INDEX
Thread 1
Parts 1 -6 Page 1 of Thread 1
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3814883
Parts 7-12 Page 39 of Thread 1
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3814883?pn=39
Parts 13-18 Page 80 of Thread 1
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3814883?pn=80
Thread 2
Parts 19- 25 Page 1 of Thread 2
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3933291
Parts 26 -30 Page 2 of Thread 2
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/3933291?pn=2
Thread 3
Parts 31 - 36 Page 1 of Thread 3
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/105416600Parts 37 - 40 Page 2 of Thread 3
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/4001987?pn=2
Thread 4
Parts 41 & 42 Page 1 of Thread 4
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/108597884
Thread 5
Thread 6
~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~
'Here take this..take it Meera...'
The nervous young lady stared at the large colourful dupatta in her friend's hand for a second and decided to accept the gesture from her quick-thinking pal thereafter. Walking around in a DRENCHED white blouse during her first week at campus was as far from ideal as could be.
Tying the dupatta in the form of a scarf to preserve her modesty, Meera swiftly returned her attention to the scene of the face-off between her friend and the two brutes.
Having deliberately bumped into the timid lady with an open bottle of Aquafina the two men flashed her a lop-sided smile before moving on to the more-daring one - the one who was now glaring at them. Deriving perverse pleasure from their act and the reactions it'd caused, the taller of the two provoked the seemingly dauntless hazel-eyed beauty with a grin 'Now that we know your friend is Meera...why don't you tell us who you are?'
He couldn't help but give her a more thorough survey her as he did so - dressed in a snug-fit maroon salwar, the manner in which her waist-length black hair cascaded all the way from her shoulders to her curvy hips looked delectably sensuous!
She snapped her fingers to bring an abrupt stop to their evident ogling 'Why? What is it to you?' - her voice was unfaltering and her stares unbroken!
Fresher-Senior clashes were an accepted norm during 'under-graduation', but to come across this form of ragging in a Private post-graduate 'B-school' campus seemed too petty! Besides, bullies deserved no respect and she had no qualms depicting her stance!
Unbeknown to her, the confrontation was beginning to draw the attention of quite a few students around them. After all, something as unusual as an altercation between the two petite ladies with two seniors twice their size seemed to justify giving their first classes of the day a miss!
Like the remaining onlookers, it was when her boisterous group was making their way to the main University buildings that morning that Renu'd caught first sight of the amassed crowds around the front gardens. Intrigued to know what was going on, she tried peeking through the gaps in the crowds while walking past. Just then, she managed to get a clearer view of the spectacle and brought her pace to a swift halt. Nudging her best-friend with a half-giggle, she indicated in the direction of the lawn 'Isn't that Shareef and Anand? What are those two up to now?'
Having been thoroughly engrossed in sync-ing the mp3 in his I-phone all the way from the college car park to the grounds, he'd remained unperturbed by the brewing commotion in the front gardens - that is, till his friend had drawn his attention to it. Slipping the head-phones off his ears thereafter, the young man finally drew away from the screen of his Iphone to watch the commotion that was taking place a slight distance away.
***
'Her name is Jodha Singh...now can you please let us go...we're late for our first class, as it is' the exasperated Meera'd nearly pleaded there - hoping this would bring the entire drama to an end. She'd had enough! On one hand; the two rogues were clearly in no mood to let go -and on the other hand, her friend seemed to be sticking to her anti-bullying resolute just as stubbornly too.
'Hey Shareef' the stouter man with the gruff beard quipped 'What sort of a strange name is Jodha?'
'Bah! Doesn't really suit her, does it?' the taller one agreed. He then dropped his voice to an audible whisper so that none else could hear him 'Now something like Sheila...Munni...Chameli would be more apt for you...spicy and zesty too!'
'Its a RAJPUT name' she finally spoke up - ensuring she was loud enough to be heard by at least half the crowd surrounding them 'Jodha is a Rajput name that means fearless! And trust me, my name suits me far more than 'Shareef' suits you!'
Meera could watch the creases on their brows deepening into furious frowns. Wasting no time, the gentle lady instantly slipped her hand around Jodha's elbow and begun dragging her away from the area 'Let's go before the lecturers get here Jo...we don't want to spoil our impressions the very first week...come on now'
***
His interest had been piqued now. Eventually removing the slick cooling glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose so long, he continued looking ahead - to get a better look of her before she left!
'Wow! She's got a lot of guts for a fresher' Abdul remarked aloud - echoing the thoughts of his group who'd silently observed the events so long.
'And she's really cute too!' Salim joined in - letting out a hushed wolf-whistle as he did so. Following the comments, the male-dominated group broke out into a bout of raucous laughter - with no intention of toning down their typical boyish frolic till Renu interrupted them with a dismissive smile 'That's enough guys...come on...let's try to make it in time for Corporate Finance class! Come on... Jalal!'
