One lie has the power to tarnish a thousand truths.

- Al David

Jagruthi

There are days in life when you don't feel like getting out of the bed, for me that's every single day of my life, and rainy days are worst of all, they make me gloomy and sad, and I don't feel like doing anything like the Bruno Mars lazy song.

"Wakeup sleepy head, we are late for college." Kajal yelled at me by throwing a pillow on to my face for the last time. I opened my eyes and looked at Manju, Nidhi and Kajal who are ready in their uniforms. How do they do this?

I lazily got out of the bed, walked into the shower and got ready, by the time I reached my class the bell rang and the prayer hymns started resonating through the building.

I saw Aarathav and Devansh settling in my class.

Manju and Devansh always compete for the first rank, and the first ranker can pick the branch they want.

Why can't Devansh pick another branch or another section? I don't want to be in the same class as him and this first week has been harder looking at him and Sahastra together.

Any way Guess what Manju chose? Mechanical Engineering.

Yup! You heard it right. She wanted to dominate the patriarchal community one step at a time. She is the only girl in that class, I wonder how is she going to put up with 49 half grown men?

With all these thoughts half a day flew right by me, I had my lunch and walked to my first Digital lab with Nidhi.

The whole class is divided into two parts, the first 25 people do Signals and systems lab and the other 25 in Digital systems lab.

"Hello everyone! My name is Ram I'll be your Digital Systems lab teacher. You will be made into groups of 3 according to your roll numbers. Please find your number neighbor and walk to a table." The teacher dude said and started writing something on the board.

This sucks because I'm the last person in the 25, So I have to the freaking lab alone, my life gets better each day.

Yay! Lucky me.

I walked to the last section and sat down. Nidhi is paired with Rohan and Jahnavi. Samrat with Akshara and Charan. I am going to work all alone.

"Ah! She doesn't have anyone to work with." Ram sir said looking at me and turned away glancing at the whole class.

"Wait! let me pair you up with someone. Ummm.. You cricket guy go and join her." Ram sir said looking at Aarthav and Devansh who are paired with Deeksha.

Before he could say which one, Devansh packed his stuff and started walking to me. Why is Devansh joining me? I don't want to be closer to him.

I looked at Devansh who's nearing me with a killer smile on his face.

Thank you so much god! For always giving things I don't want in life. But, Devansh keeps on getting better, There is no big change in his appearance from last year, if not he looks way better than he did, he ages like Chardonnay.

Looking at him closer reminded of the kiss he shared with Sahastra, the pain it still gives me, and the kissing disease mono that soothed my pain that day, unknowingly a smile formed on my face at thought of them getting sick.

You are turning into a sadist.

It's just a thought, it's not like they will actually get mono.

"Don't laugh at me! Everyone is doing the same thing from one week. My kiss is old news." Devansh said with his eyes scrunched up and his face showed hate as placed his books on the desk.

"Oh! Puh..lease. What a great start to a new academic year?"  I said laughing at his expense hiding my pain.

"She caught me off guard and don't comment please. I don't want to talk about it with you especially " Devansh mumbled with a hurt face and I calmed down not wanting to see pain in his eyes.

"If everyone is done is introducing themselves, look at the board. Today you will be implementing Logic gates and Logic Families. Please grab your kit on the bench and start working on it according to the Manual. You damage anything you pay for it." Ram sir said to everyone and sat on his chair.

"Okay! Let's start." Devansh announced grabbing the kit.

Within 20 min we completed everything, wrote all the values down in our lab Manual. I'm looking at Nidhi and Sammy who are working seriously with their team.

Can we leave the lab if we are done? No because life sucks and now I am stuck with Devansh for 1 more hour.

"How was summer break?" He asked me breaking the ice.

"It was the best summer ever. I had so much fun with my Mama and Papa. What about you?" I asked him.

"Same old, helped my father with farming and we have a new dog." He said with a smile on his beautiful face.

"That explains the tan. Did you cry before coming back again?" I asked him smiling remembering the first time I found him crying in his mothers arms.

We were kids back then, but in the last one year we all evolved, like he got a girlfriend and I am still stuck up on him.

"Oh my god! You are dangerous. I better be cautious around you." He said moving back hiding his fear of me telling everyone that the hot nerd jock of the college cried with his mother.

Aarthav came by to talk to Devansh while I kept quite and started writing my record instead of engaging with him. I think Aarthav hates me and I really don't know what I did to him, but he will  taste his own medicine when Manju completes her dare.

"Why is the queen quiet today? Did someone die?" Aarthav commented making me glare at him. See, I told you he hates me.

"Mind you own business Ape, and if anyone is gonna die today it will be you, in my hands." I snarled at him, egotistical jerk.

