The pep talk from Danish did help me deal with the jibes of my fellow college mates. I decided to flip my finger with a sweet smile, whenever someone brought up the incident of the cafeteria.

Soon people got bored of it and moved on. My consistent performance in all our academic classes, made not just my teachers, but my fellow batch-mates feel awed. I was finally beginning to settle down but before long the Diwali break had arrived.

My parents wanted me to take the flight, but I wasn't ready to make Brute travel in the cargo, so I stuck to first class train coupe.

It was a relief to gorge on my grandmother's trademark chicken curry and the amazing vegetable Pulao, which my mother made. Unlike most, we celebrated Kali puja instead of Diwali at home.

Leo and my cousins complained how much they missed me during Durga Puja. Even I hated not being in Kolkata during Durga Puja. This was probably the first time in my nineteen years of existence that I had missed the great old Bengali festival.

For those of you who have no clue about the Kolkata Durga Puja Festival lets just say, that even if you compiled the merriment and celebrations of the Carnival of Rio, the Oktoberfest of Munich, Christmas and New Years day of America and Europe, they won't match up to merriment and celebrations, that Kolkata Durga Puja Festival witnessed every year.

Imagine five days of unlimited fun, blending with traditional rituals. Imagine new clothes and families reuniting after nearly a year. Imagine fairs set up in every neighbourhood. Imagine innovative marquees with goddess Durga idol. Imagine five days, without a worry, and only happiness filling your heart. That is Kolkata Durga Puja.

I couldn't help but envy Leo, listening to his account of how marvelous Durga Puja was this year.

"So how is college?" My father's sister asked me, as I helped her with the preparations for the Kali Puja.

"Oh it's as usual." I replied, tensing up.

Whenever someone asked me about college, it gave me intense palpitations. I had told my parents right on my arrival that I did not want any conversation about college during my stay, neither any medical discussion as I intended to unwind after the grueling four and half months.

The truth was, I knew that if I started talking about college, it won't be long, before my family realized I was not studying medicine.

"So made any special friends?" She smiled curiously. She obviously wanted to know if I had managed to get a boyfriend yet.

"Urgh Pishi nooooooo." I groaned. In Bengali we called our father's sisters Pishi.

"You can tell me I won't tell anyone." She tried to assure me. As if I didn't know if I shared anything with her, it would end up being the main topic of gossip over tea and samosas.

I wondered why my aunt's words made me think about Avinash Chauhan. I blushed to myself as his face swam in my mind. I had never really felt attracted to any men other than those whom I had only seen on television. Chris Evans topped the list, closely followed by Pedro Alonso, Prabhas the guy from Bahubali, the youth leader Jagdish Shekhawat and ofcourse Rahul Dravid.

Leaving them all behind, Avinash Chauhan was ruling my dreams. I needed to win the bet too, so I prayed my infatuation over Avinash lingered a little longer, enabling me to figure out how to make him have sex with me. I excused myself and settled down on the sofa taking out my phone. The page I had bookmarked yesterday replaced my google home screen.

'The Rules of Pursuing your Crush' the article read.

1. Try to be presentable.
It is not necessary that you have to look like a ramp model, but try not to sport unkempt hair and clothes that look more like cushion covers instead of proper clothes. Make sure you don't have food stuck on your teeth when speak to your crush.

I should have read this article before accepting Mandy's challenge. No I didn't have food stuck in my mouth, I just barfed infront of my 'crush'. My hair was not unkempt, it rather looked like a bird's nest. Oh and my clothes didn't resemble cushion covers. They were more like rag picker's sack.

I had two options; to sit and brood or do something constructive. My parents had given me a Pantaloons gift card as a late Durga Puja present. I planned to visit the mall and use the gift card.

The evening was uneventful as our family priest conducted the Kali puja and thereafter we burst few crackers.

The next day my mother requested me, to take Leo along with me to the mall since he needed to buy new sports shoes. God, my parents were spoiling my brother like anything!

I exhausted the gift card completely, buying three jeggings, two glossy leather jackets and three jumpsuits along with a Parka. Mandy was right, I needed to improve my dressing style. I even sneakily bought a new pair of wired bras making sure Leo was nowhere close.

Using the money my grandparents had gifted me, I bought eye Kohls and few matte lip colors.

"You got what you needed?" I asked Leo while I checked the carry bags to make sure all my purchases were in there.

"Hmmm," Leo replied, "hey I have been craving for Cookie crunch ice-cream since morning......and I don't...."

I rolled my eyes and gave him a few currency notes, and he skidded towards the ice cream parlor.

"Bring one cone for me." I shouted after him.

"Is that you Lady Hulk?" A familiar voice called from behind. My heart skipped a beat when I turned around and found Avinash Chauhan standing right in-front of me.

"Heyyy....umm hi... wh-what are you doing here?" I stammered

"My sister lives here." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda forgot your real name.." he smiled sheepishly.

"Meenakshi, Meenakshi Banerjee."

"So how is your vacation going?"

"It is going good till now." I replied.

"You don't have your dog here with you?"

"The mall has a strict 'No pets' policy." I air quoted.

"Heyyy who is she?" A pair of twin girls, probably seven or eight year old appeared next to Avinash Chauhan.

"Oh, she is from my college. Say hi to Meenakshi you two, where are your manners?" Avinash Chauhan frowned pouting his lips.

"Hi Meenakshi," the twins spoke in unison.

"Hi, and what are your names." I asked them grinning.

"I am Lolo and she is Bebo." One of them replied.

"Real names, not the fantasy ones," Avi pulled both of their ears.

"Ouch, Nashu, you are hurting us!" They again cried in unison.

"Okay okay, " The other twin said "I am Vaishali and she is Vaidehi. But Nashu" she poked Avinash "calls us Ruby and Pearl."

"If you want to be in our good books, you better call us Lolo and Bebo." Vaidehi said warningly.

"So how is engineering college," Vaishali asked trying to sound all grown up.

"Ummm..." I looked at Avinash confused. He pleaded me with his eyes to play along. Just like me, Avinash had probably lied to his family that he was studying Engineering.

"It's good, kind of boring though." I shrugged.

"I am never becoming an Engineer then," Vaishali huffed.

"Me neither." Her sister announced.

"Okay, now let Meenakshi enjoy her shopping, you two." Avinash dragged the two girls away with him, "See you in college Meenakshi," he called over his shoulder.

"And who was that dude?" I had not noticed Leo had returned with two cones of ice cream.

I thanked him as he handed me my caramel and chocochips scoop perched on a wafer cone.

"Just a guy from college," I replied lapping the icecream with my tongue.

"Oh that is inspiring!" Leo said with a mouthful of ice cream. "Atleast now I know that when I join medical college, there would be such ravishing individuals, and not just fat dorks like you."

I rolled my eyes, but decided not to spoil this moment by racking my brains for a comeback, to Leo's jibe.

I just met Avinash, here in Kolkata of all places. Something I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams. I wondered whether this was some sort of a sign. The words of the google article flashed across my mind 'Be presentable'. I checked my reflection in a nearby shop window to make sure I looked presentable.

HELL NO!

My hair was tied in a messy bun with some of it poking out in odd angles. The round-neck blue tshirt hideously fell to my thighs. My baggy jeans, which were probably two size larger, didn't help either. I seriously needed to do something about the bush above my eyes and the not-so-faint hair that was becoming more prominent with each day above my upper lips.

"I need a pair or tweezers," I murmured.

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