Ishq - IshRa SS [Completed] 30.11.17

Prologue:

Tere Naam Hamne Kiya Hai... Jeevan Apna Saara Sanam

Pyar Bohot Karte Hai Tumse... Ishq Hai Tu Hamara Sanam

"No one ever before, has mattered to me as much as you do!

No one ever before could manage to make me feel the way you do!

No one ever before tried to change me for the good the way you have done!

No one ever before had done something what you have done!

No one ever before had loved me as much as you do!

You make me feel loved!

You make me feel worthy!

You make me feel alive!"

He couldn't have got better words. He couldn't have expressed his gratitude towards her more beautifully than how he did. Snaking his hands around her petite waist, he rested his chin on her shoulder the soon he finished with adoring her presence in his life. Her aroma made his eyes close momentarily in pleasure. She simply put her hand over his, letting the moment to stop there.

Beautiful!

That was how they together were!

Their life just had been beautiful!

***

I'd love to read your thoughts over this short prologue and what you think about it😳

Cheers

-Harshada

|| He is weird ||

"Hey Ishita."

Ishita turned behind as her attention was caught by a tap on her shoulder followed by a call for her name from Riya.

Greeting her with a smile, Ishita quickly responded. "Hi Riya."

"Why are you standing here alone? Waiting for anyone?" Noticing that Ishita was standing alone in their college corridor, Riya asked wondering for whom, Ishita was waiting for.

"Yes actually... Raman. I am waiting for Raman, Riya." Ishita replied with a slight tiredness in her voice as she was standing there from almost twenty minutes and the person she was waiting for, seemed to be least cared about that.

Colour drained from Riya's face the soon she heard Ishita. "Raman? Raman Kumar Bhalla?" Riya whispered and pulled Ishita to a corner, holding her hand.

"God, is he your partner in this project?" Riya figured out soon, as she thought of the possibilities for Ishita's wait for Raman.

Ishita who looked quite surprised and amused with the reaction she got from Riya, nodded positively.

What Riya feared the most, came out true. No. She did not want Ishita to pair with Raman. Riya decided to make Ishita aware of a few things about Raman.

"See Ishita, you are new here and you probably don't know but he... he isn't a person to deal with." Riya's chirpy voice became stern and serious by then. On the other side, Ishita failed to understand why Riya seemed so worried. She scratched her head, hearing Riya.

"Now what do you mean by that?" Ishita asked, not understanding why Riya said what she said.

Riya gave a long stare to Ishita. "He is different Ishita. He isn't normal. He doesn't talk with anyone and... by anyone, I mean anyone except Aryan."

Riya spoke with so much of sincerity and honesty that Ishita, for a moment was lost in the thoughts on Raman, which were shared by Riya.

"Aryan.., Aryan Kapoor, Raman Kumar Bhalla's best friend but he is pretty much normal than him." Riya continued.

"Okay, but if I am not wrong, Raman Kumar Bhalla is the topper of your college from the last two years, isn't he?" Ishita was trying to confirm, what she had heard about him.

"Yes he is. But that doesn't change the fact that he is abnormal." Riya defended, still adamant on her opinion about him.

Not just Riya, but the entire college had somewhat same perceptions about Raman Kumar Bhalla.

"In fact, many say that he is...he is into..." Riya stumbled. She failed to bring up words to say what she wanted to. Ishita gazed at her, curiously. It has to be something very serious. Ishita presumed seeing Riya's awkwardness in even talking about that.

"Into what Riya? I am not getting you." Ishita asked Riya for some clarity as she remained silent after that.

"Into drugs." Riya whispered slowly, sighing.

One mere sentence by Riya left Ishita shocked, confused and stunned. Before she could come out of that state, Riya added some more information boosting on the points which had made her believe what she did, about Raman.

"And he drinks too...often his eyes are blood shot red."

"What?" Utter disbelief was painted over Ishita's face.

Riya was about to say something but stopped by Ishita's palm to her.

"Riya... Riya, please wait a minute." Ishita put her hand on her shoulder. "See Riya, this is too for me to believe."

Her eyes showed an altogether, different level of trust for Raman... for the person to whom she had not even met yet. Her words reflected an altogether different level of confidence for someone who was nothing more than a stranger to her... just a stranger.

Riya was slightly disheartened hearing Ishita. Riya was only trying to protect Ishita which wasn't unnoticed by Ishita. She closed her eyes in regret and immediately spoke up. "No No Riya. I didn't mean to hurt you. I really didn't."

"That's so sweet of you, that you thought so much about me and I... I really appreciate that." Ishita assured her. "But I am someone who believes things after having a personal experience. I don't make my perspective with respective to other's experiences." Ishita, always had a way to convey her feelings without hurting others. She very easily let Riya know, about her philosophy of life without disrespecting her in any way.

"Fine Ishita, I was just worried for you." Riya said.

"I know." Ishita blinked her eyes with an assuring smile. Though, Riya had cut the topic off for now, but she was still tensed for Ishita but she just decided to let it go for some time.

