Warning: By the time you reach the end of this story, you'll want to smack your head on the wall because of character's dumbness. Idk why I haven't deleted this story yet!?

"Oh my God Ishu! I can't believe our final exams are starting one week from now. More than half of my syllabus is left and I have no idea what I am going to do. You must've studied already right?" Sanvi blabbered as the group of friends was walking towards the main gate of the MBA college from cafeteria.

Even from a good amount of distance, the other students could hear their not so important talks, but then it was these four for you.

"What no! Even my syllabus isn't completed yet. I seriously need to focus this week otherwise I am sure Dad will be disappointed." Ishani replied.

Her honeybrown hair were flowing in every direction due to the strong winds and as she pushed a strand out of her, it allowed everyone to see her dark hazel eyes. Lips were as always jutted out as she bit on the lower one slightly.

As the four of them reached the massive gate of the college conversing the whole way, Ishani frowned not seeing her driver who usually arrives by now and is always waiting for her at the gate.

"Looks like your driver is late for the first time." Naina said dramatically and Ishani nodded in agreement.

Balancing herself on her right foot, she moved her gaze all over the campus to have a sight of the driver with the car, but a big frown appeared on her forehead as she couldn't find him.

Fishing out the mobile from her pocket, she dialled her driver or to be precise, a driver that is appointed by her father and he again didn't pick up making her frown again. As she was about to dial her father's number for the mishap, a sleek black car made its way in front of the gate causing almost every student's face turn in that direction and Ishani immediately cringed.

Remembering this car very well, her eyes lowered down to the level of her foot only to hide her face and as she was about to run inside to save herself, Sanvi stopped her with a 'What the hell are you trying to do?' look.

This is the last thing Ishani wanted at this moment.

A man dressed in a white dress shirt and black pants exited the car. The man least bothered with the looks moved his gaze in every direction only to settle upon a girl which precisely was her and Ishani gritted her teeth in return in an instant.

His hands were fixed inside the pockets of his pants, muscles bulging out on his chest due to the choice of the shirt. The upper two buttons of the shirt were open making her fist clench.

His eyes were hidden due to the black shades thay were resting on his nose, but she knew he must be looking at her direction only.

"Ishu, isn't this the man your Jiju's younger brother whom we saw in your sister's engagement pictures?" Ruhi asked with deep interest.

"And found super handsome as well." Sanvi completed with eyes twinkling.

"Yes, he's the same." Ishani gritted out, releasing a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

She could see him walking towards her and whatever her friends were saying was only ruining the situation even more. Heck, she couldn't run as much as she wanted to, to save herself.

"Oh my God, look he's coming in our direction." Sanvi shrieked and Ishani immediately placed a hand on her 24*7 excited mouth.

Embarrassment was the last thing needed right now.

Minutes later, the same man with his hands resting in his pant's pocket stood a feet away from them. All three of them had their mouths hanging open seeing the art of piece in front of their eyes while Ishani had a bored look.

She was by now done with the looks he was getting. For God's sake he isn't some kind of a celebrity! He's her-

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence Mr. Armaan?" Ishani asked crossing her arms, having enough of the staring contest between the two.

"Well I came to pick up my-" He was saying, but she cut him off with a cough.

"Ahem."

"Ahem."

"Pick you up Ishani." He completed with a smile at the end.

The three of the friends looked in her way with their eyebrows raised, interest evident and looking slightly confused about the situation at the same time.

"Hello girls. I am Armaan Grover. You all must be Ishani's friends." He said in a clipped to the other three.

"Yes!" Sanvi squealed and Ishani glared at her excited form.

The other two nodded their heads excitedly and it was clearly visible how he has made an impression over them in just the first meet, although speaking not more than a few words just the way he usually does.

"Ishuuu!" Someone shouted, but it was too late as a hard body had already made contract with her petite one, too forcefully for her liking causing her to lose balance.

