THE VISUALIZED LOVE

Chapter 23- Assignment

All the students in the University were given assignments because it was high time for the final semester exams. Shivani's HR(Human Resources) teacher had given them an assignment where they had to go around the campus, take reviews/opinions from other BBA students in the campus regarding their opinion on recruitment of staffs in a company and their thoughts on business entrepreneurship and make a video out of it. They had to present in the class. As the deadline was nearing, Shivani decided to go and take Advait's and the two boys' help.

Shivani was late to her first hour class, so she had to skip and go directly to the class for the second hour. Likewise, she was roaming around the campus wondering what to do about her assignment. At that moment, she noticed Advait sitting alone on a park-style bench near the Christmas trees by their canteen. He was engrossed in reading, one leg crossed over the other, with his earphones on.

Shivani hopped to him with excitement, and stood in front of him.

"Hii senior!!" She waved.

"Ohh,... Shivani!?" He removed his earphones as he spoke. "What are you doing here? Didn't go to class?" he asked.

"I should ask you the same!" She said.

"Well, I came late. So I'll just attend the second hour."

"Same!!" She added, and they both laughed.

"By the way, I need your help again!!" She smiled shamelessly.

"What now!?"

"That... There's an assignment that I have to do. It's like an interview, I'll have to ask y'all some questions and you guys have to answer it and give your opinion. I have to make a video and present it in class. So pleaseee help me with this?" She requested.

"You always do this to me Shivani, everytime you give me work and ask me to do it for you. No way I am doing this now, on top of that you'll record me? A video? Everyone in your class will see me huh?? NO WAY!!" he folded his hand not budging for her sweet voice.

"Ahhh pleasee! This one last time. I won't ask you again next time.. Puullleeaassee" She knelt beside him, resting her knees on the ground next to his legs. Taking his hand in hers, she gazed into his eyes and pleaded softly, "Please, Senior? You won't do this for me? Please?" with puppy eyes and her voice as sweet as a child.

He absolutely fell for it. At this point he couldn't control himself but just take over the moment with his feelings. He held her hand with one hand, letting the other stretch behind her head to pull her towards him gently until their foreheads touched, "Mudiyadhu nu sonna vidava pora?" (Not as if you'd let me go if I said no) in a soft tone, softly revealing his smile to himself.

"YESSS!! THANK YOUUU SENIOR!, I'll get you one plate Biriyani." she jumped in excitement and started hopping to go to her class as the bell rang at the right time.

Advait smiled as he admired her, hopping and jumping. 'Does she even realise what I just did to her now? Or is she pretending to ignore?' he chuckled as he thought. 'I should control my actions, I am going out of hand!! Control Advait, control!!' He thought while getting up from the bench and went to class.

During the breaktime, with Advait's, Uday's and Shane's help Shivani somehow managed to get her assignment completed and made a good video of that.

~Evening at Shivani's house.

Advait and Shivani both went to terrace to sit and see the view of the city which is quite illuminating and is a sight to behold from her building.

With two juice bottles and snacks, they embraced the comfort to sit and talk about their lives and share things from their hearts just like two new friends trying to discover about each other to trust and to know more.

"What are you interested in becoming Shivani?" Advait posed a question under the dark evening sky as his nerves shivered a bit in that chilly atmosphere.

"Entrepreneur"

"We have similar tastes, don't we?" he chuckled. "Entrepreneur as in?"

"Handicrafts. Imports, exports or something related to those... I still don't have a clear vision, but I am sure I'll create my own path. Let's see". She said as her eyes ran across the lights of the city while sipping her orange juice. "What about you?" she asked.

"Hmmm... I'll learn things from my dad, and then take care of the business until I become financially stable to build my own business. I still don't know what that business is. Still figuring out" He nodded his head.

"Hmmm... I know a few people, I mean we are a group. We are in a stage of figuring things out on our own and then go on our unique paths once we build a base for us. More like, finding out resources and stuff. Our aim is to build our networking first. The group's name is 'THE RESILIENTS', You can join us if you want to, just a suggestion. It's up to your will, we haven't reached your level yet so you might find this boring. Again, it's up to you. We are like minded and now you are too, so we just figure out things"

"Ohh... yea vuh? Nice ra. Can I ACTUALLY join? I really want to" his excited eyes turned to her.

"Yea, we are four of them, and we'll be five when you join, so yea" she said.

"If you guys meet any other person after me, are you going to join them in the group too? Like all of them? Whoever you meet?" He asked

"No. You'll be the last one to join us. If we meet any other, they'll come under networking. We five will be the main people in the group, to lead the group."

"Wooaa...!! I am the last one!, glad that I met you. Thank you for letting me join" he smiled.

"Hmm!! We'll have a symbol of our own, own jackets to represent us, many goals" she held out her hand to give him a handshake "Welcome to 'The Resilients', you are an official member from now on"

"Ehh!! Thank youu!" He responded with a handshake making a deal.

After a long pause Advait asked "Aanoo... can I ask you something? I mean, I have been wanting to ask you this from quite a long time" his face turned a bit serious.

"Hmm.. go on" she looked at him.

"It was the third day of our college, hmm... in your sense, it was your third day since the college had started, in the beginning of your first year. When I was coming down the stairs in our block during our short break, talking to someone next to me, You were standing near the corner of the stairs. You were looking at me when I saw you, you saw me as if you knew me, more like from a long time. I didn't even know who you were at that time, and yea... it was not the first time when I saw you in the parking lot, the first time I saw you was near the stairs, when you were already looking at me. I didn't pay much attention to that, but now it keeps bugging me and I am going back to the same day again and again in my memories. Why is that?" he spoke

She was astonished for a moment, her nervous system started acting up. After a pause "Maybe because I was waiting for the crowd to come down as soon as possible so that I could go to the washroom?" She cleared the confusion, feigning confidence.

"Ohh!!! Washroom huh?? So that's why you were looking at me, I mean.. everyone. How dumb of me...!" He said, smacking his forehead.

"Chill chill" she patted his back but her nuanced facial expressions assured that there was more to it.