*Khushal Pov*
“Do you have to fight at midnight or what?” I heard someone asking and I opened my eyes to see Bharghav Sir looking at me.
“Kind off!” I replied not in a mood to tell him that the lack of sleep is because of the fight with books.
“Where are they?” I asked him leaning on the café chair.
“How do I know?” He asked back.
“What is with this meeting and all? We are not working together in some project or something to have meetings like this.” I said yawning.
“You get irritated when you need sleep. I get it!” He said shaking his head.
“Sorry for the late.” We heard Kalyan’s voice and turned to see him entering the café.
And then Sanjay entered but I stopped myself from throwing any comment but I couldn’t help myself.
“I am still not used for seeing you like this.” I said looking at him attire.
“What? It’s been so many weeks and you still didn’t stop it.” He asked shaking his head.
“We are trying everything and I think they are kind of thinking about us. We should do something else.” Bharghav said.
“We need someone to atleast make them think about us.” He added.
“I can talk to Priya Di if you want but I want someone to talk to Kritika otherwise I will not do it.” Sanjay said leaning back.
“Who is better than Khushal? She is like fan of him or something right.” Kalyan said looking at me.
“I never talked to her properly.” I said shaking my head.
“I will talk to Akhila Di if you do that and ofcourse if Bharghav Uncle talks to Ritika.” Kalyan offered.
“I am not your Uncle idiot.” Bharghav said rolling his eyes.
“Ok!” I said getting up.
“Where are you going?” Sanjay asked.
“To talk!” I replied walking outside.
“Kritika!” I called her when I saw her walking towards the canteen.
She immediately turned and looked at me in shock but walked towards me calmly. I scratched my head for a second and said “Hey!”
“What do you want?” She asked giving a skeptical look to me.
“He is sorry for what he did. Can you forgive him?” I asked her calmly.
“Did I hear you correctly?” She asked frowning.
“Yes!” I replied sighing.
“He thought I will listen to you after what you did to Di. You just asked her to forget her love and you chose a fight over her.” She said glaring at me.
This is not what I expected. I thought she will have some soft corner for me.
“I liked you for Di so much but I am so disappointed in you.” Saying that she walked away.
I rushed back towards the café to see that they are not here. I think they all are in for a shock.
She just hates me! I thought again still in shock.
*Bharghav Pov*
When I saw Ritika walking outside the canteen, I walked towards her and said “I need to talk to you.”
She looked at me with little bit shock and nodded. We walked towards the parking lot and she just looked at me with confusion.
“He said he doesn’t mean any of the things he said. Can you forgive him?” I asked him even though I don’t know what he said.
“Are you kidding me?” She asked sighing.
“I just loved to talk to you sir. Because you have the same passion for the history and biography’s. I thought you have different view towards the world. But no you just hurt my Di so much and that too in that way.” She continued.
“I know I was wrong.” I said.
She shook her head and said “If you are not my lecturer then I would have punched you for even making this request from his side.”
“Tell him that I don’t hate him but I don’t want him.” She said and I can totally say she is lying but in complete anger.
She is disappointed in me and that I am sure..
*Sanjay Pov*
“Madam! I need a small request.” I said walking towards her.
“What is it?” She asked frowning.
“Can you forgive Bharghav Unc… I mean Sir?” I asked her frowning.
“And you thought I will listen to you after you had hurt my sister?” She asked back.
“I… please madam. Please..” I pleaded her.
“Go Sanjay! I don’t want to talk about him.” She said sighing.
“Please.. please.. please….” I continued to ask her by following towards the staff room.
“What does he want?” One lecturer asked her.
“He wants me to pass him in the next exam.” She said and my eyes widened.
“What is it? Can’t you study a little more to get passed? What happened to these students?” He asked shaking his head.
“Madam!” I asked her again and she glared at me making me walk away from there.
I reached the café in the evening and saw Kalyan already sitting there. I just sat calmly sat beside him not knowing how to tell them that I failed I mean in making her accept.
After some time both Bhai and Bharghav reached and sat with us. We four continued to look at each other not saying even a single word.
“Did you?” We four asked at a time.
“Yes!” Is the reply we four gave again at a time.
“She is disappointed in me.” Bhai said sighing.
“She may kind off hate me.” Bharghav said.
“She just ignored my request.” I said and they all nodded.
We three looked at Kalyan and he just said “She just stared at me and I didn’t tell her even a single word.”
“Now I understand why you are not trying anything Khushal. One look is all we need to know what she thinks of you and not even a single word tries to come outside.” Kalyan added and I so agreed with him.
“Well maybe we got it wrong all along. They too kind of liked us but as their sisters got hurt because of us they don’t even want to see us.” Khushal said and we all nodded.
“Then just try opposite.” Bharghav said.
“I don’t have the energy to talk with Akhila Di.” I said lifting my hands.
“Then I will not talk with Kritika.” Bharghav said.
“Do I have to talk with Priya Di? She is still angry on me for stealing her carrot halwa.” Kalyan said frowning.
“By the way you may get two or three punches from Ritika.” Bharghav said to Khushal.
“I can bear it.” Bhai said shrugging.
*Kalyan Pov*
Next day I walked towards the staff room in the morning holding a box in my hand. Someone suddenly pushed me and the box was in mere seconds from falling down before I caught it.
“Just look where you go.” I said glaring at the junior and he rushed away.
He doesn’t know how much work is it to peel all the carrots. I begged Mom to make it but she asked me to peel the carrots to do it.
