Hello Family :)

Happy Reading...

It was the end of July and Mumbai is on a visit by its annual guest, the monsoons. After halting the normal life for a week, the rains have taken some mercy on the people of the city as Mumbaikers breathed the sunlight for the first time in days. The most thankful among them was a boy of nineteen years who, at present, was behind the steering wheel of his favorite Audi. He entered his destination on the GPS of his mobile, took a deep breath and started his car.

At over six foot in height, Manik Malhotra was more confident about his knowledge on the physical laws of the universe than the roads of Mumbai. While boys his age were more inclined towards building a six-pack, he preferred curling up with his books. The disadvantage, he was too lean for the displeasure of his family and had hardly built a muscle that he could show off to people around him, not that he wanted to show off in the first place. He would still prefer his books over anything even if he sometimes could use some confidence while meeting someone new.

Music was the second best thing which calms his nerves down when his first best option isn't available. The busy roads, the heavy traffic, the faded traffic lights that refused to change their colors due to the pollution aren't helping his nerves. He was about to calculate the probability of working of the traffic lights when the red turned yellow and then green. He sighed. Afraid of being stuck again, Manik rushed his way past the traffic constable, never once crossing the speed limit.

It was all good until he felt the urge to change the song and suddenly there happened many events all at once. He applied the brakes, noticed a bike, fallen, in front of him. It hardly took him a minute to switch off his music and open his door to check if the person in front of him is safe or not but the Mumbai crowd were faster than him. They eagerly pushed him aside and started helping the girl, he noticed after she removed her helmet, out. The girl dusted her jean shorts and hung her helmet to one of the handles of her bike before turning to him. If people could die due to death glares, he would have already been dead, he thought.

"Abey, hero. Dekh kar nahi chala sakta kya? Gadi chalana nahi aata toh road par lekar hi kyun aaya?", she screamed. [Can't you look and drive? Why did you even bring your car on roads if you don't know how to drive?]

"Ma'am, I apologize to you. You are hurt because of my car but I can assure you, it's not because of my driving", he said. He recollected all the traffic rules he had studied to pass his driving test and assured himself. He wasn't driving in the wrong route. Neither did he violated any other rules. The girl was speechless and it satisfied him somehow which was again short-lived.

"You apologize? Ladki dekhi nahi ki gadi thok di. Aur yeh bashan jaad raha hai yaha. Teri itni himmat kaise hui?", she screamed again once after composing herself. [How dare you to not only dash my bike but also to give me a lecture?]

Manik was about to protest but he heard the 'responsible' citizens around them started speaking on behalf of the girl.

"Aise ladke ko chodna nahi chahiye. Ameer ghar ke bigde hue bete", said someone. [We shouldn't leave such boys. They are just spoilt brats from the rich families]

"Madam ji, police ko bulakar andar kardo ise", said another. [Madam, call the police and lock him in]

Manik paled. Why are people complaining against him even if she was the one to come in the wrong route? He turned to the girl. "Ma'am, I didn't plan on this event. We can discuss this instead of involving the police. My mom wouldn't be happy if I get myself arrested on the first day of my college", he said. He didn't care if he was ranting. He needed to escape from this place as soon as he can.

A dark look crossed her face listening to his mom and her whole demeanor changed. She nodded and asked him to leave. The crowd protested.

"Madam, aise kaise jane de rahi hai aap?" [How can you leave him just like that.]

She narrowed her eyes at the crowd. "Nuksaan mera hua hai na. Main sambhal lungi. Aaj ka drama khatam hogaya. Niklo sab yahan se", she yelled at them. [I am the one who is at a loss. I will take care of this. The drama's over for today. Leave everyone.]

Screaming, yelling or shouting must be her favorite tones, Manik thought absentmindedly. The crowd soon dispersed muttering to themselves, much to his relief. He had half a mind to call his number one speed dial but instead recollected his personalized guide on '12 ways to escape a tight situation in Mumbai'. One of them was, "Ma'am, I can pay the compensation and we can forget about this whole event, please", he said.

