TERI MERI YAARI

~34~ So much for moving on

HEYYAAA PEOPLE! SO MY COLLEGE HAS REOPENED AND I'VE STARTED ATTENDING CLASSES (YEAH, ONCE AGAIN). SO THIS UPDATE WAS DELAYED. BUT HERE I AM, TRYING MY BEST TO PROVIDE YOU GUYS WITH UPDATES. 

WE ARE ALMOST HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK, IF EVERYTHING GOES AS I'VE PLANNED (I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SOLID PLAN, BUT UHH WE'LL SEE HEHE) 

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE, COMMENT AND FOLLOW~!

LOVE Y'ALL!

HAPPIE READING!!
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NANDINI'S POV:

I am breathing aggressively as I climb up the stairs to reach the lecture hall before the professor does. A coffee in my left hand and my books in the right and no matter how many times I make a run to reach the class on time, I am never going to get used to it. A bunch of people greet me with hi's and hello's and I try my best to smile and nod at them and not make a complete fool out of myself. Afterall, its become a daily occurring now. Every morning, I wake up with barely any time to spare and work on my peak speed and get ready to attend the classes. I usually skip breakfast because, blah, I don't have time for it. 

I dodge a guy who was spinning his football on the tip of his index finger by mere centimeters and turn back to give him a look, making my point that it was his mistake when I heard a voice of fight beginning to arise from him. If I wasn't getting late for class, I would've given him a piece of my mind, but hey? I've got my priorities to be set clear. 

It's been six months since I've been studying in the SOA, Columbia and I am literally not exaggerating when I say this place is pure heaven! The campus has lush spread of gardens all around abundant species of plants, providing you with a view that could stand to compete with the garden of Eden itself. If you are an early morning person and like to wake up and just stare at world slowing unfolding in front of you everyday, then the dorms here are absolutely perfect. Being situated at the center of the university area, the dorms provide you with a 360 degree view of the entire campus, giving you an idea of what people are upto when they're out of their rooms for a sniff of fresh air. 

The classrooms here might be just a single level below than the Iron man's laboratory. With all the digital boards and floating hologram video projectors and embedded screen-touch study systems on each desk, this is the tech haven every single teenager dreams about. And the fact that I get to do my digital sketches on the freely provided I-pad for the top students? my mouth is already salivating. 

with just three minutes being left for the class to begin, I make a sprint towards the entrance of my lecture hall and make it just in time. An entire wave of relief surges through my chest when I notice that the professor isn't in the classroom already. I roam my gaze towards the entire lecture hall to locate my friend, and that is when I find her waving towards me from the fifth row. I make my way towards her and I realize that she's saved me a seat as always. If I had time, I would be on my knees right now, crying tears of gratitude. 

Bridget: Hey girl! I am so glad to see you. I almost thought you wouldn't make it. 

I settle down in the seat beside her and place the cup of coffee in the container that has been provided at the end of the desk. Yeah, that's how thoughtful they were when they constructed this campus and imported the furniture for it. 

Nandini: Yeah, I thought I wasn't going to make it too. But thanks to my athletic skills, I do not have to miss the class just because another human was being careless. 

Bridget completely turns towards me, her eyes squinting with her mouth pursed in a straight line. She is a gorgeous blonde woman with a spray of light freckles over he nose and eyes so blue it could give competition to the pacific. 

Bridget: What did that room mate of yours do once again? 

My body heats up with anger as I remember the encounter I'd had with my good for nothing room mate this very morning. 

Nandini: She turned off my alarm. 

Bridget's mouth is open wide, shock clearly evident on her face. 

Bridget: She turned off your alarm?

I grimaced as I nodded at her. 

Bridget: And why did she do that?

My expression turned completely sour when I turned towards her completely, knowing that I need to rant out each and every single detail to her. 

Nandini: Because she needed to freaking sleep and my alarm would wake her up! 

Disbelief spreads all over her face as she shakes her head at me. 

Bridget: Don't tell me she was out the entire night partying. Again. 

Nandini: Even worse. She invited her friends over at our dorm and the entire night felt like the hell was let loose. 

Bridget raised her eyebrows, something she does when she picks up interest into a matter. And when she picks up interest, she has to learn each and every detail. 

Bridget: details. Now.

I sigh as start reporting the incident in extreme detail, dissecting it bit by bit. 

My room mate Madison is a complete hipster. She believes that you've got only one life so you gotta live each and every day like its the last. But the kind of shenanigans she pulls off? She might actually make sure that she never sees the next morning. 
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong in partying or living your life the way you want. But what she does? Is totally unacceptable. She's got powder under her nose almost all the time and to pair up with it? bottles of beer and vodka line up the floor of our dorm everyday and it is me who has to clean that up. 

She barely attends any classes, and hence, she's mostly been banned from attending them. She's that rich kid who's parents don't really care what their offspring is doing out there in the world. They just throw a hefty monthly allowance in her bank account and don't bother on what does she spend it. It's fine as long as she doesn't call them. 

