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------------------------------------------------Chapter 1
5:32p.m. [Hey gorgeous! Wanna go for a movie tonight?]
5:36p.m. [What, just the two of us? Or Bhai and Behenji joins too?]
5:40p.m. [No babe, Purab doesn't join us. As for behenji, I only promised Aaliya that I will take care of her in class, not beyond. So just the two of us. Game?]
5:50p.m. [Sure, sounds like a plan! Pick me up at 9?]
5:53p.m. [Done ma'am]
Tanu smirked after reading the last message on the phone. This Abhi was a charmer, she thought. They have become friends ever since they started college last year when her cousin Purab and she ended up joining the same college for the same course - Abhi was Purab's best friend from junior school. So naturally, they were sort of a group - of course the recent addition to the group was that behenji Pragya - a total misfit thought Tanu dismissively.
Pragya was in the same class from the beginning, but they never noticed her until they started college this year. As luck would have it, Abhi's sister Aaliya had joined the same college and she was Pragya's roomie. Aaliya for some reason had become fiercely protective of Pragya seeing her docile nature and nerdy disposition - she realized Pragya must be having a difficult time in the college, hence she had made Abhi promise her, that he will befriend Pragya in class and let her hang out with them - in short taking care of Pragya was Abhi's responsibility as per Aaliya's demand. Of course, Abhi never said no to his tom-boy sister Aaliya - so there was their revised group - Abhi, Tanu, Purab and Behenji.
***
Pragya was furiously scribbling and making last minute corrections in the assignment - she couldn't believe that she herself had made so many silly mistakes in it, but of course by the time she had started working on it, it was past 3a.m. and she was really tired and sleepy - she had to learn to manage time better she thought to herself as she tried her best to drown out the constant chirpy voice of Tanu sitting in front of her - gossiping over the phone about how fantastic her movie date with Abhi went last night. She needed to concentrate and revise this before the professor came for collecting their assignments - she couldn't afford another assignment going down the drain because of her careless mistakes. She was covering her ears with her hand and rocking on her chair and reading out her assignment softly to concentrate better, when she saw a long bony finger tap her desk - she glanced up to see Abhi looking down at her with an annoyed face.
"Why my assignment already isn't placed on the professor's desk chashmish?" he asked with an annoyed expression.
"Woh..actually I was doing ---" but he cut her off.
"Oh, so this is how carelessly you do my assignment? Minutes before the professor arrives? And why have you scribbled so much on it? You're trying to screw me on purpose, right chashmish?" asked Abhi furiously.
Pragya silently turned around and dug out another file from her bag and handed it to Abhi. "This is your assignment Abhi, I finished it last night. The one I am scribbling on is mine" she replied softly not meeting his eyes.
Abhi took the file silently from her and flipped through the pages, it was neatly done and there were no scribbles. He still felt irritated, but he chose not to say anything.
"What is this yaar Abhi, at least listen to her once before venting out your anger on her. Firstly she does all your assignments and she prioritises your assignment over her's and this is how you behave?" chided an annoyed Purab from next to Pragya. Abhi turned back to face Purab after he heard his remarks and was about to say something to Pragya, when Tanu who was sitting beside him, turns around and faces Purab and Pragya too.
"What bhai, if she was done with Abhi's assignment, then why could she not go and keep his file on the desk before only? Abhi wouldn't have got irritated then" finished Tanu and smiled warmly at Abhi. Then they both turned around and started chatting, leaving Purab and Pragya to themselves.
"Pragya, I really think you should stand up for yourself sometimes. Why do you even do his assignments?" asked Purab for the millionth time, without expecting a reply. Pragya just turned to him and gave him a small smile and continued revising her assignment. Purab was her only friend in the group. The only one who stood up for her - but she couldn't leave the group either, she had her own set of reasons for that.
As the class chirped happily, the professor entered the class, and as expected, the first thing he asked for was the submission of assignments. Tanu generously offered to take Abhi's assignment along with her's to place on the professor's desk - however Abhi turned around and stole a quick glance at Pragya - she was still not done with her own assignment he remembered. But then he saw that she just finished turning the last page, with a silent relief he turned back. No one noticed this little gesture other than Pragya, and it brought a small smile in her lips.
***
[Note: Ali and he will be used in Aaliya's context sometimes - it is not a mistake or a typo]
It was past midnight, Neil knocked on the door of his best buddie's apartment, no one responded. He knocked again, this time harder - this time there was a click of locks opening and a yawning Pragya opened the door, rubbing her eyes.
"Neil? At this hour?" she asked perplexed.
"Where is Ali?" he asked ignoring her question.
"She is sleeping in her room" replied Pragya.
"HE you mean." He corrected and walked inside and knocked on his bedroom door.
"Yes yes, he I mean" murmured Pragya and locked the main door and came inside.
