'As I looked at the 6'2 the intimating Greek god in front of me asking me for a date, I blushed. Imagine a billionaire asking me for a date!'

I closed the book and sighed. Got fed up reading many Greek god romance.

Just I was about to take another book, I saw a geek god entering the library. It has been two weeks since the IV incident; I always noticed this geek coming after class hours almost every day.

Before he could look at me; I looked down and pretended as if I was busily reading.

Suddenly I felt some movement in front of me and looked up to see Adi coming towards my table with some books.

"Hi junior!" saying that he laid the books on the table.

"Hey senior, semester exam coming up?" I pointed the books.

"Nope. GATE exam preparation. Trying for masters." He smiled showing his dimples.

"When?" I whispered.

"Feb 4th, only 3 more months left." He shrugged.

Soon he started to study and take notes on his notebook.

I didn't want to disturb him, so I also started to read the same romance story. But now and then I secretly looked at him.

Maybe that was beginning of liking him.

Just as the alarm sound woke me up, I got up and got ready.

"Aaru, today is Sunday. Why are you getting ready?" Tamil, my roommate asked me.

"Umm, just thought of going to temple. Will be back soon." I replied.

Just as I left the girl's hostel gate, I heard familiar voice calling me.

I turned back to see Adarsh running towards me from boys hostel. Just like me he is also staying in college hostel.

"Aaru, you going to temple?" Adarsh asked me to which I nodded my head.

"I will join you." He said and came along with me.

"When did you become religious?" I raised an eyebrow at him. Every time he used ask me to get prasatham from temple but he never bothered to go to temple.

"Umm, today fourth year students are writing GATE exam. So I thought of praying for them."

"Praying for Aishwarya you mean?" I teased him to which he gave me sheepish grin.

"She wants to become scientist. Moreover if she passes the exam she will go for higher studies. So she won't get married while studying right?" His tone dropped a little.

Oh boy, seems like he is fallen in love. This is why I didn't want him to love her.

If it had been different country then I would have supported him. But in our society, younger boys marrying elder girls are very rare. Girl's parents never allow that. Main reason is girls tend to get married before 25 and boys tend to get married after 25. Why? because boy should get a good job and get settled in life. But for a girl there are no such restrictions, whether she is working or not, parents don't bother about that. When she completes her studies they will search for alliance.

So coming to Adarsh case, even if Aishwarya accepts his love proposal, convincing her parents is difficult.

"When have you decided to tell her?"

"After two months, on her last college working day. You?" he asked.

"I don't know whether it is love or not Adarsh. I just like him. Maybe be more than 'like'. But I don't think it is enough to propose him."

"But here you are going to temple to pray for him." He teased.

"How do you know that I am going to pray for him?" I frowned at him.

"Come on, mindset of one side love can be understood by another one side lover. We are one team remember? Planning to get settled in same family." He grinned, to which I laughed at his comment.

"You go to temple daily on weekdays, but I know you are lazy enough to get ready on Sunday and come to temple. So obviously you came to pray for him." He said with a smug.

Leaving the slippers outside, we both entered the temple built inside the college premises.

Adarsh stood behind me when priest asked the name for Archanai.

"Adithya" I said to which priest added some mantras and then he moved to Adarsh asking the same.

"Aishwarya, Thulam rasi (moon sign), Swathi Natchathiram (star) Shiva Gothiram." I gaped at him. When did he find all these? I felt bit low for not knowing anything about Adi.

Priest went inside and did pooja.

"When did you gather all these?" I whispered.

"We have sources. You know what, she and I have 8 matches as per astrology. Do you want to know about your guy's?" He winked.

*******

Time flees fast, that's what I realized in these three months. I entered our class to get my bag where I saw Adarsh sitting sadly on his bench.

"Adarsh what happened? Didn't do the exam well?" It was last day of this academic year for us. We have one month holidays after which we will be entering the third year.

"No. This is last working day for fourth years. They will be here for 2 weeks for project presentation after which they will leave. I will not be able to see Aish." That's when I realized this will be last day I will be seeing Adi.

I sat on the bench in-front of Adarsh.

"They will come again for graduation." I tried to lighten the mood.

I looked out and saw fourth year students gathered at the corridor, taking selfies, and writing on each other's white coat.

"I want to express my feelings to her. Whether she likes me or not, I wanted to convey my feelings, after that it is up to her to accept or reject my feelings." He was mirroring my own feelings.

"At the same time, I don't have enough guts to propose her. I really wish I was elder than her."

"Why? You can still propose her." I frowned at him.

"What if she thinks me as small boy?"

"Come on, you should have thought this before falling in love. Just express your feelings. I don't want to you to regret later thinking about 'what if' scenarios." I encouraged him.

"You say so?" I nodded my head.

"Aaru, you are the best, I will get you chocolate for you. Wait, are you going to propose Adi?"

Before I could say, he cut off me, "I know, what you are going to tell. 'Adarsh I like him. Not more than that.' Come on, I am fed up with that dialogue. You like him for more than 6 months. Even I don't want you to regret later about 'what if' possibilities." He showed me his fist.

"Fine." I hit his fist with mine.

"How to propose?" I asked.

"Bring in your creativity. Maybe knee bending proposal?" He asked.

"As much as I want to agree that, I think we should stick with some letter, so that they will read it afterwards and not in front of us?" I suggested.

"Why? Then how can we know about their feelings?" He asked.

I pointed towards the corridor, where Aish and her gang mates were taking selfie with staffs.

"I don't want to spoil their mood. If they accept us, then they will definitely contact us. We have numerous social media to be in touch with each other. So what say?" I asked.

"You are also right. Wait I will write the proposal on her coat, there should be a personal touch while proposing, I will think of some poem and write on it." He grinned and left enthusiastically.

