Diya took the tray and walked to her usual spot. She looked at the tray where her favorite chicken nuggets laid with chilli sauce. She inhaled the fragrance of it closing her eyes. She felt someone's presence in front of her. Surely her twin sister was not the one as she had a field trip in her schedule today. And Rebecca as usual was doing the bodyguard job of her twin sister. Then who can possibly stand in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she opened her eyes.

There he was. With a blank expression. How she wished there was a huge smile on his face like earlier. For the same smile she never wanted to reveal him about her identity anytime soon. For the same reason she did not wanted Ragini to fall for another person. For the same smile she was ready to take all the pain of the world. Has she ever been so selfless all her life for anyone? No not for a soul. But why is she like this for him? She knew the answer and she knew this emotion could only bring pain. She wasn't bothered for herself but for him. Damn this heart she thought as she felt sudden pain raising in her chest.

“I.. I am not Ragini...” she looked down not able to further gaze into his eyes. “I know” she looked up at him again surprised when he said that. And there was a tiny smile on his lips. But his eyes gave away the emotion he actually was feeling. She did not wanted to hurt him more.

As she got up adjusting her sling bag he grabbed her wrist to stop her. Diya's heart stopped beating for that second and she lost herself in that alluring touch of his skin. She only realized how soft was her skin against his hand right now. She did not look at him fearing she will let him know what she feels for him. And she did not wanted to hurt him more thinking that he is not able to reciprocate her feelings.

“Can you please sit?” he asked politely. How much she loved his gentleman demeanor she could not define. She hesitantly sat down knocking herself out of her head literally. She still had no courage to look up at him so she continued to play with the strap of her bag.

“Diya” she closed her eyes when he called her name and her heart jumped to a new level feeling the way her name rolled out of his tongue. God she wanted to die at the same moment. Everything around her seemed disappearing suddenly.

“I...” he stopped speaking further and she looked up at him fearing that would be the last word he will ever speak to her. Why do she love him so much?  Why is he not in her fate? A pang of pain hit her heart and her eyes started to prick.

Karan had no idea how he could feel her emotions when his eyes met hers. He felt hollow when he realized that she is holding her tears. No..no... she cannot love him. No he cannot let her love him. He gulped down the sore lump he was holding for a long time.

“I am sorry for the way I behaved with you last time” he looked at her hopefully. And she smiled and her eyes twinkled. Wow his heart started to gain the speed suddenly.

“Why are you this sweet?”she asked and he narrowed his eyebrows. “it was all my mistake and I expected more of a reaction actually” she chuckled. How can she be this amusing about the issue. He stared in her eyes for a longer period of time and felt himself drowning. And somewhere he felt these are the eyes he always wanted to drown himself in.

He shook his thoughts and smiled weakly at her not finding a way to speak anything else. “Thanks” he fiddled with his fingers. “I should have said that” she complained and that made him chuckle to. The childishness he always admired.

“Okay” he looked at her. And she waited for him to speak. “I.. I just cant have this sour feeling of not able to talk to a person. So I came here to start it over again” he smiled this time with his heart.

Diya smiled at his kindness. “You are a good dude” she relaxed now staring him. “That's just your opinion I guess” he  did not knew why he was feeling all easy speaking to her.

Diya liked his humble nature and instantly decided that it may be the reason why she should not be in his life. Because all she can do was annoy him to death with her reckless behavior. But love teaches you to change yourself not for the world but for the one person who matters to you. And she had witnessed it in her sister.

“So...” he left a breath and she snapped out of her thought and realized they have been sitting without talking for more than the usual time. “Um...” she hummed.

“Canteen is crowded... Chicken are small. Nuggets are tasty.. I love food. The sun is in the sky and sky is white and blue. I don't like blue.”

“Okay... stop stop” Karan started to laugh and Diya's lips stretched into a huge smile. “You speak like this all the time?” he looked at her curiously. “Not all the time but yeah... most of the time” she nodded her head. “How do people even understand your sentence formations?” he asked still smiling.

“They don't actually and that's my way to crack them up” she smiled. “And why would you want to do that?” he bent to her.

