OS
“ Miss Bhalla, I believe that you are the student in charge of the annual fest that is supposed to take place tomorrow, then what on earth are you doing here? You need to monitor everything. You will get the notes of this lecture.” Shaurya said as Anokhi had knocked on the door, seeking permission to enter.
“ Yes sir, I am going to go back. I am just here to collect my stuff.” She clarified as he asked her to enter. Walking to her bench, she picked up her bag, phone and the book lying on the table as Shaurya continued to teach Positive and normative economics.
“ Anokhi, your cell was ringing constantly. Someone by the name of Ronak was calling you. And about this Ronak guy, details after the class.” Reema whispered to Anokhi as she rolled her eyes. Ronak was a very good friend from Kapurthala, but that was it.
“ Okay ma’am.” She said, chuckling a little and then walked to the door to leave.
She then decided not to disturb Shaurya while he was teaching and was about to walk out of the door when she was stopped.
“ Miss Bhalla, wait a moment.” Shaurya stopped her and she turned to him.
“ Yes sir?” She asked, clutching her bag a little, anticipating the reason as to why she will be scolded this time. She had come up with about twenty different ones in a span of twenty seconds and had decided that right now, instead of standing for herself and arguing with her professor wasn’t a very feasible option because there were a million things left to do for the fest and hence, apologizing was the easiest way out.
“ I am sorry sir.” She said, the moment he finished the topic he was teaching and turned towards him.
“ What did you do worth apologizing for Miss Bhalla?” He asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“ Sir, whatever you are going to scold me for.” She replied, a little timidly.
“ And what made you think that I had stopped you to scold you?” He questioned her once again, a smirk plastered across his face.
“ Um…because that’s exactly why you always ask me to stay back?” She offered the answer and the entire class tried to stiffen the laugh that was threatening to erupt.
“ Well Miss Bhalla, not this time. Here is a list of the VIP’s being invited to the fest and I want you to personally hand over the invites to them in a while.” Shaurya said as he pulled out a list from the book he was teaching from and handed it over to Anokhi. There were six names on it.
“ It’ll be done sir. May I leave now?” She asked, looking at the list and then looking back at him when her phone started to vibrate again, Ronak for the 5th time.
“ You may.” He permitted and she exited the classroom and Shaurya got busy in teaching once again.
“ Ronak, I am busy right now. I’ll call you later?” Anokhi asked, taking the call and didn’t really give him a chance to speak.
“ Nikki yaar, I am here in Chandigarh. Let’s meet.” He suggested and Anokhi got really excited for a moment.
“ Ronak, I have a college fest and am supposed to oversee a lot of things. I really don’t have the time right now but anything post 7:30 in the evening works.” She suggested. She really was looking forward to see a familiar face from Kapurthala in this madness.
“ Works for me. I’ll pick you up from your hostel at 7:45 then?” He asked and this is how the plan was made.
Anokhi spent the rest of her afternoon working for the fest and hence, did totally forget having lunch. She was also a part of a dance and hence, post all the preparations for the fest that were supposed to be done for today, had gone for rehearsal with the group when the invite list popped in her mind.
“ Oh shit! Guys, you carry on. I have a few things to be done for the fest. I’ll chip in for the practice tomorrow morning. Works?” She asked her group members and they had no problem because she really was a good dancer who didn’t need much practice. Picking the invites up and writing the names, she took the fest fund money for her travelling expenses as she hailed auto to each of the addresses that Shaurya sir had told her but it took a lot of time and by the time she was back in campus, it was eight.
At the main entrance, she saw Ronak standing and waived at him. Shit, she was not evening ready and still had a few last minute preparations to do because the fest had to start in the morning itself. Walking to him, they side hugged.
“ I am really sorry Ronak but I am swamped with work tonight. We have a college fest tomorrow and I am the student in charge. Can we please not go anywhere and sit here for a while and chill. I promise that the next time I come to Kapurthala or you come here to Chandigarh, we will go for a proper lunch or dinner.” She gave him the best puppy eyes that she could.
