CHAPTER 5
Bella left from her home without having her breakfast. It was incredible that despite knowing that her mother was an extremely selfish woman, she still felt hurt when he mother behaved selfishly. Yuvi was waiting for her at the college gate and one look at her face convinced him that she had had a rough night and they were all going to have a rough day ahead. She did not even return his greeting hug. She strode purposefully towards where Rehan and others were standing and without even a preliminary hello she said,
Bella: Rehan, Adi I want you to hunt down yesterday's chirkut and bring him to me. I will be in the sheds.
Rehan: Why? Did you fall in love with him?
Bella gave him such a look that he shut up immediately.
Bella: Just do as I say. No need for unnecessary questions. Understood?
He nodded his head and went off with Adi and Bultu. Kuhu and Anu were busy clicking selfies. They began to follow her to the shed when she told them wanted to deal with a few things alone. They both were glad to be away from Bella when she was in this kind of mood. Soon she was sitting in one of the most secluded sheds with Yuvi. Try as he might, he couldn't get her to tell him why she wanted to meet Mr. Thick Glasses. He suspected that it had something to with her mother's visit.
Soon Adi and Rehan had hunted Mahir down and were dragging him towards the sheds. When he saw that Bella was waiting for him, he was genuinely worried.
Mahir: I will not go there. Please let go of me. What have I done?
Paying no attention to him, Rehan and Adi brought him to Bella. Mahir was very nervous by then. He remembered yesterday's incident and licked his lips nervously. He was made to stand before Bella and then Adi and others retreated some distance away from them. Bella got up and went near him. He retreated a few steps and Bella kept on advancing him. Soon his back was pressed against the shed's pole. Anyone looking at them from a distance would feel that Bella was tormenting him and he looked genuinely terrified but that was far from reality.
Bella: Listen Mr. Thick Glasses I...
Mahir: Look I don't even know your name. Please don't come near me. I really don't like it. Why are you after me? Look I am sorry for walking in on you when you were doing that stuff but...
Bella: (Trying to control her laughter) That stuff? That stuff is called making out and no that is not why I have called you here. And why the hell are you backing away from me? I promise I won't eat you. Look no need to rub your lips. I will not kiss you, I swear. I want you to know my name. My name is Bella Sharma. I am Janvi Sharma's daughter.
Mahir: Why are you telling me this?
Bella: Because I have a proposal for you.
Mahir: See, I am not that kind of guy okay? I don't like doing hanky panky stuff. So please...
Bella: For your kind information, even I am not that kind of girl who goes around making out with random people. It was a dare given to me and so I did it. What did you take me for? Okay I am sorry for yesterday. For the kiss and then for what happened in the sheds as well. I was not in my senses. See the canteen incident was a dare and I am not a fattu to back off from a dare. And the sheds incident... Well you interrupted me and Yuvi at the wrong moment. I was pissed off. I am sorry for the threat. Okay. Now listen. I have a different kind of proposal for you. Hear me out. Your dad is producing a movie right? Well it seems that Janvi, as in my mom is a part of that film. And apparently that movie is extremely important for her.
Mahir: I promise to put in a good word for her. Not that dad has much of an opinion about me but still I will try... But I do think that it is not fair to try and influence other people like this by trying to intimidate them. It is highly immoral and...
Bella: Will you SHUT UP? I am trying to say something okay? Do you have a pause button or not? SHUT THE HELL UP AND HEAR ME OUT! I want you to go and tell your father that I... what was the word that you used yesterday? Ah yes molested you yesterday. Tell him that I constantly torment you in college. And do not forget to mention that I am Janvi Sharma's daughter.
Mahir: But why?
Bella: Just do as I say okay? Now if you ask me one more question then I don't know what I might end up doing. You don't need to know the reason.
Mahir: Look my dad does not love me nor does he respect me. But if he finds out that some actress's daughter is troubling me then he will have her thrown out of the film. His already frail ego will get badly bruised. She will lose this deal and...
Bella: And that is exactly what I want...
Mahir: But why? Is there a problem? Can I help in...
Bella: Mr. Thick Glasses. Just do as I say otherwise I can make you do it. See you have two options. Either you go home and tell awful tales of how I rag you or I actually rag you to make your stories more authentic. You can choose for yourself. And trust me when I say I will make your life HELL, I do actually mean it. Now go.
All this while, Mahir was pinned to the pole. Now she stepped back from him and he relaxed visibly. She couldn't help but feel a little amused that her presence was having such an effect on him. He turned to go and she couldn't resist herself from slapping his butt as he passed her. He jumped and turned to her and she winked. Muttering to himself Mahir went from there.
Just as Mahir went from there, Bella's phone rang. It was Anu who had called her to inform her that her KT exam timetable had been put up on the notice board. Bella groaned. She had failed her maths paper in the second semester and now it was already the time for her KT exams. And if she failed this time around then she would not be allowed to appear for further examinations. It was such a pain but... Well she would have to appear for the exams. Very reluctantly she went to the said notice board and then copied down the time table. Though she did not show it, inwardly she was panicking. The examination was supposed to take place in two weeks time. And she was not at all prepared.
Bella and mathematics were natural enemies like eagles and snakes or peacocks and snakes were natural enemies. There was no chance of any kind of friendship between Bella and maths. And here she was supposed to prepare for the said subject in two weeks time. None of her friends were of much use to her in this department. They all were equally bad at it and Bella knew that. She would have to find out a way out of that situation herself. All through the day she racked her brains as how she could get at least passing marks in the examination. By the end of the day she had no option but to approach the maths professor for help.
Bella: Prof. Niti please, I need some help. The KT exams are in a two weeks and I was wondering if you could help with maths?
Prof. Niti: No I can't Ms. Sharma. If I remember correctly, you were too busy to attend lectures last year. Now I am too busy to give you extra coaching.
Bella: But Ma'am, it is you job to...
Prof. Niti: My job is to teach in classrooms, which I do. I am not paid to spend extra energy giving extra coaching to arrogant brats like you.
Bella: Ma'am please, I badly need help. I will fail if you don't help me. Please Ma'am.
Prof. Niti: It is nothing personal. I really don't have time.
Saying this the professor walked away leaving a frustrated Bella behind. Bella was now in a fix. Her last source, the professor had turned down her request and she did not know which way to turn.
Bella: It's nothing personal. It is, it is bloody personal. She is not ready to help because we did not sit for any of her lectures last year. If it was some of the so called brilliant students then she would have happily spent hours solving their doubts. That b****h...
Mahir: Watch your tongue! You are talking about a professor.
Bella turned around in surprise. She saw that Mahir was standing behind her looking uncharacteristically stern.
Bella: Mr. Thick Glasses. What the hell? Are you stalking me by any chance? And please DON'T lecture me about language right now. I am in a hot soup.
Mahir: I can help.
Bella: What?
Mahir: I said I can help. I was passing when you were requesting Prof. Niti. I can help you, provided you agree to some of my conditions.