She shut her eyes tightly clearly scared of falling down, but it never happened. She slowly opened one of her eyes only to peek at the surroundings and what she noticed was Sanvi, Ruhi and Naina looking at her direction with their mouth open, yet a worried look on their face and realized it was Armaan who had saved her from falling.

She could feel his strong arms around her, musky scent lingering in the air and it was like she was seconds away from melting.

"Shit Ishu, I am so sorry. I didn't know you were standing behind me. I was just running away from Daksh." Raghav said panting as he came and stood in front of her with other friends.

To undertone the situation, she had skillfully escaped from Armaan's arms who looked at her questioningly in return which she ignored.

"No, it's fine. I knew you wouldn't do this intentionally." She replied waving it off while massaging her shoulders in a comforting way.

Not to lie, it hurted her.

While for everyone, Raghav was a sight to behold and everyone's crush including Ishani's friends. For her, she didn't consider Raghav more than as a classmate. But she was oblivious to the fact that feelings were way more from the other side.

"Thanks. By the way I hope you'll come to see your favourite player, which definitely is me, play tomorrow's football game against our rival college." He said smiling hopefully, praising himself at level best making her smile internally.

"Yeah, sure." She replied with a small smile.

The football players smiled in contentment at the support and invited Sanvi, Ruhi and Naina as well before going away to continue their practice.

In all of this she forgot about one person who stood with a stoic expression on his face causing her to sigh in worry as she noticed him clenching and unclenching his fist and jaw.

"We need to leave." Came his clipped tone towards her for the first time today.

Somewhere she was shocked but she had also prepared herself for such kind of situation.

"Okay." She said and immediately bid her byes towards her friends who replied with the same.

"Thanks for showing such an amazing masterpiece of a man." Sanvi whispered playfully in her ear as she hugged Ishani making her frown, but nonetheless replied randomly.

//////////

The sounds of wind pushing back, tyres rounding on the asphalt roads and a soothing melody playing in the background was heard.

Both of them were in the car with him driving and her sitting on the passenger seat. He had a blank look on his face and for the first time she didn't want to see him like this. Finally having enough, he decreased the level of the volume to the lowest making her snap out of her thoughts.

"Where are you taking me?" She finally asked, though in a low voice.

"Your home." Came his reply who didn't even glance at her.

She clenched her jaw thinking, 'What does he thinks of himself? He cannot behave me with me like this.'

For her, being quiet with him seemed the best option for now. She just couldn't deal with some more heart shattering words of his which he could probably take out in anger.

Minutes later they reached her father's house which was a good three story massive structure with modern exterior and interior, Mr. Khanna being successful lawyer.

Without even waiting for him to park the car, Ishani opened the door of the car and shut it immediately, making her way towards the entrance of the house.

As she entered, she saw her father sitting in the living room's balcony reading a newspaper, it being a favourite activity of his in free time.

"Good evening Dad." She greeted sitting beside him on the empty chair.

"Evening Ishu. How was college today?" He asked patting her head lovingly.

"It was good. My final exams are starting in a month and then I'll be graduated." She replied with excitement, her face glowing due to the newfound happiness.

"Only if you pass my child." He commented.

"Daaadddd." Ishani whined with a pout.

"Just kidding. I know you're a brilliant student." He said chuckling lightly.

Getting cozy on the wooden chair, she leaned back while making a bun out of her luscious honeybrown hair that she received from her mother.

"Why didn't you send Ramu Kaka for picking me up?" She asked with a frown.

"He went back to his village for his daughter's wedding. He needed to arrange everything for it and don't worry he'll possibly return in couple of days." He replied taking a break from reading the newspaper.

"It's fine. He should spend some more time with his family. He rarely goes there." She replied with a small smile.

"Armaan beta, why are you standing there in the corner? Come, come." Dad exclaimed making Ishani's head snap in the line of his vision.

She noticed him standing on the threshold, a blank look on his face as he put down his phone meaning he just got free from a phone call.

