***********

Shivaay stops the car in the parking area of the college. He gets down and waits for Annika. He bends down and looks inside the car when didn't see her coming out for a while. Annika was sitting in thoughts. She was embarrassed as she knew what's next waiting for her.

S: don't you come?

Annika composed herself when hearing him. She opens the door and gets down without sparing a glance at shivaay. She could hear some gasps as soon as came outside. Everybody was watching her with wide eyes. They were watching her as she is an alien. The shock was an understatement for them includes all the teachers. Who used to wear short outfits is now standing in a kurti that perfectly covers her body. Annika couldn't raise her head as usual, she couldn't shout at them. She felt too down then. But she was enough strong to not accept her defeat. She will take revenge for all his deeds. She was confident and determined about that. Today or tomorrow she would come back to her old days. She walks ahead without turning her head, even a bit.

She enters the class and was heading towards the last bench where raging and Soumya seats together

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She enters the class and was heading towards the last bench where raging and Soumya seats together. They were waiting impatiently to reach Annika beside them. So that, they could enquire about the happenings and the reason behind her change in the outfitting. Before she could sit with them shivaay's voice interrupts

S: Annika

She looks back to see him indicating her to sit on the first bench, next to Gauri. She obeys him without any argument making shivaay surprised. He smiled a bit.

Their class start at 9 'of clock. Annika's phone buzzed with a message when it was 8:56. She frowned a bit when saw an unknown number. That message was enough to realise whose message was it

~the most valuable gift you can receive is a honest friend~

She raises her head to look at shivaay who hasn't left the class yet. He was already staring at her, waiting to see her reaction after reading his message. He passed a smile when their eyes met. She did nothing but turn her face. She doesn't know why is she so calm today.

Gauri couldn't utter a word to annika. Annika was the one who made her a thief in others eyes. After that incident, Everyone is looking at her through doubting eyes except harshita. That has been hurting her again and again. She doesn't know ragini's stupidity was causing all these.

Suddenly, gauri's phone buzzed with a message. Coming out of her thoughts, she took a glance at the phone. A message from an unknown number

~problems only get solved when you stop ignoring them~

Whose message is this? She frowns

~I am shivaay. Your business lecturer~

She raises her head to pass a faint smile to shivaay. He blinked his eyes in assurance. She responded with a slight nod before saving his number as 'shivaay sir'

She looks at Annika hesitantly. Shivaay leaves the class as first hour was not his. Not before smiling when saw gauri trying to talk with annika.

G: can we be friends?
Gauri asks, forwarding her hand

Annika turns and looks at gauri who smiles at her. She stares gauri for a moment. Isn't she angry at me for putting blame on her for something that she never did? Doesn't she hate for what I had said to her, for insulted her? Did she forget everything? Why is she so calm and being polite with me?
She thinks before looking straight without giving a response to gauri. Gauri sighs while taking back her hand.

G: I don't mind being friends. After all past is past. Still there is quite a time to end this batch. You have to sit with me also. I can give you a company..

Annika didn't utter a word

'I can't forgive you for what you did with me. But....'

A: I was not the one who tried to trap you. Ragi....
She blurted and stopped in middle all of a sudden. She doesn't know why she tried to give an explanation to gauri. Why she didn't want gauri's misunderstanding on her.

G: Ragini did that?
Gauri asks trying to look into Annika's eyes

Again she got nothing but silence. Gauri smiles a bit. She could imagine the rest that actually what happened that day.
At least Annika opened her mouth today. Gauri thanked God for that.

***********

SO: how goes your married life?
Soumya asks sitting next to annika who sits quietly in the same position since morning. All other students were out of the class as it was their interval time.

A: this married life has a short existence only
She says looking straight

SO: leave the revenge game and live with him yaar...
Soumya says offended

R: ha.. If I was in your place I would have lived with him. How handsome he is and rich also...
She says being in her dreamland only to get a agry glare from annika. Ragini gulped the saliva before stammering
'I... I was just..'

A: let me see your boyfriend

R: sorry yaar.... Don't take it seriously

Annika hummed looking at the floor

SO: do you think that he will leave you? If he hadn't wanted you in his life he might have left you a long ago. He could have said no for this marriage. But he didn't.. that means something is running in his mind. He wants you as his wife. How will you manage to get the divorce?

A: I don't care if he wants me or not. I am gonna compel him to divorce me. At the end of the day, he would have to leave me in my own way.
She smirks

---------------------

Do you think that her hatred for shivaay is the only thing that makes her rude?

What are you waiting for??

THANKS FOR READING 🤗

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