Author :
Continuing from the next scene.
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• • •
In the College 🏫 :
(In the Drama Class)
The classes go continuously packed with notes and lessons and finally it was now time for their drama class. All students were already sitting on their seats. The teacher is yet to come.
Nishi enters with Suhaas bantering about something.
Arav has been waiting for Nishi to come because he was somewhere feeling guilty to what he said to her. He felt like as if he judged her at her face without even knowing her closely which was eating him up and so he decided to apologise. Just when Nishi comes his eyes fall on her but he freezes and out of the blue his palms start sweating.
"Just go and say sorry, she will forgive you the instant you will apologise to her genuinely." Vishesh's voice breaks his trance,
Arav looks back at the big group who was already looking at him with silence. He blinks at them dumbly before asking, "How long you guys have been looking at me?"
"Since the time you started staring at her." Daksh says with a straight earning some chuckles.
"How do you know, what I was thinking?" Arav asks simply.
"You have been silent ever since you said those words to her. And being the clean hearted and innocent person that we know you are, you are feeling sorry for talking to her like that." Naina says chuckling.
Arav purses his lips looking down at his closed chemistry notebook on the table with a tint of pink on his cheeks earning some giggles and chuckles. But then he asks, "What if she will not forgive me?"
"Oh come on man! She is not a monster! She will not eat you up!" Harsh says making a face.
"Infact, she would not be thinking about it as much as you are thinking." Ekansh says with a nodding Jay, "Right! She is just like this. वो बातों को दिल पर नहीं लेती, specially if someone सीधा-सादा इंसान like you says something to her. She is way too mature than you think of her."
[ Translation : "Right! She is just like this. She doesn't take things to heart, specially if someone as simple person as you are, says something to her. She is way too mature than you think of her." ]
"I agree." Rishabh says copying Shubh's notes.
Aniket sighs seeing his friend still being hesitant. He was going to call her but abruptly Arav grabs his hand which Aniket was going to raise to call her and says, "I'll handle it."
He gets up and then thinks something and sits again confusing them all. "Now, what happened ?" Karan asks.
Arav doesn't say anything. He just gets up and goes on the last bench leaving them all confused. He takes out a pen and paper and starts writting something on the paper. Then he gets up, puts it back in his jeans pocket and goes back to his seat.
"Now what did you write in there? An apology letter?" Aniket asks narrowing his eyes at his friend knowing well that he has always been a shy person but Arav shuts him gesturing that the teacher has come.
They all wish Mrs. Mathur and she tells them to sit down. But then she notices that someone is talking on the back seat and silently walks to where the voice was coming from gesturing the students to stay silent.
Nishi was talking to Suhaas who sees the teacher clearly and so, he clears his throat to stop her blabbering but she doesn't get the hint and asks loudly, "क्या?"
[ Translation : "What?" ]
Students try not to laugh and then she sees where he was looking at. She stands up seeing the teacher standing behind her and wishes her again showing her dumbness, "Good morning, Ma'am! I mean, After-Good Afternoon, Ma'am!" Seeing her expressions, the teacher tries not to laugh with a straight face while a wave of laughter comes in the class.
"I think you already wished me with the entire class just a few seconds ago." Mrs. Mathur says with her poker face.
"Yeah, right Ma'am! I . .forgot." She says with a straight face causing them to laugh again at her antics. Even Nikita was laughing with her two best friends.
"What were you two talking about?" The teacher asks folding her hands looking interested in their conversation.
"Halwa-Puri!" She says without thinking causing them to laughing wave to come again while Amol and the big group giggle at her replies without thinking. Arika laughs as Shanaya snickers with Shivika and Emelia.
"Halwa-Puri?!" Mrs. Mathur says raising an eyebrow at Nishi.
"Yes Mam! He was asking me if someone has to sell Halwa-Puri on the streets then how he/she will sell it? I was just helping him with the acting skills." Nishi says causing Advik facepalm at her reply and Antrika giggles while Varun and Vaani laugh.
