"Is he fooling around?" Krish found it hard to believe. He quickly rushed to the same bar to find that old man but couldn't.
"Does this really work?" Krish randomly set the timer to 5PM of the previous day.
Boom, he choked to find himself in his room.
"Krish, why don't you visit home? You might feel better!" Neil was suggesting just like he did the last time.
Krish was baffled as the watch disappeared from his hand.
He ran to the bar, desperately searching for that old man.
"Young man! I know you will be here!" The old man smiled, patting his shoulder from backwards.
"I can't believe this!" Krish exclaimed. However, he regretted as he had already wasted one turn.
"6 more turns and the sensors in the watch won't allow you to use it anymore!" The old man said, giving the watch to Krish.
"Every time you fail in your attempts, just come back to me. I stay in that home!" He said, pointing at an old bungalow nearby.
"But, why do you want to help me? Who are you?" Krish asked.
"Saving your girl is more important..... isn't it?" He stated.
"Yeah!" Krish decided to travel back in time with a solid plan. However, he wasn't willing to reveal about it to anyone as they might snatch it for their own motives.
Flashback: 6 months ago
College was reopened, and students were excited to meet new professors. Krish and Mughda, EEE students, were now promoted to the third year.
Abhay was a new joinee transferred from another college under the affluence of this college. Neil belonged to the same department as Abhay, civil engineering.
Krish, the boy in love with Mugdha for the last two years, wondered about confessing his feelings.
It was Power electronics class. The professor asked any four students to give a demo on whatever he taught so far in the next class. Mugdha, Krish, and two other students were asked to take that responsibility by the rest of the classmates.
PE was Mugdha's favorite subject. The only times Krish had got to interact with her were these demos and debate sessions.
Luckily to date, he and she were on the same team during debates. And during demos, it was more like listening to the demo and then asking relevant questions on that topic.
This time too, both gave demos on two different topics. However, Mugdha failed to answer a question he raised. He regretted doing extra research on that topic just to interact with her. He thought she would anyway answer like always.
Krish stole the day with his command on topics, though he was more interested in MatLab and electronics.
He dropped his plans to ask her for a date the evening. He thought it would create a wrong impression.
"What books do you prefer? Your points are extraordinary!" Mugdha asked him the evening while they were returning. As Krish always parked his bicycle next to hers, they often got to face each other.
"The two books suggested by professor and some articles on Google. I will share you them on WhatsApp." He again regretted not prolonging the conversation. This was how it had been since the last two years. He couldn't just look into her eyes and speak. He would blush like an idiot and that was awkward.
Soon elections for secretaries for sports, arts, literature, cultural club, mess, technical, event management began.
Mugdha was very much fond of books and always wanted a better leader for the literature section in college. She decided to participate in electronics for the same.
Neil wanted Krish to write slogans and speeches for his crush Neha, as Neha's childhood friend was also competing for literature secretary. Krish was annoyed as he had to go against Mugdha. However, Neil was in his life since childhood, and he couldn't disappoint his best friend.
Neil promised Neha to give a helping hand while he was least interested in books. Krish had experience in blogging and sincerely prepared the notes.
Soon the election campaigns began. All competitors were doing their best.
Krish didn't know how to react when he learnt that Mugdha lost by 1 vote. He realized he forgot to vote for her in hurry.
"Mugdha's hard work was evident, but Abhay's speeches are more catchy." People who voted for Abhay said. Yes, it was Abhay who won.
"Congratulations, Abhay! Actually, I have many plans on how I wanted literature clubs to be. I wish to coordinate, after all... this is our college!" She said.
"I'm about to tell you the same." Abhay shook hands with her.
"Thank you, Krish! Abhay won. Your speeches are extraordinary. But don't let him know this, okay. He doesn't like seeking others' help from anyone, except close friends. He is presuming, I did all this with my grandparents' help." Neha asked Krish and Neil.
"Sure!" Krish's smile disappeared when he realized Mugdha, who was passing by overhead their conversation.
He again dropped his plans.
Soon they were busy with studies, college clubs, and personal lives. Krish was busy with sports, especially shuttle. His stress buster, he was very skilled in it.
Krish and Mugdha used to interact quite often to discuss Storytelling & Recitation, English Club, Word of the day, etc. Abhay, who takes much time to mingle with people, became a good friend of Mugdha in no time.
"You have been beating around the bushes for the last two months! Just do it, man! Propose her!" Neil encouraged Krish.
Krish, at around 5PM the Friday evening, was waiting at the library. He knew her weekly schedule. Neil punctured her cycle tire so that Krish, who would pretend to pass by, could accompany her to the hostel.
Mugdha's hostel building was just opposite to theirs. Krish would be peeping out through his window at 8:45AM, as Mugdha generally starts to college at that time. He would check what color clothes she was wearing, and would snatch from Neil if he didn't have clothes of that color combination.
"Shit!" Mugdha sighed, looking at the punctured tire.