He guessed he made a mistake when he realized the furious look return back on her face. She towered over him even if she hardly reached his shoulders, making him shrunk backward in fear. "Do you really think you can attempt to murder someone and weasel your way out by throwing some money?", she gritted her teeth.

"That's not what I meant", he said, in a low tone. "I am new to Mumbai and someone said it's the first thing to do if I find myself in some trouble."

She pulled him by his collar, twisting the fabric in her hands. "First of all, try to know about the city and its people before drawing stupid conclusions all by yourself. Second, ask that 'someone' to shut up and stay out of my way if he wants to live", she said. "And this is an accident. Not an event", she added later.

Manik straightened his shirt as soon as she left him and took three steps back to keep himself safe.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything about it. "Is it really the first day of your college?", he nodded. "Leave then. Don't make any more accidents or else I will get your license canceled even before you can spell the word 'event'", she said.

Thanking the almighty, Manik sighed. "Thank you. I apologize for all the trouble I have caused you this morning", he said. The girl waved her hand offhandedly. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw her starting her bike. When the bike roared without any trouble, he smiled and left the place towards his college.

XXX

Manik wished his college too had a GPS to help new students like him to find their way out inside their college. He had been wandering for ten minutes but couldn't find a single person who would show him the way to the principal's office. It didn't help his case that he was way too earlier than the college time to complete his paperwork. He thanked his stars when he found a boy running hurriedly. Manik stopped him. "Excuse me, can you tell me where the Principal's office is?"

The boy looked at him as if he had seen a ghost. "Are you the new professor? Oh my god, I don't even have my books with me today." He ran away without saying any further.

Weird, Manik thought. He next found a girl and noticed that she was carrying a bag on her shoulder while checking her mobile out. Manik rushes towards her. "Hey, if you don't mind, can you tell me the directions to the principal's office, please?"

The girl scans him from top to bottom and again in the reverse direction before scrunching her nose in disgust. "Plain jeans and tucked shirt? Who in his right mind wears a shirt to college, Uncle ji? I doubt you have biceps or six-pack under that."

"Excuse me?", he said in disbelief. It's none of her business to comment on his dressing style when she was hardly wearing a dress decent enough for a college.

She snorted. "No, I was just wondering how dare you to flirt with me with this stupid dressing sense of yours?"

"But when did I flirt?", he said with a frown on his face.

"Huh. Get a life, kid." She walked away pushing him lightly.

He stared at his shoes unable to decide further. It was such a weird place and he was already hating this college. He was busy deciding the reasons to inform his mom about changing the college when he felt a hand around his shoulder.

He looks at the person, confused, and finds a middle-aged man. The person had some books in his hands and a kind smile on his face as he looked at Manik. "Ignore her. I know you didn't get an ideal start but this college has some of the best students too", he said, "and when you meet them, you will make the best of friends who will make you forget about these awkward starts."

Manik returned a smile. "Thank you, sir. I need to go to the Principal's office to submit my admission papers."

The person removed his hand from Manik's and now they started walking beside each other. "I am going to meet the principal too. I am Prashant Verma, your English Professor."

"Manik Malhotra. I am.."

"Are you the son of Nyonika Malhotra?", the professor asked.

"Yes, sir", said Manik.

"Weren't you studying somewhere abroad? Speculations about the Malhotra heir is always in the news."

Manik squirmed uncomfortably. He hates attention on him and even particularly when the said attention comes because of the family he was born into. It wasn't his achievement to be born as a Malhotra. "I used to study in England but my mother thought it would be best to continue my education here", he said, politely ignoring the second comment by the professor.

Thankfully, they reached their principal's room and the professor knocked before getting them in. The principal was in his late fifties. The smile on his face and the gleam in his eyes made everyone feel as if they were some long lost friend of the principal. "If I am not wrong, you are Manik Malhotra, transfer student from the Durham University?"

"Yes, sir." Manik forwarded a file to the principal. "My admission papers."

The principal went through the letter meanwhile questioning Manik. "I hope you didn't face any difficulties finding my office?"

"No, Sir. Professor Verma, here, have helped me to your office", he said.