"Oh! Wow! Then show us too!" Mrs. Mathur says smiling at Nishi.
"मार दिया पैर कुल्हाड़ी पर!" Nihaal says and they all laugh seeing her nervously chuckling. Arav smiles seeing her helplessness with Aniket chuckling beside him.
[ Translation : "She just dug her own grave!" ]
"Sure Mam." Nishi anyhow says smiling confidently and walks to the stage while asking herself, 'Great grandma, what will you do now? कौन बोला था रे तेरे को अपना मुँह खोलने को? तू हर बार सत्यानाश मारती है!'
[ Translation : 'Great grandma, what will you do now? Who told you to open your mouth? You annihilate every time!' ]
She stands on the stage from where everyone can see her. Firstly she touches the stage with her right hand and then touches it to her forehead and then her heart surprising everyone but Arav smiles at her gesture of giving respect to the stage.
Mrs. Mathur stands near Nikita's seat near the stage.
Nishi does a Namaste to the audience as an artist which impressed them because she has been living in foreign for a long time and so they didn't expect something like this from her. She takes a deep breath, then stands near the stairs of the stage. She places her handkerchief on her left shoulder and moves her right hand imagining as if mixing something in a pan. She takes her handkerchief and shoos the invisible flies away and shouts, "ताजा पूड़ी lelooooooo!!"
[ Translation : "Buy fresh Pooris!!"
Poodi is Indian fried bread. ]
A big wave of laughter comes in the entire class, even the teacher was laughing at her acting skills. They didn't overcome of her acting yet when she says loudly causing another wave of laughter, "हलवा लेलो! बाबुजी हलवा-पूड़ी लेलो गरीब की जेब भर जाएगी और आपका पेट।" They all laugh heartily at her dialogue delivery as she talks as if she is talking to someone who is passing by her.
[ Translation : "Take Halwa! Sir, buy some Halwa-Poori, it will fill the pocket of the poor and your stomach." ]
[ Halwa is made of semolina, and the savoury Puri which is a fried flatbread. Traditionally, this combo menu is often for breakfast, brunch or snacks or in Nau-Durge (9 Indian Godesses' festival) in India. It's very common amongst Indians and Pakistanis that it is made in almost every home. ]
She stops there and waits for them to shut their mouths. After a good 3 minutes of laughter wave, she looks at the teacher and asks frowning, "Mam, if they all will laugh like this then how will I act further?"
They all laugh again with their teacher making her confuse. Then Mrs. Mathur claps for her with a smile and the entire class claps too. Then she comes near a confused Nishi and says, "Your acting is phenomenal, no doubt! And no one was laughing at you sweetheart, we all were laughing at the way you came here and acted so confidently even when you knew well that you were actually talking to him about something else. Am I right?" Mrs. Mathur asks the last part narrowing her eyes at her new student. Nishi smiles sheepishly in answer making them all laugh again. Mrs. Mathur asks pulling her ear not too hard, "Will you lie again to your teacher? Hmm?"
Nishi shouts like a kid and says, "Ow! Ow! Eee! Only if needed, Mam!"
"Achchha!" Mrs. Mathur says with surprise and pulls her ear a bit more making her say 'Ow' in pain and causing the students to laugh more but meanwhile Arav thinks with a plain face, 'Isn't Mam pulling her ear too hard?'
"Okay, Mam. I will not lie to you from now on." Nishi says making Mrs. Mathur leave her ear and say, "Good! Now go back to your seat and concentrate." Now they all were silent waiting for the class to start.
Nishi descends the stage but then turns back and asks Mrs. Mathur leaning a bit towards the stage, "But Mam, how do you know that I'm not lying right now?"
Mrs. Mathur takes an attacking fake anger filled step towards her saying, "Just wait there!" But Nishi runs back to her seat causing everyone to laugh at her antics again.
"She is so cute!" Says a college student as she laughs making Arav and Nakul smile at her words.