Before Krish could step into the scene, Abhay showed up. He too was coming out from the library with an old book. He was so much into construction and designing that he often referred old books.
"Is everything fine? Why do you look worried?" Abhay asked.
"Well, I will get this cycle fixed. You go to the hostel. You have lab records to finish if I'm not wrong," said Abhay.
"Thank God! He isn't offering her lift!" Neil sighed, watching Abhay leave on his bike slowly, carrying that cycle with one hand as the cycle repair shop was just next to their college.
"Hi Neil, Hi Krish! Are you guys going to the hostel?" She asked when she noticed them.
"I'm actually going to meet my friend. Krish is going to the hostel!" Neil wanted to give them privacy. He signaled Krish to talk something that makes sense and left.
"Ammmmmmmm....you are so much into books, right?" He asked.
"I just love reading books. Especially thriller genre with a cute love story." She said.
"Cool!" Krish was thinking what should be the next question.
"BTW, I have gone through your blog on the time-traveling concept... I mean, you shared the link on WhatsApp status yesterday. It's too good. I followed your blog too. Keep writing!" She said.
"Is it! Thank you! Some things in the universe are beyond our understanding!" Krish said as if he didn't know that she liked the posts. His main intention behind adding that link to status was getting her attention.
"You also play shuttle right! I heard you are a good player. Can you give me a few tips and tricks? I want to have physical exercise, and I think shuttle would be a better option to play in hostel ground!" She said.
Krish was on cloud nine. He didn't want to disturb her flow and kept listening. "Love stories often begin with an awkward conversation, an awkward hello, an awkward question, an awkward excuse, an awkward smile!" He thought when he finally was little comfortable around her.
"We reached the hostel! I didn't even realize we talked for 30 minutes! Bye......." She smiled.
"Bye!" He beamed. Just then, Abhay came to her with her cycle.
"Thanks, Abhay!"
"No 'sorry and thanks' in friendship!" He smiled and left.
"Whoa...." Krish was literally dancing in joy in his room.
"Great! Learn her likes and dislikes when you talk about the shuttle. Slowly build a friendship. And then.... love....." Neil gave him a plan.
Krish was curious to teach her shuttle the weekend but was disappointed as she cancelled the plan.
"Sorry, Krish! I have got a task. I can't make time for at least 2 more months for any other activities." She said.
However, Krish was disturbed as he saw Mugdha and Abhay sitting together in the college ground, seriously conversing.
He often witnessed Abhay and Mugdha meeting after college and then going out together the following month too.
Abhay and Krish exchanged numbers and also followed each other on social media, when Mugdha suggested Krish to submit his articles to the literature club.
Though Krish wasn't interested, he used to be a part of it at times, only for Mugdha. But, Abhay and Mugdha's closeness left him in distress. Though they looked very much like only friends, a part of him kept nagging how love stories begin with friendship. He knew many people who hide about relationship and pretend to be just friends in front of the world.
Checking their last seen, getting upset if both were online at the same time became his routine.
What broke his heart were the rumors that Abhay and Mugdha might be dating, making rounds in college. Abhay was from a pretty wealthy family. His limited speech, style, costumes, attitude generally catch attention. They were often spotted together too.
"Maybe it's about literature club!" Neil tried to pacify Krish.
Except during debates and mid-semester exams, Krish and Mugdha didn't get to interact at all.
Soon they had semester examinations too.
The last exam was power electronics. Not sure what was running in Mugdha's mind, but she finished the 3-hour long exam in just 2 hours. She rushed out at around 11. So did Abhay.
Krish had to receive a courier he ordered for Mugdha and gave the exam early too.
He was pretty sad after seeing Abhay and Mugdha leave together from the examination block.
The next day afternoon:
"Mugdha committed suicide!" Said Neil.
Krish had a panic attack almost.
"Abhay is cheating on Mugdha, it seems. He was spotted with another girl yesterday evening!" Some were gossiping.
"I don't think Abhay is a lier. Nor do I think Mugdha is so a week to suicide due to love failure! I don't even think they are in a relationship!" Few said.
"Abhay...Abhay, too, attempted suicide the evening. Maybe he is afraid he will be dejected and cornered by all." This news left everyone in shock. Now they were sure Abhay cheated on Mugdha, forcing her to take an impulse step.
Flashback ends#
"Six months... I will go back in time to the day when college is just reopened," Krish thought, setting the timer in his watch.
He was elated as it's working fine. He traveled back in time to the moment when he had been parking his cycle next to Mugdha's.
He was surprised as no one except him could remember anything from the past. Maybe, only those who knew that they were traveling back in time could remember things. This concept wasn't anyone's cup of tea to decode precisely.
He felt pretty bored listening to the same lectures again but was happy to see Mugdha alive and smiling.
PS: Story will be from the point of view of different characters as the story progresses. This time it's from Krish's perspective. Next time it will be from the other main lead's standpoint.