Clean Bowled

Chapter 2

"Papa, tiffin.." I run behind him and hand him the tiffin. "Thanks Aashu" he says and gets in the car. "Have a great day today okay, all the best" and he is gone.

I sigh and get inside the house. It's 9.30 and I have to leave in an hour.

First day of college. But that's not what is making me nervous. Viraj is. He is coming back after almost 4 years.

The incident that happened at Saloni's party is so clear in my head like it happened yesterday. That was the last time I saw him. When school started, I came to know that his family had shifted to Mumbai. So not boarding then, I had thought and was so relieved.

But then today I'll face him again. Will it be just like school? Will he trouble me like those days or won't even acknowledge me. He obviously must have forgotten me. Ya right, he must have forgotten all about me or better yet he must be in some other course.

Vo bhi thodi na arts hi lega.

That's it. I just need to stop over thinking because he won't be in my batch and won't even remember me. Ya good.

I push aside all the thoughts and get ready. I don't know why I decide to wear my favourite outfit which I bought yesterday. I wear a lavender top over gray ripped jeans and pair it up with minimal accessories.

When I'm about to tie my hair a smile escapes my lips.

God, those days were so crazy. I had thought my whole identity was lost. But later I realised that long hair is not something I want to be recognised for. What Viraj did was really wrong but now that I look back, it was my mistake too.

I am not so obsessed with my hair anymore. I tie my hair up in a half bun and take my bag and leave.

"Hi baby doll" I pat the seat of my scooter. "Aaj college ka pehla din hai. I am bloody nervous" I say as I wear my helmet and leave.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

'West High Institute of Arts, Commerce and Science' is written in bold letters on the entrance of our college. I park my scooty and Pari gets down behind me and we walk towards the building. Okay this college is huge. Enormous. Wow.

I am gonna spend the next two years here. Thank God Pari is with me and there is not the whole 'being awkward and making new friends' process involved on the first day. We find the arts department and go inside our class.

There are many familiar faces from school and we greet each other as we sit in the last row in the middle benches.

"You are so jittery today. Will you stop tapping that pen on the bench" she says while removing a book and I poke that pen in her arm.

"What? It's true! Are you excited to meet your best friend?" she says pushing my shoulder with hers and I give her a death glare.

"Will you shut up? I'm just hungry" I say and she nods. "Yea yea that's what you are" she mumbles and starts taking snaps and uploads them.

"Best friend ka pata nahi but tera boyfriend aa gaya hai" I say and she quickly looks up and then lowers her head to hide.

Rudra walks in laughing, with Joel and Shabnam, and I call him. "Oye Majnu! Yaha seat khaali hai" I say earning a kick from Pari.

Well Pari is gonna break my leg by the end of this year.

"Hey Aashi!" he walks towards us and sits in front of us while Shabnam and Joel take the seats behind. "Stop calling me Majnu" he says making a disgusted face.

"Pari Rani..." he smiles looking at Pari. "Stop calling me Pari Rani" she retorts and I, Joel and Shabnam laugh at Rudra.

"Made for each other" I mumble. Pari hears me and curses under her breath.

"Ok class settle down.. settle down everybody quick" an old man enters the classroom whom I assume to be our class teacher. He is in his fifties and is bald wearing a sweater over his shirt.

Sweater?? Ye Goa hai Kashmir nahi, I think but then maybe it's just his style. Whatever. The buzzing of the class lowers.

I look around and the class is fully packed. So I was right. Viraj Singhania is not in this class. Oh thank god, I'm so relieved. Waise bhi mujhe usse milne ka koi shauk nahi tha.

Liar.

Okay fine I wanted to see him but it's better that he is not in this batch. Things would get awkward. It would be so bad having him in the same class as mine.

Because then we would obviously have to interact at some point or the other and things would get crazy. That would happen if he remembered me. It's better if he doesn't.

Liar again.

Oh shut up, I tell my inner voice and start focusing on our teacher who has already started speaking.

"..... is Mohan Buttha.. and no mai buttha nahi bechta and you guys don't need to hold in to your laughter. I know my surname is funny" he says and the class cracks up laughing loudly.

Wow he is really cool. This is a really good start.

"Sir, may I come in" somebody comes rushing towards the door and all eyes focus on him. He is wearing faded jeans and a white shirt and when my eyes fall on him I almost fall off my chair from shock.

Messy black hair, a strong jaw, straight nose, full lips and blue eyes.

Viraj Singhania is standing by the door to my classroom looking so bloody... bloody ugghh.. in that amazing white shirt like he came straight out of a magazine.

He looks... He looks.. looks like a potato and I am so not checking him out. Yes I'm not. Ok eyes, you need to follow my instructions and stop looking at him like you want to devour him.

The whole classroom starts buzzing. Especially the girls. "Ye Viraj hai na", "Viraj is back", "Omg his eyes", "I hope he doesn't play cricket now, mujhe captain banna hai yaar".

Nobody has forgotten him. But what about him? Has he forgotten them.

"Bhai yaha seat rakha hu aaja" Rudra says waving his hand enthusiastically.

"Fucking hell no! That's the seat in front of me" I curse under my breath.

Pari leans towards me and whispers in a low voice, "The jokes on you bitch".

Aaarrggghh!!!

Why the hell did I tell Rudra to sit here.

His eyes scan the room and land on Rudra as he smiles and walk towards him.

Not noticed me yet good good good. Don't look at me. Don't look at me.

Look at me.

My mind needs to shut up.

He swiftly walks towards the last row his eyes scanning the rest of the room. When he reaches near us his eyes land on me and his steps falter.

Okay, he recognised me alright. He sits on the chair beside Rudra, that's in front of Pari and I look at him from the corner of my eye.

Why does he have a strong jaw?? Bhagwan ji aapko pata hai na strong jaws meri kamzori hai.

"Alright everybody lets get started with your new life" Buttha Sir says and I lean forward and put my head on the table with a thud.

Ouch.

That's the best way to start a new life... Yeeaaahh!!!

~•~•~•~•~•~•

Dekho.. dekho vo aa gaya :D
So Viraj Singhania is back.. what do you guys think will happen now..? I'd love it if you guys comment and vote. Ily :)