The class goes smoothly with light laughing sessions due to Nishi's funny antics and interruptions which Mrs. Mathur doesn't find as disturbance. Infact, she likes the healthy environment due to her. The bell rings and all students start leaving when Mrs. Mathur thank Nishi for bringing out the truth to which Nishi just smiles at her saying that she was just doing her duty as a human making the teacher smile and feel proud on her.
Nishi was waiting for everyone to leave so that she can leave after the crowd. She sits on a seat when someone taps on her shoulder. She turns back only to find Arav standing nervously behind her. She raises her one eyebrow at him in question that what made him come to her. He doesn't say anything but puts a small piece of paper on her table and leaves leaving her confused. She takes the paper and opens it to read.
I'm sorry for talking like a judgy person in the canteen. I hope I didn't hurt you. Please forgive me, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry.
~Arav
Nishi tries not to smile at his sweet gesture of such cute apology letter. It's true that somewhere she didn't really expect that comment from him in the canteen but she also didn't expect such cute apology letter from him. She was actually not thinking this much for his words let alone his words would have hurted her.
She leaves the class only to see Arav waiting for her near the classroom with his friends waiting for him while walking slowly.
"He is behaving like as if he is proposing her not apologising." Aniket comments getting some giggles from the girls.
"It's because he is too shy." Anika says chuckling at a nervously standing Arav outside the Drama Class.
"Yeah, but only in front of her. I noticed." Shubh points out.
"But why?" Vishesh asks them curiously.
"Who knows if he likes her. I never saw him being this shy in front of a girl." Karan states.
"Dude! She is our junior and just 17. What are you thinking?" Nihaal says making a face, not agreeing with the idea of Arav liking the teenager.
"So what? She is 17. There is not too much difference in their ages. He can still like her." Naina says casually while Pragya and other girls agree saying, "Agreed."
"I think so too. I don't think if there is anything wrong with him liking her. It's totally okay." Jay speaks his thoughts out aloud. Darsh frowns at Jay's thought not liking the idea.
Meanwhile, Arav was looking at Nishi who was blinking at his dumb statue. She sighs and says, "Seriously, I was not even thinking about it. But it's okay. Don't think too much."
"You are not upset with me?" Arav asks not believing.
"No." Nishi replies while giggling.
"Why are you giggling?" Arav asks blinking at her thinking if she is making fun of him.
"You are cute just like your apology letter." Nishi says giggling and leaves making him freeze at her words. A tint of pink grows on his cheeks. He doesn't realise he was blushing at her comment and walks with her quickly.
"So. .we are good?" Arav asks not knowing that he was smiling like a teenager.
"What's with you and the whole college apologizing for things that I was not even thinking about? Off course, we are good." Nishi says nonchalantly narrowing her eyes at him.
He chuckles at her antics and joins others with Nishi. "Can I ask you one thing?" Jay asks looking at Nishi who nods. "What's your age?" Jay asks his mind out.
"15." Nishi answers making them all shock.
The big group says in unison, "WHAT?!"
Nishi flinches and puts her hands to cover her ears and says frowning, "Jeez! Are you planning to deaf me? Why are you shouting?"
"You are 15?!" Ansh asks her with disbelief while Nishi takes deep breaths to calm down her racing heart.
"Yeah. Why? What's wrong with being 15?" Nishi asks folding her hands while narrowing her eyes at him.
"Nothing is wrong. We thought you are 17." Nihaal says blinking at her. Arav was just blinking at them not believing the fact that she is soo young.
"Oh! Do I look that older?" Nishi asks chuckling.
"No but your maturity made us think otherwise and we mistook you for being a 17 year old or may be older than that." Vansh says making her laugh.
"This always happens. People mistake me for a matured lady finding physically too fit." Nishi says laughing and then adds, "I'll leave now. Ro must be waiting. Bye! See you on Monday." Nishi says leaving as she waves looking forward and they blink at her retreating figure saying, "Bye!"
"Wow! She is a kid." Vishesh says coming out of his shocked state.
"What do you mean by kid? A seventeen years old is also a kid, not an adult." Anika says making a face.
