*Viraj*

Why am I doing this? I'm supposed to hate her. Not worship at her feet and ask her to take part in the dance. This is so not me.

I know that even without her help I can make our college reach the number one spot. There are so many students in this college. There has to be a better dancer than her.

Ha abhi ye bolte baith aur uske saamne uska paaltu kutta bann ja!

My mind needs to shut up.

It's true actually. Like, I hate her for doing what she did and I can never trust her again. But why do I forget about all that when I'm around her. All the negative thoughts just get vanished in thin hair.

Especially today! Notes pass karna class ke beech me? How desperate could I be. Bahar bhi nikaal diya sir ne usse mere saath. Bechari..

But maza aaya!

The expression on her face when I told her that I had her video was priceless. Just priceless. Uss expression ka bhi video record kar dena chahiye tha.

And then like the world class fool I am, I asked her to meet me for the assignment. And that was completely unnecessary. Not related to bringing the college on the number one spot. Why the f*ck did I tell her to meet me for the assignment?

I should do something about my stupidity. Okay, so I just have to remind myself that this is for college. Uske baad I'll start hating her again. Yea that's right.

Waise bhi thik thak hi dance karti hai. Mai bhi kar lunga utna toh thode practice ke baad.

Bahot achhe Viraj! Keep fooling yourself about that. Deep down you know she's the best dancer you've ever seen.

I'm doing it for college, I'm doing it for college, I'm doing it for college.... I keep chanting that continuously.

"I can't believe tu uske saath ab assignment kar raha hai. Pehle mera dimaag kharab kiya aur usse bhi saaf manaa kar diya. Aur ab dekh kaise bhaag raha hai uske paas" Rudra says as we walk through the crowded corridors when the final bell rings.

"Toh ab kya pure saal baith ke rota rahu? Aur waise bhi puri mehnat mai karu aur usse fukat credit mile, ye toh sahi nahi hai" I say getting on my bike.

I look around and can't see Aslesha's scooty. She must have already left. "Mujhe toh shak ho raha hai tujhpe" Rudra says curiously.

"What are you? My wife? Dumb ass. Bat se coach tera sarr fod denge late hua toh. Ja ab" I say and Rudra shows me his middle finger.

Real mature.

"Please don't kill her or cut her hair" he says actually looking worried. I put on my helmet and smirk. "I'll try.. or maybe I'll just do both!" I say and leave.

We didn't get to talk after our little bunking conversation this morning. The lectures were hectic and coach made me practice during lunch because I was going to stay absent after college.

I didn't have my lunch and now I'm fucking hungry. I stop at my favourite food stall, 'Chai-nese'.

Desi Chinese is something I can die for and this is my favourite place for it. The chai here is the best too, naam se pata chal hi gaya hoga.

It's not fancy or anything. Just a small stall. There are a few tables and chairs in the open and now that it's the rainy season, a plastic sheet as the roof.

"Salaam alaikum Fareed chacha. Kaise ho" I say. He's the one who runs this stall. "Walaikum assalam Veer. Aur aaj kya khaane ka mann hai?" he asks.

"Ek vo aapke special wale chinese bhajiya. Spicy haa. Parcel kar dijiye please." I say and just in a few minutes it's ready and I feel like having it here itself but then remind myself that Aslesha must be waiting.

"Jaldi me hu chacha. Khuda Hafiz" I say and leave. I speed up and go to Cabo de Rama fort.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

*Aslesha*

He is 20 minutes late!

Is this some kind of a stupid joke. Achhe se baat kar ke aana hi nahi? Of course it is. Ye pakka uska prank tha. Mujhe behlaa fuslaa ke yaha bhej dena aur mera pachka karna.

Ugh!

Just then I hear the engine of a bike and Viraj appears. He stops the bike beside mine and gets down.

"Itne jaldi kyu aaye tum? Aur teen ghante rukaa dete na" I say giving him a fake smile.

"10 minute hi hue hai" he says removing his helmet.

"20" I correct him and he runs his hands through his hair fixing them. His hair is messy and even then he manages to look like a model. My hair looks like a chidiyaghar!

"Ha baba sorry. Chalo jaldi ab mujhe bhuk lagi hai" he says. I look at him confusingly.

"Um actually ye church hai, koi restaurant nahi" I say as we start walking towards the church.

"Bahot bolti ho ha tum" he states shaking his head.

I roll my eyes as he follows me inside the church. He has not even bothered to carry a note book to write down the points. Iske bharose rehta project toh top maarti mai toh. Huh.

I see that man whom I met the first day and he looks up to see us when we enter. "Oh tum log. Just wait here I'll call Father Joseph" he says and gets inside a room.

Father Joseph comes and gives us a smile. "Mohan told me about your assignment. So what do you children want to know?" He asks.

"Anything about the history of this church. Anything which is not known to many people" Viraj says.

He nods and tells us about the details like how many years ago was this church built, it's importance, but the thing that catches our attention is a war that had taken place here. There was a battle through sea in this place in the 1800s, and we dig up details about it. I note down all the points as Viraj asks more questions about it.