He nodded slightly in return with respect to her father and stepped in the balcony standing beside the railing as there was no other seat.

"Dad, I am going to freshen up. I'll be back at the time of dinner." She said, getting up from the chair making Armaan notice the tension. Why does she have to do this every single time?

He nodded in understanding and Ishani got up from the chair only to get back to the living room ignoring the other person completely. She directly took the staircase to the second floor where it was just her room with a small terrace as per her liking.

Entering her room, she flicked on the lights that illuminated the darkness making her come to sight with a purple, white and brown themed bedroom. She directly went to the closet for changing her clothes to freshen up from the day after college.

Coming out after a good half an hour, she was now dressed in a pair of shorts and similar tshirt that reached till the band of the shorts. Today she was extra tired because of college as these days they had to work extra hard for their final exams.

As she laid on her bed, her thoughts wandered to whatever happened today and that only made her remember the past making river of tears flow out of her pretty eyes. She shouldn't be crying at this.

//////////

She didn't know when she drifted into a sleep slumber, only to feel someone's presence in her room. Immediately she opened her eyes, sitting upright on the bed. The room was dimly lit so she blinked twice due to the sudden exposure and saw Armaan moving around as if he owned the place.

"What are you doing in my room?" Ishani hissed, rubbing her eyes to get accustomed to the light.

"Just following your father's instructions to wake you up." He shrugged unbothered with her glare.

"Why didn't you leave yet?" She asked with gritted teeth.

"Because I wanted to stay." Came his reply while he made his way to the chair of the study table in her room.

Deciding to ignore him, she made her way towards the closet and took out a random pair of sweats to wear instead of the shorts. As she got out, he was still in the same place as before and looked up at her nodding his head in contentment. She just glared at him in return.

Without even acknowledging him, she exited her room still with Armaan beside her towering her 5'5 self with his 6 ft. Another reason for him to make fun of her.

"Finally you both came. I was about to start with my dinner without even bothering to wait any longer for you both." Mr. Khanna exclaimed with a playful smile.

"I know you would've started." Ishani mumbled taking the seat beside his which certainly was the head's while Armaan took the one across.

"So Armaan, I hope business is doing good?" Mr. Khanna asks Armaan who immediately responded while Ishani kept her whole interest to the plate in front of her.

Although she wasn't eating much, she still wasn't interested in both of their talks as her mind was stuck on one thing that is very important to her.

"Ishu, we need to leave tomorrow at 6 in the morning." Mr. Khanna said looking at Ishani who nodded her head, still being completely silent.

No one even bothered to say anything after this as this wasn't the first time they were experiencing such an atmosphere and soon it was that everyone got busy with the food.

"Dad, I need to study. I am going back in my room." Ishani mumbled getting up from the chair and running towards her room not bothering to listen to his reply.

As she reached the third floor where her room was, this time she made her way towards the terrace and sat on the massive wooden swing resting adjacent to the railing.

Slowly, slowly with each swing, tears started pouring out of her eyes and she didn't even try to stop or wipe them. She let them flow completely without any resistance as she needed everything that is pent inside of her to be let out.

After crying her guts out and releasing herself from the immense pain, she made her way back into the room and went to the bathroom for washing her face due to the dried tears. Her puffy eyes, pink nose and cheeks were clearly a proof of her crying, but she didn't pay much attention.

Sitting down on the chair of her study table with the books in front of her, she began to study, paying full attention to them. In between, her eyes caught a shining object beside the right leg of the table. Bending a little, she picked it up only to notice that it's Armaan's watch. Without second thoughts, she kept it in her cupboard with the other important items according to her and closed it back.

It had already been a couple of hours since she started studying and now she started feeling sleepy and the fact that she cried didn't help at all.

Closing her books, she placed them at their correct location and made her way towards the bed. It was not longer that she felt asleep drifting into a deep sleep only to wait for tomorrow's doings.