Stylishly folding his Ray ban, the handsome young man slipped the glasses into his pocket. He couldn't help but let out a soft smirk 'Jodha? Fearless? Huh!'
***UNIVERSITY LIBRARY***
'I think the library that Professor Shantaram told us about is that way...' she suggested to her two friends - pointing in the direction of a mid-sized building tucked away at the very end of the campus. Scanning the serene green vista of their new university as they sped along, Jodha let out a pleasant sigh as a sudden gust of wind blew past her face. That breezy September evening was definitely a welcome respite from the unexpected heat-wave that'd just hit Hyderabad.
The spirited 22 year old was evidently enjoying it all and why not? Everything seemed to be working in her favour of late. While the lectures and the facilities had exceeded her expectations, she'd also managed to find the company of new-found friends - friends, who had similar backgrounds and interests as hers. After all, there were not many who shared a modest upbringing like that of hers in that affluent campus. In fact for a long while she'd been unsure if her aspirations of pursuing an MBA program in the prestigious Shri Rama Krishna Institute of Business would be economically viable for her family at all.
However, being the youngest and being the only girl amongst 4 siblings DID have its advantages too. Her brothers had eventually pulled out all the stops they could to fulfil her wishes of enrolling in the reputable yet expensive two year program. This in turn had only made Jodha all the more determined to make it through and make it well!
Therefore, while she'd briefly slowed her pace to savour the sensation of the chilly air en route the library, she once again thanked her stars and her family for letting her long-standing aspirations take shape in a college of her choice.
'Tip tip barsaa paani...Paani ne aag lagaayi'
Her brief reverie was brought to a rather unpleasant halt by the echoes of the discordant lewd lines coming from behind. Instinctively, the three ladies turned around at once - spotting the all-too-familiar faces of the two miscreants flashing them absurd grins.
'Here we go again!' she hissed
'So, how did you like our song? It was a dedication to the incident this morning...you know...the shower of water...the drenched dress...'
Following a few moments of horrified silence, Jodha came back with a none-too-sweet reply 'Tuneless and cringe-worthy - just, as expected...so please spare us the agony and never sing again!'
'FINE!' he was obviously irked by her attitude now.
Raising his voice a notch, the crude man turned his attention to the group of students stepping out of the library 'Hey...does anyone have a music player or Ipad that I can play some tunes on?' He was not going to let this impudent fresher get away with it yet again 'Anyone? I need the original tune for TIP TIP BARSAA PAANI since my rendition is apparently 'besura'! ANYONE?'
The group of ladies began to grow increasingly unnerved - for starters, they knew not what further humiliation they'd be subjected to!
Immensely worried, Meera stared at Jodha with let's-leave-from-here-now frowns! Her luck HAD to be cursed - it was the second time that she'd been cornered into an awkward situation that day.
Swiftly sensing her companions' state of angst Jodha decided to reason with the bullies in an attempt to moderate the situation. However, her words were suddenly interrupted when the erotic lines of the original song started playing in the backdrop - loudly!
'Tip tip barsaa paani...Paani ne aag lagaayi'
Aag lagi dil mein to...Dil ko teri yaad aayi'
Teri yaad aayi to...jal uthaa mera bheega badan
ab tum hi batao sajan main kya karu!'
Flabbergasted; Jodha searched for the source of the music and quickly noticed the culprit - a sleek white Ipad casually perched in the hand of an otherwise decent-looking young man standing a short distance away. She watched in disgust as the unperturbed 'Ipad' man adjusted his swanky cooling glasses, before exchanging wry smiles with his own group!
In a matter of minutes, a growing audience had joined in to participate in the seemingly harmless fun - at the expense of the three young ladies - clapping and cheering for the 'sexy' lines of the tune!
Feeling bad for Meera who was now nearly in tears, Jodha grit her teeth in anger as she tried to put a stop to the ongoing silliness 'Stop this...what DO you want?'
'Hey...hey...calm down...we're just ragging you...' Anand continued, nonchalantly justifying his petty actions 'We're seniors... you're freshers... don't forget that!'
'This is a post-graduate institute for heaven's sakes!' she had to remind them 'Grow up!'
'So, Miss Jodha Singh doesn't know how to have fun? Or take things sportively?' Shareef quipped 'Maananeeya Madamji...THIS is how we break the ice here...'
'Ya right! With lewd insinuation and songs' she thought to herself. Letting out a vexed sigh, she grew ready to take the bait 'Fine! Tell me what do I have to do to get you to stop this?'
