Stubborn Love

Beyond his Reach

Akshay and Rahul stepped into the room and found an empty spot on the ground. Unsaid stress reverberated in the room as many electronics students debugged a defective robot part.

Contended with his trial to mend the circuit board, Raghav signalled from his desk. 'Now.'

Krishna sauntered into the room with few other fellows and a crate of beer bottles. 'Enough work for the night, boys. It's time to celebrate!'

'We are not done yet,' Raghav said without looking up from the motherboard.

'Come on, man! It's Friday! And everyone is leaving tomorrow.' Sahil argued from behind Krishna.

Taha, who was sharing the study desk with Raghav, looked up from his laptop, 'Robotics folks aren't. There's a deadline tomorrow. We are stuck with one major component design failure all evening. Raghav too has just returned from his football practice. So it's a hard pass.'

'Raghav didn't come for practice today!' A football team member stated in confusion while helping himself with a beer and settled on the bed.

Krishna's piercing eyes transfixed on Raghav and refused to move until he gave in.

'I was occupied elsewhere,' he confessed quietly.

'Of course!' Krishna exclaimed with a sly smile, amused at his suddenly uncomfortable friend. 'I know exactly what keeps you occupied nowadays. Or should I say 'who'?'

The teasing tone was not lost on rest of the occupants of the room. Rahul and Akshay exchanged a quick look before returning to their laptops.

Faint color cropped on Raghav's face. 'Will you quit it? There's a time and place for everything. Rahul, I asked you to start the simulation.'

'Yes Bhaiya.' Rahul responded quickly and entered a combination in his laptop. 'Done.'

The simulated environment passed the first marked check points.

Pleased with the initial success, Taha came to Raghav's rescue, 'Yeah, quit it Krishna!' Then looking at Raghav, he continued with dramatic generosity, 'And you, Suryavanshi. You, my genius friend, are allowed to have all the fun you want.'

Raghav chuckled at his winking friend.

'Who are you talking about?' Samay, a member of the football team enquired in confusion.

'It's that junior he made us all apologize to.' another friend stated flatly.

'It's Sia!' Naveen exclaimed, putting aside his laptop and took a beer bottle from the crate.

Akshay's heart rate shot up at the name.

'Sia Kashyap? Isn't she a nun or something?' The room roared with laughter at Samay's remark. 'I am not kidding! I have heard she doesn't even talk to boys. I am sure she has sworn a vow of celibacy for life!' Then looking at Raghav, he said, 'Dude, you are doomed!'

Opening a beer bottle for himself, Raghav snickered, 'Doomed? I couldn't care less.' Krishna smirked at his expected but hollow arrogance.

'Sadly, it is true.' Priyank, from sports club, agreed. 'If I could get a penny for every hot girl I saw sneaking out of his room, I would be a m****r-f***ing billionaire.'

'But this girl is different, man.' Naveen sighed wistfully. 'For one, what a beauty she is! On top of that, she is so damn unapproachable. Making her even more desirable! Like I want to know what she is hiding behind those layers.'

'Quit it, Naveen.' Krishna cautioned after a quick glance at Raghav's now clenched jaw.

'I am serious. On the fusion night, she reached up for something and I saw her smooth skin from under her -'