"I'll meet you later Ishita, even I have to rush. We aren't even started with the topic yet." Riya panicked when she remembered about the project.

"Relax Riya. Even we are yet to start. I am sure, sab ho jaayega. By the way, whom you are paired with?"

"Arjun." Riya quickly answered, with her cheeks tuning slightly pinkish. It didn't go unnoticed by Ishita.

"Oh Oh Oh... My goodness. Are you blushing?" Ishita lifted Riya's chin with her palm. It increased Riya's blushing even more. "Aww...you look so cute." Ishita couldn't help adoring her. "You like him?" Ishita asked a very obvious question guessing it from Riya's reaction. Riya simply nodded, as she shut her eyes hard to hide those butterfly feelings which she had, whenever she thought about Arjun.

"You told him?" Ishita was indeed really happy to see love in the air. Riya opened her eyes quickly as she heard Ishita and shook her head in denial.

"We are good friends and I don't think he feels the same for me and I don't want to lose our friendship." Riya looked scared, even with the thought of rejection and losing him as a friend.

Ishita was about to interrupt her when her eyes fell upon Raman, who was entering college premises. Deciding that, she would make Riya understand later, she agreed for then. Riya returned a smile to her and headed to find Arjun to discuss about their project.

Raman walked inside the college, making his way from entrance to the corridor. He stopped seeing Ishita there. They had met earlier once, a day before when professor had called them and assigned them as project partners of each other. Ishita, being fairly new in the college did not know much people there. She met Riya once and they did get along soon.

"You are late." Ishita showed him time in her watch, slightly angry at him as he didn't even bother to let her know that he would get late. They were supposed to meet at 11 am and it was 1 pm by then.

"You think I care?" An extremely rude reply filled with a plenty of sarcasm came from him as he rolled his eyes over her remark.

"Then you better start caring from now, Mr. Raman Kumar Bhalla." A strong, determined Ishita replied immediately, letting him know that he could not take her for granted.

"Excuse me?" He finally glued his eyes on her which were till now, looking at everywhere else except her. But her back answer to him, made him see the girl standing in front of him who held the capacity to give him back as no one, no one in the college dareed to mess with him.

"You are excused." She giggled, leaving him bewildered.

This girl is unbelievable.

Before he could recover from the shocks after, shocks, given by her, he heard her again saying.

"No wait! You are not excused. We have to discuss about the project. After that you are excused." She said, suppressing her laughter seeing his shockingly amused face.

"Look Ms..." He paused.

Seems like he forgot her name!

"Ishita... Ishita Iyyer." She completed the vacant space of her name in his sentence. "We are project partners and you don't even know my name?" She frowned.

"Do we have to make a project on your name?" He asserted one more sarcastic reply.

His sarcasm made her eyes widen. "Has someone ever told you, how rude you are?" Learning from him, she asked with a forced smile on her face.

"No...Not yet. But thanks for the complement." He said.

"Was that a complement?" She was getting annoyed with his behaviour and taunts.

"Oh well, but I take it as one." Indirectly mocking her, he blurted.

"Arghh! Enough. Can we discuss about the project now?" She got hell tired with his crankiness.

"Of course, only if you are done with your stupid time-pass." He grinned.

"Did you just call me stupid?" A frown on her face started converting into a bubbling anger.

"Oh well I did. I did?"

He was damn good with words which she also had realized by then.

"No I did." She slapped her forehead in annoyance to his arrogance.

"Let's go to canteen. I am hungry and there, we can also discuss the topic for our project." He declared and made his way towards canteen without even waiting to hear her reply, leaving a stunned, angry and irritated Ishita behind.

***

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Buddy me for PMS.

Annoying Each Other

"He called me stupid? Stupid? Like seriously. Wait and watch Mr. Raman Kumar Bhalla. Mark my words, you'll say sorry to me. Or else I will change my name." Promising herself, to make him apologize for calling her stupid, she followed him, on the way of the canteen.

As she reached, she saw him, standing near the counter.

He seemed to be waiting for his order to get ready.

He turned back, gazing her, at the entrance of the canteen. For a moment, she left stunned wondering how on the earth he came to know that she was there. Ignoring him, she looked around. Canteen was almost empty except some two-three students.

She walked a little forward and settled down on a table there, engrossed in her own world. He was silently observing her from the counter.

"Sir, your order."

He blinked his eyes as his trance broke with the voice. He turned around and taking his order, he went towards her, sitting down in front of her. Munching the burger in his plate, he shook her. bringing her back to the earth.

"Hello? My stupid partner!"

Again stupid! You are gone Mr. Raman Kumar Bhalla.

"Have you thought about any topic?" She asked as she removed a note book from her bag, neglecting his words.

It surprised him to the core that she did not react on calling her stupid. "No I have not." He replied with his eyes still observing her reactions.

"Okay, so I have searched some. Have a look." She forwarded her book to him. He raised his eyes at her ever so calm behaviour. "What are these? No we can't take any of them." He straightaway refused her selection, the soon he finished the burger in his hand.