As much as I know, they had her by mistake and since her mother was one of those rare cases that didn't show up even after being 5 months pregnant, it was too late to abort. Hence, they had to bring her into this world and just provided her with money. Love? I don't really think she ever got it. 

I really pity her sometimes. No kid deserves the kind of treatment she gets from her parents. And I am very much sure that her so called friends are stuck to her at her hip just because she reeks of money. It's not that she isn't a good person. She's a really good human but she hasn't had anyone to guide her throughout her life. Her parents were barely present for her. All they know is to work like machines and make money as if they're printing it. And obviously, when Madison had enough of it, she turned into a rebel and therefore, she is where she is now. 

I feel a twinge of guilt for how I'd felt about her this morning. She doesn't do what she does intentionally. Its just how she's been her entire life. Even last night, when she asked her friends to come over to our room, she never knew they would sneak in a few guys. And knowing that I was very much uncomfortable with that, she sent the guys away to which her so called friends threw a tantrum and left as well. At that very moment, she'd looked me dead in the eye and told "I know they want me just for my money. But its not like anyone would ever want me if I didn't have money." I wanted to console her badly and tell her that I was here for her, but that would be a lie. Me and Madison barely talked. I would be out the entire day doing classes and she would be out the entire night partying and doing god knows what. And those few encounters when we both were present in the same place? Well, you just now saw what happened. 

Anyways, just to give her company, I stayed up with her entire night as she drowned herself in booze and that god awful metal rock music. I though that was the best I could do. I'd expected us to have a better relationship after last night, but after she turned off my alarm so casually, saying that "Sleep is important. You should let loose sometimes and miss a few classes here and there to sleep in sometimes", I realized that we could never be the best of friends. 

We both wanted very different things from life and it was getting suffocatingly difficult for me to continue staying with her. And as if it was a sign, Bridget voices out my thoughts loud. 

Bridget: Babe, no offense, but do you really think you could continue to live with her?

I sulked at her comment before responding. 

Nandini: I don't really think I could stay put for long. I tried asking in the office if I could apply to change rooms but since all of them are filled, they couldn't help me. 

Bridget: How about switching room mates?

As if realization was dawning upon her, she thought better of it. And as if we have the same brain, we spoke the same words out loud. 

"No one wants to share a room with Madison."

We giggled together and turned around to face the ahead. 

Nandini: woahh I thought I was going to be late. But the professor still isn't here. What are the odds?

Bridget: I heard they're bringing in the mid-sem lateral entry students today. She must be busy with that. 

Nandini: Yeah well, if they were going to be busy with the so called new students, then atleast should've called the class off. I would be able to have good sleep at last. 

Bridget: You know, I sometimes think that you're room mate is rubbing off on you. 

I scrunched up my nose showing how much I disliked her thought to which she responded by laughing hard. I don't know what she found so hilarious about the entire situation. 

Bridget: But seriously though, you gotta do something. You can't just keep going on like this. 

Nandini: *Sigh* I know, But I don't know what to do. It feels as if I've reached a complete dead end with no where to go. 

Bridget: You know, I would totally love to be your room mate but neither will my room mate switch with you and nor will she allow me to switch with Madison. 

Nandini: I know girl! You do not have to give explanations. If this matter would be in our hands, we would've found a solution to this long back. 

Bridget: *Sigh* I know. But hey, I have an idea. We might get just into a little bit of trouble. 

One thing you have to know about Bridget? When she tells a little trouble, you don't really know how little that trouble is going to be. It might be a broken nail or it might be an entire chemistry laboratory set to fire. Nothing in the middle works. Don't get me wrong, she's a really sweet, pretty, dorky girl but when she tries to help and stirs up trouble? We get screwed big time. 

Nandini: When you say a little trouble, I demand that you come up with a detailed explanation. 

Bridget: oh gosh! its nothing! We could just move your bed to our room. And if we do it at night, the warden won't even know! 

See? told ya. Nothing in between. 

Nandini: Bridge. That's illegal. 

Bridget: Yeah as if college students stuffing their nose with powders is legal. 

Nandini: And what about your room mate? I don't think she'll be thrilled if an entire bed is pulled into her room and deprive her of the free space. 

Bridget: Oh trust me she'll love this idea much better than the room mate switch. And she'd do anything to save a girl from Madison. In fact, if we get lucky, she might even give us a hand in carrying the bed to our room. 

She had a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Oh god, she was serious about this and I thought it was a joke. God help this sweet soul. 

Nandini: Very well, Bridge. But no. We'll be screwed big time and none of this is worth it. 

She lets out a frustrated groan and proceeds with the conversation. 

Bridget: Then what do you plan to do? Just stay in that room and watch your own sanity being ripped away from you?

Nandini: Geez girl don't get so dramatic. We'll come up with a solution. 

Bridget: And how exactly do you plan to find a solution?

I sigh as I turn towards her again to face her. Maybe I should tell her now. There's no point in hiding it anyway. 

Nandini: actually, I spoke to my mother about this. 

