Shruthi :

"Truth or dare?" Praggy suddenly turned back , looked at Aishu, who was sitting in between priya and me, with a sly grin playing on her lips, whispered and turned back hurriedly as our professor finished writing on the board and looked at us.

Our eyes were fixed on the blank page of our notebook, our hands clutched the pen tightly as we started writing the notes which was on the board.

Mam turned to the board again, and this time, Praggy and anju turned together eagerly, whereas Sneha was writing the notes keenly. Well, this sincere person in our gang has been our saviour since the beginning.

"Anjana! If you don't mind, can you look at the board with the same curiosity?" Our mam's voice made anju jump with a jerk and she turned immediately.

Praggy laughed loud making the whole class turn towards us and making them giggle.

People and their weird habits. Our praggy has this habit of laughing so loud, which is actually very funny rather than the joke,she is laughing for.

I could hear the muffled laughter of aishu, who bit her lips hard, trying to control her laugh. She punched my knees under the bench and covered her mouth with other hand.

I giggled at the happenings. Anju had that horror-stricken expression on her face and praggy went insane seeing that.

"Class!" Professor shouted and the laughter died. What a change over?! The class which actually looked like a class a few minutes before,now looks like a graveyard with that eerie silence.

Aishu glanced at me with a sarcastic smile. She knew my mind.

Am I in a school again?

People just create a hype like college is heaven , college life is precious and blah. For me, college life sucks. Even school was better!

The only best thing that happened here is these monkey girls. I don't know how did we grew so close with each other in such a short span of time.

"Come on.. dumbo, ask me a question!" Praggy scratched my hand, breaking my trance.

"Hmm.. Ms. Pragati, if you ever had a first love story to tell.. then you can.. " I said as I giggled.

Aishu shot daggers at me through her eyes.

"Is this even a question to ask? And to praggy? Which fool would have fallen for her musical laughter?" She said laughing.

Lol.

"And we all know each other very well. So what's the need?" She continued.

True that.

Our gang has no secrets of their own. One secret, one gang.

Oh, wait. I don't think that I have shared everything. The mere thought of this made my smile vanish. A huge lump formed in my thought and I felt too difficult to swallow it.

" Aishu, I had one." Praggy's whisper certainly shocked us.

Everyone except us started to move out of the class, indicating us, the arrival of the break.

Aishu starred at her. I could sense the danger behind that.

"It was in my tenth standard then. Tony was his name..."

" Whatttt?!! Tenth standard?!" Priya shrieked.

"Initially, we were good friends until the day he said he liked me. I was confused. I didn't know if it was right or wrong and I stopped talking to him after that. But.."

"Then you realized that you had feelings for him as well." I completed her sentence with a scorn.

I don't believe in these kind of feelings. All rubbish! How can a man claim that he loves a girl by just seeing her? Gah. Hate these stuffs to the core.

Aishu's face expressed the same. After all, we thought alike. She can understand me and I can understand her.

I was so disappointed when vansh proposed me. I had thought him of a good friend. But.. shit.

"Later, I told him about what I felt and we were together for a year. But, I don't know what had happened between us that made us drift apart. When we were in eleventh, he left the school for some unknown reasons. I don't know where he is now." Praggy finished and looked at us.

"What the f is happening here machi (dude)? Why the hell people hide these stuffs? Grr. I just hate, when people hide secrets." Aishu shouted looking at me. Her words were for praggy, but she was shouting at me. I know her.

She. Doesn't. Like. Her. Friends. Hiding . Things. From. Her.

I should say this to her. I have to. The time has come.

I held aishu's hand, making her stop.

"Aishu.. vansh proposed me." I said casually. Coz, being serious is never my cup of tea. I knew that she will understand me. My eyes were fixed at aishu and she looked at me with a blank expression.

"Listen to me machi.." I said as I started telling her what had happened. Her face had the same blank expression. I looked at her with a ray of hope as I finished saying it.

She left my hand and walked out of the classroom.

******************************

Vijay:

"Pain... You made me, you made me a believer, Believer!"

I began to lose myself in those circles of smoke, escaping from my mouth. Your favourite song vibrating in your ear buds, your favourite brand burning into ashes and the smoke.

