"These assignments will take me ages to complete," Surbhi complained as she copied from my notebook.

"If only you had listened to me," I taunted.

"Don't brag and help me."

"Nuh uh. Do your work yourself."

"Meanie."

I stuck out my tongue at her and continued playing Temple Run on her phone. My phone's battery died because I forgot to charge it in the night. I couldn't even listen to songs while coming today.

"Can I join you?" Parth asked.

"Why are you even asking?" I replied

"I want to copy too. That's why."

"Oh."

"Shift a bit, Surbhi. You are taking the whole space." Parth nudged her.

"Are you calling me fat?" she complained.

"Just shift already."

Parth sat beside her and they both competed in who will finish first. I shook my head at them and noticed Ayush scratching his head, sitting a few rows away. He was struggling. He just wouldn't ask for help. He was always like that.

"Stop staring," Ved said as he moved past my desk.

"You jealous?" I retorted.

"Here they go again," Surbhi and Parth said in unison.

"What you gonna do about that?" he asked.

"I was just looking."

"Don't even think about it."

"Damn Ved. You got serious issues."

"You are one to talk."

"What did I do now?"

"Oh, don't even make me recount."

"If you are talking about the past, then please leave."

"You can't order me."

"Just go, will ya?"

"My legs, my rules."

"That was lame you know."

"Says the lamest."

"Why am I even arguing with you?"

"Why are you asking me? You really are an idiot. Can't believe I am going to the same college as you."

"Feelings are mutual. Why don't you transfer then? It would be beneficial for both of us."

"Sandhya, you really are dumb."

"What?"

"Just stating the fact."

"Oh god! Please kill me."

"Pray from my side too. Maybe he would listen then."

I glared at him and he left to sit by Ayush's side. How could someone be so arrogant? He thought he was so great and mighty. One day he would fall so hard and no one would be there to help him up. I was just waiting for that day.

Ayush sighed in relief when Ved solved the problem and glanced at me. I gave him a dead look and he said something to Ayush. Ayush looked at me and began laughing. Just what does Ved tells him to make him laugh like a maniac?

Did they have a book of jokes on me or something? I sighed and turned back to my game. Soon, Nikhil arrived and went to his seat. He looked in a jolly mood. He gave me a small smile and began talking with his other friends.

Any doubts I had for him were uprooted. He was a model student afterall. I was just overimagining things. Exams were going to start next month, so everyone was busy writing journals and completing assignments. I was almost done with that and only twenty percent of work was left. Rajeev would let me do that sometimes in gym when we had less customers.

He knew how hard it was to handle college and work simultaneously. Still, I had a part time job or I would have died if I was working full time. Luckily he had allowed me to take some days off till the exams got over. He was doing the same. His cousin was taking care of the gym in his absence.

I wish I had a brother like him. Not that he wasn't less than real one. I think he was more like my second father. That thought always made me laugh. Mayank was right. Rajeev had adopted me. Will he give me a share in his property then?

"Why are you smiling like that?" Parth asked and I waved him off.

"Sandhya, Mrs. Nair has called for you. It's urgent," one student from my chemistry class told me and I wondered what could it be. I remember submitting my journal.

I got up and left for the chemistry lab. Mrs. Nair was busy going through our papers and when she noticed me, she told me to enter.

"You called for me mam?" I asked.

"Yes. It's about Shree. He hasn't submitted his part of the report yet and tomorrow is the deadline. If he doesn't do that, you both would lose grades," she said.

What?! Shree didn't submit the report yet? Just what was he doing so important that he forgot this? Oh right. Mahek. That girl. If I saw both of them now, I would strangle them. I would fail because of him.

"Sandhya. Are you listening to me?"

"Yes, mam."

"Just inform him about it."

"OK mam."

I left the lab and went for the hunt. He wasn't getting alive out of this. I told Parth to call him up. He didn't pick up his call. Nikhil tried too. No response. I called him. Still the same.

"I am going to kill him. He would fail both of us. Just where the hell could he be?" I ranted.