//////////

Dressed in a white kurta with powder blue pants and a beautiful stole, Ishani was sitting impatiently in the car with her father as it was 6:15 AM in the morning.

The morning breeze was refreshing for everyone except for her. She didn't pay any attention to her surroundings. The only thing she was concerned with was how to control her emotions.

This was a day she is used wait for since a long time. The day when she would meet the person whom she loved more than anyone else. The person whom she misses terribly.

"Come on Ishu, my strong child." Her father's voice broke her trance as he patted her head and she noticed they'd already arrived at their destination for today.

She nodded her head lightly and got down from the car, now with a blank look on her face.

Step by step, they reached the person with a small smile adorned on their faces just for each other, but soon got replaced by a sob that broke out Ishani's mouth. There, the person was already buried inside the ground with a stony gravestone on top.

Smiti Khanna
1970-2016
A beautiful wife and
an amazing mother.

Ishani placed the lilies that she bought for her mother which certainly were her favourite and bent down on the level of the gravestone.

"Hi mama, How are you? You won't believe, but my final exams are about to begin. And guess what, after that I'll be graduated just like you wanted. I hope you missed me because I missed you a lot." She said tears flowing out of her eyes, but still managed to let out a chuckle at the end.

Her hand was caressing the gravestone ever so lightly as if she wanted to feel the person inside.

"You know, I clearly remember that you promised me that if I'll accept your demand on that night then you'll recover because according to you, it was something that would've make you happy. But for what I accepted it? At the end you left me, didn't you? Nice tragedy that happened right?" She mumbled.

There was no response. There could never be one from her mother now.

"Why aren't you replying me? I thought you'll atleast say how much you're proud of me or how much you miss me. Because there's not a single day for me when I don't think about that night." Ishani said with quivering lips.

A hand came in contact with her shoulder patting twice with comfort. She turned back only to see her father Mr. Khanna with the same expression as hers. It was clearly evident how much the family missed Smiti Khanna, but at the end they have to leave the past behind and accept whatever life has planned for you.

Mr. Khanna sat beside her and started talking to the grave just the way Ishani did moments ago. Deciding to give her father some privacy, she gave a quick kiss on her mother's name and got up and went to a corner where hundreds of flowers on a gulmohar tree were adorned.

"I hope you're happy up there with everything I did. I love you." She mumbled looking at the blue sky.

"It's time to leave Ishu. I will drop you off at college on the way." Listening to her father, she made her way back to her father's car which was parked outside on the road.

//////////

"I'll see if I'll be able to come otherwise I'll send someone to pick you up." Mr. Khanna told Ishani.

"It's high time Dad that you let me drive on my own." She replied with a frustrated groan.

"So that you can break or scratch it like you did with the past 4 cars?" Mr. Khanna asked her sarcastically.

She pouted, but nonetheless bid her byes to her dad and got down the car. Straightaway, she went to her second lecture as she had already missed her first one.

"Gosh, someone is looking a bomb today." Sanvi squealed hugging Ishani tightly and the other two agreed instantly.

All three knew about Ishani's mother and their bond, so they clearly knew how to make her comfortable and had no problems as it only took them a few minutes to get their old Ishani back from this gloomy one. Whereas Ishani herself knew what her friends always tried to do, so she didn't want anyone to see her upset as she starting behaving normally as she always does and had mastered the act of it.

The lecture had passed in a blur as all four of them were paying full concentration on what the teacher is teaching as MBA in a prestigious college like this where only studious and deserving students get admission is not a child's play. No one really wants their future to be ruined.

"In what speed are you walking idiot? Are you by any chance having the intentions to go to football game tomorrow?" Sanvi raised her voice at the always sweet Naina.

"You shouldn't even speak darling. Who was the one applying makeup on her face of a witch in girls washroom so that the foortball players notice? You right." Naina retorted with a smirk.

"Bitch." Sanvi mumbled.

"Fucktard." Naina shot back.

