The Rules Of Pursuit

14. Trimester Surprise

I wanted to be anywhere else right then, but not near Avinash. He followed me back to the auditorium. It was dark inside with only the stage illuminated.

"All of you settle down beside your partners." Mentor Rudra announced in the microphone. The front rows were all occupied. It looked like Avinash and I were the last ones to enter the auditorium

"Hey, please Naxi just bear with me." Avinash whispered, while we scavenged for a pair of empty seats.

"Do I have a choice?" I replied in the same cold tone.

We stumbled our way and finally sat down at the very back. I was supposed to despise this demigod sitting next to me. Yet goosebumps sprang each time his arms involuntarily brushed against mine. My body was betraying my mind. I had never been this close to him before. I could smell the Malibu Playboy deodorant he had sprayed on himself.

Looking through the corner of my eyes, I found him typing on his phone. Assuming that he was probably messaging his darling Dumbini, I leaned back in my seat and peered into his phone. To my utter surprise the WhatsApp name, he was furiously texting read 'Mandeep 1st year'.

Avi: You idiot, I told you to make sure that BOTH the girls are okay with the swap.

Mandy: Ofcourse they are.

Avi: Chautala, you are either a horrible liar, or the biggest moron on earth.

Mandy: Hey, I am telling you the truth, if you want you can ask Natasha. She herself told me that she is cool with the swap.

Avi: You fool, I am not talking about Natasha. Your friend had been crying her eyes out, because she had to pair up with me. If that wasn't insulting enough, she just humiliated me in the worst possible way as if I had destroyed her career.

Mandy: Whaaaaaat? Hang on. What the fuck? Naxi..Naxi was okay with it. I will speak to her once we get outta here.

Avi: You know honestly I don't blame her. Nobody wants to be stuck with a dumbass like me. I shouldn't have listened to you on the first place.

Damn! Damn! Damn! Mandy was going to severe the head from my body if he got to know how I had insulted Avinash. I needed to salvage it.

"Hey! Umm Avinash," I whispered. He immediately looked up, locking his phone and putting it inside his jacket. "I am sorry for what I said back there."

Avinash leaned in to hear me better and our shoulders touched. Even with layers of clothing separating them, I felt a jolt of electricity rush through my shoulders.

"Oh! It's okay. I was stupid to have gone along with Mandy's plan. I know no one will want to be paired with me instead of Natasha." He sounded sad and it made me feel guilty.

"Oh, no, no! It's just that...it's that time of the month, you see." Why did I always drag my menstruation to get me out of trouble?

"Oh...oh...okay..." he looked a little taken aback.

Jeevan Rathore interrupted our conversation.

"Good morning students. A belated Happy Diwali to all of you." He clasped his hands together. "Since you must be wondering what this pairing up is all about, let me elaborate."

Jeevan Rathore always tried to make his lectures sound exciting, instead drove us to sleep. Today  for a change, everyone listened with apt attention.

"This trimester your grading will be based on the average of your's and your partner's grades. Not just in one, but all your subjects mind you, including sports and physical training. From tomorrow onward, you and your partners will be attending all your classes together. "