"But still-" Vansh was going to say something but Darsh cuts him off saying looking at Arav, "She is just a kid, boys should stay away from her if they are planning to like her."
"No one plans before liking someone, Darsh." Jay says looking at a staring Darsh at Arav almost glaring at him who was looking at him with confusion.
"I'm just warning people to not to hurt her or her family will hurt you." Darsh says still looking at Arav coldly.
"What are you talking about? What do you mean?" Arav asks with confusion.
"Do you like her?" Darsh asks Arav straightly.
"Like, who?" Arav asks still being clueless.
"Nishi!" This time Daksh says sternly making Arav widen his eyes at the duo and shout, "WHAT?! Are you crazy? What made you think that I like her?"
"You are shy with her everytime we meet her." Shubh comments with blaming eyes.
Arav blushes at the comment and says, "That's because she is too young and more mature than us which somewhere makes me feel like a kid in front of her."
"I agree." Ekansh says for the first time talking in between their conversations. They all look at the duo who are blushing hardly for feeling like a kid and then laugh loudly making them laugh too.
* * *
At Nishi's House 🏡 :
Nishi was sitting on her study table and was doing her class work after taking lunch. Today Rohan sent two constables and a team because they were busy to pick her up from the college. No one was at house too. However, the lunch was already ready. She was working when her head starts aching from working continuously from last 2 hours and so she decides to take a break. She simply laid down on the bed and closed her eyes to relax her mind. Her phone rings and she picks it up without checking the caller ID, "Hello?" Nishi speaks in the phone.
"Hello, Nishi! मैं श्रेया बोल रही हूँ।" Shreya speaks up from the other line.
[ Translation : "Hello Nishi! This is Shreya speaking." ]
"Yeah Di, say?"
"Achchha listen, आज राजवीर भैया तुम्हे pick करेंगे क्योंकि एक छोटा-सा get-together है जिसमें भैया के कुछ जूनियर, classmates, business पार्टनर्स भी होंगे जो family friends ही हैं।" Shreya informs Nishi.
[ Translation : "Alright listen, today Rajveer Brother will pick you up because there is a small get-together in which some of Vihaan brother's juniors, classmates, business partners will also be there who are family friends." ]
Nishi makes a tiring face saying, "But Di, अभी तो पार्टी की थी ना एक हफ्ते पहले ही। फिर अब फिर से? क्यूँ?"
[ Translation : "But Sis, we had a party only a week ago. Then now again? Why?" ]
"पार्टी नहीं, get-together है। कोई stranger नहीं होगा।"
[ Translation : "It's not a party, it's a get-together. There will be no stranger." ]
"मेरे लिए तो सब stranger ही हैं।" Nishi says making Shreya chuckle and say, "Now, stop whinning and be ready on time, okay? Be ready by 7:30. Don't be late."
[ Translation : "Everyone is a stranger to me." ]
"Okay."
"Bye and take rest till then." Shreya says before hanging up the call without hearing Nishi's bye as she was too busy for the arrangements.
Nishi makes an irritated face and looks at the clock which was showing 06:30 p.m. She gets up and makes some tea for herself and goes to the backyard as per her routine. She was watering the plants but something was bugging her as if the get together will not go smoothly. She was having this feeling that something big is going to happen tonight and so, to distract herself she plays with the squirrels running here and there as if she is going to catch them, however she was only teasing them. She was laughing and smiling as if she doesn't need anyone to have some fun in life but was she really having fun or it was all a drama to her innerself or to others?
She goes back to her room to get fresh and get ready after trying her best to distract her disturbing mind.
Rajveer comes straight at 07:30 p.m. and they leave for the get-together after greeting each other with genuine smiles.
* * *
In the Car 🚔 :
Rajveer's car had 8 cars' security, four in front and four in the back. Nishi gets irritated seeing the security and asks scrunching her nose at Rajveer who was driving, "This much security?!"