After half an hour we're done. "Thank you so much father" I say closing my book. "Yes. Thank you very much for the help. All the information you gave was really interesting. This fort has so much more to it than the eye can see" Viraj says.

"This is really rare, kids would just use Wikipedia even if not asked to, and you guys personally came here. I was glad to help" he says and we thank him again and leave.

*Viraj*

We get outside and Aslesha starts going to the the other side where the beach can be seen. It's not really dark but the sun has almost set.

"Hey kaha ja rahi ho?" I ask. "Yaha tak aake bina thodi der baithe nikal jaayenge kya? That'll be an insult to this place. I'm just gonna sit here watching the waves for a while" she says giving me a genuine smile and her dimple appears.

Her dimple....

It's official. I have a thing for dimples.

She goes and I start following her when my stomach growls in protest. Arrey mere bhajiya! I run towards my bike and take the parcel and go towards the back side.

Theres nobody present here. But on the beach I can see a few kids playing football. She doesn't notice me sitting beside her but when I open the foil packet her head snaps towards my direction.

"Whoa! Kutte wala naak hai tumhara toh" I say chuckling as she takes a small rock and throws it at me. I easily dodge it. "Aur paaglo wali harkate bhi" I say and laugh.

"I'm hungry ok" she says looking at me and then at the foil packet in my hand. If she thinks that I'm gonna share this, then she is really wrong. But an idea strucks me.

Ye toh bahot spicy rehta hai. Muh jall jaayega iska khaate hi. Maa ne toh bahot saari shakkhar kha li thi jab mai pehli baar ghar le gaya tha parcel. Lets have a little fun.

"Come here. Have some" I say as she grins and gets up. Khaane ke maamle me bilkul sharam nahi ha? I like such people.

"Ab tum itna force kar rahe ho toh kha hi leti hu" she says and takes one bhajiya, dips it in the schezwan chutney and puts the whole one in her mouth.

Aww ab toh aur haalat kharab hogi.

1, 2, 3, start!

She opens her mouth and exhales through it like it's on fire. "Oh my god" she says fanning her mouth with her hand. "Oh my god oh my god oh my god" she says slowly chewing.

My comments are ready and I'm about to throw them at her when the next line she says, makes my mouth fall open.

"This is amazing. Wow! Kaha se laaye tum ye? You have to show me this place dude. I mean Desi Chinese and this spicy... Mmm" she says still slowly fanning her mouth.

My mind goes blank.

Kya ladki hai yaar ye. Matlab.. kya ladki hai ye?

"Mai aur ek lu?" She asks smiling at me.

"Ha?" I say in a daze.

"Aw thanks" she says and takes one more and eats it.

Ye ladki nahi hai. Na. No. Nahi. Ille. Alien?

"Arre khaao tum bhi, mera muh kya dekh rahe ho?" she says taking one and bringing it towards my mouth and I absentmindedly open it and she feeds me.

No girl has ever done that. She literally fed me.

Meri harkate sahi me iske paaltu kutte jaise hote jaa rahi hai.

Get yourself together asshole. Bhajiya kha li bass, zeher thodi. Toh teekha khaane ki capacity jyada hogi iski. Usme konsi badi baat hai?

I start eating and she sits silently staring at the vast ocean. She hands me her water bottle and I drink it.

I keep the foil wrapper in my bag as I can't see a dustbin around. When I do that, she again gives me that dimpled smile.

I want to touch her dimple.

Ok mind, stop! You are not supposed to say such dumb things!

"Thanks. That was amazing. Please please show me the place. Tell me the name at least. I'll find it on my own" she says pleadingly as we walk towards the entrance again.

"If you participate in the dance, then I'll tell you" I smirk at her.

"That's not fair" she whines and I chuckle at her expression. She's so cute.

Did I just call her cute?!

"Everything is fair in love and war" I state. "Bada hi original dialogue maara tumne" she quips sarcastically and claps. So extra she is! I suppress my smile.

"So when should we make this as a report" I ask and I see her eyeing my bike. "We'll discuss that in college" she answers. "Bahot late ho raha hai na. Nikalte hai" she says turning on the engine. I nod and wear my helmet as she wears hers.

"Bye bye dummy. Go home safely" she says going ahead on her scooty and I just stand there like a dummy looking at her as her scooter disappears.

Ab kya yahi ghar basaana hai? Ghar ja!

I shake my thoughts away and get on my bike. She told me to drive safely. Nobody has ever said that to me. To be safe.

I feel a warm feeling in my chest.

Bhajiya jyaada ho gayi shayad. Indigestion hoga.

But even then I don't know why I ride my bike slower than usual, for the first time actually enjoying the surroundings and the soothing cool breeze on my face.

I had fun.

Yes I liked our little time here. Aslesha, you are so different..

~•~•~•~•~•~•

Early update and that too a long one because I love you guys. And this chapter is dedicated to @kajald18 and @RujutaR

Bonding shuru ho chuki hai.... But still a looonnng way to go.. Waise aap log like and comment karoge toh mujhe bahot achha lagega :) And please share it with your friends too, if you're enjoying the story. Ily all :*