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Chapter 5

She turned to look at Armaan who was looking at her anxiously, she nervously handed the paper to the professor who skimmed through it very quickly. After a moment he looked up and narrowed his eyes at her for a moment

"Miss Gupta and Mr Mallik, please stay behind after class." He spoke in an even voice. Riddhima could still feel Armaan eyes on her, she looked down and nodded silently. She quickly took her seat next to Armaan and didn't look at him once. The professor continued his lecture which was interrupted by her entrance.

Armaan was nervous. Did she do it? Why wasn't she saying anything to him? He grew more impatient so decided to ask her, "Did you do the essay?" He whispered so the professor couldn't hear.

Riddhima didn't reply for a while but then nodded slightly. Armaan sighed in relief, he was thankful his work didn't go to waste. But he was shocked to know that she would do it, he was expecting her to just leave it. He thought she would never take it serious. He didn't see her in school all day so he thought she must have bailed out on him.

"Erm yeah thanks for that." He said dryly. He didn't know what else to say, he was thankful but he didn't want to show it either. She didn't reply. She just kept looking forward listening to the lecture and taking down notes. One thing he didn't quite understand was why she wasn't bloating about it? He would've expected her to after he indirectly insulted her yesterday. And why did the professor want to see them after class? Probably to tell them they did a good job or something, he thought.

The rest of the time they just did their work in silence. No one said anything; they didn't have the guts to. Before they knew it an hour had past and it was time for free period. Everyone left leaving only those two and the professor. He walked up to them and slammed their essay in front of them in anger.

"What the hell is this?" Armaan looked confused at his question, it was their work of course.

"Er sir, it's our essay." He replied unsurely.

"No, it's an incomplete piece of work. An incomplete piece of work which is worth half your grade!" He angry, no he was furious.

Incomplete? What was he talking about? Armaan was even more confused now, "Sir what do you mean incomplete? I mean we di-" Realisation hit him and he turned to face Riddhima who was silently looking down at her lap. Now he knew why she was so quiet. She hadn't done her half of the essay! It was his turn to be angry now, and boy was he. He felt like strangling her for a second, only just a second. But in some part of him he felt betrayed, he had actually believed her and now he finds out she had lied to him?!

"Sir it's not my fault." Armaan tried to convince him but was failing miserably.

"What do you mean not your fault?!" His voice was scaring Armaan now, plus it was starting to hurt his ears.

"Sir I did my half, it was her who-"

"What do you mean your half? This was a team project for BOTH of you to do TOGETHER!" Oops he shouldn't have said that bit, Armaan thought.

"Sir I know but I didn't want to work with her so I thought it might be easier-"

"If you did it separately?" The professor completed for him, "I thought I had told you Mr Mallik to keep your personal issues outside my classroom, yet you still bring it in!" Armaan turned silent and looked down in shame. The professor looked at Riddhima, "And what do you have to say for yourself Miss Gupta?"

Riddhima looked up and finally spoke, "I'm sorry." She said simply. Both men narrowed their eyes at her but she still remained unaffected.

"You're sorry? That's it? No explanation at all?" he asked taken aback. Riddhima shook her head as a response.

"No because there is no explanation, I didn't finish the essay because I didn't know what to do because I didn't bother researching it up. So yeah it's my fault." All three stayed silent after that. Armaan was staring at Riddhima in shock belief and anger whilst Riddhima kept on looking at the professor with no expression.

The professor stared at her intently, trying to study her. His gaze flicked back and forth from her to Armaan. After a few minutes he spoke, "I will give you both ONE more chance. You have until tomorrow morning to hand in your essay again. I am giving you this one chance because I believe you both can do well together. Also Armaan you have always given in outstanding piece of work and I don't want your grade to be affected because of a little issue between you both. Same goes to you Riddhima, you are new so wasn't very well equipped with the right information which I apologise for. However if you both work together im sure you will be able to do just fine. Bu if I find out in any way that both didn't do this together you will both get zero for your grade. Now go to free period but after you will come straight back and serve a two hour detention as a punishment. Any questions?" Both said nothing, "Good now you may go."

They got up and quietly went out of the room. As soon as they did Armaan took the chance to blast at her, "What the hell! You said you had done it all then why did you lie?!"

"Excuse me, if you remember correctly you said if I had DONE it, not done it ALL. And I had done some of it so I didn't lie." She said smartly.

"Don't try and defend yourself. You knew what I had meant and you still let me think that you finished it!" Riddhima tried to speak but he cut her off, "you know what, it was my mistake in the first place to actually believe you would do it. What an idiot! Why in the world would Riddhima Gupta do something for someone else? You just only think how it benefits you."

