Manik.

"Drama over guys... Nothing left to watch out here!!"

Nandini spoke up in her calm yet stern voice, which worked immediately as the crowd dispersed and murmurs took over the hall. She looked approvingly at them before turning around and walking straight away, with those three girls again on her wings, making me realize how they vanished into the crowd when Maddy tried to provoke Nandini. I continued looking at her back until I heard Mukti say,

Mukti: Come on we'll be late for class... Let's go!

I turned towards her to see Abhi hugging her softly before they parted ways and Abhi patted on my back asking me to move. We moved to the class talking about the faculty, who apparently was an angry old man who just needed a simple reason to start shouting and would pass the entire class in the same. As we got into the class Abhi was again greeted by all his friends while I was acknowledged by a few appraising looks by a few girls, which I conveniently ignored. I recognized one of them as Nandini's wing girl.

We settled down just as the teacher walked in when finally I couldn't stop myself and decided to turn towards Abhi,
Manik: So, Who were those two? Back in the corridor...

Abhi smiled at my question with an understanding look and nodded,
Abhi: What happened about not wanting the gossip? 

I just sent him a shrug in reply as he looked up at the faculty before starting in a slow voice.

Manik: The guy... Madhyam Singhania, or Maddy as he likes it! The blacklisted guy in every sense, Trouble is his middle name. Causing nuisance almost everywhere, but then he has his way out of serious stuff. In short, he is a person you would rather stay away from.

I nodded softly at it, almost expecting everything that he said. I waited for him to continue wanting to know more about Nandini,
Abhi: And the girl was Nandini Moorthy... The 'She' girl of this college. The person behind almost everything happening around here... The guys love her, for obvious reasons and the girls hate her for the same...

He looked ahead at the professor, before glancing at me shortly,
Abhi: She has a small group and she mostly stays within the same. Mukti calls them her 'followers'. She is the General Secretary of the college, so she and her group, hold the last word at almost everything. 

Manik: As in the usual queen bee that every college has in movies?
I asked in amusement. But surprising Abhi replied in a fairly serious tone,
Abhi: In short... Yes! But not the queen bee, more like the 'Ice Queen'!

And almost instantly, my interest perked up even more than what it was. The lecture continued as my conversation with Abhi ended. 

I kept my focus on the professor's words but there were whispers going on all around me. Everyone who was there during the face-off between Nandini and Madhyam had their own different perspectives on who was right and who was wrong and those who weren't there were disappointed on missing out on the drama scene. I even heard some people whispering the entire scene in a way that made it seem like Nandini just had a steamy make-out session with Maddy in anger. I shrugged off any thoughts about it, knowing how people manipulate gossips, but then it's nothing that should concern me.

There were hardly 15 mins left out of the one and a half hour class when a knock on the door interrupted the class and Nandini entered wishing the faculty.
"Good morning Sir!"

The whispers around the class subdued immediately as the old man rolled his eyes at it and turned towards her,
Faculty: Nandini... You are late, the class is almost about to get over!

Nandini: Yes, sir I know...
Nandini replied in a clipped tone making him raise his eyebrow. I almost expected him to flip out and shout at her but he surprised me by asking in his same bored tone.

Faculty: Where were u?

Nandini: Just some work...
Nandini shrugged in nonchalance, making him a glare but he simply grumbled, "Get your seat!"

She nodded at him and walked straight to a seat in the third row near the window, which was surprisingly still empty. Conveniently, there was no one on the seat of her partner making it easier for her to place her bag on her side. It was then that I finally noticed the same three girls sitting in the seats in front of hers and behind as well. They turned and smiled broadly at her, but I couldn't spot a single expression on her face as she simply stared back at them.

Does this girl ever show any expressions?

I thought to myself as my eyes stayed on her impassive face. But who am I to complain, she was definitely a sight to hold on to, undoubtedly the most beautiful girl I have ever come across. But even after it all, the only thing in my mind when I watched her from afar was... Curiosity!?

