AbhiGya Fiction ~ Cross Connection - Completed pg 42 (chp. 25 + epil) - Page 12

Hello Guys! Long time I know!! But I am finally back! Well honestly, I have lost touch with the story, so it took me time to frame something in my head, before penning down. I have sort of thought this through for now, and I won't leave it incomplete, but updates maybe a little slower (RLI's) - But on that note, hope you enjoy this one as much! Please leave in your comments and feedback about it - I love to hear from you - HAPPY READING!! 😊😊

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Chapter 11

Pragya entered the classroom and she was about to go to her new spot beside Suresh at the other end of the room. She knew Purab couldn't sit with them even if he wanted to, Abhi was a very close friend of his and Tanu was his cousin - it was fine, she would still have Suresh! But as she headed towards her spot she heard Suresh calling her from the other side, "Hey Pragya! I am here, join us here nah" she turned around to see Suresh and Tanu sitting side by side, in the spot that was usually her and Purab's. Now Purab was sitting next to Abhi, where Tanu sat. So they all were a group now, and each one had their partner, why did Suresh call him anyway, where would she sit? "Err..Pragya, what are you thinking, come nah!" repeated Suresh. But Pragya wasn't going to go back to their group, not again, "No Suresh, you carry on. I will need to take notes of yesterdays lecture from Aakash, so I will sit with her. Aakash and Pragya were competitors in class, either of them would always top their batch, but the competition they had was healthy, and neither tried to excel by hampering the other. So Pragya knew if she wanted the correct notes, Aakash would surely provide her. She sat next to a jovial Aakash and exchanged polite words for a few minutes, then Aakash pulled out his notebook and Pragya furiously started taking notes.

Abhi had followed every word of Pragya's since she entered the classroom. He was happy to see that chashmish had refused to take Suresh's offer, but he was also unhappy to see that, it meant chashmish wasn't sitting with them at all. He kept glancing at Pragya as she went about smiling and talking with that Aakash guy. He silently put his notebook inside his bag, what was the use of it? It's not like he ever took down notes, and the only time he did take it, that was the day before - he knew chashmish had missed class and she would require them - but of course Aakash's notes were bound to be better.

Soon the professor came in and went about returning their assignment sheets from the day before, after grading them. Pragya sighed, she had missed this submission, her grades would fall again, looked like Aakash was going to beat her this semester. She shot a nervous glance at Abhi, if she hadn't been able to submit her assignment, it meant Abhi's was not submitted too - now again she had to apologize she thought - the more she tried avoiding him, the more he comes closer she thought miserably.

As she sat their consumed in her thought, she saw the professor hand her an assignment, she took it with a confused face and looked at it, surely it was a mistake, she must have mistakenly got someone elses sheet. She peered into the paper, but it had her name written on it in a different handwriting, she furrowed her brows in confusion and checked the grade, it was a B+ that she had got, not bad she thought, but she still couldn't figure out how did an assignment miraculously reach her professor that she didn't submit - she debated whether to bring it to the professor or not, she finally decided on telling him, there must be a confusion somewhere. The moment she raised her hand to call for the professor's attention, Abhi seemed to go into a particularly bad coughing fit, her attention got diverted towards him, he was looking at her and making some mute communication which she failed to understand, then he enacted that he was texting her. Pragya quietly waited for the text.

11:27a.m. [Can't you be happy that you didn't miss your submission? Why does prof need to know?]

11:29a.m. [What if someone else's assignment got submitted with my name misprinted on it? Someone who worked hard would score a duck then Abhi, I must tell prof.]

11:32a.m. [No one is scoring a duck. That's your assignment all right. I submitted it]

Pragya stared at the text message, Abhi had submitted her assignment on her behalf? Didn't she always do it for him? Wasn't he so busy that he didn't get the time to do his own one? Then today...Pragya had no words, she was too surprised.

11:40a.m. [You did my assignment? But why?]

11:42a.m. [Because in a group, we look out for each other. You have always done my assignments neglecting yours.]

Pragya read the message and smiled, Abhi saw her smiling and he didn't know why, but he felt a little happy inside, just slightly and it was very momentary.

11:45a.m. [Thank-You Abhi. I owe you one.]

11:47a.m. [Yes, you do owe me, and to return my favour, join us back this side. Purab misses you]

Suddenly it seemed like such a bright and sunny day thought Pragya, she was feeling warm and light - so deep down somewhere, they were a group indeed and who better to prove it than Abhi himself?

