Adolescence of Love - Chap15/Pg136 (11/29)

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pickytg

@pickytg

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#91

r.....blah!

*edit* lol ....finally u updat-ING madame!

Edited by missypatel - 16 years ago

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@spln

Inactive

+ 5

Posted: 16 years ago

#92

~Part 2~

"There were two others with us and we forgot our passes with them," Nikki tried to reason with the guy.

"I'm sorry... there's..." He started in a heavy accent, visibly distracted, "I... did you say your passes are in there?" Nikki nodded vigorously at possibility of a chance, even flashed one of her endearing smiles, but Ridhima felt there was an inattention attached to the incoherence of his words, not a vulnerability to give in.

"There really is nothing... I can do... "

He spoke as if in confirmation to her hunch, and yet it seemed less like a statement and more a question uttered in chaos; she realized the ticket checking Southie wasn't looking at either of them at all. Instead, he looked right through her and beyond; instinctively she turned around.

It was him.

"Hi!" he said tentatively, putting his hands away in haste, wondering is she had caught him shaking them in negative at Chandru, indicating for him to not let them through, confusing him more in the process of it. She did not respond in words as the seconds ticked, but he saw her face go through a series of bizarre expressions.

"You guys? The line is getting held up, budge NOW." They heard someone quip and Ridhima turned away from him to find an agitation in the queue behind her.

"Why the hell will she not answer the damn phone!" She heard Nikki grumble next, beside her, as she glared at her cell in accusation.

"Ahem!"

Armaan tried one more time and Ridhima almost snapped her neck in turning towards him again, at a sudden feeling of him very close up behind her back. He wasn't. In fact, she saw, he was a safe several hands away from her. Then suddenly he wasn't. He bent lower and spoke almost in her ear to leave no opportunity for her to miss his words.

"Trying to get in?"

She narrowed her eyes at him as he backed away with an innocently curious look, and a hint of a smile. His question raised several more in her own mind, even as she tried to ignore her compulsive habit to take in details of him, the ones she had observed from a distance, only a few minutes ago. What a coincidence, to have run into him, again.

"Huh?"

With a light urging touch he moved her out of the way of those waiting behind her, his smile of apology to them on her behalf was the kind not many could stand up to, leave alone turn down. And something about it told her, he was well aware of that fact.

"No pass?"

The eyes were hazel-blue... a blend of two unusuals, she noticed, like her own. Matching with the grey of his shirt as girls would match accessories. She wondered if he was aware also of how well that went down for him?

"Or... no partner?" He pursued the conversation, undisturbed by how predominantly single sided it had been so far. Which, Ridhima decided, was enough for now.

"Its the passes," she replied flatly, "I have a partner."

Saying so she turned and spotted Nikki, who holding the phone to her ear with a look of patience long lost, was tapping her foot, digging the heel into the soft non-cemented pathway. With a half forward lunge and a swift tug Ridhima pulled her to herself almost dismantling her balance and then looked back at the stranger of two times.

"Her."

She told him, like the word was a complete sentence, sufficient at least to answer his questions. He raised an eye, then gave a flickering look of acceptance, and with a polite smile turned around to walk away.

"Hang on!" Armaan fought his urge to pat himself for real, did it mentally instead and turned around with a solemn look, not forgetting to add a tinge of hope. "I... Why did you ask me all that?"

He looked at her for a second then shrugged. "I was looking for a partner."

"Does he have the pass?" Nikki asked Ridhima with a sudden optimism. Ridhima in turn looked at him. He shrugged again, this time in affirmative.

"Passes." he replied, with the correction.

"So... why can't you just go in?"

"Two boys don't count as a couple here..."

"Oh you mean you have..."

"Or so I thought," he completed with deliberate emphasis, making her pause before she could complete her own sentence. And she frowned. "I guess if girls can try to enter in two's that 'without passes', there's no reason we boys shouldn't give it a shot." And then without warning he broke into a teasing smirk. "Yeh?" He added raising his eyes, in particular at her. Ridhima narrowed her own in response.

"Whatever the hell..."

"...do you mean?" Nikki completed for her.

A second time, Ridhima saw him laugh heartily. And this time, she concluded, it did not please her.

"Whatever the hell do I mean? Oh no no no!" he said, shaking his head and laughing some more, "You really DO NOT want to know that." He completed looking back at them.

"Well surprise!" Ridhima shot back with a sugar coated smile, "Guess what? We DO want to know."

Rolling his tongue inside his mouth he looked down to his shoes and she saw him run a hand through the messy hair again. And then he looked right back up.

"Armaan," he said, startling her as he stuck his hand out in greeting, "Armaan Malik." When he saw she wasn't going to reciprocate he pulled his hand back and spoke instead in a warm, companionable voice, "You have the whole night to spend with me and discover what I mean, it would be great though, if we start on happy terms...?"

"Your confidence is way over the board." She informed him at his suggestion.

"It should work as long as you don't misunderstand it."

"Wouldn't it be obvious to see motive behind your selfless act?"

"I never said it was selfless." he countered nonchalantly.

"And hence we turn you down." she said with finality.

"In that case I fear, the loss will be far more yours than mine."

"What do you mean?"