"Fine then, you suggest some." She said.

What has suddenly happened to her? So much patient replies. He wondered mentally about the sudden change in her behaviour.

"Well, right now nothing is in my mind." He answered, running his fingers through his hairs, messing them.

That's because you don't have any mind, Idiot. She cursed mentally but maintained her fake smile glued to her lips.

"Fine then, I am in library. If you get any idea for the topic, let me know." Saying so, she got up and vanished from his eyesight even before he could realize that she actually left.

"Huh? What was that? How come she all of sudden became so silent, so calm? Not reacting to my anything at all?" He was confused.

"Is she planning anything?" He was not able to understand what she was up to. He had made it sure enough that she definitely was pretending. He thought, probably she was planning something against him, to put him in trouble.

"But what?" He scratched his head in irritation and banged his hand on the table, as her sudden transformation from a girl who could not stay silent if someone crosses her in an insulting way to a girl who was listening his every taunt along with sarcastic remark without any back reply to him. Now that... was definitely not digestible.

Ishita on the other hand, was giggling greatly recalling her recent encounter with Raman and his overly disturbed face.

"You called me stupid right? Bear the consequences now Mr. Bhalla. You must be thinking what happened to me. I must be up to something. I must be planning something. How can I be so calm. Blah blah blah. Planning my foot! I am not planning anything but I made sure to put you in thinking zone that I must be! This is what I wanted. Keep wondering and scratching your brain for NOTHING."

She muttered to herself before she laughed aloud. Realizing the fact that she was in corridor and everyone was staring at her suspiciously hearing her sudden loud laughter, she quickly wore a normal face, controlling her excitement of achieving her Mission Annoying Mr. Raman Kumar Bhalla.

She turned and entered in the library. Library... Ishita Iyyer's all time favourite spot right from her childhood. Books had always fascinated her more than anything, beyond anything had.

She had an absolute craze towards books and so towards the libraries.

She believed in books.

She loved being disappeared in the lands where books used to take her.

She enjoyed the all perspectives which book had given her.

She loved books!

*

"Hello." Raman answered his phone, which rang for the fourth time. Being in thoughts of Ishita and her behaviour, he skipped and ignored the previous three rings of his phone. Seemed like someone had badly needed him or his help or needed to inform him about something which could not wait. Otherwise the person, wouldn't have called repeatedly after being cut by him.

"Aryan... no no nothing... Say." Shrugging off everything running in his mind, he preferred not uttering it before Aryan and allowed him to speak. "What? I am coming." Disconnecting call, he left the canteen in no time not caring that he had not eaten even half of his order.

*

"All the students of third year are requested to report in the library along with their chosen topics for their respective projects to Professor Mansi Sharma in next ten minutes.."

An announcement was made from announcement room, calling for all third year students in the library along with their project topics decided by student themselves.

Professor Mansi Sharma was newly assigned literature teacher for the third year students. Professor Mansi Sharma, best known for her creative ways of teaching her students, had said yes to join St. Fransis College and just after joining, she had paired up students in groups of two in each one and asked them to choose the topics for their projects on their own. According to her, it was the start of building the compatibility between the partners.

She knew, it is never easy for two individuals to come and agree on one point keeping in mind that everyone has different perspective depending upon the way they have been grown up. The circumstances, the events in one's life plays an important role to judge how one thinks and about his/her perspective towards things.

Professor Sharma believed studying was not just limited to books. She believed in developing the overall personalities of her students. The project could be considered one among her ways in enhancing her student's abilities, personalities, and lives as well.

Ishita who was already in library, heard the announcement. She panicked realizing that they had not even decided a single topic.

Shit! We have to give topic in next ten minutes! What will I do now? Raman... yeah I should call him.

She took out her phone from her bag hurriedly and dialled his number. She started biting her nails in nervousness without her acknowledgement, while waiting for him to pick up her call. She narrowed her eyes cursing him mentally for not receiving her attempts of calling, as she saw students coming inside and registering their topics for their projects.

Riya came to Ishita after having done her registration when she saw her, standing in a corner, with wories all over her face. "What happened Ishita? Why you look so tensed?" Riya asked in a concerned tone.

"Don't ask. We haven't decided any topic yet and Raman. I don't know where he is now." He isn't even receiving my calls. Ishita blurted out in frustration.

"Didn't I tell you..." Riya came up with her ever so obvious expression hearing about Raman.

"Riya, please. Not now." Ishita cut off her in middle, not really interested in hearing all that rubbish again.

"Ms. Iyyer."

Ishita turned hearing Professor Sharma calling her. She shook her head to Riya and then turned towards Ma'am again. "Yes Ma'am."

"Your topic, Ms. Iyyer?" Professor Sharma asked, as Ishita stood in front of her.

"Ma'am actually..." Ishita didn't really know what to say to Ms. Sharma. Ishita was already new there, and it was her first project and the start itself had messed up.

"Yes Ms. Iyyer...any problem?" Professor Sharma asked, seeing a disturbed Ishita.