I stood near the staff room and said “Madam!” when she walked outside.
“You!” She said pointing her finger.
“Halwa! Carrot halwa.” I said placing the box infront of my face.
“Are you bribing me?” She asked raising her eyebrow.
“No! I am really sorry for that day.” I replied and she nodded taking the box.
“It’s good!” She said tasting it.
“Ofcourse not good than Akhila Di’s.” I said and she nodded.
“So what do you want to talk about?” She asked when we both started walking towards my class and she has the first class with us now.
“I want you to give a chance to Bharghav Uncle.” I said honestly.
“Uncle ha? How is he reacting to that?” She asked smiling.
“His face crunches immediately and says ‘I am not that old’.” I replied smiling.
“He will never change.” She said shaking her head.
“Thanks for the halwa.” She added when we walked inside.
I frowned walking towards my chair and heard her faintly murmuring “I need to talk to him.”
Yes! I did it….
*Bharghav Pov*
“Hey Kritika!” I said when we both walked outside for the lunch break as I just finished the class for them.
“Hello Sir!” She said glaring and started walking away.
“Heard that you read so many novels. Can you give m some tips?” I asked her.
“You want tips? To use for Di right?” She asked frowning.
“Ofcourse! I don’t want anyone else.” I replied smiling.
“Really? You don’t know that much?” She asked standing near me.
“No! All I have been doing for all these weeks is sending nearly ten roses each day and giving endearments. That’s it!” I replied.
“That’s it? Sir you are doing great being an unromantic guy.” She said amazed.
“Some other tips?” I asked her.
“I don’t know much but I will try.” She replied and gave some tips. We two talked for sometime and then she got up to leave as she needs to have her lunch.
“Kritika! Why don’t you talk to him? He is trying very hard.”I said and she immediately looked down.
“Just talk to him.” I added.
“I will see and don’t forget the tips.” She said walking away.
*Khushal Pov*
“Ritika!” I said walking towards her.
“We need to talk.” I added.
“Are you serious?” She asked frowning and I nodded.
She slowly nodded and we both walked towards the clearing beside the canteen. She folded her hands and waited for me.
“Look Kalyan really regre…” I got cut off when she punched me on my jaw.
I just looked at her in shock while she smiled at me saying “I so wanted to do that to you from first day.”
“Ok! Now Kalyan..” I staretd again but she started throwing another punch.
This time I saw it coming and held her hand tightly. I bended her hand a little and said “If you hit someone with this angle they will get more hurt.”
She shrugged and hit me. I groaned but made her move her hands in another angle and asked her punch.
She did and after few minutes like this she stopped moving back.
“Did you just teach me?” She asked.
“I think I did. You need some more practice.” I replied shrugging.
“You are good at it.” She complimented.
“I mean you are good at teaching.” She immediately added and I know why she specifically added.
“So will you talk to him? You get to punch me just because of him.” I said and she started thinking for few minutes.
Finally she nodded and asked for some more techniques. We talked while teaching and she finally left but not before saying “She is more than hurt than we all thought and I don’t know why. Because she was always stronger than us.”
I just stood there in my tracks fully knowing that she didn’t tell them everything and is hiding about the incident at the dungeon.
*Sanjay Pov*
“Good evening Di.” I said smiling when she walked outside the class.
I gave a small nod when Bhai left the class. Akhila Di just looked at me frowning and I really want to go somewhere and hide.
“How are you?” I asked her smiling.
“I am fine!” she mumbled and started walking.
“I want to talk to you.” I said and she nodded.
“Do you still hate me?” I asked her frowning.
“I don’t hate anyone.” She replied frowning back.
“Well I thought you do by the way you always glare at me or shouted at me.” I said honestly.
“I am just protective of Kritika. That’s all.” She said shaking her head.
“You know about Bhai and me right?” I asked her and she nodded.
“Did you ever ask him why does he hate me?” I asked her.
“I never but I don’t think he does. He is just hurt that he didn’t get to meet his mother before she left. And he doesn’t know on what circumstances Princi got married.” She replied and I nodded at her smiling.
“Do you miss your dad?” She asked looking at me.
“I do sometimes but he left me right. I love my Mom more and respect Princi. I saw him worrying about Bhai so much more and that is the thing that made me call Khushal as Bhai even though he doesn’t accept me.” I replied.
“I know it must have hurt so much right when he left you.” She said shaking her head.
“Well I can’t do anything about it now but I just feel like someone will leave me like that everytime.” I said my fear out loud.
“You mean your girlfriend or any future wife?” She asked shocked.
“Yeah! I mean my Dad left me even though I was topper in all classes. I never did anything wrong or any bad thing. You can just call me nerd. Even then he left me. But now I may be behaving stupid and someone else will leave me.” I replied.
I don’t know why am I saying all this to her as I never did to anyone. I never even said these even to my Mom.
She placed her hand on my back and said “It’s ok! We all have insecurities Sanjay. There is not a person in this world with not a single one.”
“I have the biggest insecurity. All we need to do is let go of it and be strong even letting it go is a mistake. Just think that if someone actually leaves you then you have parents and not just Mom and also amazing friends.” She said and I nodded at her smiling.
“Ok I will go. My Di must be waiting for me.” She added and started walking away.
“Can.. you talk to him?” I asked her before she walked away.
“Go and call him ‘Bhai’ infront of him.” That’s all she said….