ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ [ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇᴅ]

• Part 39 •

[7th Jan, Mon, University Grounds]

Mayukh POV:

I raced to the university grounds. New semester.
My last semester.

I walked towards the university, seeing familiar faces and seeing a bunch of people with new groups, new friends.... I'm used to seeing this.
Nothing lasts long in Bournebrooke.

"Where is the rest of our class bro?" Ved asked.
"Must be on their way." I replied.
"Hey Mayukh." Riya said from behind. I turned and nodded, "How are you?"
"I'm good, you?" I replied.
"Excellent."
"Great." I said and started walking away.

I sat in my class. The professor started teaching but my eyes stayed glued to the door.
Where was she?

2.5 hours later, my eyes still stayed glued on the door. She didn't come to class. Why?
"Hey Mayukh. Do you wanna catch a movie?" Riya asked me, my mind completely distracted.
"Riya. I need to go."
"Why are you behaving so weirdly?" She asked.
"I'll talk to you later."

I walked over to her house. It's been a month since I stepped foot in it.
"Why are you here?" Ved asked, catching up to me.
"Because, I want to see her."
"Riya isn't here Mayukh."
"I don't want to see Riya. I want her."
"Dude, really? You literally rejected her."
"I didn't."
"Sure. I'm coming with you then."
We walked upstairs. Flat 203. I rang the bell hoping for her to open it, but was disappointed when it wasn't. Aisha opened it instead.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, shocked.
"Can I come in?"
She nodded, hesitating.

"We need a lot of explanations." Krutika said.
"I know. I'll explain everything."
"Okay. Start." Aisha said.
It's adorable that they both cared for her.
"So... I... I made a deal with Riya. She wanted me, and I wanted Nikita to be happy and feel safe, when she wouldn't tell me what happened to her at my house, I figured it was Riya behind it and I wanted to put a full stop to it. So I told Riya that I'll be with her and in return she would stick to her words and make sure Nikita gets all the grades and opportunities she deserves and most of all - she'd leave Nikita alone. She agreed and so I just decided to give her a little attention. Riya is stupid anyway, she just wants a little attention from me and she simps."
"And?" Aisha asked.
"I asked her for proof of everything. She had nominated Nikita's name for many events. She managed a lot of things for her."
"Okay..." Krutika said, "what about you?"
"What about me?"
"How did you manage with her?"
"I didn't do much. I just met her a few times in campus and then I realised that she only cares about putting Nikita down. I wanted to push Nikita to the right path by accepting the opportunities in front of her instead of hiding away in fear."
"Okay..."
"She wanted to just put Nikita down and so I just... got close to her when Nikita was around."
"So you didn't stay with her otherwise?"
"No. I just made excuses and kept myself away."
"Did you tell anyone about this?"
"No."
"Man... Mayukh... why?" Krutika said.
"What about Nikita, Mayukh?" 
"I was trying to help her get over her fear Aisha. I didn't like seeing her so sad and scared."
"I know but all she needed was you."
"That didn't work. She's scared of me."
"She..."
"She what?"
"She w scared of you, but she feels safe with you."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Mayukh." Krutika said, "I appreciate what you did for her, but you do realize, you pushed her away."
What?
"No... I didn't."
"Mayukh. This was a dumb move even though your heart was in the right place."
"Why did you ignore her throughout the wedding?" Krutika asked.
"Because Riya was there and I knew that she would do something to Nikita if she found out I was behind her, plus Riya was watching me like a hawk."
"You pushed her away Mayukh."
"I just need to talk to her. Where is she?"
"What? You don't know?" Aisha asked.
"Don't know what?"
"She's not here. She's in London."
"What? Why?"
"Your girl Riya got her an internship at CSDS."
"CSDS? How?"
"She's smart. Riya just needed to push her name forward, and she did."
"And she left?"
"She didn't want to go.... But you made her go."

I felt my heart crushing into two. It felt like I cheated on her even though we weren't together. She left because of me. In a way I should be glad Riya stuck to her promise and got her a great internship at CSDS, but.... She left.

"W...when will she.. come back?" I asked.
"A month."
"A month?! She's gone for a month?"
"Yeah."
"What about her uni work?"
"She will manage everything."
"Mayukh..." Aisha said, holding my shoulder, "I appreciate what you did for her. I just wish you told us about it so we would keep her mind sane, and I wish you had held her hand and stood to Riya, and not pretended to have thrown her in the dark."
I felt like a bullet hit me.
"You're a Roy, Mayukh. You can easily just get her gone, you can do anything."
"Chancellor's hold more power Krutika."
"But you're literally the owners."
"I know but we signed a treaty giving the power to the Chancellor. We can't make decisions that favor one student unless the chancellor is on board with it."
"I get your point. Look you're not wrong in how you thought Mayukh, but what's the worst Riya could do?"
"She'd get Nikita's scholarship taken away. She would leave the university then."
"Oh."
"She had already decided to do it. I managed to stop her by what I did."
"Why would her Mom allow it?"
I scoffed, "Because her mom is just like her, she wants Riya to get with me so she stays rich."
"These people are sick."
"I had no other option but to do this."
"I understand."
"I know Nikita is terrified of me and she's probably glad that I'm out of her way, but I still like her and when she does come back, I'll get her back with me. Anyway, I'll see you around then." I said, getting up.

I was already feeling dejected not seeing Nikita here, and now I was even more guilty that I didn't take her stand.

"Mayukh..." Aisha stopped me.
"Yeah?"
"You need to know something."
"Yeah."
"She isn't scared of you. Nikita had confessed..."
"Confessed what?"
"That she likes you."

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