Bridget: And? 

Nandini: And, nothing yet. She'd told me that she would try and see what she could do. 

Bridget: And what exactly did you tell your mom? 

I hadn't given Maa all the details, because, of course she would be a lot more worried than required. As I told, that Madison is a really good human at heart but the way she lives her life doesn't say the same. In short, if I would've provided my mom with the details, then she would've freaked out. 

So, like any good daughter would do, I'd simply told her that most of the times I'd had to stay back in the art studio to complete my work but as the dorm had a deadline to return back, it wasn't helping at all. And also that there were problems with the showering system. 

That hadn't been a complete lie though. These problems were also a reason but the major one I hadn't mentioned. So basically, I didn't lie. I just told her a partial truth. 

Nandini: I told her what needed to be told, Bridget. Calm down. 

Bridget: Yeah sure- 

Our conversation was interrupted when we heard the professor enter the lecture hall. Mrs. Baylor taught us marketing and she was a great professor. She knows what she's teaching and though strict, she has never been unfair. 

You might be confused about why I was taking a marketing class while I am an arts student? Well, we had to choose an elective course offered by other department and it was compulsory. And since marketing was said to be a useful ally for my art, I just grabbed the opportunity and enrolled myself. 

In fact, this is where I befriended Bridget. We are both art students but we never got an opportunity to talk in the art class. And since we were the only two students from the fine arts course who enrolled for marketing, it was very natural for us to stick together. As they say, a familiar face in an unknown crowd is all you need. 

But I really thank the god for this. Because Bridget and I clicked instantly and rest is the history. 

Mrs. Baylor: I am really sorry for the delay. But surely you people know the reason for the delay, don't you?

While not teaching, Mrs. Baylor has got an excitement of a five year old. Even a pretty flower can get her to shriek with excitement. 

Mrs. Baylor: As you all already know, we'll be welcoming the lateral entry students today, and we have two absolutely fabulous gentleman who'll be joining our marketing class, starting today. And the best part? They're both from India. 

A slight smile crept on my lips, I might most definitely know one of them and having him by my side once again just makes me feel elated. 

But the mention of another student is what raises the hair at the back of my neck. I have this very sinking feeling in my stomach, indicating that whoever the person is, I might not be liking him. 

And its truly hilarious as I don't even know who that is. But that's the entire issue. I do not know why I have this feeling that I would very well know whoever was going to enter through the doors of this very lecture hall. 

Not one, but both of them. 

My uneasiness would be visible on my face as Bridget tightly holds my hand. 

Bridget: Hey, you fine? As long as I remember, you'd told me that one of the students might be your friend. Shouldn't you be happy? Why do you look pale instead?

Nandini: I do not know, I just feel uneasy. But don't you worry, I'll be fine. 

Bridget: You sure? I am sure Mrs. Baylor won't mind you taking a leave-

Nandini: You really don't have to worry. I'll be fine, I promise. 

Bridget doesn't look like she bought my thought but if anything, she doesn't push me. And I am glad that she doesn't push me. 

Our attention is back at Mrs. Baylor and she's beaming so much with happiness that I won't be surprised if the angels fly down from heaven and start singing Hallelujah. 

Mrs. Baylor: However, one of them will be joining us a few days later but since the other is already here, let us look at the part of the glass that is already filled. 

Classic Mrs. Baylor. 

She turns towards the door and gestures whoever is on the other side to come in. Every single moment feels as if it couldn't be any longer. It is so painfully long that I wanted to throw up. I have no idea who this new guy would be, but this uneasy sensation that I might know him and that I might not like him was making it difficult for me to be seated. 

As if on cue, I see a tall, lean but muscular guy with tousled hair that are as dark as the night sky entering the hall. From the place where I've been sitting, it is difficult for me to have a look at the face of the guy. But he looks very familiar, the body structure, the walk, the confidence emanating from him, I think I know who this is. And god forbid, if it really is the person I am guessing it is, I've got a big problem to deal with. 

Then, as slowly as ever, the mystery guy turns around and my heart comes to a complete halt. I grip the handles of my chair so hard that my knuckles are as pale as a porcelain. His gaze finds mine as if he already knew where I would be seated and as soon as he locks his eyes with me, a slow, winning smile covers his face. 

After all I've been through. God cannot do this with me, 

Mrs. Baylor: Go on, young man, introduce yourself to everyone. 

His eyes never leave mine and that smile looks like it is never going to fade away. 

??: Hello everyone, My name is Kabir Sharma. 

I was definitely expecting a friend from India, but this particular person, was completely out of syllabus. You know what frightens me more? That determined look he has on his face. As if he's here to win something and he won't stop until he gets what he wants. I just wish that something is not me. 

Oh good lord. 

So much for moving on! 

________________________________________________________________________________END OF THE CHAPTER!!

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE FRIEND NANDU WAS ACTUALLY EXPECTING?

DO LET ME KNOW HOW YOU FELT ABOUT THIS CHAPTER!!

LOVE Y'ALL!!

BBYEE!!