Ishita was someone who hated lies and liars. She didn't think twice and narrated everything honestly to Professor Sharma, playing with her fingers guiltily.

Professor Sharma's face acquired a light smile, hearing Ishita's honest confession, "It's okay Ms. Iyyer. Not a big deal. Let me assign a topic to you." She thought for a while and penned down a topic in front of Ishita and Raman's name and showed paper to her. "Is this okay with you?"

Ishita roamed her gaze over the topic written in front of her name. She nodded positively, reading the topics given by Professor Sharma.

Ishita thanked Ma'am for helping her out and for considering her situation. Professor Sharma returned a smile to her.

Finally! Ishita took a sigh of relief..

***

This is it for the second part guys. I hope you enjoy reading. Do share your views.

I have replied to your comments. You can check them out in the next pages if you wish.

Cheers

-Harshada

A Meet to Remember

Ishita stepped out of the library with an immense rest to her brain who worked non-stop in those ten minutes, worried with the fact that Professor would be considerate towards them or not but the way Professor Mansi reacted to the whole situation with so much of ease, simply made Ishita cheerful all again.

She had merely taken few steps when her attention caught by buzzing of her phone. As she straightened her phone, her eyes saw the name flashing on her mobile screen.

Mr. Rude Kumar Bhalla Calling...

She chuckled remembering how she changed his name in her phonebook after their today's meet in the college, when he was no less than RUDE to her. She had never met someone like him in her life so far... so rude... so arrogant.

"Ill-mannered." She muttered under her breath, with her eyes still looking at the mobile screen as if she was imagining him in her phone.

I will not pick up. Call, as many times you want to call. Why should I? Did you receive mine? Now keep calling.

She had firmly decided that she would not pick up his call.

She kept walking and talking randomly with her phone as it kept flashing, imagining him in that phone. Students and even some teacher who passed by her, looked at her weird antics suspiciously. However, she least cared about anyone as her all attention was on him.

"Who does that? I am his project partner, and how rudely he behaved with me! He even called me stupid, Huh?" She released her anger while staring at still appearing his name on her mobile screen.

"God, was Riya really right about Raman?"

Giving a second thought over Riya's perception regarding Raman about him being a drug-addict and a drinker, she wondered. She quickly snapped out of that. Shaking her head, she blinked her eyes several times.

"No No No. Come on Ishita. You cannot presume things this way. This is not fair. Yeah I admit he is rude but I don't think he is into such things." A sudden wave of confidence rushed into her veins.

She herself was in disbelief. How on the earth she could be so, sure about some one she had met just once or twice. She stopped in her track as her phone rang for the fourth time.

"Now you understood my importance huh?" Sharpening her eyes, she disconnected it, leaving a message to him.

Meet me tomorrow early in the college at 7.30 am, for project discussion..

Next Day:

However, Ishita had asked Raman to meet her at 7.30 am but she went at 7.00 sharp in the college. She was very specific about time, always preferring reaching anywhere early than required.

She was sure that Raman must not even have got up by then but the moment she covered the entrance to the corridor, she was beyond shock with the sight her eyes witnessed. Her legs could not take a step forward. Her eyes remained wide-awake as she saw him sitting on the stairs.

Standing up, he made a little walk towards her as he saw her.

"You? Here? So early?" She couldn't help asking. The state she was in, didn't let her say anything else.

"Yes. Me. Here. So early." He mimicked her words, presenting them as his answers.

"Uh... where were you yesterday?" She asked, with a breaking voice. She did not know if it was he or his intense gaze but she felt uneasy. Was she scared? No, she was not but it looked like she was disturbed.

"Never. Ever. Disconnect. My. Call." He roughly pulled her, pinning her to the wall, stressing on each word. His eyes that apparently seemed red, stared in her fear-filled ones.

He sounded like he was an owner who was giving orders to his slave, which left her infuriated. She pushed him away from her using all her strength.

"Oh really? Why? Did I hurt your ego?"

He shook his head in unbelievably hearing the girl standing next to him. Before he could say anything, she started taking steps ahead, hitting on his chest, pushing him back with her every hit.

"Speak up now. What happened? Don't you have anything to say now? Tum mera phone kato to thik... tum bina kuch bataye college se gayab ho jao ye jante hue bhi ke hame project ka topic final karke dena tha to thik... lekin... agar mai tumhara phone na uthau to ye reaction?"

That was enough for him. Holding her wrist, he turned her around in a swift, with her hands in his grip.

"Think before you speak. I did not cut your call. I did not pick up. These two things may be alike but they aren't same and I hope you know the difference."

He had left his grip and she faced him now. She closed her eyes as he leaned towards her. Little did he was aware of his effect on her. To his surprise, he smiled seeing her reaction.

He whispered in her ears. "I didn't do anything on purpose. I am a consistent topper of this college and I have an image to maintain so I care more than you about, the project. I had something more important to look after which I couldn't avoid."