"Excuse me! I had tried to do it but I didn't know what to do! You're lucky I even did that much!"

"Exactly I am lucky aren't I? You actually did that much! Shock!" he said viciously, "You know what, you are just useless and a waste of space. You could've told me you hadn't done it but no you had to lie your way out of it. Like you lie your way out of everything! You just have to ruin everyone's life don't you?"

Riddhima was shocked at what he said, but the anger took over her, "You don't know anything about me! Don't you dare say all that stuff about me, because you aren't even perfect yourself. How's your parents Armaan? Do they still reject you?" What she said burned in to him like poison, they had never talked about that topic like that, and they had never dared to. He felt a tinge of pain hit him, he knew she knew how sensitive he was on that topic.

Both stood glaring at each other and could feel the hatred they had for one another, Riddhima was first to speak, "I hate you." Emphasizing every word.

Armaan smirked bitterly, "The feeling is mutual." After that they both went their own ways.

He went over to his common room where his tutorial class and Rahul would be. He was so angry he could kill anyone at that second. Rahul saw him storm in and got worried at his behaviour, it was hardly ever when he saw Armaan get angry unless it had to do with his parents.

"Hey what's up man? What happened?" Armaan slumped on to the bean bag next to him and sighed.

"Nothing, just that b**ch is out to ruin my life." Rahul was shocked at his answer, who would want to ruin his life?

"Who? Since I knew every girl wants to be part of your life not ruin it."

"That Riddhima girl who else? I got assigned a project with her and she didn't do it. I nearly failed my whole grade because of her!"

"Wait, do you mean that weirdo Riddhima? The one that wears black clothes and has piercings everywhere?" Armaan nodded, "How did that happen?"

Armaan told him the story of course leaving out the part where he was thinking about her last night. Rahul listened silently, nodding along the way, gasping when supposed to, letting his expressions tell Armaan what he thought about it. Armaan finished with a sigh and slumped back letting his head fall back. Rahul felt sorry for his friend, he knew how hard he worked to get good grades. He knew that Armaan just did it to feel like he is finally accomplishing something since he never got the love from his parents, he thought to use studying as a distraction.

"I'm sorry man," All he could do was sympathise his friend, he didn't know what else would help. "So what are you going to do now?"

Armaan smiled at him, he always knew what to say and what not to say, also how to say it, that's what he loved about him. He sighed, "Well I can't do anything. I just have to go to my detention, finish the essay with her and then just hope I never have to be with her for more than 10 seconds ever again."

Rahul chuckled slightly and thought to lighten up the mood, "Poor you man. Well I hope you survive Miss Scary Mary, and if you don't I promise to make a speech at your funeral."

Armaan frowned at Rahuls teasing grin "Ha-ha, you are so funny arent you?"

"Yes I am. Thanks for mentioning."

"I was being sarcastic." Armaan replied frowning.

"I wasn't." Rahul challenged. Both stared at each for a few seconds and laughed loudly.

"God Rahul man, you always know how to cheer me up." Armaan patted his back appreciatively.

"It's a gift." Armaan rolled his eyes at his friend's smugness. "So did you watch the Man U footy match last night?"

"No man I missed it coz I had to do the essay, what happened?"

"Oh dude you missed a lot! What a match it was man! Rooney scored a hattrick, it was amazing. He..."

They carried on talking for the rest of the free period, they talked about normal guys stuff; football, girls' bodies, etc. Armaan forgot about his worries during it all, Rahul didn't let him remember it; he knew what Armaan was like when he's upset. Even though he would pretend he's angry, Rahul always could notice the difference in his expressions and actions for when he's angry and upset. But one thing he wasn't sure of was why Armaan was so upset about working with her?

Before he could give it any real thought the school bell rang.

"Well I guess I'll be heading off home, you coming?" Rahul asked getting up from his seat, gathering his things.

"Nah I can't, remember? I got a detention cause of you-know-who." Rahul chuckled at his friend's use of words.

"Dude you're saying it as if she's that No-Nose guy in that glasses guy film."

"She is to me." He mumbled.

"Well I will see you when I see you. All the best dude." Rahul left leaving Armaan to make his way to the detention he was regretting.

"I don't believe the nerve of the guy!" Riddhima sat down next to Vicky throwing her bag on the floor. Everyone turned towards her noticing her foul mood and was shocked ot see her with them. She hadn't talked to them much for the last two days because of her classes and they started to get worried.

"What's wrong Ri? What guy?" Vicky asked suddenly interested on the topic of who got Riddhima Gupta pissed.

