PART 12
no proof read. sorry
August 1st 2007 continued...
Afternoon classes were suspended for final year students on account of preparations need to be done for the inauguration of the new chemistry block. Nandini and her friends were hanging out in canteen chit-chatting like teenagers! It had been long since they spent so much time together. Ever since they came to final year each and everyone were engrossed in their project work and nandini had herself distanced from the group for obvious reasons. All this had given them limited time to spend with each other. Nandini and kriti were busy whispering something to each other making meghana and abhi suspicious. Once they were out of the canteen nandini signalled kriti something to which kriti grinned back to her with a thumps up. Nandini then went to meghana who was narrowing her eyes at the two. "whats cooki-" even before meghana could finish nandini cut in, "meghs.. don't you think you forgot something??" nandini asked her. Meghana scratched her head while abhi rubbed his hands nervously. "your laptop duffer!" kriti slapped meghana's arms playfully. Meghana bit her tongue "oh yeah.. I left it in classroom! Shit.. ill go get it.. wait for me..!" meghana was about to rush when abhi offered to accompany her.
yes!' nandini cheered herself and kriti followed abhi and meghana with silent footsteps. Kriti finally waved back at nandini with a wink before disappearing. Nandini smiled to herself. "yes! Now we will have a couple in our group!!!"
But nandini was left alone in the corridor. Nandini wondered what to do as she had no other work. Sighing nandini decided to go to ground floor and check on upcoming campus recruitment details. Nandini entered the lift and stood at the corner leaning to the lift walls. Her fate was once again against her, second before the lift door closed yash jumped in along with few other students. The lift was crowded leaving no space for anyone to breathe freely. Yash stood next to nandini, least did he know who he was standing next to! Nandini froze as his hands brushed hers. She knew he hadn't noticed her and she prayed that he didn't! because if he did she wouldn't bare the hatred or disgusting look in his eyes. It made her insecure of her own self!
As the lift reached one floor down yash glanced at his side to find nandini fidgeting with herself. Even though he was shocked, he tried to step away from her trying to maintain the distance. In the process he pushed a lecturer who was standing to his side. Yash got a death glare from the female lecturer in return. Sandwiched between two ladies yash cursed under his breath. His every expression was clearely visible to nandini through the metallic walls of the lift that reflected him. Nandini gulped and tried hard to hold back the tears that started collecting behind her eyes. NO! she wont cry! SHE WONT! She mentally chanted. When she looked at those walls again she saw him gritting his teeth and trying his best not to touch her by any means. For a moment nandini felt as if she was some garbage being dumped beside him! She felt disgusting to stand next to him, so when the lift stopped on the ground floor nandini pushed past him as if he was some dirt she wanted to get rid off! A dumbfounded yash stared at her retreating figure. She was gone! Nandini had noticed his shocked expressions clearly saying W*F?' and for some odd reason she felt good! She felt as if she had found her life back!
When nandini came out of the building she found abhi and meghana holding each other's hands and blushing badly. Kriti was jumping behind them excitedly. Nandini grinned! Abhi had proposed her and she undoubtedly accepted! OMG!
"NANDUUU!!!" kriti screamed approaching her. "THEY ARE COUPLE!!!!" she yelled twirling nandini around. Nandini hadn't come out of the lift fiasco yet, she was still controlling the tears that danced behind her eyes. Nandini grinned back at kriti and hugged her.
"I AM SOO HAPPY FOR YOU BOTH!!!" she yelled and hugged meghana. Between the happiness that reflected in her eyes, there was the dark cloud of pain that hide behind the layers of happiness. Nandini couldn't hold back as the tears flooded in. she hugged meghana tightly and cried. No one had ever seen her cry! Nandini may be a sensitive girl, but she never broke down infront of anyone! For it was meant only when she was alone. And she hated herself more than ever to cry infront of her friends! She wasn't weak for god sake!
"my god!!! Nandu.. whats wrong honey?" abhi was the first one to notice. Meghana immediately broke the hug and cupped her face. "nandu.. what happened.. why are you crying?" "did anyone say anything?" Meghana and abhi enquired. Kriti came forward shaking nandini "what happened nandu?" she asked her sternly. Nandini shook her head. How could she tell? It wasn't a big thing! It wasn't a small thing either. Atleast not for her! Kriti stared at her "did.. did.. did yash say anything? You met him?" kriti asked. All this while nandini had stopped crying and was staring back at her friends trying to think of a reason. Suddenly nandini burst out laughing. Kriti could easily make out the fake laugh. "you guys!! Hahaha! I was just happy! And these are happy tears you fools!!" nandini laughed again and hugged abhi. "you guys get scared so fast!!" she whispered slowly. Abhi hugged her back. He knew nandini was lying. And none of them wanted to know her that they could see her real tears rather than those fake laugh!
Yash was sitting under the tree in the garden. Abhi meghana kriti and nandini were walking in the garden. Abhi was narrating how he proposed her and kriti was laughing for she had seen it all. Nandini froze as she saw Yash's faint figure sitting under the tree. She was about to flee when kriti held her hand tight. Kriti wouldn't let nandini vanish this time! NO!