From her spot Nikki saw the volley of retorts between the two of them tossed about like a tennis ball between opponents stuck with a deuce, both striving for the advantage point. Currently, the guy, Armaan he had called himself, shook his head, chuckled and said, in words which sensed no hurry.

"I told you Miss...? " Ridhima rolled her eyes at his attempt and he went on unflustered, "Whatever you call yourself, you got a whole night to figure out what I mean... only if!"

Nikki decided he had an appeal. The good way. And they didn't have to move into his house and live with him the rest of their damn lives... they just had to take upon his offer and get past the god damn check point. A patient temperament to stand the test of her will wasn't her best virtue, never had been.

Ridhima looked at him, evenly. She really wanted to believe the twinkle in his eyes was of worse intention than just a tease. She wanted to believe any reason to say no to him and be convinced about it. By her side, from the corner of her eye, a glimpse of Nikki told her she would not comply to be that reason. And personally, in addition to the fact that she wanted to be in there where her brother was the performing DJ, she also couldn't force any real conviction against this guy down her throat. And yet, to let him have his way...

"Nikita Malhotra!"

She watched, much to her displeasure, as Nikki held her hand out in obvious acceptance. A very tiny bit of her, magnanimously overstepped the stubborn whim to be relieved by this response from her friend. Armaan smiled, in a way which would disarm many... in fact most girls whom it would target. Ridhima however, reminded herself this was not the moment to be many or most.

"Nikita!"

He replied with a friendly nod, and then from his pocket he drew a pass and handed it to her. Perhaps it was the ease with which her friend sought the ground upon agreeable terms with this extremely self assured stranger, that stood for Ridhima as reason enough to save her esteem and not intervene. And he spoke again, to Nikki.

"My friend will join you in a couple of minutes and you should be able to enter without problem. Meanwhile..." he paused and turned to find an unimpressed Ridhima. "Miss 'disdainfully nameless' might just want to change out of that... erm... costume."

"How thoughtful of you, but of course! If they would allow two boys to go inside, why would you need us girls to begin with!" With that, a charming smile and frivolous batting of her lashes, she turned around to walk away, and Armaan stared at her back for a couple of seconds surprised by her effortless comeback, then followed suit.

Nikita had chosen to let him help. He had chosen to let her be his friend's date. Now she, Ridhima, would decide when he deserved her real attention, even if just to witness the smoldering ego side of it.

"Modi! If you mess this up a second time, I know you no more. She's waiting for you where you see her. I meanwhile, shall take Miss Ridhima 'trouble' Gupta away from your peaceful paradise!... Oh and... mechanics assignment for tomorrow on you." With a smile of satisfaction, pacing his steps behind her to keep up, Armaan clicked the tab for 'send message'.

***********************
"YOU!!" He took a step back his face wrinkling to many lines which were not meant to exist, at her shrill pitch.

"Goodness Nikita! You take it too seriously don't you, the whole 'have-a-loud-stage-voice' deal?" he said, rubbing his ears lightly while she stood, glowering. One she had forgotten to ask the guy who helped them how she would recognize his friend, and two, this freak had made appearance, again!

"Whatever do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?"

"Helping you out of course, what else." he replied still frowning as he shook his head clear and rubbed his ear some more.

"In case of such generous intentions why don't you just stay out of my way?" she snapped back.

"Because Nikita, that pass you just got is paired with mine." he explained simply.

"What?... How... he... Armaan..."

"Malik, yes, is my buddy." Abhi grinned.

"He seemed too good for you."

"If you give me a real chance you might realize I'm a nice guy too."

"If you're serious about him being friends with you, it already makes him look pretty bad."

"Are you forgetting he just finished setting you up as my date?"

"IN.YOUR.DREAMS.MORON." She spelled out sarcastically.

"Abhimanyu Modi. That's the name." he replied, much to her annoyance in a particularly calm voice, "And no thanks, I prefer to sleep in peace, which wont be a possibility with your constant yelling." Nikita rolled her eyes and flipped open her cell phone one more time.

"Wait!... What're you doing?"

"Calling my friend back. We'll find other ways to get inside the RDX without you guys."

"Stop!" he held her hand away from her ear, then let it go quickly. "Look! Really... just once?" Nikita turned to walk away from him. "Fine! I'll help you enter and then we each go our own way. Good?" Despite herself, she turned back to him, with a raised eye. Abhi was rather surprised by his own sudden benevolent suggestion.

"Why should I trust you?" she asked him, but her tone indicated she already was beginning to, as did the fact that she had stopped to hear him out. Abhi looked at her, then looked away momentarily, before gripping her wrist and walking to the start of the queue.

"What..."

"Chandru!" Abhi cut her protest off, maintaining his grip, as he addressed his junior stationed at the check point. Who turned his attention to him immediately, and smiled.

"Sir! Is that your..."

"Yeh! Just wanted to let you know we're walking past. Ignore the sensors."

And with that, she simply watched him, forgetting to struggle that second, as he walked both of them right through the check point into the RDX, a loud beep sounded upon them, which he paid no attention to, grabbing on his way two fluorescent strips. Pulling her around to face him, he did not look at her instead took one of the two and disposing off its peel circled it into a band around her wrist.

"Done! Now go where you want." He said and turned around to walk in a direction away from her.

"Wait!" she spoke from behind him and he wondered what to expect. And turned back with a questioning look.

