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blendreadeyes Mandatory dedication. Look who's here. :P

Happy Reading...

Space College, 2nd-year class

Manik came early to the class and occupied the first bench. He assured himself, it was because he always was the first bencher but the major part of him knows, he just doesn't want to share his seat with Nandini. He decided to stay as far as possible from her. Brushing his thoughts away, he started browsing his mobile for the chemistry notes, his most troubling subject after driving through Mumbai roads. He didn't have the chemistry class on his first day and he had no idea about the syllabus. He prayed for someone who could help him with his syllabus and notes. Answering his prayers, a boy came and took a seat beside him. He looked at Manik, confused.

"Hey, I haven't seen you here before. Am I in the wrong class? Are we?", horrified, he asked the last question to the girl behind him. She shook her head, equally confused.

"You might be in the right class but I am new here. It's just my second day in college and hence, it's possible you didn't notice me yesterday", Manik explained with a smile.

"Really? Actually, I didn't come to college yesterday. By the way, I am Abhimanyu and she is Mukti", he held out his hand and introduced the girl sitting behind him as Mukti.

"Manik", Manik took his hand in a firm handshake.

While Abhimanyu enquired about Manik's admission procedure, the latter opened his books and kept his mobile inside his bag as it was almost time for the class to start. Confirming his predictions, the professor entered the class with a frown on his face. Abhimanyu gave a look to Mukti, suppressing his smile. Unfortunately for Manik, the professor looked at Abhi but before he could scold him, his attention wandered to the new face sitting beside him. Manik.

"Boy, why are you talking in the class?", the professor screamed a few inches away from his face.

Embarrassed, Manik stood up. "I wasn't talking, sir".

"Do you think I am blind? Leave that. Tell me, what is the name of the chapter we were discussing during the last class?", he asked.

"I don't know"

"Right. You don't know the name of the chapter but you don't think twice to make the class a place for socializing", the prof kept on ranting.

Abhimanyu was about to get up to defend Manik, but Mukti held his t-shirt from his back to prevent him from standing up. "Are you mad? Don't you dare mess up with him. You know, he is a sadist and also, he is in a bad mood today", she whispered.

"But Manik wasn't in the class and moreover he wasn't the one who was talking", he argued.

Mukti was searching for her words to save Abhimanyu when they heard a voice interrupting the prof's rants. They turned towards their savior and found Nandini.

"May I come in, sir?", she asked, disinterestedly. She was rather confused about why the new boy, she met yesterday, was being scolded. But knowing the professor, she knew, he just wanted someone as a target to scold and remove his frustration.

"You are late, Murthy", the professor answered, dismissing her.

Nandini didn't budge and knocked again. "Sir, it was the traffic. You know how it is in Mumbai. Can I come in?", she tried to explain to him but he smiled sarcastically at her.

"Come in? Do you think, it as a theatre to come in whenever you want? Or wait. You think of yourself as the princess because your father is a trustee of this college. Am I right?", the professor yelled, diverting his attention from Manik to Nandini.

"I don't use my father's name as much as you do. Sir. And no, I don't consider myself as the princess of this college but if you do, well, thank you", she answered coolly, bursting the last nerve of the professor. The hooting of the class, on listening to Nandu's answer, didn't help his condition at all.

He fumed and crossed his arms across his chest. "Do you think, I will leave your this arrogant behavior? Just come with me. I know, what to do with brats like you", he took a step towards her.

"Will you take me to the principal now, sir?", a scared look passed over her face, confusing the class. Everyone knew, Nandini Murthy can be anything but scared by a mere professor's threat.

"Are you scared? You should have thought about it before turning up late to the class", the professor smirked, not at all differentiating her fake scared looks with the real one.

She rubbed her hands in excitement. "Chalo, even I am okay if it's the principal. Because it was he who has dropped me to the college today. He will answer you, if I am speaking the truth or not", it was Nandu's time to smirk.

"And do you think, I will believe you?", he raised his voice, clearly losing his patience.

"Nandini, why are you still outside the class?"

She turned around to find the principal behind her. Nandini and the professor smirked, both for two different reasons altogether.

"Professor, she was with me. Her bike got repaired midway and hence, I had to drop her to college when I met her on my way. We were stuck in traffic. Let her in and start the class", the principal explained.

The professor let her in, reluctantly, but not before he glared at her. "Sir, did you have some work with me?", he asked, puffing his chest and feeling important, as he always did, on finding the principal at his doorstep, of his class actually but it doesn't matter.

"No, I was on the rounds", he informed and the class controlled to suppress their sniggers. When the principal noticed Manik standing with his head hung low, he got surprised. "Manik, why are you standing?"

Before Manik could speak a word, the professor jumped in. "This boy doesn't even know the chapter we are studying. All of these spoilt-brats aren't even interested in education, sir. They are spoiling the reputation of our college".

"Professor, get your facts clear before jumping to conclusions. Manik is here as a transfer student from the University of Durham and moreover, he has just joined the college yesterday. How will he get to know the name of the chapter yet, given you were on leave yesterday?". The principal turned to Manik. "Manik, take your seat."