Meghana went ahead to give yash a surprise and also to reveal that she isn't single anymore. Abhi gave her a brief nod and followed her. Afterall if yash wouldn't be there then abhi would have never mustered up enough courage to propose meghana. It was yash who had encouraged him and convinced him saying meghana likes him back! If not for yash, abhi would have hid his feelings deep inside his heart because for him the friendship he shared with meghana was so important that he would sacrifice his own love for her! Kriti stayed back with nandini who was struggling to be freed from her hold.
After few minutes meghana slowly came forward with hesitating steps. Her expressions were so different that one couldn't tell whether she was happy, sad, angry or was she crying! But abhi's expression was clear- he was angry. He glared back at yash one last time and joined nandini. He stood behind his BP raising high. Nandini anxiously looked at him and then at meghana. Something is wrong.. something is wrong.. something wrong!!!! She kept saying to herself. Even kriti could sense the burning tension in the air. Before anyone could volunteer to ask what had happened meghana interfered "Yash Wants You To Tie Rakhi For Him!" she said in one go. Even though nandini couldn't fathom the jumble words, kriti did. kriti left nandini's hand and stepped back. "what?" nandini confusedly looked at meghana, then kriti and then back at meghana. Taking a deep breathe meghana continued in a slow pace this time- "Yash wants you to tie rakhi for him!" meghana closed her eyes fearing to look at nandini. Abhi placed his hands on nandini's shoulders and was about to speak when nandini flinched back. At the moment all she felt was as if someone had withdrawn the ground beneath her! Nandini shut her eyes gulping hard. "nandini.. listen.. you.." abhi tried to pacify her when she held her palm to him stopping him from saying anything. Nandini glared at the faint figure of yash who was still sitting under the tree his back facing her. Nandini felt she would just go there and slap him so hard that he wouldn't dare to ask his own sister to tie rakhi for him! But nandini chose to run away instead! Wasn't that she was doing all this while?
She ran so fast that she forgot the world around her. Where she ran, how she ran.. she didn't knew.. she just wanted to disappear. Disappear so far that no one could find her.
Yash had seen her run away. if he had come forward two second early he could have seen her expressions! But he missed it. Abhi stood clutching his fist. If yash wasn't his best friend he would punched his face! He glared at yash- "You know what f**k OFF!" he yelled and ran behind nandini. Meghana shook her head "you didn't do right.. you shouldn't have hurt her feelings like that.. its not a joke yash..! you didn't do right.." she said in a low voice audible enough for him. Kriti stared at yash devoid of any expressions. Meghana too left in search of nandini. Kriti came forward "nandini is stupid! isn't it yash?" she asked him. Yash narrowed his eyes at her. "I mean.. of all the boys in this world.. she got a crush on you!" she continued. Yash shook his head. "I know!" he said. "yeah.. because you don't deserve her!" she replied. Yash stared at her pensively. "she deserves much better human being with emotions than a arrogant animal!" kriti growled and ran behind meghana. A dumbstruck yash stood behind recalling kriti's words.
Nandini had crawled up in the last seat of the college bus. She sat like a small ball hugging her kness and crying her heart out. Ever since yash came to know about her, ever since she knew about his hatred towards her nandini had hid herself from him. She made sure he never see her. She stopped taking long routes to her house. she stopped coming early. Yet she would see him once or twice secretly every time she wished! Because god was on her side! She even stopped hanging out with her own friends inorder to give them space to spend time with yash! Then W*F did she do wrong to face such a day? She believed in raksha bandan more than anything! How can he mock it? How can he mock at her feelings? How the hell did he even think she would do it? For god sake! She considers abhi like her own brother, she never tied a rakhi to him. And yash thought she would tie for him? She hated yash for doing this to her!!!
Deepak entered the bus anxiously hearing the crying voice of a girl. "excusme?" he querried stepping further only to find nandini sitting in the last seat and crying like baby in deep pain. Deepak stood numb for a second trying to think whether what he is seeing is real or an illusion! Nandini cant break down like this! She is a strong girl isn't it? He asked himself "NANDINI!!! What happened to you dear?" he rushed to her. Nandini looked up to him and hugged him tight. She kept crying while Deepak continued to silence her. She never stopped so Deepak let her vent her pain.
After what seemed like eternity nandini had finally stopped crying. She placed her head on the window sill and stared outside. Deepak who had gone to get some water came inside the bus handing her the bottle. "now you have got some explanations to do! I know asking you why you were crying would hurt you further, but that's the only way for you to feel better too!" he said sitting infront of her in the front seat. Nandini stared at him sniffing. "do you remember you used to tell me all your stories years back? Lets do that again! Start.. whatever it is, start from the beginning! Who gave you this much pain nandu?" he asked. Taking a deep breath nandini told him everything. She couldn't keep it to herself. She had to share her feelings, her insecurity, her pain with somebody. And Deepak is just what she needed!
Deepak clenched his fists and gritted his teeth "whats his name!" he demanded in a stern voice that made nandini shiver. "listen.. its okay you forget thi-" nandini tried to convince "you telling me his name or not!?" he demanded again. Nandini gave in- "yash kulkarni!" she replied. The bottle Deepak was holding fell down. Nandini continued to stare outside the window. "what a co-incidence. You both share same surname! Haha!" nandini joked but there was no one to hear. Deepak had far gone. Nandini sighed but suddenly her insitincts told something is going to happen!
continued next post below
Edited by ..nams.. - 10 years ago
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