~Obsession~ *(ArSh FF)*: Chapter 2 pg16 - Page 7

The sun rose slowly on the east side of the city, shutting the lights down of the vast city. You could hear many people on the streets and sidewalks, walking, talking on their cellphones, people yelling for cabs, people beeping their horns. This was the city that never slept. This was New York City.

There are over 5,000 buildings in New York City, and of the 5,000, there was one building in which two young girls were waking up to their alarms and the sounds of the fabulous city.

The sun was pouring through the windows of their apartment, and all was almost peaceful. Almost.

"We're going to be late! I refuse to be late on my first day at a new college!"

"Chill out, Shilpa, we're not gonna be late."

Shilpa Malhotra gave her a friend a look that said 'don't-mess-with-me-right-now'. Shilpa was beginning her sophomore year of college at Columbia University. She had started her freshmen year of college in California, but Columbia had the curriculum she wanted to take. So as a result, she moved in with her best friend from high school, Muskaan Chadda, who had been attending Columbia.

"What do you mean 'chill out'? It's already 7:30 and class starts in an hour!" Shilpa exclaimed, frantically running to the bathroom in her room to start brushing her teeth.

"Whoa, chica, calm down! Columbia is literally a fifteen minute walk! Why do you think I bought this apartment? Because it's close to the college!" Muskaan replied, rolling her eyes. Shilpa had always been "on the dot" person, totally different from herself. Muskaan had always been more laid back and relaxed. She wondered sometimes how the two even became friends. Shilpa's one-the-dot-ness got quite annoying though, because she liked to freak out. "This is why I said not to take morning classes! But no, Shilpa Malhotra just had to sign up for those classes. If we'd gone for afternoon classes, we could've woken up on our own time!"

Muskaan and Shilpa both want to be evidence technicians one day and they are both taking the same classes, trying to major in forensic science.

"But if we do morning classes, we have the rest of the day to do whatever we want," Shilpa explained for what felt like the fiftieth time.

"Yeah, but the thing is, we don't do whatever we want to do when we get home. We go to work," Muskaan refuted.

"Muski, will you please get out of my room and go get ready?"

Muskaan sighed. "Yes, Mother."

After another 30 minutes of running around the apartment (mostly done by Shilpa), the two best friends headed for the college. But for Shilpa, walking was a little harder than she thought it would be.

"Ugh! Why are there so many people on the sidewalk?! I almost got run over by a bicyclist for the third time in less than two minutes!"

"This New York City, you'll get used to it," Muskaan shrugged, easily dodging a man that was being chased by another man.

"I've been here for nearly three weeks!"

"Yeah, most people would be used to it by now. Maybe something's just wrong with you," Muskaan said, giving Shilpa a mock-sympathy look.

Shilpa punched Muskaan's arm. "Shut up."

They soon reached Columbia, now really rushing to class. As much as Muskaan hated to admit, they were running late. In the midst of the running around, Shilpa bumped into someone, falling to the floor. "Ow!"

"Oh sorry—Well, hello." Shilpa looked up to see a really handsome, boy with muscles as big as rocks and eyes as blue as the sky. He was looking at her with a little glint of mischievousness in his eyes. He was also Indian.

"Oh, God, I don't have time for this. We don't have time for this. Come on, Shilpa," Muskaan said, giving the boy with blue eyes and another boy equally as handsome as the boy with the blues, whom Shilpa had failed to notice, a glare.

As Shilpa and Muskaan speed walked towards class, Shilpa asked, "Who were those boys?"

"People you should just stay away from. They're, like, the 'playas' of the college. The guy who bumped into, his name's Armaan Mallik and the other guy was his friend, Rahul Garewal. I swear, they've banged nearly all the chicks in our year," Muskaan said clearly showing her hate towards them.

"You really hate them, don't you?" Shilpa said, her eyebrows going up as they finally reached their classroom and sitting down.

"Of course I do, Shilpa. Wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"Because Rahul dated me for probably the longest time he's dated anyone before, and then left me."

Shilpa looked her, shocked. "Oh… Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?"

"Because I didn't get a chance to. We were done just as fast we started."

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

"Well, she was hot," Armaan Mallik said, smirking as he leaned against the wall of one of the many buildings of Columbia.

"Yeah, she was. But, do me a favor, and stay away from her," Rahul Garewal said to his best friend, joining him against the wall.

Armaan looked at him, bewildered. "Why? Dude, our policy is to bang any hot girl we see."

"Yeah, but dude, she's Muskaan's best friend from high school," Rahul replied.

"How do you know that?"

"I saw a picture of her on Muskaan's desk when we were dating."

"So what difference does it make if I go for her friend? Or do you want her?"

"No! I don't want her. I just don't want anyone who knows Muskaan to get…hurt."

"Oh," Armaan said, looking at his friend with eyebrows shot up and his mouth open as realization struck him. "Hurt? Rahul Garewal, are you telling me you still have feelings for your ex?"

"What? No, not at all! Let's change the subject."

Armaan gave him one last look before shaking his head. His friend had been really different since his breakup with Muskaan. Rahul was a little quieter and he didn't seem as interested in other girls anymore. And whenever Rahul saw Muskaan, he'd hide, behind Armaan, hoping Muskaan wouldn't notice him. Armaan knew Rahul still liked Muskaan, even though Rahul wouldn't admit it, and he knew why Rahul wasn't with Muskaan.

The thing is, Rahul is just like him. Once things got serious with a girl, Rahul ran away. Rahul, like Armaan, was afraid of commitment. That's why they were with one girl, then another.

Armaan's mind suddenly flashbacked to a moment in his life when he had been serious about a girl, and how much he'd hurt her when he'd broken up with her. He shook it out of his head and came back to the present. "Whatever, man, class is gonna start soon. Let's go."

Rahul nodded. Armaan looked at him and sighed. "Rahul, just remember, we're best friends. If you want to talk about Muskaan—"

"There's nothing to talk about. She was like any other girl."

Armaan just nodded, knowing better than not to say anything. "Okay, whatever you say."