He was amused with his own self. He had no idea when he had such a conversation with someone last.

He could not believe why and how did he explain her things so softly.

He was Raman... Raman Kumar Bhalla, who never felt a need to explain anything to anyone, who never cared about what others would think of him but with her, something was different.

For some reasons unknown to him, he wanted to let her know his reasons.

He cared to explain things to her.

He just did.

"Now tell me, what happened yesterday?" He asked.

She gazed at him. His figure standing in front of her, crossing his arms to his chest, and his eyes reflecting something beyond her understanding sent shivers down her spines.

Eyes, is the most beautiful part of human body.

Eyes let us know what people often cannot speak.

Eyes allows us to catch secrets of people, they often are trying to hide because eyes do not lie.

Taking a deep breath, she relaxed herself mentally. He spoke, spoke and spoke and on the other side, she couldn't utter a word before him. Her soul chose to listen than to interject or contradict him in any way.

She let herself calm down before she said. "Nothing much. I told Ma'am everything and she herself assigned us a topic. She did ask me if I want to change but I refused as what she gave was more than perfect."

She didn't say much except what he asked. Her mind was in a twirl remembering about what happened just minutes before.

He nodded. "So what's the topic?" He removed his hands from his chest, and sat down on the stairs walking ahead.

She pulled a book out of her bag and passed to him.

Who keeps books in today's world? He wondered before grabbing her book.

"Love and Marriage?"

He read the topic from the book. Correction, he didn't read but blurted out loudly in disbelief. "What rubbish?" He closed the book with a jerk, looking at her.

"Excuse me?" She was unable to understand his reaction.

"What excuse me? You didn't get any other topic than this? He was hell irritated. "I am not going to do any project on this facade." He declared.

"Really?" She asked.

"110%." He replied.

"Then get ready to break your record. Because Ma'am has finalised all the topics yesterday and she strictly mentioned that in no condition and in no circumstances, these topic can be changed. So if you don't want to do this project, then fine. Just be prepared to get failed in this project."

She hit on his weakness by bringing his consistent topper thing in between.

No, Damn it. He banged his hand on the stairs in frustration.

Why? Why he? He lifted his gaze to her, who was observing his reactions keenly.

"What? You have to make a project on me?" Sarcastic Bhalla was back again.

"Nope. I was just thinking, why such an extreme and weird reaction on the most beautiful emotion and relation in the universe?" She spoke, what was troubling her seeing his attitude after getting to know their topic for the project.

"Did you just call Love' as the most beautiful Emotion' and Marriage' as the most beautiful Relation'?" He asked getting up. She agreed.

"Do you live in fairy land?"

"Excuse me?"

"Is Excuse Me' your all time favourite word?"

"Very funny. It did not make me laugh."

"But you said very funny'?"

"Arghhh! Shut up." She covered her ears with her hands, annoyed with him.

Unknowingly, a smile crept on his lips. She looked so innocent.

You are going on the wrong track Raman Kumar Bhalla. Get back to the right one.

"I believe in neither love nor marriages." He said on a serious note.

"Love is a delusional feelings and marriage is a facade.

Marriage is just a betrayal while love does not exist."

She was quite shocked to hear him. She trusted in love. Marriage was the most sacred relation for her. She believed in fairy tale love stories and hearing someone is so negative regarding the words, which meant universe to her, she could not help it.

"Love is the most beautiful feeling one can ever feel. Marriage gives your life a new direction. How love and marriage are inter-related in a beautiful way, the same way their opposites exist. I can agree, some love stories may not get completed, some marriages do not work out, sometimes you get betrayed in love and sometimes love betrays you but... Love does exist and the people who get their true love are the luckiest people. I wonder how someone cannot believe in love."

"Oh well I don't." He replied casually.

She thought for a while. "Fine, let's do this project. I'll make you believe in both, love and marriage as well." She took the responsibility to make him trust in love and marriage.

He laughed aloud. "Don't even try. I do not change my beliefs for and because of anyone."

He asked her not to get into any such thing.

"Anyways, we'll do this project because I do care about my marks but let me tell you in the first place, you'll have to do most of the work for this project because as I told you just now that I..."

"Don't believe in love and marriage." She completed his sentence before he could, with a sigh. His face beamed a smile, nodding.

No matter what, I will do what I have to do. She returned a smile to him with determination of something mentally.

***

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Cheers

-Harshada

Part Four A Time to Cherish

Realizing that, he had no other option, he sighed. "So should we go to library to plan a rough draft of our project?"

Nodding at his proposition, she made her way towards the library followed by him.

"So, you were saying you had something more important to attend yesterday. Anything serious? You sounded off while mentioning that." She asked, about the topic she had left untouched after he had said it to her.

"Abhi to mile hai and you started understanding that I am off? Not bad I must say." He was enjoying the light-hearted talks with her. He had never been so free with anyone before, not at-least in mere two meets.

She narrowed her eyes hearing him as she stopped in the track. She glared at him.

"Okay okay. Just kidding." He lifted his hands up in surrender the soon he saw a fiery look on her face.

