SS: LIFE TIMES Epilogue pg45 24/04

She grabbed her phone and bag, and glimpsed quickly at the mirror to see her reflection. She smiled to herself and left the room. Hurriedly, she stepped down the stairs to catch the bus while her buaji was calling her from behind, "O Sanka Devi. Be careful and don't be late." She just reached on time. Giving a thank's prayer silently to her DM for that, she rode the bus and sat beside the window so that she can enjoy the view of the city in front of her eyes. A city where she never felt loneliness in it. She loved to look around her at everything; people, shops, markets, dabbhas. She just love Delhi. She came to it as she got a scholarship to study at the university of Delhi. She was a brilliant student at school and the first year at university. It was the first day of the second level, so she was a little bit nervous about it.

"Finally," she beamed as she reached her destination. She walked towards some pinches, she used to sit there with her friend.

"Hey Khushi! How are you?" he waved to her, walked towards her and hugged her freaindly.

"Hi NK! I'm fine. And you?" she smiled to him.

NK or Nandhe Kishor is an Indian guy who was brought up in Australia with his family there, but they came to India once he got into the university to settle there with their relatives. As his hindi is so weas, he chose to study English which is the best choice for someone like him. Khushi helped him from the first day and since then they are friends. She liked him and his hindi and she has fun with this. They go to the library together and she helps him in the assignments.

"The first day! Iss liye." she pouted.

" Oh! C'mon! Look who's talking Khushi Kumaari Gupta the second student in our section. Don't behave like a child who just got into school."

"Not like this! Don't know why?! Anyways, forget it. Did you get your schedule."

"Yes! Our first class is literary criticism," he pouted as his mind wondered how he could stuck with such lecture.

"Oh interesting! Now let's go to the library and prepare something." and she walked.

"Oh no. Don't start, Khushi" she interrupted him as she pulled his arms with her.

And when she was humming Yeh mausam kyun saje, someone hit her shoulder from behind.

"Sorry," he said but his eyes were amused at the situation not showing regret. She turned and was about to say It's OK when she met his amused brown  eyes. Anger took place in her eyes as she glared at him.

"Aaj mausam na hi suhana" she muttered between her teeth.

"Come, Khushi. Let's go" offered NK as he left them.

"Laad Governor." Khushi muttered looking at him again.

**********

Originally posted by: Habfa

So I'm the first 😊. Seems interesting, plz do continue 😊

"What was that ASR? Why you do this to her always?" asked Arjun who was the only one who dared to accompany Arnav- was Known as ASR amongest the students- while the others were geeting scared at the mere talk about him. He was like a boss there.

" I just like this. I enjoy seeing her helpless," asnwered Arnav whose chocolate eyes were flashing some of Khushi's reactions to his deeds. He shaked his head and looked at Arjun.

"You like doing this or her? he stammered.

" Hey! Arnav Singh Raizaada and this girl! How could you even think of this?! I saw many girls who are more beautiful than her and no one of them could attract ASR!" he answered smugly after getting angry for a while.

"But she's beautiful and her hazel eyes have something, some magic to attract anyone." Arjun admired her and gave Arnav a dreamy look.

Arnav shrudded and said, "Whatever." Very deep inside him he knew that Arjun is right, but he wasn't ready to admit it.

Mr. Singhania an old man in his fiftith was the professor of literary criticism at the university. It was the first lecture for him in their class. He introduced himself then the course and its syllabus. Both Arnav and Khushi were so excited and interested in this course. Arnav was the first in the English section at the faculty of arts and this irritated Khushi so much. She promised herself that this term is hers. And so the competition started.

"So, we will start the next time and will talk about the beginning of the literary criticism and the Greek critic Plato," Mr. Singhania spoke with a warm smile.

"I just like this course. Mr. Singhania looks so nice, na?" Khushi commented to NK who was thinking of how come she liked this. "So, we have to study those old people's theories with their weird thoughts," he thought and shaked his head.

"Criticism," said Arnav mischeivously while his mind was somewhere but the class. Arjun looked at him and thought of what ASR is upto this time?!

Khushi prepared fotr the next lecture very well; after all she has an aim to achieve. All the course of the lecture, both she and Arnav were participating the most amongst the others. She defined the old definition of criticism and he explained it. other students ansered some questions regarding the principles of criticism and the right definition which modern critics put.

"So, Plato was a Greek philosopher who formed the first academy of philosophy. Now you have to know that the sciences before him were oral while his academy supported literarity. He wrote the Republic and attacked poets in it. Is there anyone who can tell us some of what he said.," Mr. Singhanis asked with the same warm smile.

 Khushi raised her hand. "Yes. What's your name?" pointed at Khushi.

"Khushi Kumaari Gupta." and Arnav laughed. Khushi could hear his laughter as he was sitting opposite to her.

"Ms. Gupta." He shaked his head as if making sure not to forgert this name.

"For us reality is related to life on earth while he called life on earth 'The World of Shadow' he said its imperfect and imitation for the real world which is there in heaven which is perfect and permanat; he called it 'The World of Real'" Khushi answered and she was satisfied with herself.

Arnav raised his hand to interrupt the professor before he could comment. "Excuse me, but I didn't get what Ms. Gupta said." he looked at her and winked. Although he understood what she said, he wanted to irritate her. Mr. Singhania tried to explain it again while Arnav was taking glances at the furious Khushi. "Good! You've impresed me Ms. Gupta!" he thought; for the first time he admitted this to himself.

"Still I'd like to tease you. Don't know why, but I like this Ms. Gupta!" and he chuckled.

Khushi left the class extremely angry after glaring at him and giving him 'You Will Pay For This' look.

"Khushi, why aren't you saying anything?" asked NK. An hour passed, but she didn't say anything. It was NK's job to calm Khushi down whenver she got angry because of ASR.

"What should I say? What does he think of himself? Seeing him I can only think of crimes." she moved her hands as if she was killing someone by the neck. "I'll teach him who I am that he won't be able to forget this name even in his nightmares! Khushi Kumaari Gupta! I don't know what's so funny about it? Stupid laad Governor! Rakshas," she continued in cursing him with different names. Nk wished that he didn't ask her to say anything. Who will stop her now? "I'm sure that her whole neighborhood is going to have jalebis made by her.

NK was right; once she entered the house, she went to the kitchen, started making jalebis, eating them and blabbering some promises to herself. She ate half of the amount unconcsiously till she felt her stomach hurting her.  She attributed the other half to the neighbors. All of them praised the taste and jokingly asked her to open a shop for Halwa.

"Look at them! Selfish! Now what happened to you, Khushi? Are you going to vent out your anger on them!" she thought angrily. "Laad Governor."

At night, she called her family, who told her that a rishta came for Payal. The bridegroom's name is Abheishek. Khushi asked to talk to Payal.

"So, now I'll have a jijaji." Khushi could say that Payal was blushing. They spoke more than an hour as if nothing was troubling them in this life.

Khushi at least felt some relief and forgot all about Arnav. She finally became happy and she slept peacefully dreaming about her sisters wedding and the preperations with a big smile on her face. She looked innocent as a child that anyone would wish to see her face's expressions. He is so lucky who is destined to wake up having her beside him.