Both the adults shared a smile before the principal signed his letter and gave it back to Manik. "Mr. Malhotra, it's my pleasure to have the heir of Malhotra industries studying in our college."

Manik again shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Sir, the heir of Malhotra Industries is nowhere related to this college. I am just like any other student studying here."

The principal laughed out loud. "Of course, young man. Can I at least be proud of having a transfer student from Durham University?" Manik blushes. "Relax, boy. Just submit this letter in the administrative block and get started with your classes. Here's your timetable. All the best." The principal smiled at him and called the peon, who entered the room a few minutes later. "Hari, inhe administrative building lekar jao aur phir class tak chod dena. 2nd year, science block." The peon nods and leaves the room. [Hari, show him the administrative block and drop him in his class. 2nd year, Science block.]

"Thank you, sir", Manik said to the principal, nods at his professor before following the peon.

XXX

When Manik reached his classroom, it was the Mathematics class and the peon knocked on the door for him.

"What's your name?", the professor asked Manik.

"Sir, Manik", he replied carefully avoiding his surname in order not to draw any attention towards him.

"Welcome to the class, Manik. Just take your seat", the professor said disinterestedly before shifting his attention to the blackboard and started writing down the equations.

"Thank you, sir", Manik muttered to no one in particular. As Manik searched for a seat, he found one at the back of the class beside a girl, whose head was hung low. He walked towards her and tapped the table. "Excuse me, can I sit here?"

"Yeh mere baap ka college hai?", she said without even bothering to look at him. [Is this my father's college.]

"Nahi." [No]

"Tere baap ka college hai?" [Your father's college?]

"Nahi." [No]

"Toh puch kyu raha hai. Bhaith kahi bhi", she whispered in the same disinterested tone. [Then why are you asking me? Sit wherever you want.]

"What?" He didn't understand why was everyone so eager to pick up fights in this city but before the girl could answer him back, they heard the professor calling them.

"Manik, is there any problem?", he asked before glaring at the girl. "Nandini Murthy. He is a new student. You should be helping him instead of arguing with him."

The girl, Nandini, raised her head, facing the professor. "I am not arguing with anyone sir", she said.

"Really? Then why is he still standing?", the professor asks her, miffed by her carelessness.

"College ka first day hai na sir, baithne se pehle Gayatri Mantr padh raha hoga", Nandini said shrugging. [It's the first day of his college sir, maybe he is reciting the Gayatri Mantra]

She spoke with the confidence of someone who is so used to giving excuses, Manik thought offhandedly.

"Enough. Manik, take your seat", the professor said.

Manik nods and sits down beside the girl. That's when both of them noticed the other and whisper yelled at each other, simultaneously.

"Aap?" [You]

"Tu?" Nandini composed herself before asking him again. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you just give me the permission to sit here?"

"Listen, I meant, what are you doing here, in my class?"

"I came to study here. The peon said this was my class."

Nandini slaps her forehead and continues texting beneath the desk after asking him to concentrate on class. As it was his first day and he was already a week late in joining the college, Manik finds it difficult to understand the curriculum and the pattern of the professors teaching methods, which were the complete opposite to that of his previous college. The professor didn't care if the students were concentrating on his class or not and he definitely was teaching to the blackboard. Manik sighed and noted down whatever he could understand without missing any important titles of the topics to read later after going home.

After back to back classes, Nandini stood up, her eyes still on her mobile when Manik called her.

"Excuse me."

"What now?", she snapped.

"I missed the last few classes due to my late admission. Can you please give me your notes?"

"Do you think I don't have any other work than writing notes?", she asked, gritting her teeth.

He was confused. Doesn't people take down their notes here? "No. I don't know anyone here. I will return your notes back to you by tomorrow morning and in proper condition too"

"Dude, go, get a life." She storms off leaving a confused Manik behind.

A/N - There goes our first chapter. This is what the story is about.

Did you like the idea? Do you want me to continue?

How's Manik? How's Nandini?

Suggestions and feedback are welcome.

6ee4951e409e5606d15de93488a38234I'm serializing this work on Webnovel. Head over to Webnovel for the other chapter updates! https://www.webnovel.com