"Yeah! Something was off and I had to be there." He replied to the question he left unanswered. He did not open up entirely, but he cleared things a bit in some way.

Realizing the fact that he was not comfortable in talking about that and it could be personal, she changed the topic, not wanting to interfere in his personal matters.

"Okay. As you have been a topper of this college and obviously, you know more about this college and teachers than me. So it would be great if you brief the project." She easily managed to bring up a new topic shifting his attention as she saw a different sadness taking over him and that worked too.

"Of course I do know about this college and professors but Professor Sharma isn't the old faculty. She has joined recently so I am also as blank as you are."

He seemed like getting better. She nodded, smiling softly from inside seeing the emotions, which were overpowering him, leaving him, and he was getting normal again.

She couldn't understand why but that upsetting look on his face, affected her. For some reasons unknown to her, his happiness mattered to her.

He pushed the door of the library, entering inside. Since they were much earlier than college timing, librarian was yet to come but library was not locked. Walking towards the literature section, they started sorting out books, which would help them in their project.

Raman stood near the rack, keeping his hand over his head, wondering what to take and what not.

How, the hell I am going to do this?

Ishita giggled seeing a confused Raman.

Cute! That was the first word came in her mind.

Focus Ishita! You are not supposed to complement Mr. Rude! She reverted to her search book mission, shrugging off the thoughts about him.

He shook his head as he watched her taking out Romeo-Juliet.

"Hold this." She stomped that book on his hand without turning back, and picked out some more books. Flipping their pages, she checked the contents within, to see if they would be helpful for their project or not. He looked at the book in his hand first and then at her.

This project and this girl are surely going to be the death of me one day. Closing his eyes in that moment, he let his nerves to calm.

"Uh. Raman, I was saying..."

He heard her but she paused turning towards him. He waited her to resume but she, in turn, stared at him with her big eyes.

Girls! Is she now expecting me to read her mind? He coughed, clearing his throat. "Yes?"He asked, seeing her still mum.

"We have to submit our project two months later, right?"

"Hmm."

"That means we have a lot of time, right?"

"Hmm."

"We will be making project in college only, right?"

"Yes Ishita. Will you please come straight to the point?"

"Then, I think we should only focus on one book for now that is Romeo Juilet. Why we are carrying un-necessary burdens? We can pick up any book any time as per our requirement. Smart right?" She patted her back for coming up with a brilliant idea which didn't seem to go well with him as his eyebrows stretched in a moment with a frown spread over his forehead.

Really? Why he? Why he?

"How brilliant, isn't it?" He let out sarcastically but she was all in herself, proud of herself to think so wisely. So, she nodded her head happily.

He slapped his forehead wondering how on the earth he was going to cope with her.

She is crazy and I am sure she will drive me crazy soon too.

"What the hell?" He slapped himself mentally realizing what he was thinking. "Forget it." He said aloud shrugging his thoughts.

"What?" She exclaimed hearing him.

"Nothing. I said your idea is brilliant. Now can we work?" He mocked but she still did not get it. Quickly mumbling an okay' she paced towards a desk, and kept her stuff there, signalling him to join her.

He sat down on the bench, placing the Romeo Juliet in his hand on the desk.

Finally! He sighed as his hands got rid of that book which was nothing but a crap for him.

She pulled the book towards her, and opened it. Her hands went out for her bag, grabbing her book inside it.

Arghhh! Not again! Raman's eyes which had caught the book in her hand, narrowed at it. He could not understand who used books in today's time. Feeling something weird, she lifted her face at him,

"What happened?"

Pointing towards her book, he could not help blurting out, "Are we going to make a project in this book? I mean, who uses books in today's time. I guess laptop is a great option, isn't it?" He was a little uncertain seeing her affection for the book.

What if she is planning to make a project by writing with hands? No ways! He would never do that.

She chuckled seeing his worried face. "Relax. We of course, will make our project in laptop. This book... this is just for writing rough drafts and points and I anyway have a fascination of books, be it a notebook or textbook." She saw, him relaxing as if a burden released from his mind.

"And besides that, we are at very early stage of our project, aren't we? Therefore, it would be more useful not to waste time in typing, editing, and re-typing all over again. Let's just plan what we are going to do and how we are going to do." She said, surprising him to the core.

Not bad! Intelligent!

He complemented her mentally but did not make it visible and replied. "Okay."

They decided the rough overview of their project and Ishita penned few notes on her book. They made a decision that they would first find out some classic love stories, would read them to use as examples in their project.

Ishita took the responsibility of covering the part of love' and they would look after the second half of their project marriage' later. They chose that they would, for now, focus on two stories, Romeo-Juliet and Heer-Ranjha.

"So I expect you to at-least know the main story of Heer-Ranjha." She looked at him hopefully but saw him shaking his head in denial. It came as a shock to her.

"Really? You don't know Heer Ranjha?" She asked once again, not ready to believe that he actually did not know about them.

