WHEN FATE BRINGS YOU HOME

CHAPTER 22

"About that. It's just- How do you even know about this?"

Shaurya looked up at the sky again.

"I guess you are not the only commoner here."

If I start explaining, it'll come down to me being labelled as the tape thief of this university. 

"We can talk about this later. I've got things to do-"

He grabbed my hand from down to stop me. Same exciting joules of heat and watts of electricity which I can never get used to pulsed through me. 

"The later never comes though, busy one."

"I have a report to submit next week to the panel, Shaurya."

He released his grip and I started walking towards the stairs down.

"Where are you going?"

"To the apartment. I've to take care of Bet, then pick up some stuff-"

"You're going alone at this late hour?"

That statement really brought a sense of calm in me. 

"There it goes. I almost started wondering you ever had any Indian genes." 

He smiled a little, but it was weak. Did I say something wrong?

"Let me come with you-"

"No, no. You can show your overprotective side to someone else."

I turned around again remembering to tell him something.

"By the way, let the tape thing be our secret, alright?"

He is looking back with his overconfident evil smirk. But I've got a magic word with me.

"Please."

I say with innocent googly eyes. It seems to work because he's smiling over his shoulders.

"I've been keeping it a secret since when you started to come here."

He's been watching me listen all this time? I guess he didn't joke when he said I wasn't the only commoner here. I should soon find out another hideout.

"You stalker. I'll deal with you later."

As I say these words, I take small jumpy steps down the stairs, smiling like an idiot. He's not all that bad as I thought he is, is he?

________________________________________________________

It's a fine Monday morning and I'm on my way to submit my report. Almost all of Professor Gerard's experiments are redone and reassessed, leaving only a few ones, which I hope I will be able to finish in the next few weeks. 

It's been past four months since I started at this lab. It's a shame how I fluked myself into thinking that it would be over in just two months. I took two extra months, for god's sake. And I don't think I'll able to get over this fact in today's meeting.

I enter the temporary meeting hall since the one with the black tile and black everything has been shut down for some renovation. Today's meeting hall doesn't have a stage or anything, just a plain big three rectangular tables arranged alongside the three walls of the room, giving enough space in the center for presentation, like any other ordinary meeting halls. Many from the Indian team as well as from this university are here for their reports to be reviewed. I take a seat near Neil's, to the left wall of the room. Most of the panel professors are already seated in the table adjoining the left and right tables. 

"Morning."

"Weren't you supposed to submit this like two months ago, Tara?"

"I know. I got an extended month's excuse though. Who thought I would find a whole new shelf of stuff to complete just before my time to submit the final report?"