I knew it was Samaira Agarwal when they said that Kashi's project report was missing. Samaira and her minions. Kashi was looking for her project report all around the college. Harsh was helping her. But I... I knew it did not simply go missing. I had seen Rhea, one of Samaira's minions near Kashi's bag. This all started with Harsh liking Kashi.

So I got up and tried to find Samaira. It was easy to find her. She was sitting with Rhea and Jhanvi at the benches outside. "Where is it?" I went to her and asked.

She looked at me like she is looking at vermin. Her Channel bag's clip glittered in the sunlight. She was wearing an expensive dress from some top designer. And her make-up was perfect. Samaira was the stereotypical rich brat girl in our college. She looked like Alia Bhatt from SOTY and sounded like 'Poo' from K3G.

"Where is what?" She asked me.

"Kashish's project report," I said.

"How would I know that?" She asked, looking away.

"I know you have it," I said.

She looked at me again, "What was your name again?" She asked.

"Shiva..." Rhea said my name as if that is the tackiest name she has heard.

"Okay..." Samaira crossed her legs, giving me a view of her slim thighs. I wanted to avoid looking at them, so I looked into her brown eyes. "Listen, Shiva...Darling. Why don't you bring me some proof that I have her project report? Why would I need her project report anyway?"

That was right. I did not have any proof. "Give it back," I grunted.

"Give what back? Look at my hands they are empty." She lifted her beautifully manicured hands.

"I know you took it," I stressed.

Samaira tilted forward to me, and I got a flash of her cleavage. Damn it! Don't look at it... "Prove it." She said, rolling her pink lips.

I have got no means to prove it. She gave me a smart smile. This vile girl. I did not have time to waste on her. She was not going to open her mouth about the project report. So I walked back to Kashi. She was now coming out of the girls' washroom carrying some torn and wet papers. That appeared to be her project report... I ran to her. "Shiva..." She cried, "It was in the toilet. Someone tore it and put it in the toilet."

Angrily, I looked back at Samaira. She had a smart smile, that proved that it was her. If she was not a girl, I would have punched her guts. I was that angry. I walked back to Samaira. "You will pay for this." I hissed at her.

She ignored me and was enjoying her nail art.

"I am going to get even," I said.

She looked up, batting her long fake eyelashes. "Again, baby... prove it." She said. Blood boiled inside me.

This whole thing started when Harsh started liking Kashi. Samaira liked Harsh. Everybody knew that. They had grown up together. Both were filthy rich. Their families were friends. And everybody thought that Haran and Samaira will end up married after college. But Harsh fell for Kashish. My childhood friend Kashish. Kashi was more than just a childhood friend to me.

"Harsh will never like someone as vile as you," Kashi was by my side.

I took the wet paper from Kashi and flipped them at Samaira. The papers fell to her face. She screaked and got up. "Ew.... How dare you?" She shrieked at me. "I will get you arrested."

"For?" I crossed my arms.

"For flicking bloody toilet water on people. Ew... Mom..." She cried and began to wipe her face with tissues from her bag. "God... This is... I will kill you..." She launched at me. I held her hands firmly in my grasp and held her away from me. "Sammie..." Her friends cried.

"How did you know that was toilet water, huh?" I asked her. "If you had nothing to do with the event?"

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "That... That..."

"Proved it." I gave her a smart smile.

"What is happening here?" Harsh came to us just that. "Sammie." He called Samaira. "Shiva, what is wrong with you? Leave her... How can you treat a girl like that?"

I left Samaira's hands. "Your friend tore and threw Kashi's project report in the toilet commode." I turned to Harsh. "You take responsibility for this."

"Harsh, I did not," Samaira said.

"I just proved it." I reminded her.

"I did not. I saw her coming out of the bathroom. That's how I knew." She snarled. "Harsh, you don't believe in what these low-class people say?" She turned to Harsh. "he put the toilet water on me. Ew... And used brute force on me. A girl. How uncultured." She looked at me like I am the worst she has seen.

"Okay, okay..." Harsh said looking between us. "Don't fight." It felt like he knew it was Samaira's job, but he did not want to make it an issue. "Let us think about how to fix this issue. Let us go talk to Professor Mishra. I am sure she will give Kashi a few more days to submit her project report." I hated how he called Kashish 'Kashi'. Only her family calls her that. Her family and I. Well, I am kind of her family. I live with them.

So Harsh, Kashi and some of our friends went to Prof. Mishra I stayed at the tea stall in the corner, looking at Samaira. She walked to her fancy car and drove off from the campus, cursing me under her breath.

That evening when I was getting on my second-hand bike to go home, I turned to look at Kashi. She was talking to Harsh. They were not dating yet. But I could feel that Kashi liked him too. She was hesitating just because he was so rich. And we were not... rich.

"You coming?" I asked her.

"I can drop her home," Harsh told me.

