Cigarettes & Peonies

06

"OMG, then how do you guys refill your water bottles???" Maahi asked her bus friend. She huffed.
"We have to walk to the microbiology department to fetch water. I mean, I am so crossed now.....it has been two months already and there's no watercooler installed in the department. I think I need to complain to the director now." Vaishali, her bus friend, was jittery. Maahi chuckled.
"Don't worry, they'll arrange a watercooler for you soon. Oh, we have reached the bus stop....see" Maahi said looking outside the window. Her bus friend clicked her tongue.
"Nothing new dear. It's the same boring bus stop!!!!" she said bored. Maahi pouted. The bus started filling up with the students. Maahi busied herself in her phone as the commotion was simply deafening.
"KARANVIR BHAIYA!!!" clamoured the boys in unison. Maahi stiffened. Her fingers clutched the seat cover tightly as her heart started pounding heavily in her chest. She could feel his presence inside the bus.
"Huh, here comes the dork!!!!" Her bus friend muttered contemptuously. Maahi shuddered. She was too scared to lift up her gaze and see if he had sat on the last or not because she was doubtful about him taking a seat at the back. She felt his presence kinda close to her which simply implied that he hadn't advanced further in, but what was he doing in the middle of the bus.
"Get up idiot, Karanvir bhaiya will sit here." she heard a boy shout close to her. Maahi furtively peeked at her left and gasped. Karanvir had taken a seat on the next row of seats unlike last time when he had sat on the last. His seat was close to the door and mostly it's the bus conductor who sits there but no one questions Karanvir. Maahi's terror doubled when she realised that his spot was most apt for watching her. Maahi shifted uneasily on her seat as she could feel his burning gaze on her. She quickly stuffs her earphones into her ears and plays some music just to ignore the creepy Karanvir.

The bus starts after a few minutes and she is relieved. A girl had sat next to her which had ,to some extent,  blocked Karanvir from her view. She looked outside the window while listening to music. Abruptly she felt a movement taking place beside her, she impulsively looked to her left and stopped dead. Karanvir had swiped seats and now he was sitting in the front seat of the same row but this seat was close to the driver and from here nothing in this world could stop him from watching her with no hindrance. She gulped as inadvertently their eyes met and a cruel smirk developed on his lips. She quickly averted her eyes. Although she was trying every measure to not pay heed to him but still she could make out what was happening before her. He was chatting with the driver but his eyes were fixed on her. Maahi was ill at ease with his presence. Every other minute he would do something which impulsively would catch her attention and every time she would regret throwing a glance at him for he would simply stare at her as if she was a prize. Maahi was extremely uncomfortable. She inwardly prayed for the college to arrive soon but her prayers weren't answered for another 15 minutes.
"Maahi we'll have lunch together today." Her bus friend said, Maahi paused the song and smiled. After that her eyes again landed on Karanvir who was leaning on his back on the window and staring creepily down at her. She gulped and looked away.

Fifteen minutes later the college arrived and the driver drove into the campus. Once inside the bus stop, the driver killed the engine and the students began climbing down the bus. Maahi quickly grabbed her bag and started scurrying towards the door in order to escape the creepy Karanvir. But she wasn't fast enough as the big Karanvir was already behind her. Her breath hitched at this unsettling proximity with him. She didn't dare turn back although she could feel his nose practically upon her hairs. She couldn't understand what was his problem or why was he behaving like that. What does he wants from her??? The students were way too slow in her opinion while climbing down, they were literally holding up the line for no reason and with Karanvir so close to her she was already so worked up. Behind her she could feel him closing the gap between them and standing awfully close to her, perhaps sticking to her. She gulped. Although she couldn't hear it distinctly but she was sure that he was whispering something and if there was anything which she made out of his croonings were few words like 'Baby girl' and something like 'Mine' but Maahi couldn't figure out what exactly was he trying to whisper. Besides he wasn't saying this to her, he was murmuring all to himself rather. Thankfully her turn came and she quickly climbed down to get rid of the creepy Karanvir. She started marching up to her building. Behind her she heard his friends chuckle and whisper stuff like 'whipped' and 'swooned' which made no sense to her. However as she was walking towards her building, she faintly heard him whisper 'I love red baby girl'. She gasped in horror as she realised that she was donned in red crop top and plain black jeans. She darted off to her department, ignoring his whisperings behind her.