"Ehaaaannnnn" Ira whined, trying to grab Ehan's attention who has been ignoring her since the time she pulled that stunt. During lunch, he was all quiet. She was the only one speaking. Not like it was anything new but he would atleast let her know that he was listening by humming, nodding or glancing at her every now and then. But he paid no heed that day. She thought he wasn't going to show up to pick her up after her work. Infact, he planned to do the same but out of habit, he went there before he could stop himself. He managed to keep quiet all the way to her apartment, then to his place.

Sighing at the lack of response, Ira looked at her lap where rest her zoology book.

"Can you explain me about nervous system?" She tried to grab his attention again and this time, it worked.

"Hmm" he hummed, grabbing his old book from the table. She smiled in victory, moving herself to sit close to him, so she could have a look at the page number.

"Page no. 71" he said not looking at her. She opened the book and looked at him, who was quiet and distant.

"Shall we sit on the carpet? It'll be more comfortable" she suggested.

Without uttering a word he stood up, pushed the coffee table a little backward, making enough place for them to sit and sat down, resting his hands and book over the table. She sat at the right, leaning over the glass table.

"What do you know about nervous system?" He asked, still not looking at her face.

"It's all about nerve cells and fibres" she answered quickly, expecting him to look at her and appreciate.

"Hmmm" he gestured her to go on.

She let out a disappointed sigh and continued, "Which transmits signals between body parts and.... Ehan please" she held his sleeve and started pulling it.

"What?" He asked, giving her a bored look.

"Talk to me" she spoke in bossy time, trying hard to look angry but end up giving him a pleading look.

He didn't reply, instead he looked back at the book and pretended to be engrossed in reading. She snatched the book, leaving his sleeve and crawled to sit beside him, "I won't do that again. I'll be careful, I promise" she literally begged.

"Careful about what?" He questioned like he had no idea what she was talking about, meeting her eyes, who was now sitting right beside him.

"I'll be careful while having a lollipop. I'll make sure I don't throw the lollipop away, instead of wrapper"

"What?" He pulled himself back, looking at the weirdest creature on earth; Ira.

"Yes. That lollipop was the sole reason behind everything, right? If I hadn't had thrown it, my ID card wouldn't flew along and I would have never tried to climb to the railing to get it" she explain in one breathe.

"Really?" He cocked his eyebrows.

"Aaaa.... May be, I would have tried to get it back.... but not that harder" she vigorously shook her head at the last sentence.

Ehan sighed at her reply.

"You're impossible" he shook his head, looking back at the book. She gave him a sheepish smile, crawled back to her place and listened as he explained the topic she requested. When he was done, he questioned her about a few things to know if she understood completely. She asked some doubts and got it cleared and they were done with the topic.

"Now do your mathematics homework and ask me if you have any doubt"

"Ok" Ira nodded. They both busied themselves with their respective works. Ehan was too engrossed in googling about his upcoming topics, which he always prepares beforehand when Ira pulled out a candy from her bag. She was about to unwrap it when Ehan snatched that from her hand. His hard stare made her smile cheekily and she said, "you can have it. I won't mind"

He didn't reply. Instead, he averted his eyes back to his mobile, slamming the candy on the table.

"Come on, I gave you my favourite candy. You can atleast smile in return" she said, bending on her left to look at him.

Ehan maintained a straight face, avoiding her. She again crawled to him and started pulling his sleeves, "come on, smile, smile, smile...."

He grit his teeth, not wanting to smile a bit. Then she started pulling his cheeks. Not being able to hold it anymore, a small chuckle escaped his mouth, "stop it, Ira" he said, releasing his cheeks from her hold. He rubbed his hurting cheeks, smiling to her satisfaction.

"That's like a good boy" she patted, making him chuckle again.

"Now give me back my candy" she tried to reach it, only for Ehan to pull it away before that.

"You wanna have it? Ok" she forced a smile, unwillingly letting him shove it in his bag.

---

"What's this?" Ira asked, frowning at the disposable cup. When Ehan went to get them some snacks as usual, Ira was expecting him to appear with her chips if not candy but he got something else.

"Strawberry milkshake" he answered, forwarding the cup to her.

"But I didn't asked for it"

"It's healthy" he commented, taking his chocolate shake and sipping on it. She took hers and took a sip, making a delightful face.

"It's nice" she said, sipping more.

"That's good. Because you are not getting your chips or candies anymore"

"Why?" She rose her voice, looking at him with those innocently furious eyes.

"It's not healthy" he shrugged, leaning his back on the sofa behind him.

"Is this my punishment?" She asked in a small voice.

"It's not. But you can think that way" he smirked.

She threw him a glare, which obviously didn't looked scary, not even a bit. When Ehan didn't budged, she resumed sipping her milkshake. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled at her adorable face.

Keeping the book aside, Ehan asked, "By the way, why were you standing out? What did you do this time?"

"I forgot to bring gloves" she replied, holding the straw inbetween her teeth.

"Wasn't she suppose to excuse you once?!"

"She excused me twice" Ira replied, making him sigh.

"Were you watching me when I was trying to get the lollipop? I mean, my ID card" she asked, slowly sipping.

"Hmmm" he nodded, sitting straight to open the book infront.

"From Mr Kim's class?" She asked with eyes wide.

"Yup!"

"Did not he scold you for leaving inbetween?" Ehan looked at Ira, replaying what happened in Mr Kim's cabin.

Ehan fold his hands behind, lowering his gaze, standing infront of Mr Kim, who was staring at him with his cold blue eyes and stony face.