"Calm down, Sandhya. He must be busy with something," Parth said.

"Busy with what?"

"Umm... you know he has a girlfriend now so... you get what I mean?"

I wasn't convinced. That girlfriend of his had submitted her assignments already. And what was he doing?

"If he picks up your call, tell him that if he doesn't come to college now, I can't guarantee if he would be able to see the next sunrise."

"Oh man. You are quite scary right now. Don't worry. I would try to find out," Parth said and I nodded my head.

There was no way I was covering for him again. I had enough. Since he started dating Mahek, I had to do almost every journal by myself which was supposed to be done in pairs. And that Mahek, I don't know why, but I didn't like that girl a bit. She gave me a bad vibe.

×~×

Late, late, late. Run Sandhya. As I made my way towards the gym, 'Run' by BTS played in my mind. If I was late by just a second, Rajeev made me do hundred pushups the next day. I wouldn't let it happen today.

"Watch out!" Someone grabbed my left arm and dragged me to the side.

"You could have just gotten hit by a bike. Look where you are going," the boy warned.

I thanked the person who just saved me. I started moving past him but stopped in my tracks. I turned my head slowly and my eyes widened.

"Mahek?"

"Sandhya! Oh shit."

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

Wasn't she supposed to be with Shree? Most importantly, why did she had her arm around that guy's waist? I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Can you tell me where is Shree?" I asked her.

"Umm... must be at his home?"

"You don't know? He didn't come to college today and he didn't even submit the chemistry assignment. Can you please tell your boyfriend to do that? I will be really thankful."

"Boyfriend?" The guy beside her looked at her in confusion and her face paled for a second.

"She meant friend. Come on, we are getting late. I will try Sandhya."

"Okay, thanks."

They left and I could hear that guy asking her about Shree. She kept glancing back at me and I motioned her to call him. She dragged her friend away and I ran towards the gym.

Now, I was definitely late. Rajeev made me work extra and even scolded me about the importance of punctuality. I just kept nodding my head absentmindedly. By now, I could recite every word he said. One time he even noticed me lip-syncing along with him and that day for me, wasn't one of the brightest days in history.

My life had fallen into a routine. Gym, college, home, gym, home and repeat. So monotonous. There was no fun. Add to that upcoming exams next month. I just had one thing to relax about. Assignments. Thanks to myself, I just had to submit them and not worry about completing them at the last minute. Good job, Sandhya. I patted myself on back.

After completing my shift, I left for home. As I boarded the bus, my phone started buzzing. I claimed an empty seat and picked up the call.

"Hello?"

"Sandhya?"

"Shree?" I checked the number.

"Yeah it's me. Don't yell please."

"You know me so well. Care to tell where the hell were you?"

"I had taken Mahek to this cafe she was bugging me about since last week."

"I don't care about that. Just submit the journal on time okay? Or we will both fail."

"Will do that. You can relax. Parth called me and told me everything."

"You better do that."

"Ciao."

"Bye."

I sighed in relief and plugged in my earphones. One more worry gone. Wait a minute! I forgot to tell him about Mahek. Should I inform him that I saw her with someone else? What would he say?

Wait, Sandhya. Don't jump to conclusions again. He could be her friend too. Yup. That was possible. Then why did she look flustered when I took Shree's name? Hm? Damn. I was thinking about irrelevant things a lot these days.

What did it had to do with me? I needed Shree to submit that assignment, and he called me just after I asked his girlfriend to tell him. She must have called him. She helped me. I didn't like her-why I don't know-but I shouldn't doubt her.

No judging. I got my own problems to solve. My stop came and I got down from the bus. As I walked on my way towards my house, I noticed a familiar figure on the other side of the road.

"Nikhil!" I called him but he didn't hear me. He kept walking and I noticed he was talking on his phone. I called him once more, but no use.

Must be in quiet a hurry. He turned a corner and vanished. I also continued on my way humming an old song. I wondered how Shreyas was doing. I hoped to see him in college tomorrow, since it was the last day of submissions. Can you believe I was friends with a secret superstar? You can't right? Me too.