“ You owe me a dinner Nikki. But it’s fine. Why don’t we go and have dahi chaat and you can come back in 20 minutes?” He suggested and Anokhi immediately agreed. The chaat place wasn’t really far from the college.
But this whole scene was witnessed by a certain SIAC director who also happened to be Anokhi’s economics professor and the guy who had started developing feelings or her but wasn’t going to admit that, not even to himself and who was the boy and how did he know Anokhi and why the hell is Miss Bhalla going anywhere with him. Does she not have work to do!?
“ Miss Bhalla, where do you think you’re going?” Anokhi heard Shaurya’s voice and turned around.
“ Sir….I was just going to eat something.” She told him.
“ For that we have a completely operational canteen within campus and anyways, I need you to brief me about tomorrow.” He said, looking at her sternly and she squirmed under his gaze and looked at Ronak apologetically who nodded once in understanding.
“ Yes sir. You carry on, I’ll be right there.” She addressed Shaurya who was in no mood to leave her.
“ No Miss Bhalla, you are walking with me. I don’t want you wandering off again.” He didn’t budge and she nodded.
“ I am coming to Kapurthala next month after my exams and let’s hang out then. Also, I am excited to meet Kanika, is it? Anyways, what did she see in you?” Anokhi said, adding the last part really low but Shaurya had full focus on her and hence, heard and then couldn’t help but stop feeling guilty. He was at all, just a friend of hers.
She then hugged him again and waved at him as he left.
“ Let’s go Miss Bhalla?” Shaurya asked, clearing his throat once as they walked inside the campus.
“ Sir, all the performances have been scheduled, the timings set and the rehearsal sheet is tipped. The entry of the chief guests have also been planned and so are the seating charts.” Anokhi started and kept on telling him about tomorrow but he was completely zoned out.
Why did he do what he just did. He had no right and he trusted her enough to not mess tomorrow up. Why could he not see Anokhi with some other guy? She was just a student and he was the director and professor of SIAC. Nothing could ever happen between the two of them then why did that sight bother him so much.
“ Sir….sir?” His attention was grabbed one again by Anokhi who was looking at him.
“ Yes Miss Bhalla?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“ That’s it sir. Everything is done and I have told you about it. Am I free to go to check on the last minute preparations?” She asked for his permission.
“ Yes and I am going to come with you to have a look for myself.” He said and she nodded as they walked around the college campus and the auditorium. Shaurya then stopped to talk with one of the teachers in charge of the fest as Anokhi joined the rest.
“ Aagam, this table is placed wrong. Help me out please, will you?” Anokhi’s eyes landed on a table which was really near to the walking aisle area, blocking it a little.
“ Give me a minute Anokhi, this one is almost done.” He said and she nodded, moving the chairs herself. They were light but not the table.
“ Here, give me a hand with this.” She said as one end of the table was lifted by herself and the other by Shaurya sir?
“ Sir, you don’t have to do this. Aagam is just coming.” She tried to stop him but he didn’t listen to her.
She walked backwards and he, forward and then put the table down.
“ Thank you sir.” She said and he gave her a slight nod.
“ Anokhi, look at those fairy lights, they are coming down again and again.” She heard Kitty call out for her.
“ Coming.” She said and made way to the stage pillar and saw the fairy lights a mess.
“ Do you have a stool in here?” She asked Bebo who was standing right next to her.
“ Here is the stool.” She gave it to her and then looked at Kitty, smirking. Little did Anokhi know that the fairy lights had not come off on it’s own and she definitely didn’t know that the stool she was about to step on was broken.
Shaurya had seen the look on his sisters’ face and he knew it. It definitely had something to do with them acting like brats and troubling others and their target always seemed to be Miss Bhalla in one way or the other so he moved near to where the three of them were standing, just in case.
Anokhi somehow managed to balance herself on the broken stool and was arranging the lights properly when she completely lost her balance and shut her eyes in the anticipation of fall but it never came. The next time she opened her eyes, she found herself in Shaurya’s arms and her hand clutching his blazer really tightly.
She broke the eye contact, embarrassed at he placed her down on her feet.
