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"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 4 - Circumstances

Bulbul dragged Pragya and Kriti to the auditorium. She took them near the section where the names were being registered "Pragya Arora and Bulbul Arora."

"Aren't you going to participate Kriti?"

"No Pragya di. I don't know how to sing or dance. I'll be entering the inter-college science competition. Computers are my power!"

"Besides, everyone here would probably run away screaming if you sing" joked Bulbul.

Kriti hit her playfully. Pragya smiled at them and looked around. Everyone was either practicing their dance moves or checking their vocals so that nothing goes wrong while they perform.

"Wow. There sure are a lot of singers and dancers in the college. I mean, look at the crowd here!"

"Di, about half of them don't know how to sing or dance properly. They are just here to see Shabbir and Purab."

"Why do you smile when you take Purab's name Bulbul?" asked Pragya suspiciously.

Bulbul blushed while Kriti laughed and answered "That's because she likes him"

Bulbul smacked Kriti's head "No I don't! There is absolutely no feelings in my heart for that shameless flirt."

"Its true that he is a shameless flirt. But its also true that girls die for him. Including you, right?" Kriti wiggled her eyebrows at Bulbul.

"Unbelievable Bulbul. How could you like a guy like that!?"

"Di that's n-"

Suddenly, a girl squealed loudly "Oh my! Shabbir and Purab are here!" at once, all the girls, including Bulbul, rushed to the door, blocking the way.

"Did Bulbul just rush after that jerk?! Unbeleivable!"

Kriti rolled her eyes "She's a die-hard fan of Shabbir, Pragya di. I think I lost count of how many times I've told her to stop acting like a crazy fangirl. But, nope! She won't listen."

"Hey, hey! Make way. Get away from him. He's not yours!" shouted a girl, as she and her friends pushed the fangirls back, away from Shabbir.

Pragya noticed that the girl was Tanu. 'And I guess the five girls beside her, with lots of make-up are her best friends. Ugh...They look like they have eaten the entire make-up kit in the morning!' Pragya thought, disgusted.

Shabbir and Purab made their way to the stage of the auditorium. Shabbir took the mike and cleared his throat. He raised his hand and everyone quietened "As you all know...me, Tanu and Purab are the judges to the participants who will be selected for the College Fest." a loud cheer broke out among the students.

Pragya turned to look at Kriti with wide eyes "Shakib is the judge? Then there is no way he's going to select me. I'm his enemy, in case you've forgotten!"

"Its Shabbir, not Shakib di. 😅 "

"Whatever! Do I look like I care? I'm more concerned about me getting selected!"

Kriti placed a hand on Pragya's shoulder "Relax di. I'm sure its not that big of an issue. And besides, if you are truly talented, then there is no way he would refuse you."

"That guy is an arrogant prick! He will misjudge me even if I sing well, just because of what happened in the morning."

Kriti looked down in thought "Well di, then I guess we can only hope that he keeps his personal enmity apart from this audition."

Pragya nodded and sighed. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Aliyah sitting on a seat. She nudged Kriti and pointed at Aliyah "If Shabbir is the judge, then its obvious he won't choose Aliyah. Why is she here then?"

"Di, don't forget. The college is owned by their parents. Aliyah doesn't need to give audition. Her name is already on the selected list because of her parents"

"That still doesn't explain why she is here"

"I don't know why either."

Shabbir started speaking again "Only those will be selected who get the approval from all the three judges. And you know what guys? The best singer will get to work with me in my next album!" Pragya and Kriti covered their ears as the students started squealing again. Not only the girls, but the boys were also cheering for Shabbir.

"I think I'll go deaf if I remain here any longer. See ya Di!" Kriti rushed out of there, waving at Pragya.

"So lets start the auditions!" Shabbir shouted, as he went to sit at the judge's chair, followed by Purab and Tanu.

Bulbul came near Pragya "Get ready Di. The war has begun!" 👿

"You're calling this audition a war? Seriously?" 😒

"Yes, war! We need to be the best and defeat all the rest! Cha! 👊 " Bulbul spoke with determination, with her fist raised to the sky.

