Going to be bit cheesy type. Kindly excuse me. Initial plan was this when I outlined the story. At that time I thought I will change the scene, but seriously I couldn't think of anything alternatively. So apologizing before hand.

It was practical exam of the 7th semester for 4th year students. So all the fourth year students were waiting outside the lab. And we had free period so I was gazing at Adi through the window.

He was busily speaking with Aishwarya. I have noticed these both together at many occasions. Is she his girl bestie or his lover?

Whatever it is I didn't like her. Who would like a person who seems to be close to your crush! Be it class during free hours or lunch period or lab, I always noticed these two together which makes me to dislike her.

"Staring cannot kill a person Aaru." I heard a voice behind me.

I looked back to see Adarsh with stupid grin on his face.

"What?"

"If looks can kill a person then Aish would be dead by now." He shrugged.

"Huh? I didn't..." but I stopped when he raised his eyebrow.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked him.

"Yeah!!! Always looking at our senior and glaring at Aish will obviously show that you like our senior."

I sighed.

"I know I shouldn't. But I can't help but feel jealous." I pouted.

"I can understand your situation. But you need not feel jealous. She is like sister to him and a good friend. Nothing more." He said with proud smile.

I frowned. "How do you know that?"

"You are not the only person stalking him, Aaru." He winked.

"You are stalking Adi?" I raised an eyebrow at him which made him to cough.

"No, I mean, I stalk them not only him." His reply made me to look at Aishwarya and then at him.

"You like our senior Aishwaraya?" I asked him with shocking tone

"Yep" He sighed with dreamy look.

"Akka (elder sister) da" I beat his arm.

"Aha, then Adi should be Anna (elder brother) to you." He raised his eyebrow and glared at me.

"Anna? No no. He is my crush. I can't see him as brother. We need not treat all seniors as brothers and sisters." I pouted

"Even I can't see her as elder sister." He shrugged.

I face palmed. I know how this story is going to end. How can I make him understand?

"Aaru relax. It is just crush. Maybe little more than a crush." He showed his thumb and index finger indicating a small size.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"From when?"

"From first internals." He blushed.

"Adarsh do anything, except this blushing. Seriously dude, I can't believe it!"

"How?"

He placed his head on his hands and gave a dreamy look again.

"When I was struggling during the exam, she was the one who helped me. Thanks to you for not helping me. I was calling you but you didn't turn. When Aish saw that you didn't respond she helped with 1 and 2 marks. She was my knight in shining armor you know?" Then he looked at her who was about to enter the lab.

"From then only I started to follow her. I... I started to like her." He smiled.

"Even I was jealous on seeing your guy with my girl. But later I found that she is his second cousin. So they are like brother and sister. So don't feel jealous. Adi is single and Aish is single. So we can have crush on them. Not a problem." He winked.

I was still in shock that he likes our senior. I hope it doesn't turn into love as it will bring more pain to him.

I looked at Adi who came out of the lab and took some pouch and went in again. But I am glad that he is single. I still couldn't understand why am I happy that he is not committed!

*******

"In next lab we will check the petri dish plates and see the antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria. Aaradhana, can you take pure culture and place them in cold storage room? Also bring the flask named S.S. Take someone with you. The door to cold storage room is jammed, someone need to be outside to open the door." Sakthi ma'am said.

I asked Adarsh to accompany me.

On the way to bioprocessing lab where the cold storage room is present, Adarsh asked me, "How did you manage the practical exam?"

In last semester, I got blood group testing as lab experiment in practical exam. This Adarsh was placed far away from me. So I couldn't ask his help.

I gave him sheepish grin, "I decided to use my own blood. But I was scared. So I started to write the theory part. At last hour of the exam, I saw my slide having three drops of blood. When I turned back I saw Adi, busily working for his project. No other person was there in the room. All others were on other side of the lab. So I concluded that he only helped me. My knight in white coat!!!" I winked.

"Uh-huh. He gave you blood just once, and you worship him. I gave you my blood in almost all immunology lab classes, you didn't even thank me." He pouted.

"You gave me when I asked. He gave me without me asking him." I grinned.

"Stay here. Don't run away," saying that I went in.

After keeping our culture and I searched for Sakthi ma'am's culture. I forgot to ask her which rack she kept her culture. Suddenly the light in the room went off.

I checked my pocket whether to see I had my phone, but unfortunately I didn't have. Punishment for being sincere! Why did I leave my cell phone in my bag?

