chapter 39

 

                    A knock sounded on Niyati's door rousing her from the endless ocean of her thoughts. Swayam's voice carried through from the other end.

          "Neeti? uth gayi hai? College jaana hai ya nahin?

          Andar aajayiye Bhai. Darwaza locked nahin hai."

          Swayam entered to find Niyati perched in front of her vanity table with a troubled expression adorning her face. His heart went out to the poor girl. He could understand the havoc that was currently wreaking inside her mind. Her entire world had been turned upside down in just a single day. To be forced to face her worst nightmare, her personal 'bogey-man' and brush it off as if it was nothing was a feat he believed only she could pull off. He wanted to sweep her away from all the problems that plagued her and keep her safe from every evil eye in the world. But what he always wanted and what actually happened were like two banks of a river that never seemed to meet.

          He looked at her tired face and guessed immediately that she hadn't been able to sleep a wink throughout the night. He walked into the room and sat across from her on the table. Caressing her cheek that was closest to him, he said tenderly, "Tu nahin jaana chahti, mat jaa. Tujhe kisi ko kuch bhi prove karne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Har cheez ki ek limit hoti hai, aur tere saath huye injustice ki limit toh bohot pehle paar ho chuki thi. Ye bilkul mat sochna ke ye log kya kahenge ya phir college authorities kya sochenge. In logon ka kaam hi hota hai doosron ki life mein interfere karna. Aur tujhe us kamine ko face karne ki zaroorat hi nahin hai. Tere nahin jaane se woh strong aur tu weak prove nahin ho jaate. I wish main use college se nikaal paata par..."

          "Shhh!" She held up her finger. "Bhai! Breathe! Kitna bolte ho aap! It's okay.  I...I won't lie. Thodi pareshan hoon." Swayam raised his eyebrow at that. "Acha baba, kaafi zyada pareshan hoon", she acquiesced. "But main jaanti thi ki main zindagi bhar chup nahin sakoongi. Ye duniya bohot choti hai. Kabhi na kabhi mujhe use face karna hi padta. Par itna jaldi woh ghadi aajayegi, ye maine expect nahin kiya tha. In a way acha hi hua ke I have to face him now. At least ab mere paas aapka aur poori gang ka support toh hai. Mushkil hoga, but I am confident ke main manage karloongi."

          Swayam looked at her carefully for a few moments looking for a any signs of fear or weakness then asked, "Are you sure?"

          Niyati squared her shoulders and replied, "Yes Bhai. Abhi nahin toh kabhi nahin. Aap chaliye, main abhi aati hoon." The moment his back turned, Niyati heaved a sigh and worry graced her features again. The strength and calm she had projected a few moments ago was gone. This was going to be near impossible.

 

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                    Parth was excited. He couldn't explain why but he got a feeling that today was going to be a very good day. The moment he pried his eyes open, he could feel excitement surging through him, as if he was waiting for this very day to come. That was strange. He could never associate such an impatience and excitement with India. He always felt suffocated and trapped in his family and home. It was to escape these restraints he had fled to New York. Coming back, he was only focused on getting back his former-to-be-reinstated-again best friend. Then Niyati came to his mind and all his thoughts processes halted crashing and falling on top of each other. He had never in his wildest dreams expected her to be here. And now that she was here, he felt stumped and completely clueless.

          What did he want to do? He never saw her, never kept tabs on her. Hell, he had forgotten she even existed. And now, from the moment he saw her again, she kept popping up in his thoughts like a jack-out-of-the box. He shrugged out of his thoughts and looked at the wall clock above his LCD television. Realizing his mental excursion had gotten him late, he ran to get ready like a bat out of hell.

          Since it was his first day and he was late, he didn't get the chance of calling Kria or enquiring about his classes in the administration section. He was more or less resembling a lost puppy trying to find its way back home when as usual, he stumbled upon something that wasn't his business at all. And that immediately put him at ease and in control. The situation was so 'Parth-istic' as everyone who knew him often liked to call it. Growing up, he had this uncanny knack of finding out things about people that would either benefit him or save his neck when it was doomed to be guillotined . Proving him right once again was the current situation. What were the odds that of all the people in the world, only he had to walk in on Professor Chopra, the chemistry teacher, the very moment when he was pouring himself a generous helping of whiskey? Consumption of any intoxicating substances by any student, let alone faculty within the campus is considered to be a grievous offence by any institution around the world and St. Louis didn't seem to be an exception. The deer-caught-in-headlight expression on Professor Chopra's face gave Parth all the confirmation he needed that he definitely had added another puppet to his string.

          Advancing leisurely into the bathroom, he appraised the meager surroundings, while constantly flitting his gaze between the half-concealed bottle and the shaking teacher. Poor man was so petrified that he kept trying to speak but no words came out. And then out of nowhere, Parth knew exactly how to make the best use of the chance, fate had so graciously bestowed on him. There was a certain minx he had to teach a lesson to.

          Leaning against the nearest wall and toying with his phone, he said, "Well! Well!, Well! Ye kya ho raha hai aaj kal St. Louis mein? And how come College ke Board ko in sab karnaamon ki bhanak tak nahin lagi. This isn't fair at all! Kisiko toh unhe batana padega na."

"Tum..tum..aisa kuch nahin karoge! Samjhe? Maine kuch galat nahin kiya hai. Aur tumhare paas koi proof bhi nahin hai", the teacher spluttered.

"Acha? Koi proof nahin hai? ", he questioned raising his eyebrow and shaking his phone. Parth didn't think it was possible but Professor Chopra's face had gone white like a ghost. "Thik hai. Iska faisla hum Board par chod dete hain. Unhe decide karne dijiye ki college ke bathrooms mein whiskey peena sahi hai ya galat."

The poor man was shaking like a leaf in a storm, "Please! mera sab kuch khatam hojayega. Meri job toh jayega hi, lekin reputation bhi khakh hojayegi. Please mujh par reham karo!"

"Hmmm..Koi mere saamne beg kare mujhe bilkul pasand nahin hai. Thik hai! Aap mera ek kaam kar do, toh shayad main khud ko convince kar paun ke meri memory kamzor hai aur ye sab mera imagination tha."

"Main tumhare section ke koi bhi classes nahin leta. Tumhare marks aur attendance nahin badha sakta."

Parth appeared offended. "Mujhe aapki bheek ki koi zaroorat nahin hai. Main itna capable aur talented hoon ke ye sab mere baaye haath ka khel hai. Mujhe koi aur kaam hai aapse. Actually aapki favourite student se kaam tha."

 

The teacher looked on as Parth made put forth his peculiar demand.

[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]