~Obsession~ *(ArSh FF)*: Chapter 2 pg16 - Page 10

"This girl really needs to learn to clean," Shilpa said, shaking her head as she started to pick up Muskaan's belongings off their living room floor.

As she started to pick up some books from the corner near the kitchen, a folder that had been between two books fell on the floor, the papers with in it falling everywhere. "Ugh!" Shilpa cried in frustration. "I am going to kill Muskaan."

Shilpa started gathering the papers, most of them old papers from classes and flyers for random sales and concerts around the cities. One thing caught her eye, though. It was a picture of Muskaan… with Rahul. She looked down at it, something that Muskaan had said earlier crossing her mind.

"So you really have no feelings for Rahul what-so-ever?"

"None at all, Shilpa."

"So no pictures or anything?"

Shilpa sighed, getting up and putting the books and papers on a shelf near-by. She looked one more time at the picture before putting it in her back pocket. She heard a key turn from the front door and quickly went back to cleaning.

"I'm home!" Muskaan yelled, placing some paper bags on the kitchen table. "They didn't have the red pepper humus so I bought guacamole."

"Guacamole? I don't like guacamole," Shilpa said.

"Well, then, what did you want me to do?"

"Buy another kind of humus," Shilpa said in her 'well-duh' voice.

"Okay, you know what? I'm not good at these things. That's why I said you should've gone and bought the groceries."

"It doesn't take a genius to figure these things out."

Muskaan made a face at Shilpa. "Whatever, what are you up to?"

"Cleaning up your nasty mess," Shilpa replied, picking up the last of Muskaan's things and throwing it into her room.

Muskaan nodded, plopping onto the couch and turning the TV on. "Find anything I might need?"

Shilpa contemplated if she should tell her friend that she found a picture of her and her ex-boyfriend. "Um…I don't know if you particularly need it but I found something."

"Well, what?"

"A picture of you and… Rahul."

There was an awkward silence before Muskaan said. "Oh. Well, let's burn it."

"We live in an apartment building. We can't just burn things."

Muskaan rolled her eyes. "It's a small picture. We'll just burn it from the edge and flush it down the toilet. You know, like in Jab We Met."

"Muskaan, Jab We Met is a movie, it's not realistic. How is burning going to help with anything."

"Who said anything about it helping me? Now give me the picture. It'll be fun!" Muskaan held up her hand.

Shilpa sighed, taking the picture out of her back pocket. "Knock yourself out."

* * * * * * * *

"Well, obviously, you all have no homework. This is college, you don't get homework. But, if anyone's interested, there's supposed to be a great episode of NCIS on tonight, and if you guys can tell me how the forensics scientist in the episode helps to solve the case in that episode, I'll give you guys Starbucks," the forensics professor said to his class. Everyone laughed. "Okay, so not Starbucks but I'll give you guys candy or something. Either way, it looks good so watch it."

As they all left the class, Jeremy Brown walked up behind Muskaan and Shilpa. "So you guys coming tonight?"

"Obviously, dude," Muskaan smiled at him, fist bumping him.

"All right, I'll see ya there," and he walked away.

Shilpa looked at Muskaan. "What's tonight?"

"Jeremy Brown holds the biggest party every year. Literally, he's known for this party. That's where we're going."

Shilpa nodded. "Okay, cool."

Muskaan raised her eyebrows. "Wow, Shilpa, no 'I don't feel like going" or 'I have work to do'? I'm impressed."

Shilpa shrugged. "What can I say? College changed me."

Muskaan laughed. Suddenly, someone called from behind, "Muskaan! Wait up!"

The two girls turned their heads to see a boy running towards them. "Oh, hey Nick."

"Hey, Muskaan, Shilpa. Um… Muskaan, I was, uh, wondering—" And that's when Shilpa realized what was going on.

"Um, sorry to interrupt but Muskaan I'll meet you outside," Shilpa said.

Muskaan nodded. "So, what were saying, Nick?"

"Um… I was wondering if maybe tonight you wanted to go to the party with me?"

Muskaan bit her lip with a smile. She hadn't been asked out to go anywhere since Rahul. It felt good. "I would—"

"Yo, Nick, remember what happened last time you went out on a date? The puking thing? Make sure that doesn't happen again, all right?!" someone yelled from behind Muskaan, snickering. Muskaan, appalled to hear someone being so rude and insulting, turned her heard to see Rahul. She clenched her jaw, her eyes throwing daggers at him.

She turned back to Nick, who was obviously embarrassed about whatever had happened on his last date. Muskaan gave him a smile. "I would love to go with you."

Rahul, who heard, turned and walked away, still wearing his fake smile. As soon as he got outside and was sure no one was there, he kicked the wall angrily—which was bad idea because he jumped back, holding his foot in pain. He took a deep breath and slid down against the wall, leaning his head against it.

What was that? Rahul had never been rude or insulting towards anyone. Most people thought he was, since he dated so many girls, but he wasn't. If anything, he was sympathetic towards guys who had had problems with girls in the past, like Nick, because he was them once upon time in high school.

Rahul didn't get it. Is it because of… No. It can't be. You are NOT the jealous type. You and Muskaan are over. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nick and Muskaan coming out the door, laughing about something. Dude, just chill. They're going to a party together, not in love or anything. They're just friends. Ugh! Why do you even care??

Rahul shook his head, getting the thought out of his head, got up, and walked away.

* * * * * *

Shilpa walked out of the college, heading towards the small caf that was across the street. She saw that Nick was about to ask Muskaan out, and she knew that Muskaan hadn't gone out on a date since Rahul, so of course she wanted to give her friend a chance to asked out!

She walked into the caf, ordering a small coffee and a croissant. She sat down near the window and plopped open her book.

"Nicholas Sparks, huh? You one of those 'I'm waiting for my prince charming' types?"

Shilpa looked up from her book and standing next to her with a coffee was Armaan Mallik. She sighed loudly. "What do you want?"

"Just making small talk," he shrugged, sitting down next to her. She shook her head and continued on reading. "You didn't answer my question."

Shilpa bit her lip, annoyed. "No, I'm not. Do I have to be those kind of girls to read a Nicholas Sparks book?"

"Most are."

"Well, not me. I read all kinds of books, from fantasy, to sci-fi, to romance. I like reading."

"Ah, so you're all intellectual."

"Well, if you got into Columbia, you have to be, right?"

Armaan smiled. "Was that a compliment?"

"No, it was a fact," Shilpa said with a straight face.

After a few seconds of silence, Armaan said something again. "You know I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were, I mean, we both go into a pretty selective college," Shilpa replied, not looking up from her book.

"So… are you going to Jeremy Brown's party tonight?"

"Mhm."

"Wanna go with me?"

Shilpa looked up, closing her book, and turned her whole body to face Armaan. "Don't even think about it, okay? You're not my type. You're far from my type. You're the kind to get a girl, sleep with her, and the next day find another girl. Me? I'm not like that. I'm more the 'serious-relationship' types." Shilpa's phone beeped. She looked down to see a text from Muskaan asking her where she was. "Now I've got to go. Bye." Shilpa got up from the table and left without another word. Armaan looked after her, amused.

"Wow, okay. Got it," Armaan said, his eyebrows raised. He had never really gotten rejected like that by a girl. So, obviously, it made him want her even more.

* * * * *

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