Part 11 Heaven

The next morning

Khushi came to the college late—of course, intentionally! Not just because it was Seema's period. She had important work to do. She went directly to the staff room. As it was the first period, no professor was in the staff room. In the first period, almost every professor had classes. She knew it. That was why she came late.

She went to Arnav's desk cautiously, looking to see if anyone was coming. She pulled his table drawer and searched in it. Her face lit up, seeing his house key under a book. Taking it, she pressed it into a soap that she brought from home. The key mark was printed on the soap. She smiled like an idiot, seeing the perfect mark. That was when she heard footsteps. She was alerted and kept the soap in her bag. At the precise same time, she had removed a tiffin box from her bag, a professor entered the staff room. She kept the tiffin box on Arnav's desk and wished the professor,

"Good morning, Sir"

The Professor nodded.

"What's that?"

"Guave, sir" She left the room hurriedly before the professor asked hr anything more.

The professor took the tiffin box and opened it. The room was hit with the pungent smell of Guava. The professor closed the box and put it back.

Khushi waited for the first period to end. The second period was Arnav's period. The bell rang. She saw Seema coming out of her classroom. She intentionally headed to her classroom. As she expected, Seema smiled at her, but Khushi didn't.

"Are you alright?" Seema asked, frowning.

"Please don't talk to me, Madam", Khushi pleaded.

"Why? What happened?"

"Do you know what happened yesterday?" She asked fearfully.

"What happened?"

"Arnie lashed me over left to right for talking to you. Not only that, he said he would complain to my father. You don't know about my father. He is very strict, unlike Arnav..."

"Unlike Arnav?" Seema wondered. Khushi was the first girl to say Arnav was not strict. She might be the last girl, she guessed.

"Yes, just think about myself. If Arnav is nothing before my father, then how would my father be? Please don't take me wrong, Madam. Please don't talk to me."

Khushi was about to walk,

"One minute," Seema stopped her. Khushi looked at her.

"If you don't even have the freedom to talk to your professor, what kind of relationship will you have with him? Isn't it important for a girl to have self-esteem? You are not a slave or a puppet to dance on his tone... I thought you were an independent girl, but never thought you would be a Coward..."

Khushi looked down, making a sad face while hoping inwardly. She walked towards her class, not lifting her head.

Seema smirked because she thought she shook Khushi's firmness. She was glad that her plan worked.

In the meantime,

Arnav entered the class and could not find Khushi in her place. He looked at the last bench, expecting her to be there, like the previous day, as that was Seema's period, but she was not there. He took the book thoughtfully.

When Khushi arrived at class, her classmate Arjun also rushed to the class. He was stuck, seeing Khushi. He smiled at her, and Khushi reciprocated. Arnav, who was already there, looked at them with confusion.

"May I come in, sir?" Arjun asked.

Arnav nodded. Khushi and Arjun got inside and sat at their respective places. Arnav taught a new chapter, and Khushi listened to it sincerely. The period was over. It was a short break. Before leaving the class, Arnav called,

"Khushi..."

She stood up.

"Come out", he said and walked out.

Khushi rushed behind him. he stopped and looked at her.

"Hi..." She smiled.

"Why did you bunk the first period?"

Khushi was about to answer, but she stopped hearing him.

"If Seema is why you skip the class, don't do it. Studies are more essential than anything. You don't have to worry about her. She won't talk to you again because I shouted at her yesterday"

"Who? Seema madam, and minding about your shout? It seems she is more shameless than I," she said casually.

"What do you mean?"

"Of course, I came late to skip her period, but she caught me and named me a coward." She sighed.

"Whaaaat? But why?"

"For accepting a dominating partner like you, just for my father"

"Did she say that?"

"Not only that, she taught me how to be self-esteem and asked not to be a SLAVE"

Arnav was annoyed. He didn't know how to stop the woman.

"Don't be irritated, Arnie. I will take care of her"

Arnav was about to leave the place, but stopped hearing,

"I'm glad that you are concerned about me"

"See, this is about myself. That's why I don't want you to get into it"

"Excuse me, I've already got into it, and I don't think she will give up on US. The way she talked to me showed she started trying to feed me a self-esteem lesson and make me hate you..."

Arnav rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't hate you", she teased.

He glared at her.

"Trust me, Arnie, I won't hate you"

"Shut up, ok? Or else..."

"Or else, what? Will you show me hell...?" she asked, cheesily.

He looked at her sharply.

"I already faced hell... when you left me in the bus all alone", she said in a sad tone, which softened his expression.

"If we have our loved one by our side, no heaven is needed. The feeling of having them by our side itself will give us a heavenly feeling."

"If it is so, go and be with your parents."

"It will not happen... I already joined the Master's..." she sighed.

"Then ask them to come to Dehradun"

"They won't. By the way, why are you not with your parents? Where are they?"

Arnav was stuck.

"Are they in Lucknow? Won't they come here to see you?"

Without answering, Arnav left the place. Khushi stood thoughtfully. She could not understand his stand. He didn't pay heed to her. At the same time, he didn't shout at her like he did with Seema. She didn't know how to take that.

Arnav came to the staff room and found a tiffin box on his table. He frowned at the box.

"Didn't Khushi say she kept a box on your table?" the professor who saw Khushi keeping the box asked.

Arnav nodded, even though she didn't.

"Open the box and see..." he insisted.

Arnav opened it, and the smell of Guava literally hit their noses.

"Wow... what a smell...!" a few of them said in the same tone.

"Yeah, I think this is Allahabad Safeda..."

"Means?"

"The best Guava variety in India"

"Is it?"

"Yeah, according to some agriculture sources, it gets creamy white flesh, sweetness and bewitching smell"

"But the more I know, it's unavailable in Dehradun..."

"Yes, I think she brought it from somewhere through someone, especially for Arnav", he teased.

Listening to the professor's conversation, Arnav looked at the fruit pieces with deep thought. The previous day, she also left a dry fruit box on his table, which also looked imported. How did she get all of them? From where? Through whom? Her parents were also not with her. She was staying with her aunt. Then, how did she bring these things? He could not understand.

To be continued...