“ Are you okay?” He asked, looking at her concerned.
“ Yes, thank you sir.” She replied, giving him a small smile which he returned.
“ Kitty and Bebo, my office now.” He said, looking at his sisters. The two of them nodded their heads timidly and walked with him as Anokhi continued to work.
Most of everything was done and everyone who didn’t live in the campus hostel had left, just a handful of them remaining.
“ Okay guys, good job done here. Go and relax now.” Shaurya got back to the auditorium post a while and dismissed everyone and walked out too.
“ Thank you sir.” The voice chorused and soon, everyone started clearing out. Anokhi was just collecting her things when she found the budget approval document which she needed Shaurya’s signature on, though it was just a formality. She took the paper and ran out of the corridor, hoping that he had not left.
“ Luckily for her, she found him walking in the teacher’s parking as he was about to leave.
“ Sir….Shaurya sir.” She called out for him and came running.
“ What is it Miss Bhalla? I would like to go home now. I am sure whatever it is can wait.” He said, pinching the bridge between his eyes. It was a long day for him too.
“ No sir. It can’t wait but it won’t take much time. I just need your signatures on this.” She extended the budget approval document at him.
He read through it once and nodded, looking for a pen in the breast pocket of his blazer but didn’t find any. Must have left it in his cabin.
“ A pen please Miss Bhalla.” He asked and she looked at him sheepishly.
“ What good would a document do what you didn’t get a pen?” He asked, nodding his head in disappointment.
“ I am sorry sir but I was in a hurry and thought you’d already have a pen because you are a professor.” She defended herself, slightly offended.
“ This is not a debate competition Bhalla.” He said and then looked around to see if there was anyone with a pen.
“ It’s alright sir. I’ll just go and get it.” She said turning around to leave.
“ Wait.” She heard him and turned around to see what he wanted but instead of saying anything, he walked closer to her and all of a sudden her hair that were tied in a bun were open as he pulled out the pen she had used as a hair stick to tie them while working.
“ Ohh.” Was Anokhi’s reaction as she touched her hair and then looked at Shaurya who was looking amused.
“ Miss Bhalla, sometimes your stupidity saves our time.” He taunted her and she pouted as he chuckled and using his car’s bonnet as support, signed the document and handed over the pen and the papers to Anokhi.
“ Thank you sir. Goodnight.” She said and started walking to the hostel feeling a little wobbly and light headed because of all the tiredness. All she had eaten today was an apple in the morning. She hadn’t walked very far when she lost her balance but managed to stabilize herself.
“ Miss Bhalla, you don’t look very well.” Shaurya jogged to her and held her hand protectively.
“ I am fine sir, just a little tired. A god night’s sleep will fix it.” She replied, placing her hand on her head as she was feeling slightly dizzy.
“ What did you last eat?” He asked, looking at her with concern.
“ An apple.” She replied, truthfully.
“ Okay, let me re-phrase. When did you last eat?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at her and she looked away, not wanting to lie or to answer the question.
“ I am waiting for an answer Miss Bhalla.” He pressed it further, leaving Anokhi with no option.
“ In the morning.” She muttered as she looked at him but why was he even concern himself with something as small as this! It was none of his business!
“ He escorted her to the college mess, not trusting her to not fall while walking. The dinner was being served.
“ Go and have your dinner and then go to bed. Miss Bhalla, you are staying in the hostel and you need to take care of yourself.” He lectured her and she nodded, not wanting to hear his lecture anymore and walked inside the mess.
“ And Anokhi, I can’t believe that I am the one telling you this but there is a difference between a hair pin and a pen. Try and remember that, alright?” He mocked her, making her turn as she gave him a musical laugh and then went in as he left, a smile plastered on his lips too.
THE END.
Hey Guys…..I am back again with a one shot. What should I say…..I am obsessed with ShAkhi and couldn’t stop myself from writing this. I know it’s a little scattered and not in a flow but please do let me know what you think about it. Also, if you want me to write on a particular scene or prompt, tell me and I’ll do the best of my capabilities. I’ll see you all real soon. Bye!!❤
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