Shruti

Wearing a deep V-neck black body fitting gown, I tied the ribbons on the two ends of my waist into a bow in the front of my waist.

Quickly dabbing a little foundation, concealer and highlighter on my skin, I blended it and rushed to grab my kohl to fill in the water line of my eyes. I sprayed my favourite musk perfume and clipped my rose gold titan watch on my wrist.

"Swetha. Rishita. Are you ready yet?" I called out, pushing my feet into my stilettos.

I replied to the texts from my parents as they both rushed out of our room, ready and beautiful. We locked our room as we couldn't stop glancing at Swetha.

She looked so different. So ethereal in her orange side slit gown, Kunal Sir had gifted her last night.

That being said, Rishita and I are so glad to see her and Kunal Sir so in love with each other. Just two days after Swetha had confessed, Kunal Sir proposed her infront of the super sixty team to be his girlfriend. Obviously, Swetha agreed and a ear-blasting scream.

Though initially we were a little troubled, but, since Swetha explained to us that they share their native village and are of the same caste, they have a chance, so, we are genuinely awaiting their holy matrimony.

It's the 27th of july!

After four months of rigorous workload, we submitted our project records, thesis and citations for the Royal Science Exhibition. Hence, we have a success party tonight for our efforts and dedication, without which we won't have made it.

It also meant, Sidharth Sir would be leaving for Germany anytime soon for his summer internship. For four whole months!

"Kunal Sir is going to faint out of shock tonight." Rishita whispered, nudging Swetha as we neared the celebration block of IISU.

"Shut up, girl." She hissed, blushing profusely.

We walked gracefully into the hall and my mouth fell open seeing our senior girls in such revealing gowns.

"Why do I feel so under-dressed?" Swetha mumbled as we both nodded. Still, we continued to walk in.

Kunal Sir approached us with a blueberry ice-cream cone on his hand. He quickly hugged Swetha, who shied like a newly-wedded bride.

"You look gorgeous." He whispered, pecking her right cheek.

"Ladies, You both look beautiful too." He remarked as his eyes landed on us and soon excused as his friends called him.

I saw towards their herd and my eyes landed on Sidharth Sir, who donned a white satin shirt underneath a black velvet jacket and black fitted pants. His customised metallic watch alone screamed of riches.

As Swetha went on the dance floor along with Kunal Sir, Rishita and I found our paradise in the food section. We started with onion fritters, paneer pakodas and egg chops, and were enjoying our orange soft drinks, when we heard a loud hooting.

Walking a little towards the dance floor, we saw Sidharth Sir taking a seat with an electric guitar.

In a rapid wave, his fingers worked effortlessly as in the midst of the silent hall, with a metallic pitch, the guitar string brought to life an age-old bollywood song.

Gulabi aankhein jo teri dekhi...

My heart was already fluttering with an insane feeling like fresh spring buds blooming into roses in the drizzles of the early monsoons of july, when he decided to cease my senses as he sang.

"Dil mein mere khwaab tere, tasveer jaise ho deewar pe..." His lips moved to lit the evening with the surreal melody of his husky voice.

"Tujhpe fidaa mein kyun hua, aata hai gussa mujhe pyaar pe..." His fingers strummed the strings of the guitar which seemed to me, like the strings of my heart played by him. With sheer perfection and impeccable grace and a subtle smile adorning his full lips. For a milisecond, his eyes met mine before he turned away.

"Mein lut gaya, maan ke dil ka kaha, mein kahin ka na raha, kya kahoon, mein dilruba?.." his voice went a pitch higher as he hit at all the right notes, not just of the music but, also the deep crevices of my thumping heart.

"Bura yeh jadu teri aankon ka, yeh mera kaatil ho gaya..." He concluded as others sang along in loud hoots while dancing to the tune of his electric guitar.

After the fun and frolic part, all of us had our dinner together. I could barely eat anything with a certain someone sitting just beside me, his arms almost brushing mine as we met. Though I was too bothered, he seemed to be indifferent as he kept eating with their usual jokes with other seniors.

"What's wrong?" I heard his voice as my body shook at hearing him from just beside me.

"Huh?" I gasped at his hold on my elbow.

"Stop playing with your spoon. Eat something." He shook his head at my absent-minded self, muttering something under his breath.

Stop making yourself a fool before him, Shruti!

"Uh, when are you leaving?" I inquired him as he stated at me, curiously.

"Someone seems eager for me to leave, huh." He laughed aloud but, a certain emotion of his eyes which flashed for a second, left me unsettled again.

"No, Sir. I didn't mean-" I tried to convey before he cut me off.

"Tomorrow evening." He shrugged, answering me.

"Actually, I didn't mean to question whatever I inquired. Let me reframe it. I wanted to ask, if I could call you while you would be away." My fingers clutched my kurti in a death grip while, I evoked all the dormant courage in me to finally let the question out of my lips.

What followed was a thick silence, apart from the shrill noises of the ongoing party. He was stunned, before he leisurely retrieved his senses back.

"Sorry, I think, I misheard."

To cover my embarrassment, I tried to reframe it again in my favour, "My end-sems are near. My preparations for the same are chaotic. I would need help, so, can I call you?"

He breathed as he nodded and we proceeded to share our phone and whatsapp numbers.

It was 9 PM by the time, our dinner ended so, few of the seniors insisted on playing 'Never have I ever".

All of us were twenty people who stayed. We sat on the floor in a circle as Kunal Sir rolled a glass bottle, whoever gets the head of the bottle has to answer the question of the one, who rolled the bottle.

"Never have I ever flirted with a stranger..."

We all laughed when the head pointed to him, much to Kunal Sir's horror.

"Let me roll again." He excused, to which, Sidharth Sir hit his head, gesturing him to stop his stupid antics.

"I have" he pouted as Swetha glared at him.

He rolled the bottle again, grumbling under his breath.

"Never have I ever cheated on someone..."

The bottle head soon pointed to Rishita, who answered, "Never".

Rishita rolled it, saying, "Never have I ever broke a promise made to a loved one..."

"I have." Swetha spoke, guilt clear in her tone. Perhaps, reminiscing the promise of never falling in love, she made to her grandmother. We patted her softly as she rolled the glass bottle.

"Never have I ever been cheated on..."

"I have. It was my own fiánce." Answered Kavya ma'am.

Without wasting time in consoling her, we carried on.

"Never have I ever been made a joke of..." Kavya ma'am rolled it as it pointed Sidharth Sir.

"I have" he spoke blankly without a single emotion passing through his eyes as Kunal Sir patted him.

Sighing, he continued,"Never have I ever fell in love..."

"Never" I answered as the bottle pointed towards me as his blazing eyes judged me with different emotions.

"You don't believe in love, do you?" He asked me abruptly, leaving me a little shaken in shock. Thereafter, I regained my composure and I answered a 'No'.

Though I wasn't sure of that 'No' anymore...

"Never have I ever been cherished by someone..."

"I have." Rishita smiled as she smiled a big one.

We played a few more rounds before we retired back to our rooms.

That night, before we slept, Swetha mused during her mid-conversation with Kunal Sir, "An emergency came up. Sidharth Sir is leaving tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM."

This was the final goodbye, wasn't it?

°°°

Hey People,

The tenth chapter is here. Hope you guys liked it.

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Love,
B ❤