I scowl putting my scarf on the cloth holder as Pooja claws her finger into my shoulder, "What?" I snap as my shoulder stings from her long nails.

"Can you please talk to Akash for me!" She asks me almost shaking, I nod. "Make it fast! He's talking to that Anamika!" She scowls pushing me out of her room "Wait, just let me get my scarf," I try to tell her but she cuts me off saying "I'll get you your scarf before Farhan comes."

I shrug and sit down next to Akash who was having a very deep conversation with Anamika, cursing Pooja under my breath I say awkwardly
"Hey, Akash," I sigh as he smiles at me.

"I'm sorry were you two...Did I interrupt something?" I ask them frowning "No, no, we were just casually talking," Akash tells me, I nod but stifle a snigger on seeing Anamika's offended face. "So you're not...like committed?" I asked trying hard not to sound like a creep.

Akash nods, looking at me like I just grabbed him or something, I let out a corny fake laugh and tell him "Because, there's one seat left for our dance on Friday, I can't couples to come..." He nods seeming a bit more convinced than before.

"So, you'll come?" I ask him eagerly "Okay," "You'll be paired with another one of the single girls left," I tell him trying to execute my plan. "Who?" He asks me curiously, "Um, Pooja Mathur," I say and grin in glee as he beams at me. "See you there," I say getting up and stop short seeing Ishaan stare at standing against the wall, I glare as he moves his bright brown eyes away from me slowly.

"What?" I ask Ishaan crossing my eyes as he stares at the ground avoiding my eyes, "Ishaan!" I snap at him, he winces hard but slowly moves his gaze up to match mine. I sigh tired and say "How many times do I have to tell you to stop waiting for me?" He shrugs and cracks his knuckles nervously.

Ishaan Ahuja studied in the same college, an English literature major unlike me. Brilliant and handsome he had almost the whole female population of the college eying him but for some uncanny reason, his eyes were always on me, from the start.

"Ishaan, You know I love Farhan!" I say crossly, he stares at me his grey eyes gleaming with passion "So, It's not like I'm demanding you to love me back." I nod but tell him "Ishaan, you are a really great person and I would love to be friends with you..." He clicks his tongue but says "I can't be friends with you, I'm sorry," I open my mouth to argue but freeze on hearing a rough voice ask "What are you doing here?" I turn to Farhan pursing my lips as Ishaan rolls his eyes and walks off.

"Farhan!" I shout as he walks off, I follow him and grasp his arm as he glares at me, "What?" I ask him pushing the hair off my face nervously, "What are you wearing?" He asks me coldly. I shrug and pat down my shirt, "I just...I brought a scarf, Farhan." He nods his face scornful, I rub my face feverishly and say "I just forgot to put it on because Pooja..."

"You don't forget to talk to that  idiot, do you?" He asks me rudely, I swallow and tell him "I was telling him off," I flinch as his eyes grow dangerous and profess "You know how much I love you Farhan!"

He sighs and says  "You don't talk to him again," I nod and say "I won't, I promise." He smiles at me almost in triumph.

Farhan Qureshi had been my friend since grade school, and my boyfriend since I was seventeen. I was completely aware of the fact that he was not half a good boyfriend as he was a friend but I still stuck to him as he was my prized friend who helped me through some of the stickiest points of my life.
                 
                     ****

"Anu!" Appa screams from somewhere as I stare at myself in the mirror, I turn and look if I looked shameless if I didn't cover my chest like Farhan accused.
"What are you doing?" Appa asks me coming into the room his fingers covered with flour.

"Appa?" I ask, he comes and stands next to me. "Does something wrong?" I ask him, he looks at my reflection on the mirror and tells me "You look beautiful." I scowl at him and sink down to the edge of my bed.

"Is something wrong?" He asks wiping his hands on a towel, I shrug but shake my head looking into the mirror, where I observed the fact that he looked the same as he did when I was thirteen. "What's your beauty secret?" I ask trying to steer off the topic. He looks at me sternly  and asks "Did somebody comment about you or something?" I shake my head hugging him.

"Anu?" He asks me again as I bury my face in his chest, I try to clear my voice and tell him "I just miss you, We're so caught up we hardly talk to each other," He sighs and does nothing but stroke my hair gently.

"Hey?" He asks me after a while, I glance up into his grey eyes. "I'll tell you something we can bond over..." I look at him confused, "Making Rotis, because I seriously despise  making them, they should be banned." He tells me his heavy jaws set, I snort and ask walking over to the kitchen
"You're making lame dad jokes now?" He lets out a violent snort as I throw away the thick mix of flour that was only good to stick posters and says "I'm almost forty-five! I have the legal right to make lame dad jokes."
"Nope." 
                     *****

I run my finger along his hard shoulders as Andheri, the warden who had an extreme case of night blindness, asks him "Do you think this is funny?" I beam as he says "Sorry, it's not,  right?"  The chubby old woman with thick horn-rimmed glasses gawks at my father in shock.

"Mr Bose, do you understand that your eighteen old daughter beat up a poor boy?" She asks him, I scowl and start to protest but Appa gives me a look to silence me and tells the fraud Andheri " I know my daughter is not a psychopath to beat up a boy for no reason, so, what did she do?"

He arches an eyebrow at me when Andheri says nothing but shuffles around some files on her desk, "He grabbed me." I tell him trying to sound nonchalant, he turns his grey eyes solemn and taps the table gently.

Andheri tries to say something but nothing comes out of her mouth, "Why was I called up here?" Appa asks his voice burning "Your daughter's were way too violent and look her she's not even embarrassed!" She shouts making me glare at her furiously. Appa let's out a light laugh and starts " See, professor...Chauhan, I don't think my daughter should be embarrassed, she just fought off a fucking sexual predator!"

I cover my mouth trying not to laugh as Andheri's jaw drops down hearing my father's speech, he continues "This is the twenty-first century, you as a women should be content that girls are finally starting to react against harassments." I smile and place my hand on my father shoulder as he takes a breath and says "So please don't expect me to do anything except congratulate Anuradha, Understood?" He asks her standing up, Andheri nods her jaw still sagging.

"Did you really beat him up?" Appa ask me curiously as we climb into the sedan, I shrug and tell him "I punched him on the face... He beams starting the car and I ask him "Are you sure you should be supporting me?" He looks at me as though he had not understood a word I had said. I shrug and explain "I know what he did was gross, but aren't you gonna ask me to deal with these things a bit more diplomatically?" I stare at him as he explains "Not really, I'm more of a tit for tat person..." I laugh and say fist-bumping him "Now I know where I get it from!"

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