"Care to explain your behaviour?" He asked, sounding like an emotionless robot.

Ehan opened his mouth to explain but closed immediately, when he found no explanation to miss his class. Telling him about Ira and her mischievous was out of question.

"I'm sorry, Mr Kim. It won't happen again" he said instead, keeping his eyes fixed at the floor.

"Is it about the new scholarship girl, you are finally hanging out with?" Ehan's eyes snapped at him, clearly not understanding how he knows about Ira. Slowly, he lowered his eyes, standing still.

Mr Kim stood up from his chair and walked to him, "It's nice that you are finally opening up to someone. You know, I was new to this job when you were sent here by your parents" Ehan's hand balled into a fist at the mention those miserable days.

"You were a little boy, yearning to go back home as soon as possible. You had a lot of friends at the beginning, whom you used to say how much you miss your parents and how soon you'll be back to them. But as the time passed and nobody came to get you back, you distant yourself from others. You isolated yourself. And now that finally, you have befriended someone, you are slowly turning to old self and trust me, I'm very happy about it. If she makes you happy, be with her. Do whatever it takes to keep by your side. But don't let your efforts of all these years go waste at the very time when are you about to reach the finishing line. I hope you are getting me" Mr Kim patted Ehan's back, who was stunned by his observance. He never thought that the stony faced person like Mr Kim, who never had anything to do with anybody, would be concerned about his happiness and success.

Ehan nodded in affirmation, taking in his advise.

"Tell me, Ehan. What did he say?" Ira asked again, causing him to look at her.

"Nothing" he whispered, a small smile appearing on his lips.

"Call someone from your biology class and ask about today's experiment. You better watch it online since you have missed it" he suggested, sitting straight.

"Whom should I call?" Ira scrolled through her mobile, finding the numbers of her classmates.

"That girl"

"Who? Shruti?" She asked, looking up from her mobile.

"Hmm" Ehan nodded, typing something in his laptop.

"She's upset with me. I guess, I'm no more in her friend list" Ira clicked her tongue.

"Why?" Ehan couldn't help but asked.

"Because of you"

"Me?" He confusedly pointed his index finger at himself.

"Yup! She wanted to be your friend and you showed zero interest in her" Ehan gave her a bored look and commented, "that's silly"

"I know. Should I call Honey...?"

"No. Call someone else. They both are not the only people you have contacts with. There must many more. Call anyone of them" suppressing her smile at Ehan's response, Ira dialled one of her botany classmates and asked about the topic.

Ehan explained her about it and to make it clear, he showed her a video in YouTube about the same.

Once they were done, Ehan checked his watch and said, "It's almost time, let's go have dinner and get you a pair of safety gloves on the way to your apartment"

---

"Milkshake again?" Ira looked at the disposable cup of chocolate banana milkshake as Ehan handed her that. It's been more than a week since Ehan stopped bringing her, her favourite chips and candies.

"Yup! You are gonna get it daily. No chips, no candies" he commanded, taking his usual position on the carpet.

"Wasn't it suppose to be a punishment just for a few days? I'm getting bored of these milkshakes" she pouted, looking at him expectantly.

"That's why I get you a new flavour everyday" he reminded.

"It's still is boring. I don't like milk. When would my punishment end?" She whined, hiding her face in her arms which rested over the coffee table.

"I told you it's not a punishment. But if you wish, you can think that way. And it's not gonna end" he replied, going through an assignment she completed a while ago.

She glared at him, rising her head a little and mentally decided what should be done about it. Sitting straight with still an angry face, she started sipping on the chocolate banana milkshake he got for her, mentally planning something.

---

"I'll get us something..."

"I have got myself some snacks. I don't need anything" Ira cut Ehan off, stating proudly.

He looked at her a few seconds, rising his eyebrows and nodded, pressing his lips together.

"Ok. Wait for me. We'll have together" she blinked at him, frowning. When he smiled, she smiled back excitedly, "okay".

He went and was back within 5 minutes, with a single cup of milkshake. She sighed satisfactorily and took out a huge chips packet from her bag, bigger than she usually brings.

It appeared just as a nano second and she found the chips packet in Ehan's hand. She didn't realised how he snatched that, keeping the milkshake infront.

She looked between Ehan and her favourite potato chips, and suggested, "we can share it. 50-50?"

"Even better. You can have this whole pack" he spoke in a serious tone, showing her the packet.

"Great!" She tried to reach it but Ehan raised his hand, making hers stop mid air.

"What do you do when you wish to have something and you couldn't have it?" He asked, rising his eyebrows.

"I... I close my eyes and imagine I had it" she replied hesitantly, hoping he wouldn't make her do what she was assuming.

"So smart of you. Now start" he said, tearing the packet open, making her eyes go wide.

"Start what?" She yelled.

"Your imaginations. Look at me having it and think you had it. And yeah! Sip the milkshake inbetween" he showed a slice of potato chip in his mouth while speaking, not at all looking at her hilarious face.

"You are not serious, are you?" She asked in a small voice, hoping he would melt.

"I'm very serious. And this is tasty. It's been ages since I had it" he said, savouring the taste of deliciously spiced chips, making her groan.

"I don't wanna imagine anything" she yelled, pulling his sleeves to make him look at her and he did, just to mumble, "As you wish" with a suppressed grin.

---

Assalamualaikum everyone,

I don't know how long it's been since I updated but trust me, I was trapped between exams and extreme tiredness. I'm sorry for making you all wait.

How was the chapter?

I know there was nothing much in it but please bear with it.

Stay blessed,

Allah Hafiz :)