Neil started banging Aaliya's door now, "Oye Ali! Open the door bro!" he spoke loudly. Pragya smiled silently. In her initial days, when Aaliya had moved in to share her apartment, when these things happened, it freaked her out - now it was cool - Aaliya was a boy - so she thought herself.
Raised by her brother Abhi and tayaji in a neighbourhood full of boys, she never had any female influence in her life, so to gel with her surroundings, from a very young age she had convinced herself that she was a boy - Ali Mehra was her name - she had short cropped hair, she wore loose shirts, wore dog tags like her brother and she even used aftershave on her cheeks - she really was a boy trapped in a girls' body - that's what she had told Neil when he was five and had newly moved into their neighbourhood. And among all her friends and family, Neil was the only one who truly believed her claim.
So for Neil, it wasn't a big deal to barge in at Ali's door in the middle of the night - though he did feel awkward around Pragya, but Ali's mad family wouldn't let Ali move in with other guys and Pragya was the only girl who didn't judge Ali or question his claim.
"What the f**k is up at this hour bro?" came Ali's voice from his room.
"Dude we are driving down the highway for tea with Ashish, Baji and Mastan, I just came to pick you. Hurry now!"
"Cool, give me five" came his prompt reply. And sure enough he was out in five, ready with his biker's jacket and key.
Pragya stared at her, she was going to drive down the highway in the middle of the night for tea? That to with a bunch of guys? Was it safe for her? She knew she would be dead meat if she asked her that - Aaliya loved Pragya, she was the only woman who didn't judge her, but if she ever not take her masculinity seriously, Pragya knew Aaliya wouldn't spare her either.
"Ali, why drive down so far for tea? I could make it for you guys now right here you know?" she offered.
Ali and Neil laughed at her statement and muttered, "Girls" in disapproval.
Pragya tried again, "Hey Ali, do you mind if I join you guys?" she thought if she couldn't stop her from going, at least she could go along and ensure she was safe.
"Prags babe, it's a guy thing. It's not safe for girls. I will take you some other time" saying that Ali side hugged Pragya and left the apartment with Neil, as Pragya stood there and sighed wondering when the day would come when Aaliya would realize who she truly was.
***
"Tanuuu" shrieked Bulbul from the bathroom of their hostel room. Tanu freaked out and ran towards the bathroom door and banged on it. "What is it Bulbul? Is it a cockroach again?" she anticipated with baited breathe. But instead if answering, bulbul came out of the bathroom with a brilliant smile on her face.
"Sweety I lost more weight!! I lost two more kilos!! The liquid diet has worked for me!!!" she screamed in joy. Tanu looked at her haughtily.
"Well the loss isn't really visible though Bulbul" she told her, eyeing her critically.
"You're just telling because the diet failed for you and you didn't shed any weight, hain nah?" sniggered Bulbul good naturedly holding Tanu's shoulder, and then she ran out of the room to inform her other friends of her new achievement - while Tanu stomped her foot fuming. "I hate liquid diet" she muttered under her breathe.
***
It was later than half past one in the morning when her phone rang, she woke up with a start and received the call with a sleepy "Hello".
"Hi chashmish, sorry to call you this late, it's Abhi" by the mere sound of his deep voice, sleep evaded Pragya and she was wide awake, her heart was thudding treacherously loud and she prayed to God that Abhi didn't hear it. She breathed out evenly to control her senses and responded rationally.
"It's okay Abhi, I wasn't sleeping. And don't worry your assignment is ready for tomorrows submission too." She relied assuming that would be the reason for his call, usually he only called to inform her about his assignment deadlines.
"Thanks, but that's not why I called you. It's Aaliya, is she around? I tried calling her, but her phone isn't reachable"
"Oh, no she isn't at home. Oops sorry, I mean, he isn't at home, he has gone for a drive with Neil and the other guys" she told him. To her surprise he chuckled.
"It's okay chashmish, you can call her a she in front of me, and I won't kill you for it. But why did she go so late? Didn't you try stopping her?" he asked agitated again.
"I did, but he, I mean she said girls won't understand the thrill and she left. Maybe you can try Neil's number?"
"Yes, yes I think I will call Neil. Thanks again and sorry for the late call" he reverted.
"It's no problem, goodnight" finished Pragya with a small smile, but before she hung up, he cleared his throat. "Yes?" responded Pragya with a thudding heart.
"Umm chasmish, since you're wide awake, maybe you should finish your own assignment too now, instead of goofing around. That way you won't need those last minute intense revisions."
Pragya's heart hammered inside her chest so hard in content and happiness that she felt it could choke her to death. She knew he cared, but he wouldn't show it - but maybe he cared a little bit because she was his little sister's best friend, nothing more.
"Yes Abhi, I will do it now. Thanks." And then there was a small clunk and the line got disconnected.
Pragya got up from her bed and pulled out her notes to work on her assignment, all the time blushing in the shade of crimson. Thank God Ali wasn't around to tease her right now.
Edited by aafrah - 10 years ago
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