*Aslesha*

What is a girl supposed to do when the thing she wanted to keep hidden from everyone is found out by the person who hates her the most? Whom she hates the most?

Well I did the most brave thing I could think of.

I ran away.

Yay me!

Ugh! This was supposed to be my secret and nobody was supposed to see my dance. But God just had other plans for me and none other than Viraj Singhania saw me.

He is going to make fun of me to no ends. What was he even doing there.

Mera naseeb hi futaa hua hai.

"Hey moti" Rudra chirps happily as he enters the class and I glare at him.

"Get lost Rudra!" I snap at him.

"Kya hua meri moti ko. Itna gussa kyu?" he says and sits beside me after giving a really lovey dovey smile to Pari.

"Shut up" I groan and put my head down.

"Get lost or shut up ke alawa aur kuch nikal hi nahi raha iske muh se. Wapas ek baar boli toh I am gonna slap her. Mera mood bhi kharab kar rahi hai kamini" Pari says from behind.

"I'm listening bitch" I say and Rudra chuckles.

I don't lift up my head and just close my eyes.

"Bhai that's my place" I hear his voice. Aa gaye maharaj.

I lift up my head and hold Rudra's arm. "Majnu aaj mere saath baithega" I say.

"Really Majnu?" Viraj asks smirking even though his eyes don't leave me.

Asshole.

"I don't mind" Rudra says shrugging and Viraj smiles wickedly and sits behind.

Huh, thank god.

"Ha toh Pari, hum log kal ek party me gaye the ek dost ke. Waha Rudra ne tumhaare liye ek competition jeeta" Viraj says and Rudra stiffens beside me.

Ok now what's this?

"Konsa competition?" Pari asks and Rudra quickly gets up. "I can't sit beside you moti. Bhai aage aaja" Rudra says as they exchange seats.

"What the hell dude" I say, to which Rudra just shrugs.

Viraj sits beside me with a smug smile on his face.

Khud ko samajhta kya hai ye!

Just then the bell rings and Galaa faadu enters. 5 minutes after the lecture starts Viraj starts poking me with his elbow.

"Psst psssst" he calls out. I avoid him.

"Aashi? Aslesha?" he whisper yells.

So the last 2 weeks he didn't give a shit about my existence and now that he has a point to make fun of me, he can't leave me alone.

Great just great!

He keeps a folded paper on my table.

"Open it" he whispers.

"YOU BOTH! What's wrong?" Galaa faadu shouts at us and I shake my head.

"N.. nothing. He was just asking me for a pen" I say and when he starts writing on the board again, glare at Viraj.

"If you won't open it, I'll keep disturbing you and we'll be thrown out of class. Actually that's better. We'll get to talk properly" he says with a smirk and I grunt but open the paper.

He has written something.

*I saw you yesterday. Why did you run away?*

I look at him and he is looking at me with raised eyebrows.

I eye galaa faadu who is now facing us and quickly scribble down a reply.

*IDK what you're talking about*

Just deny it. If I keep denying it, it'll feel like it didn't happen.

Wow Aslesha! Aankhe band kar ke duniya nahi dikhti toh duniya ko bhi tu nahi dikh rahi. Good going!

I hear Viraj scoff when he reads my reply and he gives me the paper again.

*Lets get past the whole denial stage ok? I heard about the audition. I want you to participate*

When I read his note, I frown a little.

What does he mean he WANTS me to participate?

*Why do you care? And I'm not gonna participate so whatever* I give the note again.

Bloody hell I can't concentrate.

He throws the note at me again and I glare at him. "Shut up" I mouth at him. "Read it!" he mouths back with a wicked smile and I angrily open the note, almost tearing it in the process.

*Take part. Or else I'll post your dance video that I took yesterday on all the social sites*

"WHAT??" I scream loudly drawing the attention of the whole class. Viraj is having a hard time controlling his laughter as I look around the class in embarrassment.

"You both! Leave the class! GET OUT!" Galaa faadu screams at us.

"Err sorry sir. I'm really sorry" I say but Viraj is taking his bag and getting up.

Hey Bhagwan! Ye ladka!!

