Part 9 Deadly Combination
Arnav came home. Ratna found him disturbed. His face looked restless. She frowned. What would have happened? She slowly followed to his room and peeped through the slight gap in the door. She saw him searching for something on his shelf. He took out a few notes and kept them in his bag.
Ratna moved back silently. What notes were they? Were they the first-year notes that Khushi asked him? Did they patch up? Did he accept Khushi as his friend? Yes, she had the capability of making him smile. She must have made him accept her as his friend. After all, they share the same bench in the class...! Then she thought something. If she became his friend, why did his face have no charms? She was confused.
Night
Ratna called Arnav for dinner. He came and sat silently. He started eating which confused Ratna more. Arnav usually asked her about Arvind if he would be late but that day, he didn't. So, she decided to talk to him about Khushi. She slowly started.
"Chotte, will you take lunch for Khushi tomorrow?"
Arnav stopped eating.
"Poor girl, she has no one but by God's grace, she shares the bench with you in the class...! So, she will not have a problem in eating our food" she read his expression.
He didn't look at Ratna but at the plate.
"Chotte"
"She didn't sit on my bench today," he said not taking his eyes from the plate.
Ratna was bewildered.
"But she said she shares the bench with you..."
"She did... but today..."
"She might not share the bench, but she talks to you, right?"
He nodded no.
"Why?"
He nodded his head from left to right and said,
"I don't know" even though he knew the reason.
Ratna became thoughtful. This was why he took his notes to give to her. When she was behind him, he was not ready to give it to her but when she stopped talking to him, he voluntarily going to give her notes because he could not bear the distance Khushi created that he expected. Ratna connected the dots. She didn't know what to do. She didn't even get Khushi's number when she came to their house. Or else, she could have called Khushi and asked her why she didn't take place on Arnav's bench and stopped talking to him. She sighed helplessly. She waited for Arvind. He came only after Arnav slept.
"Arvindji, my guess is right"
"What guess?"
"Chotte likes Khushi"
"How do you know?"
"He took his old notes and kept them in his bag"
"Is it?"
"Yes because she didn't sit on his bench today"
"Did she sit with him?"
"Until yesterday... but today she didn't"
"Why?"
"Don't know... maybe because of us"
"What do you mean?"
"She might have thought not to trouble him and make us embarrassed"
"But he didn't even welcome her when she came to our home"
"He didn't get irritation either..."
Arvind became thoughtful.
"He was so gloomy when he returned from college. That's why I casually asked him. Then only he admitted that she didn't sit with him on his bench"
Arvind nodded his head.
"Do you think this will work?"
"I don't know... Khushi seems a nice girl but she is so casual and thinks Chotte is her friend... I think we should stop expecting more from her" Arvind said and Ratna sighed.
The next day
Arnav noticed Khushi who was with Lavanya and Preethi. He waited until the short break. Students went out of the class. Khushi also went to the canteen with Lavanya and Preethi. Arnav came to Khushi's place and kept the notes on her desk. NK who crossed their class saw that and was surprised. He saw Khushi advancing to the canteen.
"Khushiiiii" He rushed to her, shouting her name. That dragged students' attention. All of them looked at him. He stood in front of her panting hard.
"Whaaaat?" Khushi asked.
"CBM kept something in your desk"
"Waaaat?" Khushi frowned.
"I saw him keeping something in your desk"
Khushi and the students around her were stunned. Khushi ran to their class. She saw Arnav reading a book in his hand as usual. She came to her desk and bent down. She removed the notes from the desk and checked them. It was Arnav's first year M.Sc., notes. She looked at Arnav with excitement. Arnav looked at her raising his eyelashes and smiled softly. An unbelievable smile crept up on her lips. She came to him and extended her hand for a shake smilingly. Arnav looked at her and then at her hand. Khushi thought he wouldn't reciprocate it. So she was supposed to drop her hand down, Arnav clutched her hand, making her smile brighten.
"Thank you for the notes"
"Mom asked me to give it to you" he lied.
"Oh... thanks to Ratna Aunty" She chuckled.
"Mom sent you lunch too"
"Woooow... is it?"
He nodded yes.
"No wonder if she sends me lunch...! What wonder is it's you who brought it...!" She laughed and saw her class students looking at them.
"See, guys, Arnav's mother sent me lunch... ohhh hooo" She made a cheerful sound.
Students spared a glance with each other.
"Could you give me a space in your bench, Chotte?" She asked teasingly.
Arnav looked at the students who were gazing at him. In no time, Khushi pushed him a little and sat next to him.
"Thank you..."