"I guess I already told you my beliefs and perceptions about love, didn't I? So please don't expect me to know anything about this illusion." He reminded her once again about what he had told her before.

"Mirage." He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that." She sharpened her eyes at him when he called love' as a mirage'

"Good for you." He averted his gaze from her.

He and his sarcasm! God save me.

Ignoring whatever he said so far, she continued. "Alright, I understood. So let us start from the start. I'll tell you what their story is."

He signalled her to go ahead without uttering anything.

Ishita started with the story of Heer-Ranjha. She was deeply engrossed while asserting the story to him and he... he seemed quite lost in her. She kept saying and he kept staring.

"So this was it." She finished and found him, looking at her. Waving in front of him, she brought him out of the world he was lost in.

"Did you listen what I told you or not?"

Anger! If he would not have listened a word then she was surely going to eat him up. She told him with so much of sincerity and him... if he did not pay attention at her then he was going to face wrath of her.

"Yes I did."

"Really? Then tell me what did you listen?"

"Oh so you are taking my test? By the way, you once again proved me and my perceptions about love right. Like seriously, they loved each other and on their marriage night, they died. Huh? Then what did, love give them? Death? Pain? Separation? Love never gives. It only takes. It takes your peace, happiness and leaves you with nothing except pain." His tone suddenly changed from his normal one. She was quick enough to let it sink in.

"Oh great Mr. Bhalla! Whole world gives example of their love and here you are... bringing out an altogether different point of view. Appreciable I must say."

He bowed his head down bringing his hand to his chest, "Thank you." He laughed at the bewildered face she made as how he always took her sarcastic comments as complements. They sat there, talking and discussing about love.

To be precise, Ishita was the one talking and Raman was there to contradict her, cutting her every positive sentence about love with his clever negative one.

"Raman, its 10.30. We should be going or else we will get late for the lecture." Ishita realized the time when Librarian made an entry.

Turning his wrist, he looked the time in his watch. Time seemed like it flew away. None of them realized that they were talking from hours. Despite of crossing each other's every point; they weren't fed up of each other. Instead, they looked like enjoyed each other's company. That was surprising rather amusing for of both them, but they chose to remain silent about that topic and quickly left the library, making their way towards the class. Ishita issued Romeo-Juilet before leaving library thinking she would work on it at home.

***

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Are You Interested in Me?

"Good Morning, everyone."

Professor Mansi Sharma greeted the students as she made an entry inside the class as it being the time of her lecture. Students straightened themselves, greeting back.

Professor Sharma was a great personality indeed. She always had a very tender smile; passing positivity to everyone, she met. She also conducted motivation classes in every three months for those who needed them.

Keeping the books carried by her on the table, she approached her new students. "I am pretty much sure, you all know my name by now, but still, since this is our first official class, I'll introduce myself. I am Mansi Sharma and your literature professor from now and I assure you, you won't be at least, sleeping in my lectures."

Students laughed aloud hearing the ultimate truth about them.

That was the fact, everyone was aware of.

Almost more than the half students got some good sleep in lectures, which they did not like.

"So, let's start our class now. So where should we start from?" Professor Sharma asked, walking through rows of the benches, making the students comfortable in her lecture, providing them freedom of speaking without any hesitation.

Class went silent for few moments as no one dared to say anything.

Nothing new!

"Alright, since no one is suggesting me anything. Let's start from the very basic and familiar term... love."

Professor Sharma crossed her arms to her chest, roaming her eyes all over the class examining their reactions to her topic for discussion.

Raman rolled his eyes the soon he heard Professor Sharma.

Not again!

Raman sighed shutting his eyes shortly, thinking of the ways, about how to escape from that torture.

Why me?

He again wondered what on the earth he had done to deserve the torture.

Raman did not hate love but he simply did not understand the concept of love. For him, there was no such thing called love' existed.

"Mr. Raman Kumar Bhalla."

His head shot up on hearing his name being called.

"Yes Ma'am." He replied in a defeated voice, standing up on his place.

Ishita tilted her face a little, glancing at him and giggled mentally seeing his overly annoyed face.

"What are your thoughts about Love?" asked Professor Sharma.

"Ma'am, I don't believe in love." He replied politely, which made Professor Sharma to raise her brows.

"Alright. And why don't you?" Professor Sharma continued, trying to explore more about the boy standing in front of her.

"Ma'am it's not that I don't believe in love... I don't believe in the love, a man and a woman shares. I believe in a love of a mother-son, mother-daughter and so as every else."

Professor Sharma took off her hands, which she had crossed to her chest, hearing him. Bringing a little smile, he shook his head. He found, Professor Sharma still looking at him, without uttering anything. It felt somewhat weird to him.

"Alright. Fair enough. Anybody else?" Professor Sharma said, waving her hand downwards, signalling Raman to sit down, diverting the attention of the class, not that many actually seemed attentive, but still and asked for views from other students. Sitting down, Raman sighed.

"Ma'am, may I?"