"You need to get me into the VIP block." she told him in a flat voice.

"WHAT?" It was his turn to raise the volume.

"You heard me Modi," she replied blowing at her stray strand and he didn't wonder right away about the way she had addressed him. Neither did she for that matter.

"Of course I did, don't you read 'this girl is insane' written all over my face?"

"I don't need you to run sanity checks for me."

"Well then explain if you will, why you need ME to get into the VIP block?"

"Cause you just got us past the check point like the own the damn place."

"And what makes you think I'll do it for you?"

"Because..." she said jabbing her forefinger at his chest looking him directly in the eye, "You Abhimanyu Modi, are supposed to be proving you're a nice guy." She reminded him, sealing the discussion with a bright smile.

************************
A low whistle escaped his lips and he raised an eye in a look of approval.

"It was a good idea to suggest you change." He observed. She remained unaffected.

"Can we go?"

"Sure..." obliging, he indicated with a gesture of his hand for her to take lead. She marched ahead and he muttered from behind, "You're welcome... !" It wasn't inaudible and earned him consequently, a wry look. The light sequin work upon beige colored cotton, he noticed, glimmered a shade of green like her eyes.

"Romeo would be quite an unfortunate misnomer for you in this gorgeous dress."

"Nice try, Mr. Stranger." He mocked a look of hurt, grinning right through it.

"Are you ever going to tell me your name?"

"Are you ever going to give up?"

"I will, if you eventually drive me to it." He replied and though she didn't look it, the candid acceptance surprised her, like a bruise to that small element of female vanity within.

"Ridhima Gupta."

She answered in a momentary lapse of impulse, then wondered immediately if it wasn't a mindless thing to have jumped at the provocation; and turned half way to look at him. Armaan smiled at her, a smile that reached the corner of his eyes, a smile which like some other things about him, she decided, despite the drama of their brief interaction, seemed real, and genuine. And it almost did not astound her when she found herself preferring to keep it this way between them. The cordial way... without taking constant digs at each other. She smiled back.

"So where do you go for college?"

"You tell me first," she replied, "You seemed more comfortable than an outsider should be talking to the guy at the checkpoint." He looked at her curiously, then said,

"You noticed... ?"

The tease was back in his expression and her eyes rolled as if by default. Then while she expected the big-boy-bigger-arrogance act to come along, most unexpectedly, she saw him unzip his sleeveless jacket instead and before she could puzzle herself with it the answer stared back at her.

"Armaan Malik, Mech-III, Rendezvous '08, Marketing Volunteer,"

In an undertone, she read off the ID revealed beneath and looked up at him with a changing expression. Even though the observations had been indicative, to know it for a fact made a difference. Boy. IIT. And...

"Mech three?" She asked, seeking a final confirmation for what she knew he would tell her.

"Mechanical engineering, third year." he clarified, to have her look away hastily. Armaan recognized the reaction from how often he got it. And sighed partially in jaded exasperration, before speaking again.

"So what do I become now? The potentially retard geek... ?"

"That's a first! An IITian ashamed to be one?" she came back with rhetoric emphasis.

"I don't know how to act happy about having my intellect prejudged as a vice."

"Its you prejudging my opinion when I said nothing of the sort." Armaan grinned involuntarily at her.

"I wish you'd credit me at least for the potential of a geek, do you really need to word an 'opinion' when the glorious smirk does the talking?"

"I will word it Mr. know-it-all. When you begin to believe 'The IITians' can be wrong about things once in a while."

Armaan shot her a sweet smile with a 'see-what-I-mean' expression, which she overlooked like it could not be for her. Then instead of elaborating upon her words she said,

"I'm a second year, English major, LSR."

"LSR..." he repeated, pausing for a smile which made way to his lips of its own accord, but before she could say a word he quipped, "Wait! So you were on the winning team from the Kaleidoscope?" She nodded. "Wow! They had some big banners there, you must have been tremendous."

With her best effort to not make it obvious she studied the tone of his compliment. One more time, she couldn't convince herself of any vicious puns. And she liked it.

"Thanks! I think we won fair," she replied with a light shrug. It wasn't vain, it wasn't modest, Armaan noticed, and he liked the balance. On an after thought she added, "So that is how you recognized the guise, huh?"

He looked away abruptly before he would show his reaction. Then looked back with a face as straight as he could pull. Except, it was evident from the lurking suspicion in her eyes, that the damage had been done. After scratching his temple lightly then pushing the hair off his eyes again, Armaan extended his hand to her a second time that evening.

"RDX?"

And as she reflected uncertainty at his attempt to evade, he took her hand lightly to urge her to move along, almost mechanically she did.

**************************
"Sumit! This is outrageous! If your promise is bigger than whatever you gotta show me, I can promise you some horrible consequences."

"Dude! Trust me! Its worth all the promises in the world."

"It better be worth the game I lost and the dinner I left half eaten."

"Look!" Sumit said, ignoring the obvious lack of enthusiasm, and Atul followed the direction he had rudely pointed out to, his eyes narrowed... till only seconds later they widened. "See!" Sumit said, in a self congratulatory voice at the reaction he achieved.

"Oh man!" was all Atul managed at the sight.

"Isn't she hot?"

"I don't believe this, my eyes must be messed."

"They aren't." Sumit assured him, then sighed. "Can't believe he got a date like her."