"Yeah! After your stunt in school, Rohan and the Principal Sir suggested it's better to increase the security." Nishi rolls her eyes at Rajveer's explanation while he adds, "You know, we are proud of you for what you have done till now! And. . . .thank you . . . .for helping my sister. I had no idea what she was facing. . ." Rajveer says with a sad voice and face. But then he asks her something that has been on his mind from a long time now, "Why did you say in your welcome party that Arika and Akriti has not done anything wrong? You know, they were wrong the way they treated you that night."
"They treated me the same way they have been treated. Nothing new." Nishi says looking at the road confusing Rajveer who asks, "What do you mean? You mean they were not treated right?"
She looks at him and states, "They were never treated right." Then she looks at the road ahead and says in her american accent, "You know, it's not their fault the way they were acting that night in the party and the way they have been behaving all these years. If only you and your parents would have given her the time, love and care she needed and always had every right over, then she wouldn't have been like this," She looks at him adding, "this far away from her own family."
"You are trying to say that we don't love her enough?" Rajveer asks with a bit of anger but still with a polite tone as if trying to not to show his anger.
"You love her but you don't respect the time you have left with her to spend, just like the way you have never respected all these years. Same goes with Akriti! It's not her fault how she has been treating people. For God's sake! She is still a teenager living in a house full of oblivious people." She says muttering the last part.
He looks at her rolling his eyes at her words and asks, "What's there to spend time with her for? To hear her favourite k-drama's story?"
"What's more do you know about her, EXCEPT the k-drama thing? In school time, I heard her and her friends talking about their siblings. She knows about your likes and dislikes, your dream project, surprisingly! BUT! Do you know what's her dream? Do you know what type of life she wants? Did you ever care to talk to her and spend some siblings वाला quality time with her? Or did Aunty, Uncle, anyone from the family ever asked her what SHE wants from you all but YOU GUYS kept telling her to behave, to talk less, to not to do this, to not to do that! Have you ever noticed your behaviour towards her? How many hours-No! Sorry! It's out of the course thing! How many minutes or seconds you have spent with her maximum till now?" She asks him.
Rajveer was shocked by her temper towards him and his family for treating Arika as if she is someone else's daughter. Her words throw him in a valley full of the memories he made with his only sister. Nishi continues, "You want her to change for the good but you don't want to be the one to teach her that?! That's ridiculous!" Nishi says chuckling bitterly turning her gaze to the road folding her hands angrily.
The rest of the journey goes with an angry Nishi at Arika's and Akriti's families and a drowned Rajveer in his own thoughts' ocean.
* * *
At the Venue :
Nine cars stop in front of the venue which can be seen easily from where the party was going on due to the straight gallery leading a big glass window.
In the big hall like lawn with plants and greenery all around, a girl enters wearing a full sleeve t-shirt with jeans. Her hair are bind in a high pony tail as the whether is being breezy. She is wearing black button colored tops in her ears which was a good combination with her dressing style. Her skin colored sneakers were making her look cool. She was looking cute and adorable but still managed to look beautiful with light eyeliner and lip balm only and no more makeup because she is too lazy for that today.
All eyes turn to the entrance curiously to know that who came with so much security at the venue. Some people gasp seeing Nishi as they didn't know she was coming too. Those gasps were of Vihaan's and Anshuman's juniors who are none other than Jay, his friends Darsh, Amol, Arav, Naina, Aniket and Nakul who were not less than a family to them because they know them since childhood and their families too. However, after what Tripti did to the four best friends, they were not the way they used to be. But now. . . . All are happy to see these college students back to four by four.
Varun, Arika, Rishi and Advik are also there because their families are somehow connected by either business or being family friends.
Nikita, Nia and Shivika are also there. Tej came with Nikita and his wife Kirti while Nia came with Shivika but it was Rohan's responsibility to drop them safely after the party. Some new faces were also there whom she never saw. However, actually she doesn't notice her seniors and classmates in the party.
"I had no idea she is coming. I completely forgot that it's her family party after all." Aniket mutters and they could not agree more. Arav sighs at his own stupidity of forgetting such important fact while Nakul was eyeing her and looks away clearing his throat.