"Bulbul.... you're starting to scare me now sis" 😲

#With Kriti#

"Finally! Fresh air!" Kriti sighed in relief as she came out into the corridor, away from the auditorium. Suddenly, her stomach rumbled. "Guess it's time to visit the canteen again"

"Kriti. Didn't you have your lunch during recess?" asked someone from behind.

"So what? I'm a growing teen. I got a high metabolism" Kriti turned back to tell off whoever it was and froze. It was their Math teacher. "P-Prasanth S-sir?!"

"Why are you out here, when you should be in class right now?"

"I-I-I was... I was about to go for the auditions."

"Only participants need to be there."

"I'm participating too!"

The teacher glared at her. "We both know that you can't sing even if it was to save your life. So don't try to give me excuses. You're bunking class again, aren't you?"

"N-no Sir. You se-"

"Enough. Go to your class right now!"

"But Sir-"

"No buts. Move it" said the teacher, Prasanth, pointing at the direction of her class. Kriti nodded and left for class with a sulky face. Unknown to her, Prasanth looked towards a man at the 1st floor and pointed at Kriti. He opened his phone and texted the guy.

One of Pragya's new friends. Want me to keep an eye on her?

The man checked the text and nodded towards Prasanth. He moved back and disappeared into the shadows.

#With Pragya#

"Good luck Bulbul!" Pragya shouted as Bulbul went to perform on the stage. Pragya knew that Bulbul was a great singer, but she feared that Tanu might reject her.

Pragya noticed that Tanu had rejected most of the female participants. So far, 10 boys but only 3 girls had been selected. 'She acts so bold and daring. Yet, she is so insecure that she fears someone will steal her guy' Pragya looked at Tanu in irritation.

Her eyes fell on the Purab sitting near Tanu. 'Why is he smiling for no reason? What the heck?! O wait. He's smiling at something in front of him'

Pragya followed his line of sight and noticed that he was staring at Bulbul. 'Eh? Does he like Bulbul? Or is it the way he looks at every beautiful girl? Hmm... I better keep an eye on him. I won't let him play with Bulbul's heart!'

Bulbul started singing -

"Moh moh..
Moh moh ke dhaage

hmmm...
Yeh moh moh ke dhaage
Teri ungliyon se ja uljhe

Yeh moh moh ke dhaage
Teri ungliyon se ja uljhe
Koi toh toh na laage
Kis tarah girah ye suljhe..."

Purab's smile widened as Bulbul continued singing. 'Your name suits you Bulbul. You sing so beautifully. You had already stolen my heart, now you've left me speechless with your singing' 😍

Shabbir was also looking at Bulbul with a smile. 'Her voice is so melodious. I think I shall put her name in the list'

However, Tanu noticed Shabbir's smile and her jealousy took over. She pressed the buzzer and spoke "You're not good enough. Next please!"

Purab and Shabbir looked at her in surprise. "Tanu, she sang so beautifully. How could you say that it wasn't good enough?" spoke Purab.

None of them noticed Aliyah gripping her chair harder and looking at Bulbul in anger. She didn't want to see the faces of Tanu or Shabbir, but was there to watch Purab. She didn't like him giving much attention to Bulbul or any other girl.

"I've heard better singers" Tanu said arrogantly.

'Ugh! This ignorant, good-for-nothing Tanu. This is why I never liked her. If she wasn't Shabbir's friend, I would have told her what I think of her!' He looked at Shabbir 'Poor Shabbir. When will you realise the truth about this bitch!?'

"Tanu, you should rethink your decision" spoke Shabbir.

"Nope. I've already decided. I know that this song can be sung in a much better way"

"So what? Don't act like you know a lot about singing. We took you as a judge to decide on the dancers here. Not the singers."

"We both know that a contestant needs the vote of all the three judges. I refuse. So she can't enter."

"Guys, guys! Calm down alright. Tanu, Purab is right. Bulbul was amazing!" spoke Shabbir.

Tanu looked insulted "Shabbir she-" Purab pulled her hand and whispered quietly.

