Chap1
It was so late. Jen and I had spent so much time getting ready in the dorm this morning. She had insisted that I wear heels and I had obliged just so that we could get to class.
"Jen, we're going to be late!" I was getting breathless. I was trying not to think about the fact that I was wearing heels. There was too much of a chance that I would fall.
"That's your fault." Jen was able to keep pace with me despite her height, because of her ability to run in heels. "If you had just accepted the outfit we would already be in class."
That's when it happened. The worst possible thing that I could imagine. I tripped and fell onto someone. The last thing I saw was beautiful emerald eyes before my head hit the concrete.
I couldn't have been out long. I could feel someone's hands on the inside of my arm. I twitched my fingers and the hands disappeared. Part of me was disappointed.
An unfamiliar but beautiful voice whispered in my ear, "Shilpa, can you hear me?"
"Mmm," I couldn't form words. I wasn't sure where I was or who the beautiful voice belonged to.
"Shilpa," the musical voice was so close, "Can you open your eyes."
I tried to comprehend. Eyes, I could do that, right? I felt my face from the inside out. Finally I found my eyelids. I was able to get them to flutter open. I immediately knew that I was dreaming. The angel kneeling over me was not real.
"Shilpa, do you know where you are?" He looked concerned. Why?
I asked the first stupid question that came to my mind. "How do you know my name?"
He responded by looking over at Jen who was talking to a campus officer. She looked over at us at the same moment and relief washed over her face. She ran over to us and fell on her knees at my side. "Thank God you're okay."
The incident was finally coming back to me. I remembered talking. I remembered this boy's beautiful green eyes. I tried to keep my thoughts in line. "Well I wouldn't have fallen in the first place if you would have let me wear my converse."
Jen rolled her eyes and the angel chuckled. I was drawn back into the power of his eyes. It was hard to look away. The green was piercing, yet gentle at the same time. His gaze tightened every muscle in my body. I had to look away. I decided to evaluate myself. Nothing too serious, as far as I could see. There wasn't even blood. For me, that was a pretty good sign.
The angel's hand moved to my back while I was inspecting myself. He helped me up into a seated position. Then he took my hand and pulled me to my feet. He kept hold of me until he was sure I wouldn't fall again. "I think you'll be okay." He was smiling at me. And it made it hard for me to breath.
Jen answered for me, "Yes, though we're late for class now."
The reminder made reality painfully unavoidable. "Shoot, class. Thank you so much'" I trailed off. I didn't know his name. I wanted to say 'thank you, my beautiful angel,' but that seemed inappropriate.
"Karan," he smiled again.
Breathe Shilpa, "Karan. Thank you Karan. I'm so sorry for falling into you."
He chuckled, "It's cool. Maybe we'll bump into each other again sometime." He smiled and walked away. Did he sound hopeful?
"SHILPA!" The stupid pixie was tugging at my arm. "We're late. The professor might lock us out." With that we were running again.
We tried to sneak into the crowded class, but my luck seemed to be against me today. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised.
"Thank you for joining us ladies." The woman at the front of the class was almost scary. "From now on, if you don't arrive in the first 15 minutes, you will be locked out." We mumbled out apologies and took seats in the back of our class.
It was English 101. I was planning on majoring in journalism, I needed to pay attention, but Karan kept creeping back into my thoughts. I was able to attain that the professor's name was Mrs. Blanton. She handed out the list of books that we would need to get from the bookstore then went over the syllabus.
Jen and I tried to blend in with the rest of the class on the way out, but the professor stopped us. "Late girls. I need to talk to you for a minute." Jen and I slumped over to her desk. "I realize that this is all new to you, but I will not accept tardiness in this class. You will arrive on time or drop my class."
We each agreed and left the class. Once we were on the sidewalk again, I glared at Jen.
"WHAT?" Her eyes were wide with innocence.
I pointed an accusing finger at her. "This is all your fault."
"No it's not." She readjusted the strap of her purse. "Like I said. You should have just put on the outfit when I told you to."
I rolled my eyes, "But I would have tripped regardless of the hour that we arrived."
"But then you wouldn't have met Karan. You can't tell me that you're not excited about that little fact." She smiled at me knowingly.
How could I not be? Perfection did not begin to describe his features. "That doesn't matter Jen." I couldn't let her get me off topic, even if she was completely and devastatingly right. "Now that professor is going to have it out for us. I don't need any enemies."
Jen rolled her eyes and walked into the student center. I followed her to the food court as my stomach growled. I'd forgotten that we weren't able to get breakfast before class. I grabbed a muffin and a juice and paid with my meal plan.
"Shilpa, don't worry so much." Jen was already chewing on a bite of apple. "Your writing is so amazing that Mrs. Blanton will be forced to like you."
"Just don't do that to me again." I said with a sigh.
"The answer is to simply wear what I tell you to," she said simply.
She was probably right. Jen and I had only known each other a week, but I could tell that she wasn't going to let me have my way on this, EVER. I tried to sound confident anyway. "There's no way you are going to convince me to dress like this again. I mean look at me. With how short this skirt is, I'm sure Karan saw more than he bargained for."
"I didn't hear him complaining." There was a glint in her eyes that scared me.
"We need to stop talking about him. I'm sure he's completely forgotten us by now." Strike that, forgotten me. Jen was gorgeous. There was no way he could forget her. I didn't think anybody could forget the girl who I was sure would be my best friend.
"I don't think so." She giggled. "You made quite an impression."
I scowled. I hated my clumsy ways. In high school, the other students had learned to give me a wide berth. I wasn't sure, but I had a feeling that the word would spread to all 20,000 students here as well.
Then I sighed, "You're right, who can forget the girl who fell on them? I hope I never see him again." That was only kind of true. The embarrassment of seeing him again would be unbearable, but I couldn't deny my attraction to him. I don't think anyone could. The look in Jen's eyes told me that I might have been right.
"Excuse me." She got up from the table and walked over and deliberately fell into the arms of a tall blonde. What was she doing? She looked abashed, but that didn't make sense. Jen had more grace than a prima ballerina. She was now smiling and looking down. I saw her nod and begin to walk back to me. I noticed the blonde watching her go.
"What the hell was that?" I flailed my arm exasperatedly in the direction of the blonde.
Jen was grinning from ear to ear. "It worked for you, so I thought I'd give it a shot."
My brow furrowed. "Since when has falling done us any good?"
"Since it just got us invited to a party."
I nearly growled at her. There was absolutely no way that I would be going to a party. I hated parties. Drinking was not on my list of things to get arrested for.
Jen gave me a look that clearly disagreed. "You're going. There will be no arguments."
"We'll see about that." I didn't even sound confident to myself. I knew I was going to go to this party and worse, I was going in whatever Jen dressed me.
part2-pg2
PART3-PG6part4-pg9
part 5-pg10
part6,7-pg13
part8-pg16
part9-pg20
part10-pg23
part11-12-pg25
Jhanak
Shiv Shakti
252