Manik nodded his head and took his seat. Opening his book, all he wanted to do was to run away from the class and hide in his room. But unfortunately, it's the first-class and he has a whole college to attend.

As the principal walked around the class, talking to students and randomly asking questions, Abhimanyu, who noticed Manik turning sad, whispered to him. "Manik, it's okay. It's not your fault. Stop thinking about it. Don't spoil your day for him."

Manik raised his head and looked at the professor, whose whole attention was on the principal. "I didn't speak a word", he mumbled, hurt evident in his voice.

"Manik, the professor is mad. He has a nagging wife at his house and whenever she beats the crap out of him at home, he takes his revenge on innocent students just to make himself feel better", Abhimanyu chirped which shocked Manik.

"Are you serious? How do you know?", he asked innocently.

Abhimanyu shrugged. "I don't know. It's the most famous, rather infamous rumor that circulates in this college about him. What's wrong to believe in it, if it makes you happy, right?", Abhimanyu winked at him making him, finally, smile.

Soon after, the principal exited the class and the professor started writing some equations on the board.

Meanwhile, Mukti poked Nandu's arm through her pen. "Are you able to follow?", she whispered.

Nandu gave her a stern look and rolled her eyes before getting back to copying the equations.

"Sorry na, pagli. I wasn't well. Please forgive this poor soul", she struck the right chord as Nandu turned towards her, concerned.

"How is your fever? Why did you even come to college? Why couldn't you take rest at home?", Nandu blabbered, making Mukti smile.

"I was bored", she winked, "and also because I was missing my babydoll". She bumped their shoulders.

"Stop buttering me. I understand", Nandini assured.

"Wait a minute", Mukti frowned, "How do you know that I had a fever? I didn't even text you."

"What do you think, my best friend will be missing and I will keep quiet?", Nandini asked, smirking. "I called your home and your dad informed me. I wanted to come but he said you were resting and I dropped the plan."

Mukti smiled at her best friend and gave her a side hug. They both started playing knots and crosses at the back of their notebook. Chemistry was a long-forgotten business.

XXX

It was the English period just before the lunch break and the professor was yet to come. The class was a mess as everyone was screaming or goofing around. Nandini and Mukti were still ignoring everyone, playing some games on their notebooks.

The peon, who seemed hesitant to enter the class, slapped his head at all too familiar sight. When Mukti poked Nandini asking her to look at the peon, the latter waved her hand at him. He gestured her to come out, showing her the papers in his hand. Nandini nodded before meeting him outside the class.

While they were having a conversation, Abhimanyu went to Mukti and settled down beside her. He half expected Nandini to leave the class like every time when someone from the office comes to meet her.

Nandini dramatically patted the peon's shoulder before entering the classroom again.

"Attention, class", she screamed.

She noticed, except her friends and the new boy, all the other students were into their chatter. She removed her shoes, banged the teacher's table with the wooden duster and climbed the chair. The sound managed to gain her attention. She smiled brightly.

"Girls and Boys. Welcome to the new academic session. Space College is privileged you didn't run away yet and your parents are still sending you to this college even after every drama that occurs in the college. As our esteemed peon, Mr. Hari Prasad, alias Hari bhaiya, here has just informed me, Space college is completing their 50 years this year. On this occasion, our honorable principal wanted to scrap this year's fresher's party", she paused for a dramatic effect and grinned when the students groaned audibly. "Worry not, my dear fellow students. We are celebrating the golden jubilee event this year and that means double the fun, double the party and of course double the drama. The list of events will be displayed on the notice board near the administration block and also on the display board at the entrance along with the date of the event. Students who want to participate can give their names to me or", she scanned the whole room craning her neck before saying, "well, just me then. We hope to see a majority of you showcase your talents and also enjoy to your fullest. Any doubts?", she asked, finally concluding her speech.

"Impressive. Can I have my chair back?"

The class turned to find their English professor, Mr. Verma, leaning against the door with his arms crossed and an amused smile playing on his lips.

Nandini grinned. "All yours, professor", she bowed dramatically, before jumping down the chair and brushing the dust with her hands. Taking her shoes in her hands, she walked away to the last bench. Mukti, along with Abhimanyu, was quick to follow her.

Meanwhile, as Manik had his whole concentration on the little drama in front of him, he didn't notice the absence of Abhimanyu. He was dumbstruck seeing the way their professor didn't say anything to her even when she was standing on his chair and instead, slapped her head lightly which was more in an affectionate way. Confused, he muttered, "How does she get away with everything she does?"

"Can't you see, they all are scared of her?", said a boy who took Abhimanyu's place after he shifted to the backbench.

"Scared?", asked Manik.

"Nandini is the head girl and her dad is the trustee of this college. Of course, she would get away with everything she does because she throws money to the college from her father's pocket", the boy explained.

Manik nodded, almost believing him before they concentrated on the class. 

A/N - If the chapters are boring, I request you to hang on till 10th. ;)

Comments and feedbacks are welcome :)