RED

The Stalking Beauty

I walked in the college premises with much better grip on myself, and with better clothes that at least exposed my skin and drew in some oxygen. The Hyzberda had perfectly darkened my skin up to four tones and let's say I was not looking ashen-faced anymore. Harun had seen me walking out with a backpack and blushed as he told me I looked beautiful.

I wore a light blue polo shirt with black jeans and tied my hair in a ponytail. It was as though I was starting anew because everybody in the campus was staring me wide eyed. Yes, I am a predator, I mentally eye rolled at them all, I am nothing if I am not good enough to lure you.

I have to admit that the walk to the class was one long route with even more whispers than yesterday. Did humans really have nothing better to do? I sat on my seat and heard some boy laughing and saying things like 'who said she'd die virgin? I think she'll have more than anyone of us in this life alone.'

"Oh hey, you look different," Meera's comment caught me off guard, "and ten times better than yesterday."

I looked at her and slightly smiled.

"You never told what you're called?" she asked

"Maya," I said

She blinked at me and chocked on her words as though she was kicked in the mouth.

"What?" I asked when it got uncomfortable

"Wow, you're voice..." she said cautiously, "...it's so sugary."

I looked down at my hand. Charming humans during the hunt was play, but this was getting ill at ease. If Pratik acts like this too, it will be too awkward for me to even look at him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I am not a lesbian, if that's what you thought of me."

"No, that's not what I thought of you," I spoke, "I didn't mean to offend you by my silence, but I am not much of a talking type."

She let out a nervous chuckle. "Alright, but your voice really is as beautiful as you are," she said, "and no homo."

"Thank you," I replied smiling

She stood for another minute until she was conformed that I will not speak again. I kept on counting number in my mind, because that somehow kept me calm.

By the time that Pratik came to class, I had solved four trigonometric problems and was on five trillion, twenty six billion, ninety seven thousandth number. He sat all worried on his seat and did not even look at me. I tried to breathe as casually as I could but his scent was flooding the room and provoking me. Just when I about to dodge at him, Meera sat took her seat and rubbed her shoulder against his.

"'Sup best friend?" She playfully asked

"I can't happen to find my library card," he said, "what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," she spoke, "write an application for new one maybe?"

"I remember keeping it in my book," he explained, "how could it have a life of its own and disappear like that?"

I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to return his card and that too before he gets in to any trouble whatsoever. I looked at his appealing back, then back at picking up the counting in my head again.

By the lunch time, I was completely loosing it. Pratik had not once noticed me and it was even more irritating, to get the wrong reactions from wrong people. I was feeling way too exposed here, so much that I might get stalked as well. I sat in the football ground bleachers while it got swarmed by other kids from all different courses, trying to act natural but being way too obvious. I sighed in irritation.