"Okay sir. Chalo Aashi" he says like asking me for a stroll in the park.

"Have you gone mad" I say angrily.

"We can't disturb the whole class like that. Dusre students ka nuksaan nahi hona chahiye. And how can you not listen to what sir says. Chalo chalo jaldi.. Sir ka time waste ho raha hai" he says pushing me out of the class and I go out in a daze, wondering what the hell just happened.

Suddenly mere dimaag ki batti jalti hai and I turn and hit Viraj with the book in my hand.

"What the hell! Why did you do that? I've never bunked a lecture like that. I mean I've never... What the hell!"

"Ok relax! Mujhe bass tumse baat karni hai. Aur vo chits likh ke I got bored" he says sitting on one of the bench in the corridors casually. His leg resting on his knee.

"Itni kya important baat hai jo lunch ke time nahi ho sakti thi" I say putting my hands on my hips. "Ho sakti thi waise. But I couldn't wait" he says.

I roll my eyes. "If it's about yesterday, jo bhi mazak udaana hai udaao. I don't care" I say.

"Did you even read what I wrote in the paper? I want you to participate!" he says.

"And I don't want to"

"But you went for the auditions yesterday"

"It was a mistake" I snap at him and he takes my hand and pulls me to sit beside him on the bench.

"Do you really care what that dim wit Trisha says"

"That dim wit is your girlfriend by the way" I say.

"Was" he corrects me.

"Whatever"

"That's not the topic. Look. Out of all the colleges in Goa, ours is on number 4 or something. Academics and stuff are perfect. The only thing we are low are at is dance and cricket. Cricket mai sambhal lunga. And usse, jyada se jyada, we'll reach on position two. But I want the number one position. So you gotta help me. And take part" he says and I sigh.

So he thinks I can help him bring the college on the number one spot. Means he liked my dance. He didn't say it directly but that's what he means right.

But he can't change my mind now.

"Listen, I understand that you want our college to be in the first place and all, but.. you can't force me. Yaha ke logo ko nahi pasand mera dance form. Aur shayad sahi me log so jaayenge. Aaj kal ke logo ko bass half naked bodies aur western dances dekhne hai. And I don't even feel bad about it. Because I can't force them to like it. Mai itni mehnat kyu karu Viraj jab logo ko kadar hi nahi" I say as he listens to me carefully.

For a few seconds, we just look at each other. His eyes are really really really beautiful and the intense gaze that he's giving me.. damn! I tear my gaze away and fidget with the hem of my top.

The bell rings. I get up to go to the class.

"Aslesha" he calls out and I turn.

"I'll make you participate. You remember how I'd made you participate in that race in 5th grade?" he says smirking and I raise my eyebrows suppressing a smile.

So he remembers that?

He actually just challenged me saying that 'mere jaisi ladki kabhi race jeet nahi sakti aur ye mere bass ki baat nahi hai'.

He didn't actually force me or anything. He was just making fun and was getting on my nerves. And I, like a dumb ass, participated and came last. Vo time pe mai thodi.. um moti hua karti thi.

Yay me again.

"Tab mai bachhi thi okay? And now I know what it feels like to be embarrassed in front of the whole school, thanks to you. So I won't give in to you" I smirk.

"Tab mai bhi bachha tha. Ab mere challenge karne ke tarike thode badal gaye hai you know. You'll see now. Just be ready" he smirks.

That's when I realise that we are standing really close. Closer than necessary. When did we get so close?

"I'm ready Singhania. Game on" I say looking him in the eye. "All the best. Aakhir it's my decision. And you can't do anything about it".

"Oh we'll see about it. I am very persuasive you know" he says taking one more step forward. Our noses our almost touching. I gulp nervously.

He smirks and takes a step back. "By the way, meet me at Cabo de Rama fort at exactly 5.30, lets get done with the project today" he says and gets inside class.

So we're actually doing the project as partners now? For the whole year? Oh god!

'Oh we'll see about it. I am very persuasive you know'

What did he mean by that?

Even though I feel a little bit nervous, a thrill of excitement runs through my body at that line. God what is he upto!

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Idk what to say.. m really tired today so no ranting... Vote and comment! Ily :)