The ability to feel, which makes me a human, slowly joined the circles of smoke. As the smoke vanished into thin air, my emotions vanished too. My barren self.

The place where I stay was never ever my home. It was one, until this day, 8 years ago.

Probably, I would have been a better person if mom had been there with me.

I have turned into a person, who my mom would have never ever dreamt of. I can't help it. Am sorry mom. You would detest me now, wherever you are. I have reached a stage, where I myself can't bring back the old version of mine. Upgraded version rules me.

"Hey ya! Wanna lend me some? I need this so bad!" A very peculiar, female voice which sounded like it came from a long distance made me turn.

Damn. This girl is from my class and the worst thing is that she is standing next to me. Have I become insane? Do I need a psychiatrist?

" Don't tell me that you smoke." I said bluntly.

"Well, I wouldn't have asked if I don't." She said looking sideways.

"I don't have another. This is the last from the packet." As I said this, she snatched the cigarette from my hand within a fraction of a second.

"Thanks. This would do." She said as she smirked at me.

Gah. I had just one and she snatched it when I needed the most.

I could sense that my tolerance levels were sinking slowly. I have to move away from here for my own good.

"Seems like you have a big heart! Sorry, but I don't." Her voice drew my attention. Her finger holding the cigarette, slowly drew its contact from it and my precious one kissed the floor. She slowly placed her leg on it and smoothly moved against it.

I took a deep breath. 10, 9, 8, 7,.. I started counting the numbers in descending order. My nerves were about to burst from my layers of skin. I closed my palm and opened it. I repeated.

These girls think that they have the right to change anyone. Soaps effect, I guess.

Arguments were and are never my things. I don't wanna waste my time with these "I am born to change the society" kind of girls.

I started to move.

"Vijay, Am not what you're thinking of me to be. And I don't care. You can smoke anywhere, anytime but not here. First learn to behave in the public. I don't want my department's name to be damaged just because of your deed. Other than that, I don't have any personal grudge. So, chillax. " Her words seemed to be accepted by my updated version. But my heart ached for that little piece of solace, which she destroyed.

" Do you smoke in real? " I asked her.

She looked at me amused. I can understand what's going on in her head.

" Am shruthi. And I don't smoke." She grinned as she said that.

Duh. I was right after all. Soaps effect.

"You know what, I was right af." I said with a scorn, while she chuckled.

Didn't know that this would be the beginning of something unexpected and something breaking the stereotypes.

**********************************

Aravind:

"Kaadhaley Kaadhaley.. Thani Perum thunaiye.. Kooda kooda va podhum, podhum..

(O Love, the biggest strength in life, stay with me.. That's more than enough)

Kaadhaley kaadhaley.. Vaazhvin néelam pogalam.. Poga va, née..
(O love, we can travel towards the length of our lifetime, shall we?) "

Priya opened her eyes and looked at the audience, curiosity twinkling in her eyes.

I started clapping as I smiled at her. Following me,the whole room echoed with the sound of applause.

Our college music band is recruiting and priya and I have come for the auditions.

Her voice is pure magic. Without any instrumental back up, her song was soulful and she did amaze me.

My turn is yet to come and Am not nervous. Not much. But way too much excited.

Since the day I had joined this college, All I ever wanted was to be a part of the music band.

Music is not just my passion, but the burning desire in my soul.

I love engineering and music equally. I know that managing both is tedious, but I love challenges.

These thoughts pacing in my mind didn't stop my eyes from staring Aishwarya though. I smiled looking at her beaming face as she smiled at priya and hugged her.

I stood up, when I sensed that my name was called out. I rubbed my palms and walked towards the dias.

"Malare.. ninne kaanadhirunnaal..
Mizhivegiya niramellam
Mayunna polae

Alivoden arikathinnanayathirunnal
Azhakekiya kanavellam akalunna pole

Njanente aathmavin aazhathinullil
Athilolamarorumariyaathe sookshicha
Thaalangal raagangal eenangalaai
Oro oro varnangalai
Idarunna ennte idanenjinullil
Pranayathin mazhayayi nee pozhiyunnee naalil

Thalarunnorente thanuthorum ninte
Alathallum pranayathalunarum
Malare..azhake.."

