any person drink such a bitter black coffee with no sugar?"

She said, taking a sip from the mug.

Sanyukta: "Yuck! This is so damn bitter!"

She drank some water from the glass on the table and sat on the chair opposite to Vardaan. Vardaan took the mug and sipped some coffee.

Vardaan: "Thank you for the coffee. Seriously, tumhe takleef uthane ki koi zaroorat nahi thi. Maine peon se..."

He stopped his words, when he saw something whitish stuff on her hands.

Vardaan: "Yeh kya hai?"

He put the mug back on the table and bent forward to touch it. She immediately took her hand back from the table. He knew that she was hiding something from him. She was so bad at lying.

Sanyukta: (Hesitantly) "Um..abb..kuch nahi. Kuch bhi toh nahi."

Vardaan: (with a serious tone) "Come here."

Sanyukta got scared as always, whenever he used this tone. She gulped her saliva and went to him.

He held her hand and turned it slightly. There was some ointment applied on the entire area. Her soft skin had become red due to the burns.

Vardaan: (angrily) "What the hell? Yeh kya hua hai? Kisi cheez ka reaction hua hai? Ya phir, tumhe kisi ne chot pohochayi hai? "

Sanyukta was scared to tell him anything as she was very well aware of his anger. She knew, he will fire the poor peon. Vardaan was getting impatient now. He gripped her wrist tight.

Vardaan: "Damn it tell me. Kisne kiya hai yeh?"

Sanyukta: "Aah...leave me! You are hurting me!"

She freed her hands from his grip.

Sanyukta: "Actually the peon had met me, and he said that he has to take coffee for you. But, then, I offered to get it for you. While coming towards you cabin, I slipped and the hot coffee fell on me. So, I applied this cream and again got fresh coffee for you. You see, the peon is not at fault here."

Vardaan instantly knew that it was the peon's mistake and she was covering it up.

Vardaan: "Kiss mitti ki bani ho tum? Are you always so self-sacrificing? Why are you helping the peon?"

Sanyukta knew that Vardaan had caught her lie. She was so bad at lying.

Sanyukta: "Promise me, you will not fire that peon."

Vardaan hesitated but then agreed after a lil coaxing from Sanyukta. She smiled and turned to go to her class. He pulled her waist and she landed on his lap. He locked her by wrapping his legs around her. She wasn't able to get up.

Vardaan: "OK. I will promise, only on one condition."

Sanyukta was surprised and scared. She looked at the cabin door which was open and anybody could enter anytime.

Sanyukta: "Say quickly. Koi aa jaaega."

Vardaan clutched her hair and kissed her passionately in all angles. "Hell, I wasn't even ready for it!", she thought. She had just bathed and she smelled like Vanilla. He felt like gobbling her up completely. He bit her lips and entered her mouth. He held her waist and pulled her closer to his body, in fact sticking to his body. This time he was too quick and too rough on her. He was tasting her as if he's been hungry for years. His hands reached inside her kurta and tore it a lil from the side. He felt like tearing her entire clothing. He wanted to feel very curve of her body. He pinched her skin and she winced letting out a small moan. He started making small circles with his fingers on her soft skin and she felt ticklish. Slowly, his hands trailed above on her back to her bra hooks. Within no time, he opened it and his fingers trailed towards her front body. She was in heaven when she realized where his fingers had navigated to. She was breathless and was trying to break the kiss. But, he was not ready to leave her. She pushed him a lil thinking that he would take the cue. But no, she was wrong. He pulled her closer crushing her body to his.She finally gathered all her strength and pushed him with enough force. They were panting profusely. Vardaan opened his legs and she wanted to stand up. But, she had no strength left in her. She drank some water from the glass on the table.

Sanyuktaa: "What was that? And why did you do this?"

She said holding her kurta near the spot which was torn by Vardaan.

Sanyukta: "This was my favourite kurta."

Vardaan felt guilty like a criminal. He managed to say sorry'. Sanyukta was lost in those childlike eyes. He looked so innocent. She pulled his cheeks and gave a peck on each of them. She left to the hostel to change her clothes.