Pleasantly surprised by the new-found humility in her tone, Shareef paid her a mock-compliment 'Now THAT tone is better!'
While Meera and Payal weren't too happy about Jodha challenging the rogues thus, Jodha went on to confirm her stance 'And if I complete this task, you promise to get off our backs? No further ragging?'
'Promise!' the men sneered
She then nodded her head with a stern frown to show her compliance. In reality, though she'd charged ahead with all gusto - only she knew how fervently she was praying that their 'task' shouldn't turn out to be anything too awkward!
As the song in the backdrop was switched off, Anand indicated in the direction of the building's entrance 'You'll have to flirt...sweet-talk...with the next male student that walks out of the library!'
Hurling her nervous friends an aghast frown, Jodha rebelled unhappily 'You've gotta be kidding!'
'No we're not...' Shareef rejoined 'It could have been a lot worse!'
She cast a perturbed glance at the spectators. They were obviously intrigued - waiting to see the outcome of this. Exhaling deeply, Jodha tucked her handbag on her shoulder and consequently set off towards the entrance. Well, she had none else to blame - she'd accepted the challenge, so it was up to her to complete it too.
From the distance, it was obvious that she'd met her victim in less than two minutes - a lean pleasant young man who perfectly fit the the description of what one would call 'studious'!
'Hey! Isn't that hamaaraa Maan?' Salim quickly commented with a surprised chuckle as he observed the student who'd just stepped out
'Yes...you're right Salim...it IS Maan!' Jalal verified with a smirk as he slipped his I-pad back into his bag. The unexpected turn of events had spiced up an already fascinating spectacle.
Breaking out into amused giggles the group eagerly awaited what would be an uncomfortable meeting between the junior and senior. However; it didn't take too long for onlookers' grins to turn to confused frowns. While the enthralled crowds had unanimously expected the pair to appear flustered and rattled, the unusual duo appeared to be absolutely at ease with each other on the contrary - making pleasant conversation - in fact beaming, as they did so!
'Do they already know each other?' Renu wondered aloud
'If they do' Abdul nodded 'Then she's gutsy, cute AND lucky! Tut...tut'
'Gutsy, cute AND lucky' His friend was right indeed!
Jalal couldn't help but smile to himself as he studied the fascinating lady who'd flashed Shareef and Anand a victorious grin before making her way back towards his gang - alongside Maan, of course!
Having briefly caught up with his friends, Maan decided to acquaint them with the guest he'd brought along 'Hey guys...she's Jodha...an acquaintance...a family friend of mine...' the cordial man then introduced his group to her too 'Jodha this is Abdul...Salim...Renu...and this is Jalal.'
Following a brief exchange of formal smiles with them, Jodha finally met eyes with him on close quarters - the 'I-pad man' as she'd already nicknamed him. Well, he deserved no better for having sided with Shareef and Anand in demeaning her and her friends!
'Fair, rich, well-groomed, arrogant and spoilt' she'd surmised all of him within a second.
Jalal observed her watch him. If eyes could kill, he realized he'd have been dead and buried by now. However, little did she know that he loved a fight just as much. Slipping his favourite glasses off , he returned the favour and gazed back - mischief prevailing his eyes!
Armed with an eye-lock that'd obviously gone on for a few moments longer than needed, Jalal then followed it up by taking a step forth and putting his hand out for her to shake 'Hi Jodha...we're doing our 2nd year MBA here...my name is Jalal...if you need any help around campus you can approach us...'
'The gall!' she thought to herself 'After having humiliated us with his Ipad-version of Tip Tip Barsaa Paani, he now offers us his help?'
Eventually snapping out of her quiet stupor, she returned his gesture with a sarcastic smile 'THAT I don't know about...but, I surely know who NOT to approach if I need any help around campus!'
Ouch! It was his turn to lose the smile now. As her comment spurred a round of startled sighs and murmurs amongst his group, Jalal retracted his hand with a disapproving stare.
'Come on Jodha...' Meera stepped forth to prod her friend 'Payal said Professor Ram Charan will be waiting for us in the reception'
'Yes Jodha...Ram chacha will be waiting for us let's go!' Payal reiterated - referring to her uncle who was also a professor in the campus.
Grabbing their friend by her elbow they begun leading her away from the crowds of seniors. Basically, both girls had had enough of the altercations!
Observing the retracting figures of the three ladies, Renu finally broke her silence 'Such crappy attitude! What does she think of herself?' turning to read the calm face of her friend, Renu advised him in earnest - aware that he must be secretly nursing his wounded pride 'Let's not waste time mulling over this arrogant female...we have better things to do Jalal!'
He let out a subtle smirk. The quickest cure for bruised vanity was bitter-sweet revenge and this fact was something Jalal wasn't entirely unaware of!
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