Singing your favourite song when you're happy is something different. It's a different and a precious feeling.

The whole room was silent. I know that I did well. I am confident enough.

Then, I heard the claps from a direction. It were from aishwarya and priya.

I was surprised seeing aishwarya clapping, coz I know that she hates me. Even I don't like her that much. We are not even friends. Anyways, am happy that she liked my song.  After their claps, the jury appreciated as well.

It was the time for the results. I knew that priya and I would be selected for sure.

Priya and I became good friends in a very short span of time. She is a simple girl, who misses her mom's cooking and good times with her mom in hostel.

She is fun-loving and a good person at heart. We both knew very well about each other.

Priya bit her nails in anxiety.

"Oye, chill" Aishu held her hand and told her.

"Don't you feel nervous, ara?" Priya asked me while continuing her nail biting.

Well, she calls me ara. That's really funny coz ara means half in tamil, which is also a part of my name. I shot daggers through my eyes coz the guys around us chuckled hearing that.

"Both of us would be selected. Wait and watch." I said while I slapped her hand to make her stop biting her nails.

She just gave me a "I don't believe you" look and started chatting to aishu.
___

"Congratulations machiii(dude)!!" Aishu shrilled as the results were announced.

I was right. We both got selected.

Priya looked at me with astonishment and I smiled at her.

"Congrats d machi! We shall have lots of fun!" I told her as I extended my hands for a hi-five.

She laughed and gave me a hi-five.

As I had guessed, Aishu didn't congratulate me. I felt a kind of bad with that action of hers.

My mind is not able to analyze what's wrong  with me. It would have realized probably, if it had noticed when Aishwarya became aishu for me.

****************************

Anjana:

"Wait for me at the canteen, I will be back."

I told shruthi for which she nodded.

Shruthi and I had planned to eat something at the canteen, as both of us felt hungry. But unfortunately, I had left my phone at the classroom. So, I told her to wait for me at canteen while I go and get my phone. I started walking.

Bad luck strikes me always. I was so hungry that I thought to have some food and just then I had to leave my phone at the classroom. The college bus leaves the college early and I have to catch the bus after going to the canteen. I don't think that I would be able to have food. Cursed life of mine!

To make the matters worse, my classroom is at the 7 th floor. Duh.

When I reached the canteen, after getting my phone, I couldn't find shruthi anywhere. Probably, she had left for her bus. Her bus is far away from mine.

My bus is usually seen near the canteen. Today is no exception. The bus hasn't started yet. So, I have some time to get some food.

I walked fast to the canteen and ordered myself a plate of noodles. I took a glance to see my bus. Thankfully, it didn't move.

As I finally got my noodles, I started running towards my bus with the plate in my hand.

To my extreme horror, my bus was nowhere to be seen. It was there until a few mins ago.

Gosh. Seems like I have missed my bus. Gawddd!

Just then, my phone rang. It was from shruthi.

"Hey anju, where were you? Have you boarded the bus?" She asked me. I narrated her the entire happenings.

"What the hell?! How could you be so irresponsible machi? How will you go home now?" She asked.

"I can't call Aarav now. He is out of station and I don't wanna call dad too. I will go by the common transport." I told her.

"Go home safely and text  me when you reach home" Saying that, she ended the call.

I huffed. I hate my fate. I sat on a bench and started having the noodles. I need food immediately.

After having my food in peace, I started walking towards the college entrance, which is almost a kilometre away.

There would be many share- autos at the entrance of the college. I had to take one to go home.

As I reached the entrance, I sat inside an auto. There were many students like me sitting inside. I took a seat. The auto will move only after the auto gets full.

I looked at my watch. Gosh, when will it become full? Each second felt like a decade for me.

I felt so hot inside the auto. Suddenly, I felt someone occupying the place beside me. I turned my head to see who it was. I felt happy that finally this auto will move now.

As I turned, my eyes caught the sight of a very familiar figure, sitting close to me, fiddling his phone.

Vijay.

****************************