Exams are over.

Teja relished the well known relief.Though not as accurate as Nandana, she successfully wrote the papers.

If someone ask her credentials, it would never be her marks or ranks rather it would be the skills she learned, perfection she attained. Numbers are never her priority, it's always about the knowledge, learning & improving. Importantly, enjoying what we do.

The purpose of life is to Enjoy & be useful to mankind...her words not mine.

She just explained her parents about how she turned her blood into sweat in the exams for which they said, "Shall we send some blood bottles then?"

Huffing, she puts off the call & took in the view.

It is awesome.

She stood against the palisade in the huge front yard. The villa is on the broad hanging cliff of the hill so there's a pitchered metal railing enclosing the plot.

"Ma told you not to open your hairs in the dark", she is at once startled at the sudden proximity of the voice.

Whereas he easily held the two strands of hair on the either side, binds them with a plucker & gets aside backing against the palisade.

Now he could see her face clearly.

He is not fond of lose hairs at all. All the unnecessary styling to the minimum follicles people have made it a routine & boring sight. Sometimes he don't even recognise people with all the dyes and the other times he should search for the face.

What he prefers is a simple, long, straight braided hairs giving a clear vision of the face.

As he gazes at her pretty self, she doesn't even spare him a glance.

"Bahar chalogi?"

That's when she turned, her eyes wide, lips forming a little haw. The black bindi between her eyebrows is a stark contrast to her face.

He leisurely stood facing her, his arms loosely folded while his eyes are gently staring at her.Even in a pistachios tee & greys, he seemed REGAL.

These days she may have expected a distinct attitude from him. Yes, there's this straight yet sincere affection he shows now & then makes it clear of his intentions, which he conversed a few days ago.

Still, he is at his ease like before. With her. Just as the past two decades.

But this is all new and different to her.

She's like a perennial river always in motion yet calm, peaceful, carrying life, making everything green and happy wherever it flows.

This sudden emotional intrusion would feel like a dam on her. Restricting & Burdened.

That's what she thought & she absolutely didn't like it.

"I want to like someone else"

She whispered in her firm tone, looking straight in his eye. It felt wierd because she neither thought about any one like that nor had any interest in doing so but she always preferred a direct tackle to the issues and that's what she's doing now.

His amicable aura slowly disappeared into a belligerent air and that is not even discreet. It is all open for her to feel.

"Kaun?", his voice is an edgy whisper & eyes never leaving her.

Prepared with her answer, she mumbles, "Surya"

As he doesn't respond she continues to make it more believable, "He's from the IT. His father is an advocate. A nice guy.." her praises are halted by his truth,

"A drug addict"

Teja didn't get for a second about what is he saying while he adds,

"And a cheap drug peddler"

"How do you know?", she lets out in surprise.

He didn't answer her but his forest embedded hazel eyes did.

Adhvik never lies.

Though he has the University beneath his thumb, student interests are not of his concern. Also the girls wanted to experience a life past the glass walls & posh cars so he shall give them that, however, in his Radar.

And she believed him, that's what she did all the years.

She's surprised for sure but not even a bit cared to know more about that person. He's just a name heard more from their circle.

Nevertheless, it doesn't stop her to utter another name. Not all guys can be bad. Are they?

"He's just one. There's Ekansh", she tries again and his reply is also immediate."Playboy".

She didn't cross question him because
if he says it must be true.

"Ishan"

"Cheater"

"Lohith"

"Alcoholic"

"Rayan"

"Stupid"

That continued making her tired & annoyed.

Every guy is worst in their Campus. What a waste!

Adhvik keeps a track of all their socials, they cannot be called as friends because the girls never indulged deep with any of them. A mere acquaintances they are. Teju & Nandu are smart & accountable, always enough for eachother.

In reality, bad guys are always in face. The masked and shady ones are the real trouble. So, he had a background run of all the shady guys in the University just in case but he never knew it would be useful now. He just know about first two or three names as they are the ones who are behind the goodie shoes mask and the remaining, he uttered crap which is also true because every coin has two sides, some just hide it better & he leveraged it to his convenience.

"Sab ke sab trash hein trash"

Irritated, she told one last and final person to get over with all this, "Arun" and surprisingly he's quite.

She looked at him to comment something but when he didn't she sarcastically asked,

"Kya usme kuch kami nai hein?"

His silence made her frown followed by a flickering realization in her eyes.

"Kya sach mein kuch kami nai hein ?"

It is purely a shock than hope in her voice.

He kept quiet and she took as a green signal.All her annoyance jumped off the cliff.

Arun.

There's this young assistant Professor,Mr.Arun Mistry  who takes Pulse & Digital circuits & it's concerned Lab.

He's an young age scolor & Ph.D holder, a very handsome guy whose favourite time pass is annoying Teja to bits.

No doubt she's a brilliant student but also the most mischievous one in the batch . There's no professor who isn't annoyed with her ridiculous remarks, out of box questions and new perspectives.

And Arun is determined to make her taste her own medicine by giving her double assignments on advanced topics, single projects & additional lab works.