"Look Tanu, if you're worried that Bulbul would steal Shabbir, then I should tell you that I like her. So don't worry about her getting Shabbir"

Tanu's eyes widened. She didn't know that Purab liked Bulbul. 'I guess I got worried for no reason. Shabbir wouldn't fall for someone that Purab, his best friend, likes.'

She turned to Shabbir "You're right Shabbir. It was my mistake" she turned to Bulbul and spoke in an overly sweet tone "I'm sorry for earlier Bulbul. You're selected"

'I wish I could punch you!' thought Bulbul, in her mind. However, on the outside, she smiled at Tanu and thanked her.

Shabbir was confused why Tanu changed her opinion so suddenly. He had seen Purab whisper something to her before Tanu's decision "You two are hiding something from me. Tell me" Tanu and Purab started giving excuses about it.

Bulbul came down the stage and hugged Pragya.

"Congratulations Chutki!"

"Di! Please don't call me that in college. And thanks!" She broke the hug and pushed Pragya forward "Now its your turn. Go set the stage on fire Di!"

Pragya shook her head at Bulbul's antics and went towards the stage. 'Alright Pragya! That arrogant prick may not choose you because of what you did. But don't let it stop you! Lets do this!' Pragya thought to herself and moved onto the stage.

#With Kriti#

Kriti sat on her seat and put her head on the table. 'I should have stayed in the auditorium with Bulbul and Pragya Di. If I had stayed, the teacher wouldn't catch me and I wouldn't have to attend this boring Biology class'

Someone poked her from behind and she looked back to see her friend looking at her quizically.

"Didn't you say you won't be attending the classes after recess?"

"I did. But that stupid Maths teacher caught me. Me and my rotten luck!"

"Good afternoon" said the teacher, as she entered. Kriti looked towards her and noticed that a boy was entering along with her.

"Students. This is Vivek. He is a new transfer student here." spoke the teacher and motioned for Vivek to speak.

He stepped forward and smiled "Hi! I'm Vivek Delgado. I'm 20 and single" he winked at the girls who sighed dreamily, looking at him. 😍

The teacher looked at him irritated "I told you to speak more about yourself. I didn't ask your relationship status"

"Then you should have just said so. I'm so dumb I couldn't understand" he joked.

Kriti rolled her eyes 'Great! Another rich pompous flirt. As if we didn't have enough of them in the college!' 😒

She noticed someone approach her "Hi. Is this seat empty?" asked Vivek, pointing to the seat next to her.

"No, I gue-"

"I see" he immediately went and sat there, before she could complete her sentence.

"How rude! What do you think of yourself huh!?" 😣

Vivek looked at her and smiled. However, his smile disappeared when she didn't stop glaring at him. 'Eh? Any other girl would have melted by now and started chatting with me. She sure is different. And I like different' he extended his hand for her to shake "You already know my name. What's yours?"

"None of your business" she was still pissed at him. 😒

"But it is my business if you will be the one to show me around the college" Kriti looked at him shocked and he smiled "The teacher told me to pick someone to show me around. And I pick you"

#With Pragya#

Pragya took the mike and looked at the judges. Tanu, Shabbir and Purab seemed to be busy arguing, but Pragya started.

"🎶Maana ke hum yaar nahin
Lo tay hai ke pyaar nahi...

Maana ke hum yaar nahin
Lo tay hai ke pyaar nahi...

Phir bhi nazrein na tum milana
Dil ka aitbaar nahi
Maana ke hum yaar nahi...🎶"

"Listen Tanu, wh-" Shabbir stopped speaking as Pragya's voice reached his ears. He closed his eyes and got lost in that voice. Tanu and Purab turned to see who was singing.

"🎶Raaste mein jo milo toh
Haath milaane ruk jaana

Ho saath mein koi ho tumhare
Door se hi tum muskaana

Lekin muskaan ho aisi
Ki jisme ikraar nahin...🎶"

Pragya stopped. The entire student body had gone silent, mesmerized by her voice. Purab stood up "That was amazing!"

Pragya smiled and thanked him. Tanu was looking towards Shabbir to see his reaction. She would decide then.