“So that I can see that cute smile on their face” she shrugged her shoulders and Karan was blushing at that. Diya smirked looking at him. How cute he looked.

“So my smile is cute?” he looked up at her caressing his neck.

“Did you not hear what I said earlier?” she raised her eyebrow. “I just wanted to make sure what I heard” he stretched his lips forming a thin line.

Everything about him made her weak in knees. His smile and his face when he was embarrassed. His biting his lower lip not finding right words to speak.

The bell rang and Diya huffed banging her head to the table. “Damn.. I did not even start with my lunch. Why did they ring the bell so fast” she raised her head annoyed.

Karan smiled at her. “It's okay. Sometimes you really need a good excuse to skip the classes. Have your food first” he pointed at her plate.

She looked at him. He did not seemed to be moving. “And what is your excuse to skip the class?” she bent to him. He smirked leaning to her. “May be I just want to make sure you finish your food” he bit his cheeks inside when he saw her startled at their closeness. He loved playing with her mind so that he could see her this expression.

She gulped and leaned back and stared him for some time. He signed her to look at the plate. Taking a nugget dipping it in the sauce she bit it and in the process bit her tongue too.

“ouch” she screamed dropping the nugget on the plate. Karan looked at her concerned. “What happened?” he sat beside her and held her shoulders. Diya recovered from the pain and found him extremely close and caring. “I just bit my tongue” she looked down.

“Oh....” he said relaxing. “You should be careful” he sighed and sat a bit away and Diya craved for his closeness again.

“Karan” she looked at him. He could see in her eyes guilt and it made him confused. “I can't do this” she nodded her head and he did not understand what she meant.

“I..” she stopped herself closing her eyes. “I still have feelings for you.” she looked into his eyes and when his eyes grew wider she immediately regretted what she said.

“I know.. I shouldn't harvest such feelings but the thing is I can't hold them back and when you are around I possibly cannot control them. I fail and I don't want to fail. Because I know you have never nurtured such feelings for me. You always had and now also love my sister. I am sorry I came in between and spoiled it” her eyes started to tear and it made him feel dead within.

“But tell me how will I control them. It hurts me every single time to hurt you. It hurts me every single time that you love someone and all due to me you are not with her. It hurts me every single time that I am the reason that the girl you love is not in your life. I snatched all her moments which could bound her to you. She should have felt all those emotions and I...” she hiccuped.

“I just ruined it” she closed her eyes letting those tears. “Hey” Karan tried to cup her face but she moved away from him. “I am sorry. And I can't be normal around you with these screwed up feelings. I am sorry” she stood up and was ready to walk.

But she felt a grip on her wrist. Again the same touch and she lost herself.

Karan turned her and she was now standing facing him. He cupped her face and touched her forehead with his. “You always talk this nonsense?” he chuckled through his tears and she pouted. “Gosh how I wish I crush those cute lips of yours right now. But I don't want to do it here” he started to walk backwards giving her a smile.

“And by all means you are not in between but with me” he turned to walk and she collapsed on the chair confused of the events just happened. “Ouch” she pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming and she was not actually.

***.***

Ragini was back to the college in the evening. “Damn that was hell of a field trip” Rebecca spoke as she collapsed beside Ragini. “Seriously” Ragini spoke.

“Argh.. I forgot about the book I had to collect from the library” Ragini got up from her seat. “Ragzee I am so tired and have no strength to follow you” Rebecca complained. “Why do you even need to do that?” Ragini asked confused. Rebecca panicked. She can't reveal Diya's plan to keep Ragini away from the unwanted person.

“uhm... Simply... Just out of habit” Rebecca smiled weakly but Ragini did not buy it. She crossed her arms glaring Rebecca. 'Damn I just screwed up. And moreover that stupid professor cannot be in the library. I better avoid Ragzee' Rebecca thought in her mind.

“Oh... I just forgot. I had to register myself for the cheerleader campaign” Rebecca sprinted away leaving Ragini confused. She huffed and nodded her head turning to walk to the library.

She smiled at the librarian who handed her the book she had reserved in the morning and walked out of the library. The book was big and Ragini had to struggle to take her phone out of her bag. She was planning to call Diya so that they could head back to home.