I shook my head in amusement and went in search for Adi.

"Adi! Why are you going to lab?" One of the seniors was calling out to him.

"Just need to isolate on micro-organism I am working on. Will be back soon." He shouted to his friend and entered microbiology lab.

I followed him. Should I say it straight or write it on something and give him?

"Aaru, you are here? I thought you left for home."

"Umm, yeah, before that I wanted to..." I couldn't proceed more than that.

"You wanted to?" he paused his action of pouring agar-agar medium on petri dish and turned his full attention towards me.

"Umm, I... I wanted to isolate some microorganism before I leave for holidays." I changed my purpose as I got a new idea for proposing.

"Do you have extra agar-agar?" I asked looking at the petri-dish plates filled with agar-agar.

"I mean I have to ask lab technician to get some agar-agar and some petri-dish plates. And then sterilize them. So..."

"Fine fine. I always make extra one for safer side. Sometimes streaking doesn't come the way I plan. Howe many plates you want?"

"Just one is enough."

He poured one on a petri-dish.

"What bacteria are you using?"

"Adi, all the staffs has come; we are taking a group selfie." One of the fourth year senior came in and called Adi.

"You streak yours." He marked 'A' on the cover of petri dish plate and left the room.

I grinned and sat on the stool and took the petri dish plate. I looked at the bacteria culture he placed in the test tube.

What shall I do?

I looked at my hands.

There should be a personal touch while proposing. I remembered Adarsh words.

I took the plate and used my index finger to draw 'I' and left some space and again drew 'U' on the agar medium. Then I used my thumb and tilted it 45 degree left and pressed on the agar medium. Then I tilted my thumb again 45 degree towards right and pressed it, so after 3-4 days it would look like a heart. I hope my hands has enough bacteria to grow in the medium.

I grinned at the plate and closed it. I took the plate cover and covered it. Next to A, I wrote, '_A' and kept at the corner. Task number one is done. Next I should convince him to have it.

"Aaru you are done?" He entered the lab at correct time.

"Yep. Senior one help. Can you have the plates along with yours? I will collect it after 4 days. I don't have separate storage place." I pouted. We second year students don't have separate cabin or drawer provided to store our project works. But for fourth years and lab experiments, lab allows to store the equipments.

"Not a problem. You can collect it anytime." He smiled at me.

I thanked him and left.

"When I entered the classroom I saw Adarsh looking sad. Uh-huh, did Aish reject him?

"Adarsh!!! What happened? Did you get caught while writing on her coat?"

"No. I didn't" he replied.

"I didn't feel like I could propose her. I eavesdropped her conversation with her friend. Her GATE results are coming next week. I don't want to interfere and confuse her decisions with mine."

"If you lose this chance then only on graduation you will be able to tell her." I informed him.

"Yeah. But I don't feel like proposing this time. At the right time I will but today is not the right time." He said and I didn't pressurize him after that.

******

Late at evening I packed my bags to leave for home. Arrival time of bus is 9:45p.m and departure place is outside my college itself. So after having dinner I waited for bus. Just then I received message from the bus operator saying that bus will be late because of heavy traffic.

I sighed; Already it is late night, now they are delaying more.

I was playing game when I heard a familiar voice.

"Aaru, you are here?" I looked up to find Adi and his classmates were standing.

"Waiting for bus."

He spoke to his other friends and then they left the place and entered college.

"Went out at this time?"

"Yeah, last day right? So just went to have dinner." He sat few seats away from me.

He asked me about the bus arrival time and advised me to travel in the morning instead of the night.

"You gave me the petri-dish right? If you are leaving now, how will you see the results?" He asked.

Very clever!!!

"Umm, I will send someone to collect the plate. Kavitha, and Adarsh are staying here only. I will ask any one of them to collect it." I lied regarding my friends staying here. All left in the afternoon itself.

His face turned sour when I mentioned Adarsh. Oops I shouldn't have mentioned about Adarsh.

"Your results coming next week?" I diverted the topic.

"Yeah. Hope I get good score. Then only I can get into good college." He sighed.

I asked him about the college he is planning and chatted for few minutes.

Then far away I saw my bus coming.

"All the best, senior. I hope you get the college you wish for. Will see you on your graduation day."

When bus came, I showed my ticket to the conductor and informed him about my luggage.

Adi took my luggage and gave them to conductor.

Before I could enter, he called me and extended his hand.

I frowned looking at his fist. He opened his fist and showed the object in his hand.

"I forgot to give you. Have this." He asked me to take the brand new eraser from his hand.

"You already gave m..." before I could complete, I heard the driver shouting to come in as it was already late.

"Thanks senior." Saying that I took the eraser and entered the bus.

After taking the seat I waved 'bye' at him. Unconsciously tears flowed from my eyes. I got used to him in the past one year. But suddenly I felt as I as I am going to see him for last time. I hope he gets my message from the petri-dish.

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

I know I said I will post epilogue along with this, because I was in 'complete this book' mode. Then after reading your comments and decision with some of the readers, I thought to split the epilogue as separate one. Next one will be the epilogue. I promise, happy ending only, So don't worry.

No offense to billionaire story. Even I used to read those stories (Even I have written one ;P). Just wanted to rhyme Greek and geek, so included that part.

That library scene should have been starting of previous chapter. Soon after IV incident, this scene should happen. As I said in last chapter, I felt the chapter to be cheesy, so I removed this library scene. But felt a need to include it. So adding it.

Regarding the last scene, this happened to my friend. I found that cute. A guy proposed my friend, but she rejected him. One day, early in the morning, she was waiting for the bus, and this guy came and sat beside her to give her company till the bus came as no one was therein bus stop. He was so genuine but unfortunately his love was not successful. Because that friend of mine was already committed to her school friend. So I modified that scene and wrote it here.