"Can't believe he got HER. Period." Atul corrected, then finally turning to pay due attention to his friend unaware, he explained. "That's her, the Juliet he was messing around with earlier." Sumit looked blank for a couple of seconds, then he said, his disbelief utter and hoarse

"No way!" shaking his head, willing Atul to change his mind. It didn't happen, instead, Atul folded his arms across his chest and turned back to the sight of them dancing with a tight smile. There were two other girls. One of whom he recognized as the curly head from before. The second, a new face. And, he observed, no sign of the 'Romeo'.

"He fools around with her, gets tricked by her girl gang and now she agrees to be his date!?" Sumit spoke, convinced to discard the ridiculous proposition. "Really now, women! What fickle minds!" Atul shook his head thoughtfully.

"I doubt this is the doing of any fickle mind. I'd put it down to something like Malik's careful scheming."

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Sumit asked at the realization only now that Atul mentioned it.

"Missing from the scene, which is I suspect, evidence enough of the role he may have played." Atul said to him

"So you think its him who pulled this off?" Sumit asked, miserably. "I should have listened to him and been patient..." he added, brooding over the possibility of one such scenario for himself...

"Him it is alright," Atul said, then in an undertone muttered to himself, "The question is, how did he call truce between the rivals of world war three... " musing over the mystery, he scratched his chin lightly with the thumb, but before he could go much further, deeper into any of the inexplicable situation facing him, Sumit tugged at his wrist, dragging him along and said,

"Whatever! Since something has materialized, lets not be standing spectators alone..."

*************************
She was a typical Delhi undergrad accustomed to late nights; but it had been an eventful night, following an eventful day... that she could not force upon herself the only possible last one hour of sleep before she would have to begin a new day, was still something of a feat. The dawn was beginning to break and she had not slept a wink. Quietly she slithered out of the bed covers, slipped on her flip flops and walked out to the balcony. The lush green and red brick of her campus which had become a sight as good as a second home met her eye, darkened though, under the indigo-purple shades of the sky; it wasn't a mid summer month and the orange pink streaks so far only struggled to break free. In the distance she could hear, what she couldn't quite see- the national capital coming to life. Not like it was a city which slept peaceful nights. They were sworn partners in crime, the metro and she, both eternally nocturnal.

The buzz of a waning night was what still lingered, through it she could hear the early bird calls, some disappearing night crickets and the usual rising insinuation of an everyday hubbub. If she could see, she knew the newspaper stands would be already replete with the morning dailies, the joggers would be spamming the footpaths which were to become crowded in no time, the school going kids would be making haste, especially those who had distance to commute, the call center cabs would be busy dropping off the lot of night shift staff to their homes and picking up the new ones for the day. Still, only at this hour of the day was the sight of peaceful streets a possibility, for once the city awakened to its complete self the roads were packed and the sounds all around amounted to a jarring din.

She sensed a slight chill upon her bare arms and rubbed them to fleeting warmth. Another morning feature, for though the month was almost past, the seasonal October heat, as in the last few years, was doing its belated rounds in and around the northern zone and the days in general still remained fairly warm, stuffy and humid. For now however, she thought she would get a light pashmina to throw over herself. Instead, as she stood facing her room, hands on her hips, she debated if she should just give up lazing and do the daily yoga in the morning for a change. There would be a rising sun by the time she got past her 'asanas' and then she could finish it off with the 'Surya Namaskar'. Most mornings she had just the time to get dressed for class and workout was for her evenings, close to the sunset hour.A routine she had followed from a very young age. Belonging to a family of artists, and having grown up in one as well, some regimes were inevitably groomed. And since she was up so early today...

She made up her mind. Pulling the yoga mat out into the balcony she molded herself for counts of 60 in to the various postures, deep breathing, the morning air fresh with light dew. In time a relaxation took over and she found the reserve of restlessness constantly going away. It was only 35 minutes later, post her last 'kriya' of saluting to a new day's sun, when she lay lose on her back in 'shav asana', and allowed her mind to wander back to what had kept her in a state of unrest.

Rahul was in town only tonight, then he would fly back to Bombay early the next morning. And today, he had told her last night, he was going to be free to join her only for dinner. When she had sulked and pouted he came up with a range of incoherent excuses. Disappointed, she had asked the girls if they would accompany her for a moody shopping spree at Sarojini after classes. When everyone except Muskaan agreed, the seed of doubt found root. Although impulse would have had its way, Ridhima checked herself from instantly cancelling the group plan she had suggested. She decided, if something was to unearth out of her suspicions, it would only be to catch Rahul and Muskaan unaware.

She had always been Rahul's little sister... but of recent years as they both by turn grew into their teens she had also become his confidante for everything that mattered, and even everything that didn't. The idea of a change in that scenario was for her, whatever maybe the reasons, unacceptable. And Muskaan... although they had been friends just a little over a year, time had nothing to undermine about the bond they shared. Secrecy could have no place relationships where a chunk of life was shared. And something about not having been let into this whole picture troubled Ridhima not just for having been excluded, but for the one and only seeming reason behind it in her mind.

They must, both of them, reserve some skepticism about how she would react with this news. Lack of faith in herself from those she held so close and dear in her life, was one thing, she could never take well. And her patience with this guesswork was fast running out. Whatever it could be labelled-snooping, prying, spying... she would do it. Afterall, wasn't everything fair in love and war...

