PUNISHED FOR BEING ME

CHAPTER 3

"HEY IDIOT, WAKE UP!" MY ROOMMATE SAID THROWING A PILLOW ON MY HEAD. IT WAS 8 IN THE MORNING AND I HAD OVERSLEPT. , I WAS THE ONE WHO WOULD WAKE EVERYONE BUT SINCE THE LAST FEW DAYS I HAD DEVELOPED THE BAD HABIT OF OVERSLEEPING OR SHALL I SAY IT WAS THE RESULT OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS THAT HAD MADE ME OVERSLEEP. ALL THE MISHAPS THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE LAST MONTH, THAT I ALREADY TOLD YOU, HAD MADE ME PRONE TO SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND WAS SLOWLY EASING INTO DEPRESSION.

I WAS STILL RUBBING MY EYES WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY ROOMMATE WAS STILL STANDING BESIDE MY BED, IN HIS TRACK PANTS SHOWING OFF HIS PERFECTLY TONED BODY WITH NO LAYER OF GARMENT ON IT, HOLDING A PILLOW IN HIS HAND, READY TO THROW IT ON MY HEAD AGAIN IF I SLEEP.

HE LOOKED NOT LESS THAN A PRINCE CHARMING OF SOMEONE'S DREAM. HIS ABS LOOKED AS IF SOMEONE HAD PAINTED THEM FRESHLY ON HIS BODY. I COULD LOOK AT THEM 24 HOURS A DAY FOR A WHOLE A YEAR AND STILL NOT GET TIRED. HIS BICEPS LOOKED AS IF THEY WERE SOME ROCK-HARD STRUCTURES.

SOMETHING INSIDE ME MADE ME TRY AND REACH OUT TO TOUCH HIS BODY. AS SOON AS I TOUCHED HIS BODY, I FELT A RUSH OF HORMONES FLOW THROUGH ME, BUT AS IT TURNED OUT I TOUCHED HIS BODY FOR A SECOND TOO LONG THAT MADE HIM HIT ME HARD ON THE HEAD WITH THE PILLOW.

I FELT EMBARRASSED AND BURIED MY HEAD IN THE PILLOWS. MY FACE HAD TURNED RED. I WAS CONFUSED. I FELT OF RUSH OF COMPLICATED AND CONTRASTING EMOTIONS RUN THROUGH MY BRAIN. WHAT WAS I DOING? TOUCHING A GUY'S BODY- SOMETHING THAT I HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE. ALMOST DROOLING OVER THE SIGHT OF HIM STANDING NEAR MY BED TOPLESS-ANOTHER THING THAT I NEVER IMAGINED WOULD HAPPEN TO ME. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD SUCH A STRONG SURGE TO TOUCH A GUY'S BODY THAT I ACTUALLY WENT FORWARD AND TOUCHED IT. I DIDNT KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT WHATEVER IT WAS, IT FELT GREAT. GREAT IS ACTUALLY AN UNDERSTATEMENT TO HOW I FELT. IT WAS STUPENDOUS, IT WAS MAGNIFICENT, IT WAS SPLENDID, IT WAS SIMPLY MAGICAL.

I GOT UP, TOOK A BATH AND WENT TO MY CLASSES.

LATER THAT DAY, I HAPPENED TO BUMP INTO A SENIOR. HE WAS WEARING BIG SQUARE GLASSES, A BLACK TURTLENECK SWEATER WHICH HE PAIRED WITH A PAIR OF BLUE JEANS AND GREY SNEAKERS. THOUGH HE JUST SIMPLY PUSHED ME ASIDE, I WAS AWESTRUCK BY THE FACT THAT HOW GOOD CAN A GUY LOOK IF HE GETS HIS FASHION RIGHT. ONLY AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, IT WAS THAT I REALISED THAT THE GUY WAS NONE OTHER THAN PRATIK SINGHANIA, THE GUY WHO BULLIED US. HE LOOKED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. HE LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE WHO WAS COMPLETELY FOCUSED ON HIS STUDIES AND NEVER GAVE A DAMN ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE. HE ALSO LIKE MY ROOMMATE WAS A "GYM-ED" GUY. HIS JAWLINE WAS SO SHARP THAT EVEN A BLIND MAN COULD SEE IT. I RAN AFTER HIM AND WHEN I REACHED UP TO HIM, I TAPPED ON HIS SHOULDER. HE TURNED BACK AND LOOKED AT ME AS IF SOME BEGGAR HAD COME TO HIM FOR ASKING MONEY. I ASKED HIM IF HE REMEMBERED ME FROM THE DAY OF BULLYING, AND AS I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED HE DIDNT. I INTRODUCED MYSELF AND HE DIDNT SEEM TO CARE ENOUGH TO REMEMBER MY NAME. HE THEN PUSHED ME AWAY AND WAS STARTING TO CONTINUE TO WHEREVER HE WAS GOING, WHEN I WHISPERED IN HIS EARS," YOU LOOK KINDA HOT IN THOSE SPECS PRATIK JI" AND I RAN OFF.

IT WAS THE LAST THAT I SAW OF HIM FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

ONE DAY MY MOBILE PINGED. IT WAS AN SMS FROM AN UNKNOWN NUMBER. HESITANTLY I OPENED THE MESSAGE.

"MEET ME AT THE THIRD FLOOR WASHROOM

DURING YOUR SNACKS BREAK TOMORROW "

IT WAS ALL THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE MESSAGE. I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO DO. I WAS CONFUSED ON WHETHER TO GO OR NOT. I SHOWED THIS MESSAGE TO MY ROOMMATE WHO TOLD ME TO GO SINCE IT MIGHT BE A GIRL WHO HAD MESSAGED ME. THOUGH I KNEW THAT THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING WERE VERY SLIM, I DECIDED TO CHECK IT OUT.

NEXT DAY, WHEN THE BELL FOR THE SNACKS' BREAK RANG, I GOT UP AND HAD JUST EXITED MY CLASS WHEN MY CLASS INCHARGE CALLED ME TO HIS CABIN. I WANTED TO GO TO THE WASHROOM TO CHECK OUT WHO WAS THE PERSON WHO HAD MESSAGED ME BUT THE TEACHER'S CALL WAS ALSO IMPORTANT.

OPPOSED TO MY SELF-INTEREST, I WENT TO SEE THE TEACHER WERE I WAS KEPT BUSY TILL THE END OF THE BREAK.

THAT NIGHT AGAIN MY MOBILE PINGED-ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM THE SAME NUMBER.

"YOU DID WRONG BY NOT COMING TO MEET ME.

COME TOMORROW SAME PLACE, SAME TIME OR ELSE

IT WONT BE GOOD FOR YOU."

I GOT A LITTLE SCARED AFTER READING THIS MESSAGE. I WAS NOW HESITANT OF EVEN THINKING OF GOING TO MEET THE PERSON.

THE NEXT DAY I DID GO TO THIRD FLOOR WASHROOM IN MY SNACKS' BREAK AND WHATEVER HAPPENED AFTER, COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE.