ArHi FF: The One Meant For Me [Link Pg 143] - Page 20

The lecture theatre was buzzing with sounds of chatters when Khushi arrived, still panting after the high-speed race she had had from the parking lot to class. Climbing up the steps leading to her seat, she brought her hands together up and down thanking Devi Maiyya for not being late for her morning lecture. Indeed, punctuality was one of the golden rules of the university and she couldn't afford missing it. NK, Khushi's best friend, promptly asked her whether something was wrong, judging by her tired and out-of-breath expressions.

"Nanhe" this is how in her own special way, Khushi called NK, short for Nand Kishore, "I came across such a big idiot just now who has an ego greater than the whole geographical area of India, can you believe it!! But how could he mess with Khushi Kumari Gupta? I am too good! I showed him who was the smarter between the two of us!" Khushi explained, praising herself for the way she fled leaving him standing like a stupid guy.

"I never doubted your capacity of coming up with your Oh-so-unique antics!!" NK chuckled.

"My Oh-so-unique antics are always very effective … mind you!" Khushi retorted, showing him the tongue.

"By the way Khushi, it seems you will be having a great day today! She is not here! Must be bunking" NK revealed, pointing at an empty seat at the back of the class.

"Perfect!" Khushi smilingly replied.

The rapid change in atmosphere with every student stopping chatting and frantically getting down from tables to sit properly back in place already suggested the imminent arrival of the lecturer who, this time was not alone. Next to him was a new face to the entire class, but not to Khushi who upon seeing him, spilled all the water she was drinking onto the bald-headed student right in front of her.

"Are you mad?" the student turned around and asked.

"I am so sorry Ganja (bald)….oops just forget what I just said…I am saying sorry again" Khushi hit the back of the head for such a slip of the tongue. "And I am not mad…I am Khushi!!! Why is everyone calling me mad today?"

After cleaning her mess and uttering sorry again and again, she tried her level best to make herself small by sinking deeper into her chair and covering her face with her dupatta.

"Margayyi! You are a dead duck Khushi!" she muttered.

Professor Mathur presented the whole class to the new student who would be part of the programme for the following one month, Arnav Singh Raizada. As he was shedding light on the striking achievements that Arnav had accomplished at such a young age, all pairs of eyes had steered towards that brilliant student, curiosity for some and admiration for others, especially the girls in class. Reddening cheeks, throbbing heartbeats, dreamy gazes and name doodlings showed the effect Arnav Singh Raizada was generating on them.

Arnav's eyes moved swiftly around the class to have a glimpse of Lavanya, and he was thoroughly disappointed not to see her until his eyes posed on the multi-coloured cloth that had caught him off-guard few minutes before. He needed no brownie points for guessing it was Khushi and wasn't sure whether he was more angry that a girl had made a fool of himself, or irritated by the fact that they would be sharing the same class.

As destiny would have decided, or more precisely Professor Mathur, Arnav found a seat that was in close proximity to Khushi's, with only a small gap distancing their benches.

"No no no…Devi Maiyya, please don't let this be true!!" Khushi murmured while slowly peeking out from the dupatta, to see Arnav sitting only a few distances from her.

Agitatedly removing the dupatta from her face, she tried her level best not to meet his gaze, despite stealthily moving her eyes in his direction only to have the increasingly weird feeling that he was staring at her. If looks could kill, then she would have been dead since long.

"Nanhe, he is the one…the idiot!" Khushi whispered to NK, moving her head backwards to show him.

"You messed with a guy coming from Harvard and who will be our classmate for one month? He studied at Harvard, can you imagine it? Harvard!!!" NK responded, clearly in awe of such a great institution.

"I wonder how people can wish to study again after already having studied for years!! I mean what is the logic….creepy guy!" Khushi added.

"Miss Gupta, or should I say Miss Chatterbox, next word and believe me you are out of this class!" Professor Mathur suddenly shouted.

Flabbergasted, Khushi bit her lips and pouted at being scolded. But her exasperation knew no bounds when she discovered that Arnav was flaunting a smirk. She gave him one angry look before getting back to taking the notes the lecturer was dictating.

"Thank God at least someone could shut her up!" Arnav thought, irritated by her constant mumbles.

But it certainly wasn't Arnav's day! When the chatting subsided, he found another root cause of irritation triggered by Khushi. The sound of bangles colliding one against the other as she was writing, erasing, writing again and erasing again made him break his silence.

"Can you please stop making that sound?" Arnav asked furiously.

Unsure of whether he was talking to her, Khushi looked around her until she realised that indeed those words were addressed to her. Bringing her finger to the lips, she showed him that she couldn't speak, which only diminished Arnav's tolerance level. Once Professor Mathur had the back turned to the class when writing on the whiteboard, Khushi judged the moment favourable to reply.

"So what do you want me to do? Talk to the bangles and ask them not to make any sound?" Khushi let out cynically.

"No but I do have a better idea…just remove them" Arnav replied.

"Have you lost it? Don't you know that a girl should not have empty wrists? But how would you know, you are not a girl, right?" Khushi amusedly retorted.

"Shut up!" Arnav answered.

Both mentally cursed the other for the rest of the class. After the lecture had ended, Arnav was surrounded by students in the class, wanting to befriend him and asking him about the Harvard experience, under the eyes of a shocked Khushi who could not believe such praises for such an arrogant guy. A mechanical "Hi, I am Arnav Singh Raizada!" and a handshake had just become his routine of the day.

"Just look at these girls Nanhe…how they are hyperventilating to meet him!" Khushi remarked.

"Let's go and meet him too! After all, he is a classmate!" NK commented.

"Khushi Kumari Gupta" Khushi said, extending her hand towards Arnav's, who had already held hers before realising it was her.

"Miss Chatterbox…I would love to say glad to meet you but it is not the case!" Arnav expressed.

"Mr Badtameez, since you are now part of the class, we will have to tolerate each other! There is no denying that unfortunately! Better get used to seeing me" Khushi said, before leaving the class.

Chapter 2: Seeking Help will be up next week, which day I don't know yet😆 It's just that the load of uni work is getting bigger!!!😔

Likes and comments please!!!😳