"Stop it!" Ishani and Ruhi screamed at their banter.

"I don't know why are we even friends with you both." Ruhi grumbled and Ishani nodded looking at them in bewilderment.

They were still walking through the corridor of the college, lost in their world of banter like always.

"Oh, that's because we are awesome unlike you both. Don't need to be jealous." Sanvi said smugly.

"You just wait." Ishani and Ruhi shouted at her and started running behind her who had already sprinted in the direction of football field.

"Ha! Where are you going to run now?" Ishani said smirking at Sanvi who panted heavily due to exhaustion.

"Look! Raghav and his gang." Sanvi shouted and all four heads snapped in the same direction where she was pointing.

Sanvi patted herself proudly as she was successful in changing the topic but soon composed.

True to her words, Raghav and his gang of friends who are quite popular in college due to their looks, also good in football, Raghav being the captain were already warming up in the field. Almost every girl in the college have a teeny weeny crush on them, even the freshers.

Like always, they forgot about their banter which happened moments ago and took the best seats in bleachers just to see the match peacefully.

"Yeah! Come on Raghav!" Everyone sitting in the bleachers around them hollered while they were cheering at the same time.

"There's no doubt that our college is going to win this match that too because of Raghav." Ruhi commented and everyone nodded in agreement with her.

Currently their college was ahead of the rival college with the score 2-1. The main rivalry was clearly evident in both the captains which continued from the school time unknown to many people.

It was the last 1 minute of the match when both the teams were at 2-2 as the rival college's player had unfortunately did a goal. Both the teams had their full focus on the match including the people who were watching and praying simultaneously.

The ball was now in the favour of opposing team and one player amongst them was about to kick the ball for goal when suddenly out of nowhere Raghav tricked him without even knowing and snatched the ball now running in the opposite direction towards their goal. Only 30 seconds were left and everyone's eyes were settled on Raghav. As he slid back his foot, he kicked the ball instantly with force making the football pass the goalkeeper with a thud and touching the net at the back. This move had now declared the win of their college and everyone now stood up in the bleachers cheering at ears shattering volumes celebrating their win.

"Woohooo! I knew that Raghav is going to make us win." Sanvi shouted and others giggled at her antics.

The field was now filled with the college students congratulating and cheering the whole team. The whole place looked as if it was a massive event, but it definitely was for the college as nothing was compared to the feeling of winning over a match with rival team.

"Looks like someone has planned something important." The commentator announced making Ishani and her friends frown.

"Ishani, would you please come with me for a moment." A friend of Raghav's came and stood beside her.

She frowned in confusion for a second and looked at her friends for support who just shrugged. She finally nodded for a second and followed the boy whose name is Daksh.

Now, the whole college was surrounding the area in the middle of the field where now they've finally reached with her friends accompanying them.

Confusion was clearly evident on Ishani's face when she saw Raghav standing in the middle with a big bouquet of roses in his hands and a mind blowing smile on his boy-ish face.

"Hey." Raghav breathed out seeing the beauty in front of his eyes.

"Hey?" Ishani replied, but it came out more as a question.

"Don't be so confused Ishu." Raghav chuckled seeing her state.

"Ishu, from the first day you stepped in this college, you took my breath away. From your amazing behaviour with every single person to your cute frowns just like now. I never forget to miss any detail about you. This is how much I care for you. From a long time I wanted to do this, but never had the courage. Now that I finally have, I am not going to miss the chance. So, will you give me the pleasure of being the boyfriend of the sweetest and loveliest girl I've met that is Ishani Khanna?" Raghav blurted and by the end of it he was already on his knees in front of Ishani.

Every student was looking curiously at the commotion and deep inside almost everyone was waiting for this to happen as the fact about Raghav liking Ishani was not hidden from other students. They were happy about them as both of them were good people.

"I-" Ishani stammered.

"What the f*ck is going on here?" A booming voice made everyone jump at their places.

******