She saw Lavanya and Preethi coming inside the class.
"Sorry guys, I'm back to OUR bench... my dude gave my share back" she laughed.
Arnav wanted to say, I never snatched it from you and it was you who left your place.
"OK, we will meet in the canteen at lunch hour," Lavanya said.
"So sorry, Arnav's mother sent me lunch"
"Arnav's mother? How do you know her? Where did you meet her?" NK asked.
"At their house"
"At their house? Did you go to their house?"
"Yes... on Sunday... his father took me"
"Unbelievable..."
"Then why didn't you sit on his bench yesterday?"
"I don't want him to complain to his parents about me... that's why..." She laughed.
Arnav smiled slightly looking at his book.
"Enjoy..." they sat in their respective places.
Swetha saw Vedika fuming. Why not? She answered all the questions even before he didn't give his notes. Then what would happen if they became friends? She was irritated.
Khushi opened the notes and went through them.
"What's this about?" She murmured.
Arnav looked at the notes and answered.
"That's all?"
He nodded yes.
"Do one thing... you become my professor"
Arnav smiled.
"Wow... you smile...!"
She stood up.
"Hey, guys... look at him, he smiles..."
Arnav looked at the students rigidly.
"Dare you guys...! If any of you call him CBM, I won't spare you"
She sat again smilingly. Arnav looked at her plainly.
"Do you know what's mean by CBM?"
Arnav didn't answer.
"Let it be anything. According to me, you are indeed CBM..."
Arnav blinked his eyes slowly.
"Calm and Beautiful Man," she said controlling her laughter.
Arnav could not hold himself from smiling.
The next period was a leisure period. Khushi asked him doubt from his notes and he explained it.
"It seems I will become a genius being with you," She said delightedly.
Arnav smiled again.
"Won't you go out for a break?" She asked.
He nodded no.
"Why? Don't you feel bored being in the class?"
He again nodded no.
"You know what... you are a dry fellow, talk rarely, yet, I like talking to you... is not it wired?"
Arnav smiled again.
"By the way, what did Aunty tell you?"
"Nothing..."
"Nothing...? You said she asked you to give me the notes?"
"Oh... that one? Yeah, she asked me to give you notes"
"So, you gave?"
"Mmm"
"Are you a Mumma's boy?"
He was silent.
"Good Chotte..." She chuckled.
That was when a peon came to their class.
"Khushi Gupta..." he called.
Khushi stood up.
"Professor Rajesh calls you. He is in the staff room"
Khushi nodded ok and headed. She stopped at the doorstep and looked at Arnav.
"ARNIE..."
Not only Arnav but the whole class looked at her wondering, hearing her calling him dearly.
"You too come with me..." she called Arnav.
Arnav was stuck. He didn't know whether he should go or not.
"Come on..."
All of them looked at him. He stood up and walked out, making the class murmur and gossip about them.
Khushi smilingly walked with him, making people awe who crossed them. When they came to the staff room, Arnav said,
"You go. I will be waiting outside"
Khushi nodded ok and went inside the staff room to meet Professor Rajesh.
"Good morning, sir"
"Good morning... yesterday you answered my questions well. So, I thought I to help you with your studies. These are the reference books that are available in the library. You can use them for your reference" he gave a paper in which he wrote the books' names.
"No sir, I got the notes from Arnie..."
"Arnie? Who is Arnie?"
Khushi bit the tip of her tongue. Arnav who was standing outside, smiled hearing that.
"I meant Arnav"
Other professors in the staff room looked at her wondering.
"Arnav...? Did he give you notes?" Rajesh asked unbelievably.
"Yes, sir..."
She looked outside and called,
"Arnav..."
Arnav peeped in, making them stunned. They spared a glance. Did Arnav accompany her?
"Ok, you can go," Professor Rajesh said.
"Thank you sir" Khushi walked out.
The professors looked at each other meaningfully.
"I just can't believe this" Rajesh said.
"How did Arnav talk to this girl? how did she become his friend?"
"I can understand nothing"
They spoke. Arnav heard them even though they spoke in a low tone... even though he came far from the staff room. yes, he could HEAR.
"Our professor gave me a reference book list" She chuckled.
Arnav said nothing as he heard them from outside even though they spoke in a LOW TONE.
"They didn't know I have an Encyclopedia with me" She nagged him.
Arnav looked somewhere else smiling.
They came to the class and sat at their place.
Arnav and Khushi became a HOT topic at Beryl College. Not only students but also professors spoke about them... after all, Arnav and Khushi were a deadly combination!
To be continued...