Four devastating days had gone by and nothing was turning out well for Karthik. He had been trying to avoid the girls ever since Anuradha had rejected his plead which was failing miserably every single day.

In need of peace, Karthik made his way to the college canteen to get a cup of freshly brewed coffee. He took a seat far away from anyone's vision in the canteen.

Stars on the bad side, he shut his eyes calming himself down upon hearing the most irritating voices that he had been hearing for the past many days.

"Hi, Karthik. We noticed you have been isolating yourself from everyone. Why don't you come with us, hang out maybe?" one of the girls who sat next to him said.

"No thank you. I'm good this way" he answered.

"But we can be a good company for you" she linked her arm in his, leaning on to him. "You can always play your favourite flute for us, even if nobody wants you to play" she spoke sensuously.

"Will you please leave me alone!" Karthik yanked her hand off him.

"Not until you pick anyone of us as your date" she said leaning in further on him. "we won't leave you no matter how much you hate us" she hissed, as the rest laughed.

Them being around him, their high-pitched voice, their laughter was only intensifying the headache he already has. 'Why me?' cursing himself, Karthik tried to keep distance from the girl leaning closer to the wall next to him.

Christopher who had happened to be there at the canteen, spotted Karthik with the said girls. Though he wanted Karthik to help himself, the look of dishevelled Karthik did not let him go away.

"When the man says that he needs to be alone, probably you should do just that" Christopher broke in receiving a relieved smile from Karthik.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here. Another beauty. You look no less handsome than him" a girl who sat opposite to the other walked towards Christopher twirling her hair.

"Chris, just leave" Karthik stood up but was pulled down to sit by the girl next to him.

"You know what, I'm opting out from Karthik's option list because I just found one for me" the squealed.

Christopher was shaken by what she just said but remained unaffected and hoped he will not be in Karthik's spot soon. "I'm sorry but I don't think I'm available" he said.

"Of course, you are not because you are mine now... where have you been all this while" she asked leaning on to Christopher who was trying to control himself from pushing her away.

"With me, of course" Christopher finally breathed out when he heard the familiar voice.

"I'm sorry girl but he is mine" Anuradha pushed the girl away from Christopher.

"And you" she pointed to the girl next to Karthik. "hands off him" she snapped her fingers.

"You have got what you came for, didn't you? You can leave now" the next to Karthik said.

"I said hands off him, Ana" Anuradha stressed her name, in attempt to intimidate her.

It worked, the girl Ana took her hands off, "What does me putting my hands on him effect you? You have got yours, now leave"

"Leave?" she huffed. "I can't leave without my boyfriend" Anuradha said the last word with much difficulty but she knew she had to bring Karthik out of this group without creating much scene so they can figure out a way to send them all out of college for good.

"Him? Your boyfriend?" Anuradha slowly nodded once.

"Both" she said trying to hide the embarrassment building in her.

"Uhh, where were you all this while then? Why didn't you come to him?" Ana asked as the rest of the girls joined along with her.

Anuradha stood rooted to the ground making sure she wasn't getting shaken by their looks and hefty feature.

"We had a fight."

"Fight? Hmm... Anuradha the famous girl in college has two boyfriends and no one knows about it? How is that even possible?"

"Why don't you just punch her face and run out of the canteen with Karthik. Just like you did to me." Christopher whispered to Anuradha.

"You mad? Your case had no eye witness but look we have so many, you can't run out without being caught." She whispered back to him.

"Private life remains private, Ana"

"Probably, you should quit coming after Karthik because he is taken by Anuradha just like me" Christopher added himself just to be safe from the girls. Just in case.

Anuradha now realised how difficult it must have been to Karthik trying to twist and turn things to make them divert and leave him alone. These girls were hard to convince, they had questions for every answer Anuradha was giving.

"Private life of people like us doesn't matter but people like you who is famous, matters. And about Karthik being taken, we don't believe you. We never ever saw you both together and don't try to lie to us"

Anuradha silently hope the girls don't ask her to prove anything, which she definitely isn't going to do. So, before they could say a thing Anuradha spoke first. "You will see us together from now on. Since you said people like us, private life doesn't matter. Looks like we have to show it off."

Inwardly cursing for the existence of such girls, Anuradha felt like banging her head on the table for giving such useless idea. "Where is your brains, Anuradha"

"That's right, Radha. We can no longer hide our relationship" Karthik smiled wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

"Couldn't agree more" Cristopher joined in as Anuradha stood between the two of them maintaining a stern expression, inwardly crying.

"We will always watch you three. ALWAYS means always." The girl stood behind Ana said.

Mentally slapping herself, Anuradha counted the remaining time they have to finish their course. "A year and a half. Great!"

"If you aren't convinced, you are free to take him with you" Anuradha pointed to Karthik.

'What did she just say'

Sensing Karthik's horrific look from the corner of her eyes, she relieved him from that thought. "I won't let that happen, anyway."

"By any chance we get a doubt that you are cheating us... this will go on the internet" showing morphed pictures of Karthik standing with each of them in seven individual pictures.

"When did you take these pictures Manohar?" Anuradha asked.

"Tell me about it, mate" Christopher to joins in.

"I swear I did not take pictures with them. I never went out with them either."

"I know" both said simultaneously, as the girls started to walk off from there, challenging them.

***********

Those girls are nasty, aren't they?

Surely, Anuradha's help wasn't helpful for herself...