The book in her hand slipped and she pounced to grab it. Finally grabbed it safe. In the process she also grabbed something else. The same touch sent shivers down her spine.

She looked up to see the owner of the hand she was gripping and her heart did not betray her. It was him.

“Thanks” she whispered and held the book firmly to her chest and walked from there avoiding any eye contact with him.

“Why to carry a book which can't fit your tiny hands”

Ragini stopped hearing him. She turned to him fiercely. “Why to carry ego that doesn't fit your skull” she sharply remarked. She closed her eyes regretting it.

“You really forgot that you are talking to the professor?” he smirked. “You really got the nerve” she squeezed her eyes. “And when I am made to talk on purpose don't mind my tongue just works this way” she gave him a fake smile.

He loved her this attitude and finding her back was really worth those insults he was getting. “Oh really? You were made to talk? So I can make you talk? What else I can make you do?” he neared her. His eyes traveled on her face and stopped at her lips.

Ragini gulped the lump formed in her throat. His breath was hitting her lips and she felt weak. Sanskar loved it when she was speechless due to his closeness.

“And you know what I want to make you do?” he whispered huskily nearing her. His head was in the crook of her neck now. “Shut your freaky uncontrollable mouth in my way” he whispered and she felt herself loosing in the moment.

As he dragged his head back he saw her and a wide smirk appeared on her face. How much he loved the game of teasing her.

He placed his index finger below her chin and moved it to close her parted lips and she widened her eyes. “Oh don't I love this expression of yours but I did not even touched your lips yet” he winked at her and walked from there.

Ragini was standing dumbstruck. She with difficulty pinched her shoulder. “Ouch” she rubbed the spot. She wasn't dreaming.

Her phone rang startling her. She answered it without seeing the name. “Ragzee where the hell are you? Who takes so much time in library?” she moved the phone away hearing the shrill of her sister.

“Damn you D.. My ears” she whined. “And you know I love the place you loath. So chill. I am just near the parking” she spoke. “Stay there till I come alright” Diya commanded and Ragini nodded her head.

“Thank goodness. That jerkface isn't around. Reb you know I can just kill you for leaving her alone” Diya fumed looking at Rebecca who was fearing for her life.

“For the record. I just met your twin sister on my way” she heard the voice which made her boil and turned. Sanskar was smirking at her.

“And to make you feel better. I can still make her speechless” Sanskar mocked her leaning forward.

Diya closed her fist and looked at him with flared up nose. She pointed her finger at him. “And you can't do anything about it” he shrugged his shoulders and walked off from there. Diya kicked the dust annoyed.

“I won't... I won't let him play this game with my sister” she said determined.

“Stop me” he teased peeking from from the wall at the end of the hallway. Diya looked around to search something to throw at him. As she found nothing she was ready to chase him. But Rebecca held her. “D.... You can't behave with him this way here” Rebecca spoke.

“Learn something from your friend” he pointed at Rebecca and disappeared smirking. Diya was beyond frustrated. Now she sure know of one thing. That she hated this man to no bound and she will not let her sister to fall prey to his game again. She knew he was just playing it for entertainment and like always it will only break her sister. She cannot see her sister like that again. She had no courage to do so.

She walked towards the parking only to see her sister lost and she hated that Sanskar still affected her twin sister. She hated the fact that Ragini still loved him.

“Ragzee” she called her sister who looked at her hiding her pain and she needed no rocket science to understand it.

“Hey D... How was your day?” Ragini asked cheerfully not willing to reveal her sadness but didn't she knew her sister could not be fooled by this fake happiness on her face.

“As usual boring twin sister. You had fun being away from here but me? I have to breath the same old air for the infiniteth time. Duh..” she opened the door of the car and sat inside. Ragini chuckled and sat beside her.

“Tell me again why was I born in the most unlucky minute?” Diya turned to her sister who burst out laughing. “I told you. It was because you were arguing” Ragini leaned back on her seat laughing and that made Diya smile. More than anything she loved her sister's happiness and she now decided something and she knew it was the best to do.

****.****

I hope you people are liking it.

Love

Sally. 😇