"Your house is not even in the same direction." I reminded him, "I live with her."

I could feel that Harsh is wary of me. He could feel it too. The rivalry. Because whatever it is, I loved Kashi. I have loved her forever. As a friend, as more than a friend.... I cannot explain my own emotions.

"Still, Shiva..." Harsh insisted. "I can drop her. You can go..."

I looked at Kashi to read her eyes; to see with whom she wanted to go with. She seemed to be hesitating. "Okay, fine..." I said, driving off.

I reached our basti, parked my bike among other bikes of the basti and walked up to our tiny house. "Aye re, Shiva... Did you come? Where is Kashi...?" Ajji (Grandma), who was sitting on the bed in the living room, that is my bed, asked in Marathi.

"Kashi is coming with a friend, Ajji," I told her in Marathi and walked in. Maushi (aunty), that is Kashi's mom was in the kitchen making some modak and Puran Poli. "What's special, Maushi? Modak and Puran Poli." I asked. She makes those only on special occasions.

"Ayga... I knew you would forget." She turned to me.

"Forget what?"

"Today is your birthday, na?"

Oh! Yes. I did remember it. I thought she would forget it. Last year only Kashi remembered and she had to remember Maushi, Ajji and Kaka (Uncle).

"I forgot last year. So this year I had marked in the calendar," Maushi said. "I wanted to wish you in the morning, but you left for college. I could not." She said. "Go wash your hands and come. I will set the food for you. Where is Kashi?"

"She is coming with a friend."

"What friend?"

"Just... friend..."

"This girl is acting all suspicious lately. Is everything okay with her, Shiva?"

"Yeah... yeah," I said. I was not sure how Maushi will react if Kashi gets a boyfriend. I went into Kashi's parents' room which I use as a makeshift changing room. My clothes are in a cloth wardrobe in a corner of the tiny room. The house has five members and two rooms. Maushi and Kaka sleep in one, the laadli of the house Kashi gets the other tiny room for herself. Aaji sleeps in the small bed in the dining room, and I sleep on the living room bed.

Yeah, I don't have my own room. I have been living for the past fifteen years like this. I lost my parents when I was six years old. But I prefer this life to a life in the orphanage. Kashi's parents were my neighbours. They were really close with my parents when they were living. Kashi and I used to play a lot as toddlers. Kashi's parents took me into their house when my parents passed away. That is how we all came to live together.

I changed my clothes washed up and went to eat the food. A while later, Kashi was home. She walked in and looked at me eating and then thought for a second. "God," she said. "I totally forgot..."

I smiled at her.

"Happy Birthday, Shiva..." She came to hug me.

"Sh... Ajji." I warned her. Ajji does not approve of us hugging.

"Ajji... It's his birthday," she said. And moved back, "Tell me what you want as a present." I could still see traces of tears in her eyes. I felt she cried again... When she was with Harsh? What did he do... But Harsh was not the type who would do anything to harm her.

"You okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded, but I could tell that she understood that I noticed her tears.

She quickly washed her hands and sat down to eat.

That night she was standing outside on the balcony, texting on her phone. I went and stood by her, leaning on the railing. "Harsh?" I asked her. She nodded.

"You like him, don't you?"

"What is the use even if I like him, Shiva? He is so rich." She said.

"But it should not matter. I think he likes you genuinely." I told her. I did not want her to suppress her emotions. "Did you cry earlier?"

"Harsh confessed to me." She said. "In the car. While he dropped me home."

"Why would you cry for that?" I asked.

"Because.... Because..." She looked away at the moon in the sky. "I don't know... He told me he can wait. He told me to not think about our background differences. He is so nice... And I was just crying... Like a stupid."

I put my hand around her shoulder. "If you love him, you should date him," I told her.

"But how..." She asked. "He is so rich. And... then..."

"Then what?"

"There is Samaira."

"Oh! Don't tell me you are taking that witch into account in your decision making." I said.

"She liked Harsh. And I think Harsh suits someone like her. Someone... you know...?"

"Rich?"

"Yeah..."

"But I don't think so," I said. "Harsh is such a nice guy. He does not belong at all with a cunning and vile person like Samaira. I think he belongs with someone like you. Who is nice and good." I gave her a squeeze. She smiled. I ruffled her hair. She gave me a side hug. "You are the sweetest," she told me.

I smiled. She went to sleep, and I went to my bed, in the living room. Everybody was asleep. I lay on my bed and thought... To be honest, I was in love with Kashi. And it hurt to see Kashi in love with someone else. But I would not let anyone mess with Kashi's happiness. Certainly not that Samaira.

I took my phone and opened Instagram and went to Samaira's profile. I was not following her but her profile was public. I looked through the photos in them. All plastic and so luxurious life. She was in a bikini in one of the pictures, enjoying a crystal clear sea. And another holding her Gucchi shoes and Channel bag.

I hate this girl...