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A senior told Nandini to propose to the guy who first enters the corridor, as part of ragging.
Nandini closed her eyes and began to pray to god.
Nandini : "God, you always put me into trouble first, get me tensed and provide me with a solution later. It appears that you like to have fun at my expense. Do you put me in trouble thinking that I won't remember you otherwise? You know right that's not the case, I think of you always. It is my first day here, so please show mercy on me and help me out of this."
Seeing the person who entered the corridor,
Senior (to himself) : "I thought of having a little fun, but this will turn out to be more exciting. She has directly walked into the lion's den. Can't wait to find out what he is going to do to her?"
Senior (to himself) : "Will he take the flower and throw it at her face? No, that's too simple. May be he will twist and break her hand, which she will use to give the flower. (He thought of some extreme scenarios too.) Whatever it is, he is definitely not going to spare her."
Nandini thought of what to do and opened her eyes. She was surprised to find Manik in front of her.
Nandini : "You? Here?!"
Manik : "I study here."
Nandini : "I thought you had completed your studies already."
Manik : "I am doing my masters, and you? Are you by any chance joining this college?"
Nandini : "Yes, I am."
Manik : "First year classes aren't in this building. Then what are you doing standing here that too with a flower in your hand?"
Nandini : "Oops, seeing you I forgot why I was here. It is for you."
Manik : "What?!"
Though he raised his voice a little at first, he didn't loose his temper as he would normally do in that situation. He knew what it meant since quite a few girls had proposed to him in the past. He calmed down knowing that Nandini wouldn't do so deliberately.
Manik : "You mean to say you were planning to welcome me with this flower, though you didn't know that you will find me here."
Nandini : "It isn't for welcoming you. I was supposed to give it to the first person who comes through the corridor, and you are the first one."
Nandini : "I had requested you last time too and I have a request again. A guy snatched my bag. He asked me to propose to the first person who comes here if I wanted to get it back. So can you please take this flower? How will he know whether I really proposed you or not?"
Manik : "So someone is ragging you. Show me who it is, I will take care of him."
Nandini pointed to the person and they walked towards the senior.
Senior (to himself) : "I thought that I put her in trouble, but turns out she put me in one."
The senior gave Nandini's bag back immediately.
Senior (to Nandini) : "Why didn't you tell me before that you know him?"
Senior (to Manik) : "I am very very sorry!"
The senior ran away from their immediately.
Nandini : "You didn't even have to utter a word and he gave the bag and ran away."
Nandini : "Thank you for today as well as the last time!"
Manik gave Nandini the directions to her class and left.
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Nandini reached her class and took one of the vacant spots. A girl joined her and introduced herself.
Girl : "Hi, I am Navya."
Nandini : "Hi Navya, I am Nandini."
Navya : "Where are you from?"
Nandini : "From Vilaspur, and you?"
Navya : "I am from Patna. Do you stay at the hostel? I do."
Nandini : "No, I stay at my teacher's friend's house."
It was time for the class and the professor walked in, so their conversation had to stop.
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Days were passing by. Nandini was getting used to the new place, both at home and college.
At home, Mr. Takkar was very friendly with Nandini, after all she was his friend's daughter. Mrs. Takkar was kind of neutral. She wasn't friendly, she would only talk when needed. Nandini felt something was wrong with Mrs. Takkar, but she didn't dare to ask because of her experience with Abhi. She stayed away from Abhi as he had asked her to.
At college, Nandini became friends with some of her classmates. Navya and Nandini became good friends.
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Fab6 were chilling and discussing about various things. Alya had gone to the washroom to adjust her makeup. She had taken Mukti along with her as usual.
Cabir : "Abhi, how are things going on between you and the village girl?"
Abhi : "I maintain distance from her like Alya said. I have told her to stay away from me and not to tell anyone at college that she stays at my house or knows me. I am trying to ignore her presence around me."
Manik : "I feel what you are doing isn't right. You can't ignore someone staying at your place just because she is from a village. She is still your dad's friend's daughter..."
Cabir : "He is again talking in her favor."
Mukti and Alya joined them.
Mukti : "Who is talking in whose favor?"
Cabir : "Manik in that village girl's favor, who is staying at Abhi's house."
Manik (whispering) : "Saale, why are you trying to trap me?"
Alya came and sat next to Manik.
Alya : "Baby, why are you talking in a villager's favor? You know right, how much I hate them?"
Suddenly, Alya realized something and she became upset.
Alya : "On top of that, it's a girl. Forget about favoring, you shouldn't even think of another girl other than me. How could you?"
Alya turned away from Manik. Manik kept his palm on Alya's shoulder in an attempt to pacify her, but she jerked his hand away.
Manik : "Alya, I don't even know who that girl is, to talk in her favor. I was only trying to tell Abhi that what he is doing isn't right."
Alya : "Don't touch me or talk to me."
Everyone realized that it was the end of their chilling session and beginning of a tough time for Manik. Dhruv tried to control the situation.
Dhruv : "Alya, how can you restrict Manik from thinking or favoring another girl other than you? It would be so unfair to Mukti."
Alya : "I never told that he can't favor or think about Mukti."
Cabir : "Alya doesn't consider Mukti to be a girl. Even otherwise, from which angle does Mukti look like a girl to you?"
Mukti punched Cabir on his shoulder. Abhi held Mukti's other hand.
Abhi (whispered) : "Ignore Cabir's comments. He is just trying to clear up the mess he has created, by trying to divert Alya's attention. Cabir isn't trying to criticize you, they are just trying to lighten the situation."
Abhi pointed towards Manik who was unhappy. Mukti understood and calmed down.
Alya : "I meant that Mukti is an exception. She is my friend, also she is like sister to Manik. So why would I restrict him in Mukti's case?"
Cabir (to himself) : "Probably it is the second one. Otherwise even Mukti wouldn't have been an exception."
Everyone managed to change the topic and hence saved Manik from having to pacify Alya, as well as their evening from getting ruined.
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Days were passing by. Nandini didn't have to worry about college fees and accommodation, but she figured out that there will be other expenses. She didn't want to put pressure on her grandmother, so she decided to look for a part time job.
She was at the college library, making a list of jobs, she could try for. When she saw the time, she realized she was getting late for her next class. She rushed out of the library and on her way to her building, she bumped into someone.
Person she bumped into (screaming) : "Can't you see..."