Nishi was in her own thoughts with a serious face to which Shripra Rai, Avni's friend who was standing near the group with her friend Shelly Malhotra, comments, "Wow, she is so beautiful! Who is she, coming with so much security?"
"Vihaan's little sister." Shelly informs eyeing the teenager because Avni told her earlier about Nishi.
"She is really cute." Shripra comments again with a smile looking at the teenager's serious face which she finds adorable while Shelly hums having her drink.
Nishi goes to her cousin sister, Shreya and asks narrowing her eyes at her with folded hands, "So this is GET-TOGETHER?" She says looking around the big lawn, "Hmm. . . .काफी छोटी है।"
[ Translation : "Hmm. . . . quite small." ]
Shreya was standing with Manav, Trisha, Smriti, Avinash, Divya, Sanjana, Dipali, Tej, Kirti, Mrityunjay, Rajveer, Nikki(Nikita), Nia, Shivika, Vihaan, Garima, Gia and Vaani while Arushi leaves to have some water. Arika was explaining them how Nishi handled everything so well back at school and saved them from the clutches of a criminal in disguise of a teacher and a student, Tripti. They were shocked that Arika is talking so respectfully and casually with them just the way she used to be like a chirpy bird but they were happy to see her back.
Shreya turns back to Nishi who doesn't notice others and chuckles at her youngest cousin sister saying, "Here, you will only find those people who are close to our family in some way."
Nishi rolls her eyes commenting, "Di, this looks like the whole मोहल्ला is here." Some laugh at her words and it's when she notices Garima and Vaani and says pointing at them, "Wait! What are you guys doing here?"
[ Translation : मोहल्ला - Colony ]
"They are family friends. They used to be in Nikki's class and are her friends too." Shreya says earning an 'Oh' from Nishi.
"Your Vetaal looks missing today, where is she?" Nishi asks looking at Arika, noticing that Akriti is not here with Arika today.
[ "Vikram and Vetaal" is a series of mythological stories which are very popular amongst Indian children, particularly as bedtime stories. They had earlier become popular in comic strips. These are stories about King Vikramaditya ("Vikram"), who was out to catch a ghost named Vetaal. ]
Understanding who she is asking about Arika chirps up, "Oh, she said she will be late today because she forgot to do her homework."
Nishi nods at the info when her glance falls on Kabir who was talking to Anshuman, Ritesh and her seniors. She leaves muttering, "I'll be back."
They all were stunned to see how Arika is talking to Nishi so casually like friends, the same girl whom Akriti openly insulted and Arika did nothing but only laughed at her in the welcome party. However, they knew what Nishi did at the school but still it was not easy for them to gulp this soft side of Arika. But they are more than happy with that change and all smile softly seeing Arika's new version or may be the lost version.
Nishi walks towards Kabir and group and comments seeing her seniors, "Wow! Looks like the entire college is here."
"Not really, it's just us." Aniket says.
"Yeah, sure." She says narrowing her eyes at a small group standing near them. Varun, Advik and Rishi were standing in a triangle while were talking to each other.
"I'm sure, you have no idea that Mrityunjay Bhai is Varun's elder brother and Arav is their cousin brother, younger to Mrityunjay Bhai but elder than Varun." Anshuman says getting her attention.
She blinks at the new information and says, "I had no idea. No wonder they look a bit similar." Anshuman nods.
Then Nishi nudges Kabir and signals him to follow her saying to the group with a professional smile, "Excuse us. Come with me." They get confused.
'When did they become this close?' Anshuman thinks watching the duo walking to a corner.
Nishi and Kabir were now standing in a corner when she asks him, "Where are these two monkeys?"
*End of the chapter.*
Author :
How was the chapter?
Can somebody suggest me an action South Korean Drama or movie, you know something thriller, full of action? It has been two and a half month since I have watched a movie or any K-Drama.
Thanks for reading!
Smile please!
:)