Professor Sharma averted her gaze from Raman, looking at the owner of the voice. "Yes, Ms. Iyyer." Asking her to proceed, Professor Sharma glanced at Raman once again.

"Ma'am I believe in love, and every kind of love, that exists in the universe. Love is love, then be it between a woman and a man, a mother and son/daughter, between humans and animals and between every ones. Ma'am love is something... our universe is standing upon. Without love, there is nothing. Love is beautiful and it makes every that person's life beautiful, it touches."

Ishita beamed a lovely smile, as she completed her point of view about love. Talking about something, she believed the most in, came evident in body form, she looked peacefully happy. Her say, managed to bring a satisfactory smile over Professor Sharma's face too.

"Nice Ms. Iyyer." She acknowledged, Ishita, admiring her thoughts.

"Class, I am sorry but I have some important work. So for now, lecture is dismissed."

The moment, she completed announcing that she needed to go; she was gifted with a loud thunder of claps. Shaking her head, she ignored it, knowing lecture cancel' was undoubtedly happiest moment for students.

"But, there is one assignment for you all. In next lecture, that means tomorrow, you have to bring a write-up, regarding what you think about a relation'. Remember the topic is relation." She reminded them again, and left the classroom.

"Ah." Raman bent down, slamming his head on his desk.

Almost everyone ran out of the class, the moment Professor Sharma went out.

"Hey Mr. What happened? Cursing your luck for getting to interact over the topic again and again, which you hate the most?"

Ishita, came forward, standing in front of his bench. For some unknown reason, she had started enjoying irritating him. Lifting his face, he looked at her narrowing eyes, over her never ending sarcastic says.

"Back off, girl. Don't you have any other work, rather than paying attention to me? Or... or... wait... oh my, are you interested in me? You seem like, you definitely, very much are. I know, I know I am very handsome but..."

"What? NO, I am NOT. You... you... are ridiculous. Disgusting..."

Glancing at him, with her annoyed look, she almost ran from there, hearing him out. Being too shocked, listening him say utter rubbish about things which she couldn't imagine in her wildest dreams, she was left shocked.

His serious face lightened once she was out of there. One more second, and he burst out in fists of laughs and giggles remembering her expression.

"Huh, what does he think of himself? I A.M I.N.T.E.R.E.S.T.E.D I.N H.I.M? My foot."

She walked angrily, letting out her frustration to her all time favourite invisible companion... air.

"How dare he say that? Ah! Calm down Ishita. Relax. Take a deep breath... relax!"

She started her attempts of calming herself down, breathing in. Raising her eyebrows once, she blinked them several times, trying to hide her shocked self, the moment she realized everyone was staring at her, as if she was an alien just landed from a UFO. Smiling nervously, she made it from that corridor, to outside, escaping from everyone's suspicious glares.

"Oh god!" She sighed in relief, as she sat comfortably on one bench outside of her college. Remembering Raman's words again, she felt an insane urge to go and beat him black and blue for saying what he did.

How dare he say anything like that for her? He thinks, that I am interested in him, huh? God, I just want to kill him! Okay I admit he looks like a Greek God, and especially in white, just what he wore today but that doesn't mean I am into him.

Woah woah! What did I say? Did I just call him Greek God?

Hell no! You gotta stop watching stupid romantic serials!!!

She slapped her head, in irritation.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Riya tapped her shoulder, sitting beside her. She was amused with the act of Ishita, who looked hell annoyed with her own self. Turning towards her, Ishita gave her a soft nod, shaking her head in denial.

"You can tell me. Really..." Riya assured her, asking her to speak. Riya had come much closer to Ishita in a very short span of time. She always felt that she knew Ishita from long and felt some connect with her.

"Nothing much Riya. Don't worry." Shrugging off everything in her mind, she smiled getting to Riya. "You say... why weren't you in class today?" Ishita remembered Riya wasn't present in lecture.

"I was actually with Arjun, he suddenly had started feeling suffocated when we were heading towards the lecture. So I just took him to the medical room. He is taking rest there."

"Is he fine now?" asked, a worried Ishita. Riya nodded in agreement. She asked Ishita, about the happenings in the lecture as she missed it. Telling her about their today's discussion topic, Ishita let her know about their assignment, skipping the part of Raman's answer.

Even she herself, failed to understand what exactly was going inside her and what made her slightly concerned about him.

"Okay, so I will leave now, today we have no more lectures right?" Riya said, getting up.

"Yes, no more lectures today. For one more week, we will not be having much lectures as some teachers are out for some training. Bye Riya."

Ishita waved her hand towards her and Riya left.

"Haww... Shit shit shit... I have to work with him. I have to work with him? Oh god! Save me. What if he again starts with Are you interested in me' Drama?"

Ishita looked above, pleading to god. She almost had forgotten that he was her project partner. Wondering how to face him, she sat there battling with her inner fights, recalling about his weird talks.

***

Sorry for disappearing.

Health issues! I hope you understand.

If you are reading this story, please take out a minute to let me know that.

Originally posted by: ananyaguptha

Unres soon eagerly waiting