'I'm putting her name on the list, whether Tanu wants it or not. I think I will also choose her for my next album' Shabbir smiled and slowly opened his eyes to look at the singer. However, his smile disappeared when he saw who it was. "YOU! How dare you come here!?"

Pragya gripped the mike harder 'Shit! I hope he doesn't insult me in front of all the students in the auditorium. Because if he does, I won't keep quiet, and we'll end up creating a scene.'

"Arre...Shabbir, its alright. Forget what happened and concentrate on the present. Didn't you hear how she sang? It was awesome! I think we should enter her name right away" spoke Purab.

"No, we won't!"

"What? Why?!" asked Purab.

"She's not good enough!"

Purab went near Shabbir and whispered "Shabbir, is this because of what happened in the morning? I told you it was my mistake."

"But she was rude to me and you don't know how she pulled my hair" Shabbir whispered back.

Tanu noticed that Shabbir seemed to hate Pragya for some reason. 'Then I guess I have nothing to fear from her'

"I think we should select her" spoke Tanu. "Shabbir, there is no reason why we shouldn't take her in."

"I told you she isn't good enough"

"Di was perfect. Everyone here would agree to it!" shouted Bulbul from among the audience. 'I might be a big fan of Shabbir, but I refuse to accept injustice against my Di! For her, I'll fight even you Shabbir!' thought Bulbul.

"She's your sister?" enquired Purab, to which Bulbul nodded.

Shabbir tried to think of an excuse "There...there is a reason. I didn't hear her properly, as I was talking with Tanu. Sing again" said Shabbir. He was hoping that Pragya would mess up somewhere and he would take advantage of that. 'I shouted at her in front of everyone. Something like that would make anyone nervous. Come on Pragya, mess up your song and I'll get the excuse to throw you out'

Pragya knew he was lying, but remained silent 'He now knows that Bulbul is my sister. If I insult him, he might remove Bulbul's name. I can't do that to her. I guess I have to just sing again' Pragya began singing.

"Hmm...

Chhuteya na chhute mose
Rang tera dholna
Ik tere baajo dooja
Mera koi mol na
Bolna mahi bolna
Bolna mahi bolna

Hmm... aa....

Tere liye aaya main toh
Tere sang jaana
Dholna ve tere naal
Jindri bitavaan

Kadi naiyo chhodna
Ishq di dor na
Saare chhad jaayen maahi
Tu na chhodna
Bolna mahi bolna
Bolna mahi bolna..."

"So? Convinced now Shakib?" asked Pragya.

"Its Shabbir! 😡 " Shabbir corrected her.

"Ehehe... Right! 😅 " Pragya gave a  nervous laugh, while Purab snickered 😆

"That was an easy song. Anyone could sing it. Sing another" Shabbir smirked.

Pragya looked at him in anger 'How could he say that? He is doing all this just because of that incident. Selfish, unprofessional, arrogant moron!'

#With Abhi#

"What are you searching for Abhi?" asked Karan, as he saw Abhi looking under the shelves kept in the computer lab.

"I can't find my car keys anywhere. I almost forgot that Maa told me to pick her up from her friend's house"

Karan rolled his eyes "Didn't you say that Aliyah drove the car to the college today?"

Abhi smacked his own head "Damn, I forgot. I guess the keys are with her."

Abhi dialed her number and waited for her to pick up his call. "Hello? Hello Aliyah, where are you?"

(At the auditorium bhai. Is there something you needed?)

"I needed my cars keys."

(Do you want me to come give them to you now bhai?)

"No no. You stay there. I'll go get them from you. Stay in the auditorium alright?"

(Sure bhai.)

"Karan, I'll head back home after this. See you tomorrow"

Karan nodded and uttered a 'bye', without looking up from his work.

Abhi shook his head at him 'I wish you would learn to chill a bit and smile more *sigh* Guess you won't ever change'

Abhi moved out and headed for the auditorium, unaware that Shabbir and Pragya were there as well.

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To be continued...

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Thanks! ~ 🌹 Mona 🌹