Someone dropped their bag at the front of the class, making me turn my gaze away from her as I realized where I was. The lecture continued again after this and soon came to an end. Abhi and I moved on to our next class where Mukti too joined us. In this subject the faculty seemed to be least interested in teaching as he handed over some sheets to the entire class and then sat in the front, doing whatever he was doing in that boring looking dairy of his.

Mukti again became the one to initiate the conversation as she kept on asking me about things back home, in Delhi.

Mukti: So why did you choose Space specifically? It's not so easy to get an admission here, that too in the last year of the course.

Mukti asked making me after a few minutes. I was about to speak up when Abhi butted in, telling her that my parents pulled up a few strings at the upper level. The two of them then got into some conversation about Mukti's parents, when I decided to give then their privacy and tuned them out, my mind moving back to a few days back when I visited the college with Dad to finish off the admission process and now I'm here on my very second day already with these two genuinely good hearted friends.

"Back to earth Manik..... Hello! "
Abhi spoke up shaking me as the lecture got over.

"Come on lets go to the canteen I'm damn hungry...", He said getting up from the seat, I nodded at him with a smile as the three of us moved to the canteen. We took our seat as I looked around watching people laugh around at something doing other casual stuff.

A few guys joined us on the table engaging Abhi in a conversation related to football. When I suddenly remembered to enquire about the team.
Manik: By the way... What is the process to get into the football team? Any try outs nearby...

"For that the team needs to exists na!"
Snorted a guy from Abhi's side while I found Mukti rolling her eyes.

Mukti: It exists... It is just suspended for now.

Just as he said this, Abhi got up from his seat and looked ahead.
Abhi: I have to sort this out as soon as I can

Mukti too followed his sight and nodded,
Mukti: Yeah... Try it out!

Nodding at her Abhi walked away, while the guys too moved to some other table discussing the suspension, from what I heard.

"Suspended?"
I asked totally confused as I saw Abhi walk towards the center of the canteen.

Mukti: Abhi is the captain of the team.... But the team is suspended as of now! Something happened day before yesterday.
I heard Mukti say as I followed her gaze and saw Abhi walking up to Nandini as they talked about something. And unlike all the other students, Nandini for a change, didn't look much fond of Abhi. But then again, she didn't even seem too fond of her own friends.

They talked for sometime before I saw Nandini shook her head in negative and turn away from him, completely blocking Abhi out. Abhi sighed at it as he walked back.

Abhi: She isn't even ready to listen yr...
He sitting back while Mukti nodded. When I finally asked out of confusion,

Manik: What is this all about?

Abhi turned towards me and leaned closer,
Abhi: You heard Maddy going on about Nandini almost drowning in the pool day before yesterday?

I remembered the incident from earlier that morning in the corridor and nodded at him to continue,
Abhi: 'The Fall' which lead to it was because a football hit at the back of her head. She got some concussion in her head due to the hit, then followed by the fact that she didn't know how to swim. They had to rush her to the hospital, and the football team was called off almost immediately.

Manik: Oh crap...
I muttered finally getting onboard on the matter. While Abhi went on speaking.

Abhi: And above all... It was not even the football team. I was there on the field with the entire team and no one did this! But no one is ready to listen to us!

Mukti joined on the conversation as she told me,
Mukti: To increase it even more... The camera recording got viral as 'The Fall' everywhere and now she is even more furious.

She passed me her phone, with a video on. I noticed that it was a clip from the pool side, I noticed Nandini standing near the edge talking to someone. A small part of my head noticed the fact that she looked beautiful dressed in black shots and a grey crop top, but I immediately shut that voice in my head when I saw a football hit her head making her fall directly into the pool.

"The inter college football league is starting next month, I need to get the team back."
I heard Abhi telling Mukti as I replayed the clip, only to recognize something in there.

Manik: Do u guys somehow know at what time did this happen?

Abhi heard me and turned before answering,
Abhi: Around 4:30 in the evening... Why?

Realization dawned upon me as my head snapped back towards her table with the wheels turning in my head.

"Shit!"

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