Ridhima smiled lightly, her eyes closed, and unknowingly it started to widen. He had teased her with the same answer last night when the whole truth about Abhimanyu and him and the gang, and the Romeo Juliet prank had come to light. And although she had rubbished it as cliched then, the evening had gone off very well indeed. Dancing with him, and his friends, had been great fun. It was impossible to not observe how easy it was for him to make his place with those who were his buddies, and with those he had only just met. The whole deal about him stood out as a contradiction to the the general prejudice people, in particular girls, held against the IIT boys, and Mechanical only made it the worst it could get.

When the girls got tired and announced it was time for them to call night, she had wished to talk to Rahul before they would leave. And Armaan, after Muskaan in her excited rambling told him he was Ridhima's brother, had offered to take her to meet him since he was going to be playing DJ for the hours of the night that remained. And taken her he had, from backstage where only organizers were permitted.

She had been so occupied observing Muskaan at that point that she knew she had not let him know what a favor he had done her. As also, she had not once officially thanked him for the entry into RDX, or the wonderful company he was. In fact she thought in a slight regret she had almost pointedly brushed off the numerous flirtatious nonetheless complimentary remarks he had made which she could only lie to deny had pleased her. Despite the random group dancing for most parts, and the occasional swap of partners in the fewer couple dances, she had also been aware of how he had, without letting the fact become awkward for either of them, not allowed her to forget he was her date for the evening.

Them girls had come back with the trophy that had driven them to overworked schedules all of this last month, but the thought of no draining rehearsals to look forward to from the start of this new week today felt odd... like a void. Still the winter break was approaching in less than two months all of which were marked by a whole list of festivals till then. And yet, the fest had seen its grande finale last night for this year.

Ridhima smiled with a deep sigh. They had exchanged nothing more than names and shared nothing more than a few dances... and he was not all over her mind... but she was thinking of him... now.

Armaan Malik, she decided a tinge ruefully in candid self acceptance, had to be one of the most charming guys she had come across in a long, long time.

************************
He sneaked into the class just as the professor did, right upon his heel, and when the latter turned around to face the class, Armaan had himself seated in a safe middle row, neither up close nor too far back, looking fresh and attentive.

"Pass on the assignments up front everyone and we will continue from where we left last time."

*Elastic Limits*

The professor scribbled in a bold blue marker, and Armaan raised his eye at Abhimanyu next to him, who looked up as if on cue. Then without a greeting or smile passed him a book with a sheaf of pages sticking out along the top edge. Armaan mouthed a teasing 'thank you' and taking out the stapled sheets scribbled his name and admission number at the top right edge and passed them on ahead.

"By Hooke's law, within the linear range of the elastic curve every material which shows elasticity can recover its original form exactly."

The professor started explaining as he sketched the elementary graph for elasticity of materials. Armaan glanced at the book Abhi had passed him the assignment in, surprised; he had been looking for it in the room. Pushing his register aside now, he opened it randomly to a page and found it was already done. Casually, he flipped through the pages and as he did, a frown started to form on his face at the sight of orange page after page.

He closed the book to take a look at its cover, confirming what he was certain about anyways and indeed, it was the new SuDoku puzzle book he had bought after he finished the previous one last week. Carefully, just one more time, as he fingered through every one of the pages, he frown turned nasty- each of the puzzles had been solved... in pen.

Quietly as he closed the back cover upon the last of its pages, checking the urge to have slammed it shut he looked up directly at Abhimanyu. Who with a distinctly forming smile winked in response to Armaan's steely gaze and edged his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose in strict diligence facing the professor again. Armaan still glaring at him pointedly pulled his register back to himself and opened the pages with forced calm, and faced the professor himself.

"Temper doesn't suit your image Malik," Abhimanyu whispered barely moving his lips; Armaan heard each word. And grit his teeth.

"And a black eye wont suit you." he hissed back.

From the corner of his eye he saw Abhimanyu smirk momentarily before he wore his solemn look again, Armaan swore mentally- to have to pretend attention with nothing to do in his least favorite class...

"Ah! The ways you chose to thank me for the assignment... I'm overwhelmed!" Abhi drawled rolling his tongue inside his mouth dying to see Armaan's expression but not daring to as the professor faced the class again and continued,

"Beyond the elasticity limit the stress strain curve becomes non linear, which implies, the elastic material deforms with permanence and the damage can never be fully repaired."

"Hear him Modi. Damage beyond the limit can NOT be repaired." Armaan told him drawing the curve on a blank page with a heavy hand.

"I'll manage, if you tend and ice it later with all the love in your heart..." Armaan scowled lowering his head over the notes he had never intended taking down. "Unless of course, you gave it all away last night." Abhi finished. At this he looked up, his hazel-blue eyes turning steely grey.

"The elasticity limit point attained from calculating the limiting maxima, is the peak of the curve..." the professor said

"... And you just fell off that peak Abhimanyu, watch it!"

He jumped over two benches without caring to grab his belongings and dashed out of Armaan's grip, an hour later as the lecture hall only just began to empty itself.

"MODI! You coward!"