"Armaan Mallik who else? He yelled at me for not doing that stupid essay! But it's not my fault I had no idea what to do, he's lucky I even did half of it! And now I got a detention after school." The group looked at her wide-eyed they hardly see her yelling; yes she was always in a mood but hardly yelled.

"You want me to talk to him?" Riddhima knew Vicky's definition of 'talk' and it was definitely the opposite of talking.

Riddhima sighed, "No Vick it's okay I just need something to calm me down."

Vicky grinned deviously at the thought, "I think I have the solution."

Riddhima looked at him curiously; he took out a packet with white powder in it and put it in her hand. She realised straight away what it was.

"Weed? Why did you bring it in school? What if you got caught?!" Riddhima was worried for both of them, and quickly hid it in her pocket before anyone saw it.

"Chill Ri no one saw it. Now I think I deserve a thank you for bringing it in, or you would've been stressed all day."

Riddhima smiled at him, "Thanks, now come on lets go do it outside or they might catch us if we do it in here."

She started getting up when Vicky grabbed her arm, "Wait don't you have school detention? You don't want to go in high do you?" he teased her.

Riddhima frowned at the reminder, but already had planned an answer "Yes I do but don't worry they won't realise. I still have more than an hour before it so by then it might have calmed down a little. Plus I don't even care if it doesn't; I've been craving for some all day. I think you got me stuck with this stuff Vick." They both chuckled at the last line.

Vicky invited the whole gang to come with them and they all agreed. They left the campus to go just a couple of streets away to the corner where they used to always smoke.

Armaan walked in to the classroom to see it empty, he was confused but then he heard the professors voice.

"Aah Mr Mallik please sit down." He said whilst coming out the store room attached to the classroom with a pile of text books.

Armaan sat down right at the back of the classroom as far as possible from the teacher.

"Where is your partner Miss Gupta?" he asked noticing Armaan entering alone.

"I don't know sir, i haven't seen her after class." Just as he finished saying that Riddhima tumbled in to the classroom giggling.

"Oops." She giggled putting her hand in front of her mouth, "I'm here! Missed me?"

Both men looked at her shocked by her behaviour, what the hell?

"Miss Gupta! You are late! Would you like to extend your detention?"

Riddhima expressions changed suddenly, and a frown appeared on her face, "Im sorry. Please don't make me stay here longer." She looked down like a child being scolded

"Are you crying?!"

"No" She sniffed, "I have something in my eye." They were bewildered by her sudden change of behaviour, they never thought she would take this seriously.

"Well um take your seat." He fumbled turning back to the text books.

Riddhima went to her seat still not looking up and put her head down on her desk.

Armaan looked at her strangely as if she was an alien. A couple of hours ago she was all moody and angry and now she was behaving as if she was five! This girl had serious mood issues.

Riddhima looked up at him and had confused look on her face, then it changed to realisation and it ended with her glaring at him before putting her head back down. Armaan was shocked to see different emotions on her face, why did she look like she didn't know who he was?

He decided to let it go and just took out his phone underneath the table and started texting Rahul. Two hours went by in a flash and the professor looked at his watch to see the time.

"Right you can both leave now, and remember I want the essay in by tomorrow." He left the room leaving both of them alone. Armaan got up to leave and was about to step out the room when he noticed there was no sound behind him. He turned and saw Riddhima still sitting with her head down. He sighed and walked up to her.

"Oye." He patted her back repeatedly, he had realised by now she was sleeping. "Oye get up, it's time to go."

"uummm leave me alone." She grumbled facing her head the other way.

"Oye! Do you want to spend the whole night here? Now get up, we both got an essay to do." He kept on patting her back but got no reply, sighing he grabbed her arm making her stand.

She pulled her arm back and rubbed her eyes frowning. "God, you could've woken me up more nicely." She mumbled straining to open her eyes to see the classroom because of the bright light.

"Yeah I tried that but it didn't work so you left me no choice."

"Thanks!" she grumbled. She sat back down and held her head in her hands, "Aah my head is killing me."

"Yeah well we don't have time for that. Look we got an essay to do, so come on lets go."

He grabbed her arm again but she pulled it back, "Where?"

"To the library of course."

"What? No way! My head hurts, I'm going home to get some rest." She got up, taking her bag and started walking out the classroom. But Armaan stopped her halfway.

"Look I don't care about your headache okay but I need to get a good grade, so I need you to forget about it for a few more hours and come to the library with me."

"And why would I want to go there?"

"Because you need a good grade too." Riddhima thought for a second and sighed.

"Fine! Let's go." She mumbled, Armaan grinned in triumph and lead the way to the library.