"Like you can, and with what? Your half ass grades?" He retorted with a snort.

"Aarthav, stop being mean to her." Devansh supported me while that stupid Ape man got shocked.

Devansh had my back before his best friend, he defended me.

Oh ho Madam! Don't fly so high and show that stupid ape that you are not be messed with.

Watch me now.

"If my grades are half ass, yours are quarter nope 1/8th ass. And go and complete your experiment or else dig a hole and jump into it, if you are scared call me, I will be glad to push you." I gave him a comeback and threatened him.

"What grade are you in? 1 And who gave you the admission to this college? They sho.."

"This is it, Aarthav you go to your station and Jagruthi please stop arguing with him." Devansh cut of Aarthav and pleaded me with his eyes.

Aarthav left with a defeated look on his face while I smiled on the inside, because Devansh didn't order me around, he requested me.

"I think you guys should do Student of the year part 3." I spoke out without thinking gaining his attention after Aarthav left.

"What?" He questioned me with confusion all over his face.

"Yeah! You the hot Dorito body Sidharth Malhotra, Aarthav is your muscular flirt Varan Dhawan and Sahastra is your pretty, rich and good looking Alia Bhatt." I told him shrugging at my wild thoughts and he looked at like I was unbelievable.

"What's dorito body?" He asked me with a confused look.

"You don't know what a dorito body is? Here let me explain." I said taking out a pen and paper.

"The broad shoulders and lean waist make a triangle like the dorito chips." I explained him my doodle.

"Did you just compare my body with chips?" He asked me with a bewildered look on his face.

Yeah! Because you are a snack.

Eww...gross! Thank god you didn't say that out loud. I can't even find an adjective for you these days.

You wanna know what flavor of Dorito's he is? Flamin' hot.

Cringeeeeee....

"Oh! What's your role Student of the year then?" He asked looking at me scooting closer.

I lifted my head up from the paper and my breathing hitched to a stop looking at him this close. I've never been this close to his face this semester those beautiful captivating black eyes with the golden iris. His pink lips, he has a small black mole on his lower lip on the left corner.

He is so dreamy and yummy, if he was a dessert he would be a Macaroon or a trifle or a good old chocolate cake.

If he is a dessert you know who would you be? The person who can't afford to buy it.

I thought we were friends after the last time you supported me.

No way! Stop staring at him and turn away Creep.

"Me! I didn't get casted and I don't want to be in your movie." I told him and turned away so that I won't be lost in that beautiful face of his.

"Why not? I don't like that idea and I want to you to be in whatever movie I am in." Devansh said in his gravelly smooth voice staring at me.

Oh my god!

Just look at me like that for one more minute, I might kill Sahastra and then brand him mine.

The way he is looking at me is making me feel treasured, cherished and valued. It's like I am the only person in the world that he wants to be with.

Imagination, it's all your creation.

Why don't you shut up and let me enjoy this moment.

He is no one. Just a crush you should crush.

"You know who I wanna be in the whole movie, the Dean. I would make your lives miserable mostly Aarthav's, he just annoys the crap out of me." I told him grinning ear to ear.

"You really are evil, and Aarthav his a nice guy. You should be friends with him, I can talk to him." Devansh said and I shook my head at his words.

I can't be friends with him, or can I? I hate him but there is that feeling that he would be the perfect person for Manju. She can tame all the evil out of him, make him to my liking.

"No thanks, I don't want to be friends with any of your friends." I told him and closed my book, because my hands hurt with this stupid writing and started popping my knuckles for relief.

What's the purpose of writing this stupid records?

"I can feel Samrat glaring at me, do you see it too?" He asked me looking at Sammy from the corner of his eyes.

"I see it, don't worry about him. He is just scared that something will happen to me." I answered supporting my sweet little friend.

"Me and Sammy are not together. He cares about me, more like a sister." I blurted out before he could imagine things.

"I know, and I care about you too." He said quickly, very quickly.

Devansh cares for me! He cares about me. I spoke to him like 6 times last year and he cares about me. Why?

Why do I feel happy at that thought? Why do I feel giddy in my stomach? I wanted to dance with happiness at his statement.

Maybe he cares about you like a sister too.

Way to pop my happiness ballon.

I found Deeksha glaring at me reminding me of Sahastra. I can't do this, Devansh is Sahastra's boyfriend.

"Your girlfriend won't be happy about that." I told him gulping through each word.

"Hey! The people I care are my decisions not hers. I want you to be happy all the time, with that beautiful smile." He told me in rich and smooth tone holding my fingers from my lap.

Cue the fireworks, and some violin music in the background please.