Armaan yelled from behind him hurling the heavy hard bound register at him which missed him, and also three others in between, by bare inches. Armaan, unlike himself, did not wait to stand and apologize, instead leaping over the benches himself ran out after Abhimanyu.

"I told you.. " Abhi yelled over his shoulder dodging through the crowds filling out of the respective classes, "To stay up... and keep me company."

"The assignment was your part of the deal." Armaan tossed back chasing him closely behind.

"And I did it didn't I?"

"WHAT ABOUT MY SU DOKU GAMES?" Abhi turned around to face him running backwards grinning.

"I had to keep myself awake to do YOUR work, while YOU caught on with your beauty sleep... and BEAUTY DREAMS... aaahhhh... sorry bhaiya!"

Abhi finished, apologizing to the peon he had almost side stepped as he rushed through the corridors without watching his back. Then before he could take more than three steps, Armaan gruffly tugged at his arm and prevented him from further escape blocking his way.

"YOU FINISHED MY WHOLE DAMN NEW SUDOKU PUZZLE BOOK TO ENTERTAIN YOURSELF?" Armaan hollered into his face, and he shrugged as in obvious. "You have any idea what attending that lecture was like?" Abhimanyu shook his head then nodded vigorously pretending mock intimidation.

"Was in there Malik, right by your side."

"How can I forget," Armaan spoke through his teeth, "To have tolerated Murthy's class and you by my side WITHOUT my puzzles... I must be the next god in making."

"Don't go for it buddy, " Abhimanyu said giving his shoulder a wisdom pat wearing a look to match it, "Gods can't be falling in love, thats a VERY mortal act." Armaan inhaled sharply.

"Your humor needs refabrication."

"I wasn't intending to be homorous." Armaan made a face at him.

"Right!"

"You clearly had the hots for her Malik."

"And you clearly had no time to be observing me occupied as you were with your Juliet." Armaan shot back.

"You wouldn't know when who observed you cause you were looking at no one except... " Abhi paused with a side smile. Amaan rolled his eyes, disgruntled.

"Seriously Abhi, did they just demote you back to high school? That's the lamest you've ever gotten."

"Love, my dear boy, never has a logic..." he mocked a dramatic sigh with a hand upon his heart.

"And I can see what its doing to you. Why don't you just ask that girl out and CUT.YOUR.CRAP."

"RIDHIMA!"

With an abrupt change of expressions, looking over Armaan's shoulder Abhimanyu exclaimed, making Armaan jerk his neck as he whirled around. Instantly his hand went to suddenly stretched muscle and only a couple of seconds too late, but a couple of seconds before Abhimanyu broke into a thunderous laughter did Armaan realize his obvious blunder. Of course it was a bluff, and Armaan had fallen for it, but it only been the most reflexive reaction to have come. As it would have, no matter what name Abhi would have used.

When he turned back Abhi, having found his break, had moved several feet away and with a crisp salute and a sly wink he sprinted out of sight. Armaan ran a hand through his hair, which until then had been tidy from the morning shower. Then gave a tight smile. Just as he turned to walk back to class and get the stuff, Abhi poked his head around the edge of the wall curving into the new hallway.

"Oi! Malik!"

"Go to hell Modi!" Armaan replied off handly without turning back to face him.

"Yeh thats what I came to say, I'm off to the mess. Grab my stuff when you get yours."

"You... wish..."

Armaan completed turning around to say more but Abhimanyu had disappeared before he could. Shaking his head lightly he frowned walking back to the now vacant lecture hall. Staring at the SuDoku book, his mind was more occupied, and partially agitated, at having been tricked by the oldest prank in history. Reluctantly, he couldn't not wonder, if it was the joke he had fallen for... or her name. Abhi had teased him as long as he could last night, until Armaan had announced he needed sleep and crashed. None of it was a first, the teasing banter nor the constant bickering... and still... for some reason, Armaan, very unusual to his tolerance level, was unable to ignore it.

Even though, he wondered now that he thought of it, Abhi had been the only one upto it this time; Sumit had not been in the usual awe-cum-sulk mode over Armaan's RDX 'date'... and more surprisingly Atul, had made no indifferent remarks.

"Whatever!" he muttered to himself collecting the things.

He looked at Abhi's register, pen and glasses with a moment of speculation, then picked them up. He was over reacting to the provocation, he decided, and this was more than enough. Girls had never brought him to spots where he lost his cool... that over a friendly tease. Neither would Ridhima Gupta.

**************************

ps: alright... after god knows how many breaks kinks and speed breakers, here's part 2 at last... the general pace of this fic isn't about events but about interractions... at least so far... i wonder what it will be in a while ... but... erm.... AN, AR... AA(boys) ... and random scenes, more dialogue... and some thinking... theres a couple of catch lines here and there which are my base to take the story ahead, if you notice you might know what and how... at least hinted...