11:50a.m. [If I leave mid-way, Aakash will feel bad, from tomorrow I will join you guys. By the way, I hope you submitted your assignment too?]

11:55a.m. [Fine, join us post lunch then. Aakash is going for goal-keeping trials today for our team - post lunch. Yes, I have submitted mine, landed with a C- this time : (]

11:57a.m. [Oh, okay. Don't worry your grades will pick up pace from the next assignment, I promise. By the way, I got a B+ so, thanks! : )]

***

Purab was standing all most at the edge of the cliff, with his hands on his waist, breathing hard - the climb up the cliff was definitely tough, but it was worth it, this was the best place to try the new trick he learnt about capturing photographs of twilight - there was no one to disturb him, the huge sky before him was unobstructed, spreading streaks of fast diffusing orange into pinkish purple - he had about fifteen minutes to try his trick, before the dark evening engulfed the scene before him. As he paced up and went further close to the cliff to set up his tripod, he thought he heard a sniff from below the small cliff that overlooked the city in the distance. He was done setting the camera, but before he could focus on a frame, he heard another sniff - he was surprised, was some small animal caught in the hedges sprouting from below the cliff? He moved closer and found a small trail from the side, leading near the hedges, he followed the trail, that is when he was close enough to detect the source of the sniff.

"God ji please! Please please please don't make it painful okay? I know it's not right, but this is all I can do now! After all I am heart broken! Isnt this what Juliet had done? Except, my Romeo isn't like really dead, just metaphorically you know. But God ji, you know I gave this a lot of thought, like I thought about it all the time I was having my last red velvet cheesecake at Love & Cheesecake' for this life time. This is it, then, I guess I should jump..." Purab was shocked out of his wit, there stood the prettiest girl he had ever set his eyes on, and when did he meet her? When she was ending her life? As Purab was about to run towards the depressed damsel fearing she would jump before he reached her, the girl seemed to be in no hurry, she spoke aloud again.

"Okay okay Godji, wait, I forgot to cross check the to-do list I made before jumping. Two mins hmm?"

To-do list before jumping?' Purab thought and scratched his head, as the girl pulled out a piece of paper from her denims pocket and mumbled on.

"Returned Poo her leather jacket - check

Told di the date of my Amazon delivery - check

Took back my straightener from Tanu - check

Confessed to Godji - " and she exclaimed - "what Godji, I forgot to confess to my crimes before jumping only! No No, Greek God's in heaven wont date me if I missed this!"

A small chuckle escaped Purab as he heard this. He was relaxed now, this girl wasn't jumping so easily.

"God ji, I have been a very bad girl, I have dark sins to confess to" she sighed. "You know when I was little, and ma had scolded di for not feeding fishytishy in time because of which he died? Well, di did put the food in time God ji, but fishytishy was dead way before eating it - I err..I had forgotten to turn on the aquarium light before switching off the light in the room the night before. Sorry! And the other time when I when I was on a crash diet last month? Well, I had broken it and eaten muffins too - God ji I even lied to Tanu about my weight! I never lost two kilos, I just wanted to make her jealous. I am so so horrible. And when I told Tanu she looks slim in green and made her buy that cocktail dress? God ji, actually she looks like a fat mushroom in it, I was jealous. I have been a bad bad girl, but I promise I will be a good fairy - please send me to heaven when I fall okay? And one last request Godji, please don't make the make-up smear on my dead body when they come to collect it okay? And incase my lipstick rubs off, please punish the makeup company owners for false promises to a dying soul - they are supposed to give 12 hours cover and its smudge proof." Finally the girl finished and sighed, now she was getting ready for the dive.

"Maybe you should postpone your dive miss. It's dark now, even if your Godji, plans to send you to heaven, you sure you will find your way in the dark?" asked Purab from behind.

Bulbul jumped in alarm, "God, you scared me to death crazy man!"

"Well you were dying anyway" responded Purab with a tight lip.

"Hi, I am Purab. Purab Khanna"

"Bulbul Arora, soon to be Lt. Bulbul Arora"

"Hi, soon to be Lt. Bulbul Arora, do you want a ride home for the time being? You can always come back tomorrow, now that your checklist is exhausted, all you gotta do is not waste time and jump during day-light!"