Every time he touches me there are fireworks in my body. I feel the sensations I never felt before. It's like eating Caroline Reaper, the hottest pepper and yummiest Rocky road ice cream together, feeling hot and cold at the same time.

I looked at our interlocked fingers, his hand is so rough and big compared to mine. I lifted my eyes up and looked at his face, his eyes, his lips. Ah that mole on his pink lips. I wonder how he has such a clear glassy shining face.

You should ask his skin care regime

"Janu! I'm done let's go." Sammy yelled coming to us breaking me out of my trance.

I tried pull my hand out of his hold but he held it tight making me scared at the thought Sammy looking at us and hitting Devansh.

"I am coming, give me a minute to pack Sammy." I said and turned in way, so Sammy can't look at our hands.

Sammy walked to Nidhi, and that was my prompt to get away from Devansh's hold.

"Devansh! Leave my hand." I pleaded him in a whisper feeling nervous.

"Nah, I like it like this." Devansh said looking at our hands and making the hold at my wrist tight smirking at me.

"I'm gonna tell everyone you cried if you don't leave me." I blackmailed him with my trump card.

"Nah! I don't care. I will leave you, if talk to me like you do with Samrat." He asked me with a hopeful look.

I'm sorry, I can't do that. Samrat is my rock and came to me in the worst moments of my life. Just because he is nice to me, he can't expect me to treat me like Sammy. Devansh can never be equal to Sammy. Sammy was with me, Devansh never was and he doesn't deserve to be treated like Sammy. I might be slightly attracted to him but I can't give him this much of lenience.

Devansh, Boyfriend of my bully, the one who made me cry, bleed and made me regret joining this college.

"In your dreams! You can't expect to be treated that way and your girlfriend won't like it." I scoffed at his wish and twisted my hand, wriggled it making the hold loose and slipped out of his hold running away from him.

I can't believe that he is nice when he is Sahastra's boyfriend. All her friends bully me, why should I trust him?

Don't they say birds with same feathers flock together. I'm not weak to fall into a trap again. I can't talk to him, if Sahastra sees it it's going to make another drama and my life hell, which I don't want in my life.

"You made me real mad today. I thought you were a nice person." I said rubbing my wrist which hurts because of his tight hold on it. I glared at him one last time and walked away with my backpack. He looks sad, hurt and guilty of his actions.

What the heck did I just do?

Nothing special, You blabbered like you always do and this time a good damn job because he deserved it.

"What are you thinking about? Did Devansh say something? I'll talk to Ram sir to assign me as your partner." Samrat asked me with a worried look on his face.

I can't tell him what happened, he won't like it.

"Oh my Kindred spirit! Stop worrying about me. I am great and you my comrade won't be doing anything like that." I said in the most dramatic way to stop thinking about it using all the words in the dictionary.

"Stop talking like that, you know I hate it when you get all Netflixy." He said making a weird face at me.

"Don't worry about me Sammy, I'm fine." I looped my arm around his and assured him walking out of the class ignoring the stares from Devansh.

"Manju! What are you doing here?" I asked looking at Manju who was waiting outside our lab talking to Nidhi.

"I am here because of your stupid dare, why is that ape always with Devansh or someone else around him. Can't he like walk alone or is he scared to walk alone in this wild campus?" Manju replied making me smile.

"She looks so cute all riled up, have fun guys. Me and Sam are going out to meet a family friend at the mall." Nidhi pinched Manju's cheeks and hugged us bye.

"Janu! You are the bestest friend of my life right. So, I need you help to plan a heist." Manju pleaded me and from the looks of it she is desperate.

It would be fun to steal something, I never stole anything in my life and I love Dhoom 2 movie, so I nodded my head and agreed with her.

"Awesome!" She said clapping her hands in excitement.

"So, what's the plan? Are we gonna go into the boys hostel in boy costumes and steal the phone or what?"I asked her imagining all the wild things we could do.

"Are you crazy? Why would we do that? You are so dramatic Janu. " She exclaimed and my mood fell back.

"Fine! What's your boring stupid plan?" I asked her as we were walking away from the lab.

"Aarthav has a cricket practice in 30 minutes. They have to leave their bags on the bleachers. So you will be my watch out and divert all the attention away from us if there is one." Manju said.

"That's a really meh plan Manju." I told her scrunching my nose disagreeing with her stupid plan.

"What are we black widows to hop through the buildings? Shut up and move your butt, we have a phone to steal because of your stupid dares. I am regretting helping you with your grades last year." She said mumbling as we walked to the cricket stadium.

So, How was the chapter?

If you are wondering what's a Dorito body like Devansh, here it is.

Anyway Who's excited for some Manju and Aarthav?

Don't forget to vote and comment.

Love,

Sneha