what else.. oh the facts.. Kaleidoscope was a real event in one of the rendezvous fests i attended, wasn't exactly a dancing/singing act contest... but that bit i used to my convenience :D description of the city and campuses where ever it comes is real and true... for those who have been there seen it, will know :) ... and... oh... the physics bit, about elasticity, excuse me for that if you dont get it... all it means is, that as per practically plotted graphs, any elastic materials, an elastic band being a very common example, after a certain value of stress applied to them cannot retain their original form when released.. either they snap and break, or they are permanently deformed... i know i know... not here to be teaching physics... but its hard to go on as DMG does in terms of its being a med show :D ... and... erm... yeh thats it :)

for the wonderful comments, thanks a bunch, im delighted at the number of new readers with this fic suddenly... of the old ones, you're always immensely patient and that spoils me tons :D

nij, i know... this might be past your elasticity limit too!... but still, here i am... this is me... there's no where else on earth i'd rather be!! :D

pebbzz... whenever you get to this, miss the punk kid tons .. really :)

and hinu... :) theres enough of this fic which i dont think is really what should excite you in general... but there are bits which i think still may come around for you :) SO... comments are needed and read, and APPRECIATED from you ... get me right!

pps: here's an armaan-abhi vid i found on youtube... ALL CREDITS TO VM maker... and a teeny bit left to hinu di :D cause she found it :D its a damn good VM, ive watched it a zillion times already for how fun i is :) fits the abhi-armaan in this fic... do watch !!

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLfPCZj1JeA[/YOUTUBE]

everyone, hugs and love for being awesome people to write for :) DO LEAVE ME THE FEEDBACKS :)

cheers,
nj

Link to part 3

Edited by spln - 15 years ago

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pickytg

@pickytg

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#93

reserved....*gleeing and clappin in pleasure...u-know-why*

*edit*

Be it the eyes, the frown or the flushing smiles..
College-titles, familiar unknowns or let it be the few dances in our name
It's begun, the unnamed-yet journey soon to follow be footed
Grab the handles, hold on tight, be ready for the unexpected
Cause you are going to be seated right next to the very best of the lots..
Only one man is made for you RRG, you of all shall know too soon
In my thoughts you've made contours, as i trust i must have in yours
Shut your safe, guard that beating shape, let the world revolve
Here i am, this is me, there's no other place i'd rather be....

Need i say more HBY? I liked..AN tons..specially the bit where you let abhimanyu carry forward the game armaan had already set for him...Sumit-Atul were not missed by me much (don't keep them out too long...am starting to believe i almost don't want them)...Muskaan's whole description bit was a little too much..for me...but well it still had me wondering..what RM can be like :D ...
Some of the lines...Ridz during her muski thoughts..i liked tons...
AR were bang on for me...i loved them...all i can say for them.....this new excitment that rushed down my cord and jumped back in my stomach....(exactly what happened J)...insanely...already :D in love with AR 😆
Also...ridz ka convinced against her trying-to-force thoughts..nicee!!

Cheers for the update...i guessed this was enough wait in response to yours hahaha..*smmookkkzz*

-me ☺️

ps...again the first one to un-reserve on the PAGE this time....*self-pat*

Edited by missypatel - 16 years ago

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Pebblez

@Pebblez

Voyager

+ 5

Posted: 16 years ago

#94

<br>reserved..dunno for how long *glaring at the screen*<br>

*edit: Third to reserve but still the second in line to un-reserve it....and u still say um the late lateef....yeah rite!!!

What more can i say than what i told u already...loved the part tons!! And i remember u saying, of course you do, the fic is growing...but i never got to put forth my argument, i always tend to like the first chap most of all...perhaps because of the intro of the characters and all...loved newton's first, but for this, i have to say, the second part has taken my heart :D and given a big big smile on my face...

AR to hain hi...meri jaan :D you knw that ryt? So no need saying i loved them tons, man aissa banda kahan milta hai dadda? *chuckles* and well...Ridhima to bass...kia chikni item hai *lmao* hahahaha...um going very cheap...but i liked them tons, of course more than AN....i could SO see the highly impertinent and outspoken Nikki from dmg's early days in here....but yeah...they were pretty hgood, as i said earlier, like abhi better than in the drama...

Yeh Rahul sahab kab entry marainge? Ridhima ka lamba chora bhashan aur socho-vichaar parh ke uss ke barray main, i wonder how RM would be....and yeah, mere ko bhi yoga seekhna hai :D...u knw that, ryt? to koi motivation chahiye...hmmmm....Atul is perhaps, someone i like better than Sutte...for some reason...Sumit doesnt stand to be someone i'd find in the group...he's more like the Wormtail of the group...*lips sealed* i am NOT saying anytghing you might have mentioned ever...

But my second favorite to AR were of course...Armaan-Abhi...they were a riot. Its usually always Armaan whose the prankster and gets away with things, its smg different to read when someone plays truce over him too :P....Sudoku? Seriously? I cant get the hang of the thing even, tried several times. Hahaha...but yeah, Mech Engineer hai, mere se to ziada hi damag hoga na...:P...no Anjie again? Acha hai... :D...usko background mein hi rakh hahaha....

Anyways...dont remember ifg i am missing out on anything...but loved loved loved the part daddy...and got my neck almost broken reading n commenting on it...but anything for you *smiles widely*

miss ya tons...and cant say what talking to you after so long meant...but i guess u knw :)

itaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sarra...you know what ;)
chummmaaaz!!

Tumhara bacha *lmao* hahaha

Edited by Pebblez - 16 years ago

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Mia

@everlastingword

Explorer

+ 2

Posted: 16 years ago

#95

Hey Nj...
Reserving this...hope to be back soon...

mia

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Sai Prasanthi

@Prasanthi

Rocker

+ 3

Posted: 16 years ago

#96

Reserved

edit:

That was a worth wait to read for. Loved reading AR, AN parts. The best is AA at the end. Would love to read more enjoyable parts. thanks for the PM and continue soon.

