The Path Less Travelled.

The Date. (Obviously😆)

Hiding from their friends, who would no doubt tease them to death if they found out about the date, they sneaked out of the academy, on his bike, Naina sitting behind him, holding his shoulder a little hesitantly.
He did not fail to notice this, but made no comment.

.....

Raj : "And I found out later, that it was Naveen who had swiped my precious comic to prank me and then had completely forgotten about it.
It was limited edition!"

Naina (surprise written on her face) : "Was it Marvel Doctor Strange Bullet Points?"

Raj (Incredulous) : "How do you..?"

Naina (cutting him, laughing) : "First, lemme guess, you never got it back, right?"

Raj ( in a fake overdone victimized tone, wiping false tears ) : "No."

Naina started laughing harder.

Raj looked at her, amused.
Raj : "What?"

Naina : "Bhaiyya aapse comic churakar bhul gaye the....he found it among his stuff when he came home....and as he had no interest in comics, he never knew the value of that one, or how rare it was.
Me however....."
She stopped, a twinkle in her eyes.

Raj : "What do you...mean?"

Naina : "I recognized it, and 'borrowed' it from him."

Raj : "You...you took it from him?
You....you were ...interested in..?"

Naina chuckled.
"All my childhood was juggled between two things : threats of selling off my entire comic cupboard from my father, coz I wasn't studying enough, and him buying me new ones himself, pleasantly surprised by my grades. And Yes! I had a cupboard full."

Raj (only half joking): "I have a room full."

Both started laughing.

Naina : "And yes, I still do have your comic, safe. But I did not know, it was yours!."

Raj looked at her, and smiled.
"Its a small world."

Just then, their food arrived, causing a temporary lull in conversation.

He kept looking at her, as she neatly arranged a napkin on her lap, before eating.

How much was it, that he did not know about her.
He wondered, for possibly the thousandth time, how would Naina have been, had Naveen been spared.

His heart wrenched, at the thought that he almost lost the chance to tell this girl, sitting across him, how he felt about her. This girl, who he was growing to love in newer and newer ways, the more he knew her.
He definitely wouldn't have survived not being with her, especially as he realised, what a perfetct companion she would prove to be.

She challenged him, argued with him, inspired him, engaged him, yet was in so many ways, dependant on him for the same reasons.

It was in that moment, that Raj realised, that despite everything, life had been kind to him.

..........

They were walking out of the restaurant, in silence.
They had had a fun time, and now that the initial euphoria had died down, a measure of awkwardness had returned.
Consciousness that he was her teacher, she his student.
Ok, had been.
Still, it hadn't been long since, and the boundries that both had unconsciously formed around themselves, weren't easy to forget.

Raj : "Um...icecream?"
Naina's eyes lit up.
Naina (smiling) : "Never refuse icecream."
Raj smiled in response.

They proceeded to the small icecream booth, outside the restaurant.

Raj looked at the flavours, then chose the weirdest one available.

Naina went with a safe option.

Naina : "Sir, are you sure, you want to try this...(she made a frowny face reading the name) ....'Olive Pecan Ripple' ?"

Raj : "Yes, Love to experiment new stuff, don't you?"

Naina giggled.
"I am happy with safe options."

The flavour turned out to be horrible ofcourse, which made Naina laugh at him in superiority, which made him sulk, and grab a large bite out of her chocolate-butterscotch cone, which made her sulk, and made him laugh in superiority now.

.......

They were tiptoeing into the academy, constantly watching over their shoulders, when all of a sudden, they were surrounded from all directions.

The entire gang had been hiding behind pillars, ofcrs!

They both gave up, standing there with a sheepish grin on their faces, Naina blushing slightly.

And as Raj had expected, they were teased to death, and finally everyone only dispersed, when Raj agreed to their demands of a treat, partly because he was afraid the chaos they were causing might bring BC out again, and this time he might not be so generous.
They were all leaving to go sleep, when Raj called out to Dr. Shalini.

Raj : "Um...Doc..aapse kuch....baat karni hai."

Naina, who was standing with Pooja, looked up.
Looking at Raj, she knew she had guessed the topic currently.

Raj nodded at her, and said seriously.

"You too, if you please."

Pooja, guessing this was something serious, wished her two former teachers goodnight, and wisely left them alone, going ahead alone to the hostel, where they were staying temporarily, since the hearing.

Raj proceeded to walk to his room, Naina and Dr. Shalini following in silence.