"Adarsh can you give me your phone? here light went off. I need flashlight." I shouted for Adarsh. I waited for few seconds but there was no reply from other side.

Is this sound proof room?

I knocked on the door and called for him again. But there was pin drop silence.

Where did this idiot go?

I turned back to find the whole room dark. Being in cold storage room surrounded by bacteria brought unknown fear in me.

Thank god, I had my gloves, coat and shoes to protect from chillness. But I am not sure how long I will be able to manage. I tried to shout again, but I couldn't shout loud.

When I come out I am definitely going to skin him alive and drink his blood.

Suddenly I heard the door opening sound and I turned back to find Adi standing at the door holding tray full of petri dishes.

"Aaru? You are in cold room? alone?" he kept the tray on the nearby table and opened the door widely.

I walked out and sat on the stool placed near the table.

He asked me to breathe in and out deeply. After few seconds I became normal.

"You are freezing! Why did you come alone? Didn't you know that the door was jammed?" Adi was asking.

"Aaru! You came out soon? Sir called me so I went. Wait! what happened to you?" I heard Adarsh voice.

As much as I wanted to shout at I didn't have enough energy.

But instead I heard Adi shouting at Adarsh for being careless. And Adarsh was apologizing to me and Adi again and again. It wasn't his fault actually. He would have come somehow, after getting excuse from sir. I was inside for 5-6 minutes only even though it felt like eternity.

"Just bring her some water and leave." He asked.

"He didn't do it intentionally. He thought I was searching for culture. It would have taken time. It is just that I freaked out when I came to know that he wasn't there outside." I tried to defend Adarsh.

"That doesn't excuse his action. Even if sir had called him, He should have called you out or informed sir that he is waiting for a person to come out. And why the hell are you defending him?" He started to glare at me while saying last sentence.

Before I could reply god knows what, Adarsh rushed in with a cup of water. I gulped it down hurriedly.

I saw Adi glaring at Adarsh, just then Adi's guide came in and asked for him so he left.

"God bless that guide! He would have killed me if sir didn't call him." This made me to laugh.

"Did you take culture that soon? I thought you need to search so when sir called I went. I got excuse from him as it was taking time, only to come here and get scolding from your guy!"

When I narrated him why I went into shock, he apologized. Yes he was bit careless, but he thought I would take time. Can't blame him completely also.

Finally he went in and took the culture. "Shall we go before that senior comes and kill me?" saying that he dragged me out.

"Seems like he also likes you." He commented.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Anyone at my place, he would have reacted the same way. Even I thought of skinning you alive. So don't read too much between lines."

"Nah, I didn't comment for that, He really got angry when you defended me. For last few days he has been giving me some cold shoulder. Maybe it is because I am seen with you always. Today's scolding towards me and on you for defending me, proved it. Someone is jealous." He gave teasing smile.

"Think whatever you want. I won't believe." I don't want to expect more. What if it isn't true and I get hurt because of assuming.

I shook my head and went to Sakthi ma'am to give the culture.

*******************************************

Hi Guys!!! I know I didn't update last week. But extremely sorry. I won't ask you how was the chapter. I am not satisfied with this chapter. To be frank I lost the connectivity with the story. I don't know why. It is not my style (college love), expressing only love is very difficult. Writing drama or suspense seems to be easy, but this, seriously it is very difficult. Fun-fact I was in class of students, where almost all of them were committed. (85% of classmates were committed). And I know each and every ones love story. Still I couldn't express the love and bring the love between two early 20's adults.  

I won't be dragging it more. Just one more chapter. Last chapter alone is left. Actually I thought of typing that also with this. But I am feeling very sleepy. So will post it as separate chapter. It will have both last chapter and epilogue, so next one will be long and last one.

Regarding the story scenes, Adarsh and Aish scenes, it will be bit detailed in next chapter. Stories like those also happened to my friend's friends/ siblings. So I was inspired by them and wanted to included it here. Actually my initial plan was to name Aish as Shalini. A character from my other story as she is also biotechnology student. Readers who have read my other stories know that I usually bring characters from other stories and make them to give a cameo appearance. But DTBY is different timeline compared to this story's timeline. So I dropped the plan. Anyways, I might use the characters in this story in some other story *winks winks*

Regarding cold storage room, yes we had one cold storage room. Half the time the light in the room won't work. I think there was an instance of door being jammed. I am not sure exactly, but I remember students staying out and opening the door. Door would be repaired soon, they won't take it more than half day for repairing. So I thought of that scene. But being stuck inside is purely imaginary. In real, No one was stuck inside.