Though she enjoys the over work & feels challenged there are certain times when she gets irritated but he has a theory & practical in hand, she couldn't risk 170 marks so bears him & pours her anger somewhere else. But all this didn't seem fit to her.

"Wow! Bitter guard is bitter but better for health", she now understood her mother's favourite line to make her eat that vegetable but it seemed more apt to her professor.

It's probably the first time she's even thinking something good about him but it is not matching with her made up "Joker" avtar of his, that monstrous smile resembling that of the "Joker" in the lift whenever he gives her an arduous job so she shook her head deciding, "Aurthur Flick is good than him"

Adhvik observed as she came back to the present predicament,

"Tho mein usse pasand karsaktha hu?", she asked dubiously. Not even believing herself.

Why is she even having this stupid talk with him?

He didn't speak a word & she again took it as his approval.

She thought Adhvik didn't have a single thing against him, that's the reason he is quite.

Then, her work is done.

She sensed his discernment of this conversation being a sham. That's what she wanted. For him to realise, she is not willing to even give a thought about any potential unwanted invasions in her butter like going life. Talking to Adhvik on such a topic is more than an Hercules task yet she did, to show her stubbornness to her decision so that she could not be coerced.

Happy for the success, she said, "Ok then it's all settled. So mein jaungi, mujhe neend aa rahi hein"

He just blinked his eyes and she grinned.

She hopped on her way back to her room & flops on her bed.

"Aha!", she blew out feeling like a feather, "2 tasks done. Yes I was taken aback by our encounter last time but I didn't think it would be a cake walk to make him see the reality. Wo samja bhi", she giggled rolling. "This is just a minute long things & nothing else. Whatever my headache is gone. Haa!"

It felt like a burden is off from her shoulders.

Relaxing, she sat on bed, made her hair updo & went to have her pasta in the living hall.

30 minutes later, while she's rolling on the floor laughing and eating while watching Popeye the sailor, Nandu hurriedly came to her.

"Did you see the group chat?", she hastily asked standing in the middle between her and QLED.

"Kya hua? Kon kisko mara hein? ",Teja laughed off bending aside to see how the spinach guy bet the pirate.

"Its our Professor Arun"

She giggled not at all minding, "Ohh".

Uni fights are usual, they all make a some juicy gossips too.

But once it registered, her smile stopped & the pasta spilled out of her mouth, she yelled, "What?"

Nandu nodded, "Some thugs ambushed him near his PG. Our CR got the news from the owner"

"But how?"

"No idea"

"Was it bad?"

"Not grave but yeah very bad. He might have to take a month rest"

Teja grieved while Nandu consoled her, "We shall visit him in the morning. I will talk to Bhai"

Just then her phone rings, a call from her batchmates, Nandu goes to attend it to know further about the plight & Teja grimly slumps on the sofa.

A while ago, he jogged her mind, she even appreciated him now hearing such a news, she felt a bit down.

Her sad self straightens as a thought struck like an arrow in the bull.

She ran outside & stood on the steps to see Adhvik at the palisade, his palms on the railing, looking over the lightful valley.

He's calm and collected.

Maybe she's guessing it wrong.

Just then he turns around facing her. He is  little surprised but he has this gentle guise as he gestures her to come near.

She cautiously walks to him & stands before, upon which she realises he's talking in the airpod, "Good job Ben.Professor ne idhar kuch zyada hi pada li ab bas. Tranfer him to the west by tomorrow & take care of the cops. Right?"

Teja's lips widen as her eyes in utter shock.

Adhvik casually touches the pod to off the call, the air tender around him.

His eyebrows slightly rise at her, "Kya?"

For a moment, Teja is tongue tied, he is in his complete consciousness, he knows what he's doing still his calmness made her think twice.

It is hard for her to compose but did, "You?She gulps in dubiousness, "You did it?"

"Ben". He do not hesitate to accept.

Out of nowhere, a similar incident replayed before her, when she was in first year, a guy who ragged her was laid bedridden the next day because some rogues cornered him along with the entire gang but that particular guy was brutally apart.

And that made her gasp as she put two and two pieces from the past,

"This isn't the first time?!", it was a whispered fact.

He simply shrugs, "Bravo! You noticed."

She's totally aware that they have been under his wings since forever but never knew the extent.

"Why?", just a mutter is left from her in pure disbelief.

He fixed his gaze on her before firmly answering, "Because I rather do believe in actions."

It has two statements. One he really likes to put his fighting skills in use and second he doesn't believe in words.

She is clueless as to what that meant while he comes closer,

"All this goes longer than the Nile and mighter than those mountains. You cannot comprehend", with a palm in his pocket, he affirms, the kind disguise leaving him, "It shall be the first and last time we are talking about unnecessary matters.Hm.", the finality is precisely evident in his low tone, "I will pick you after your classes. Sleep good."

Having a serene aura, as if he just took a stroll in the park & not had a man assaulted, he walks away leaving her to cold winds & realizations.

He patiently listened to her aware of what she wanted to convey, just to strike a perfect shot which he has been delaying it for quite a sometime.

Goodness gracious, if at all anything she meant what she uttered... it's an another story. Hopefully, we don't witness it.

Picture abhi baki hein Mera dosth..