Edited by Prasanthi - 16 years ago

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smriti

@smriti.tweety

Explorer

+ 2

Posted: 16 years ago

#97

Hi NJ!!!!!

Gr8 part! To be honest, when I read through the part the first time I kind of found something amiss in the whole AR scene. But on a second read I realized that the whole scene had to be one of the most realistic ones (read AR first time meet scenes) that I have read in all the fan fictions on the forum so far. The whole interaction was so apt from the point of view of two strangers just introducing themselves to each other. Kudos! 👏

My favorite part has to be the early morning Ridhima scene. Beautiful description of the city life at dawn break! Here again the scene was so natural; the time of the day when stray thoughts make their way into our minds, a time for reflecting upon all the important and the unimportant things in life!

AA as usual had me in splits! 😆

Wonderful part! Loved the way Armaan and Ridhima are occupying just the right amount of space in each other's thoughts.

Eagerly waiting to see how you take this one forward!

Love

smriti

p.s. thanks 4 the pm!😊

Edited by smriti.tweety - 16 years ago

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Robin

@Robin_M

Rocker

Posted: 16 years ago

#98

:D you updated!!!!!!! yay
u totally made my day nj! i have a physics exam tmw and this totally perked me up! lol its kind of funny, i was just doing Hooke's law last week lol and my midterm is gonna have that topic! i really admire u for your dedication to physics, its manditory for me to take at least one year of it for my program and i have been putting it off to literally the last minute, and am now stuck with it this summer. although i do sort of enjoy it, but being a biochemist its not really my cup of tea :)
k now to the update...i really really enjoyed reading it! i feel really chilled out when i read this one, its in one word, cool!
AR interaction was awesome, their conversation and mannerism had me really entertained! even tho it was just the first encounter, i could sense the sparks :D im really looking forward to encounter 2...when where and how!!? haha
Abhi-Niks are fun...feisty and a perfect pair!
what i really loved was armaan abhi haha that last scene had me in splits!!!! the witty remarks, armaan chasing abhi and finally abhi teasing armaan with riddhimas name...lol fun stuff!
both AR have each other on their minds...but it seems like armaan does not want her to be a reason for him to lose his cool. not too sure what ur planning, but i could sense a few hints.
another thing, i loved your descriptions of delhi, have spent some time there so i had a nice visual from my memories.
one thing i wast too sure about was riddhimas reaction to armaans title. hes a mech-3 at IIT...and he said somthing about prejudging him as a retard geek? im not familiar with IITs and such programs, so am not too sure what they ment?
anyways, wonderful part, hope your able to update for us soon!

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saira

@.x.Saira.x.

Rocker

Posted: 16 years ago

#99

awesome update as usual👏

esp. loved AR's encounter😃😳

cnt w8 for the next update!

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Sunaina

@SunainaTM007

Inactive

Posted: 16 years ago

#100

reserved :D

*edited*...(finally...gosh..um really late this time..)

nj...what a mindblowing part...there are loads of things that i loved abt this part...it had the perfect blend of everything..

armaan and riddhima first meet was awesome..i had seriously not expected anything of this sort but i kinda guessed that a verbal fight might follow their meeting..i loved the whole convo..nikita being a spectator to their 'talks'..and finally accepting armaan's offer but also unknowingly getting a date in the form of Abhimanyu Modi..

and the AN part that followed was brilliant as well...love them...and the part where she tells him to get her to the VIP block and all was really awesome..gosh..fights between AN and AR are soo sooo good...totally enjoyed reading it..

then AR again...well people liking physics in general are considered geeks and mechanics is a level higher...and then wordplay that followed between them was amazing as always...

atul's reaction at having seen AN together was really awesome...and his convo with sumit was good..

now, then next bit evoked sooo much of nostalgia girl...it took me back to my favourite city where i spent soooo many years...delhi....the description of morning life in delhi was sooo beautifully penned...i felt as if i had travelled all the way there in a span of few minutes...the october chill..the feel still is still lingering around...and yoga is the best way to relax and rejuvenate...

riddhima's thoughts abt rahul and muskaan's relationship...her relationship with rahul closely resembles thee one that i share with my bro...she sounded so like me when she was thinking of catching RM unaware...oooooh..would love to see that happen..then her thoughts wandering over to armaan...hmmm..she so very cant get him out off her mind :D her thoughts abt wanting to thank him and stuff was really really nice...

armaan and abhi...gosh..totally a riot both of them...abhi continuously teasing armaan by mentioning riddhima and armaan getting irritated...awesome...loved their bickering..and the cute love-hate relationship that they share is just fab...loved armaan's outburst at abhi coz he finished his brand new Sudoku book...lol..his threats and abhi's retort was great...and the age-old trick that armaan fell for was just amazing...ooooh..so mr.armaan mallik can't get miss.riddhima gupta out of his mind as well...hmmm...liking it loads...infact loving it...

saw the vm as well..really it was awesome..kudos to the maker :) and truly fits armaan-abhi of this fic perfectly...

wonderfully penned part once again :D

thanks a ton for the pm...

continue sooon..

Edited by SunainaTM007 - 16 years ago