Good morning. ❤❤❤

Tea from my side. Anyone who doesn't like tea...boooooo 😆

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 2 - Havoc at College

"Welcome to Mount College di!"

Ragini looked around in awe. "It's...Its beautiful Swara."

"Wait till you see the auditorium. Its heeeee-uuuuge!"

"Hahaha..ok Chutki, lets go to the Principal's office first."

Swara held back Ragini by the wrist "Di, please don't call me Chutki here. Or else my friends won't stop teasing me!"

Ragini chuckled. "Okay, okay. Let's go!"

After meeting the principal and getting Ragini's schedule, Swara and Ragini headed for their respective classes. They moved through the corridor amidst the crowd of students.

Suddenly, a girl came and hit Swara on the arm.

"Ouch Kriti! When will you quit your habit of hitting everyone?"

"Hehe...That's my way of saying hi!" Kriti saw Ragini standing with Swara and looked at her in confusion. "Who's this? I haven't seen her here before."

"This is my di, Ragini."

"Oh, so you're Ragini." Kriti put forward her hand for her to shake. "I've heard a lot about you from Swara. In fact, she never shuts up about you! She would be saying Ragini di did this, Ragini di did that and-"

Swara smacked her lightly on the arm. "Enough already Kriti!"

Ragini smiled at them. It looked like Kriti and Swara were best friends. 'Not to mention, they both are extra talkative.'

Ragini coughed to clear her throat. However, it was of no help as she was caught by text onslaught of a coughing fit.

"Di, are you okay?" Swara asked in concern.

"I'm fi-*cough* fi-fine." Ragini tried to speak, but couldn't stop coughing.

"Here Ragini di, have some water." Kriti passed her water bottle to Ragini.

Ragini took it and drank from it. As they waited, Ragini's cough finally died down. "Thank you so much Kriti."

"Happy to help!"

"I..I think I'll go the washroom once before going to the class. You and Kriti go ahead to your class. I'm sure I can find mine."

"Okay as you say Ragu di. You can keep my water bottle for now, in case you need it. Bye!" Kriti waved as she and Swara left the place.

Ragini waved back. She was about to put the cap on the bottle when a student rushed past her, pushing her accidentally on his way. Ragini didn't see his face, but could only note his attire.

She stumbled back and hit a guy amidst the students standing in the hallway by accident. As the bottle was open, water fell on his hair, making him exclaim out loud.

Ragini's eyes widened at the incident. "I'm so sorry! I'm really very sorry!"

All the students in the corridor stared at Ragini and the guy like a spectacle was about to take place. However, Ragini wasn't paying any attention to them. She was looking wide eyed at the guy, hoping that she didn't ruin his clothes.

"What the heck!? My hair!?" screamed the guy as he turned to her with a glare.

"I'm sorry. Someone pushed me an-"

"Do you know how much time it takes to style my hair in this way!?"

"I-"

"You what?! Who's gonna fix my hair now?"

Ragini was getting irritated at his accusations. Sure she wet his hair, but it's not like she did it on purpose. 'Besides, it's only his hair that got wet with water. Why is this guy creating such a scene just because of this little thing!?'

"Why are you looking at me like that lady? The nerve of you! You are the one who made a mistake, but you're looking at me like I'm the one who is wrong!?

'Enough is enough!' Thought Ragini "Look Mr. I know I made a mistake. But it was an accident. I didn't mean to do it. Even so, I apologized to you."

"You're apology won't fix my hair."

"Why are you so obsessed with your hair? Its not like it won't dry!"

Some of the students gasped at Ragini's outburst. She turned to look at them. 'Why do they look so shocked? Is it because I talked back to him like that? But what is there to be so shocked? Unless...unless he is someone popular in the college.' Ragini turned to him. 'So what? Popular or not, he is wrong and I'm not going to accept it!'

"Do you know who you are talking to?"

"I don't. But even if I did, I would not back down because you are wrong!"

The guy looked at her strangely 'Is this girl really foolish or truly brave? Doesn't she know I have enough power to convince the college authorities to throw her out?'

"Look girl, I'm Sanskar." he smirked at her. "The entire college knows me as The Rockstar. If you get on my bad side, your college life will be miserable. Understand me?"

Ragini glared back. "Are you threatening me?"

"No darling, I'm advising you. After all, I don't like to make beautiful girls cry." Sanskar winked at her.

'This guy is unbelievable. First he behaves rudely with me, and now he is flirting with me? Does he think I'm some air headed girl! Are girls just toys for him?!'

"Listen Swaskar, I do-"

"Its Sanskar!" he corrected her in indignation 'I'm the most famous guy in the college, and she dares mis spell my name? Sanskar Maheshwari's name!?'

"Ok. Listen Sanskar, I didn't mean to ruin your hair. It was just an accident. So stop shouting at me. Lets just be mature, forget the incident and move on, alright?"

"Forget it...just like that!?"

"Yes. I didn't know you before the accident, you didn't know me. Lets just keep it that way. You go your way, I go mine."

"Not until you fix my hair." he took out a comb from his pocket "Since you ruined it, you will fix it for me."

Ragini looked at him open-mouthed. He was embarrassing her in front of the rest of the students.

"No I'm not! I refuse to do it. What is wrong with you!?"

"I don't have the habit of hearing 'no'. Do it quickly."

"Then make it a habit from now on, because I'm not combing your hair."

He looked at her in anger. "I'll say this only once. Comb my hair and fix it right now. Or else..."

'How dare he? How dare he threaten me and talk to me this way?' Ragini grit her teeth in indignation. 'He wants me to fix his hair, doesn't he? Fine. I'll fix it! I'll fix it such that he would even fear to let any other person touch his hair again!'

Ragini grabbed his hair with both hands and pulled "You wanted me to fix your hair, didn't you? Now I am doing it!"

Sanskar tried to pull her hands away from his hair "Let go! Let go!"

"Why should I? Isn't this what you wanted!?"

Finally, Sanskar managed to pull Ragini hands away from his hair and looked at her like she was an abomination. "Are you crazy! You half and half mad lady!"

"Sanskar! Sanky wait!" came a voice from the crowd.

Sanskar and Ragini looks towards the voice. Ragini recognized the guy's clothes and glared as hard as she could. "Hey! You were the one who pushed me!"

"Ehehe...sorry about that. I was in a hurry." he replied sheepishly.

"Lucky, you know her?" questioned Sanskar.

"Um...no. But I'm the one responsible for your hair. I was in such a hurry that I pushed her accidentally while rushing ahead. I'm truly sorry."

"What was so important that you had to push me so hard?" Ragini asked in anger. 😡

Laksh rubbed the back of his head with ano chuckle. "I needed to use the bathroom." 😅

Ragini looked at him dumb-founded. She don't know if she should laugh or hit his head. 😑

"It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that you have no right to talk to me like that!" Sanskar piped in.

"Look Swaskar, wh-" Ragini accidentally misspelt his name again.

"IT'S SANSKAR!" 😣

"Ahahahaha..." 😂 Sanskar glared at Laksh who kept laughing at his misfortune. Seeing his glare, Laksh tried to suppress his laughter.
"hahaha...*cough*ahem...that was not funny... not funny at all...totally not funny. Not funny."

"Ok, Sanskar. Quit being irrational! I was talking to you in that way because you were wrong. Your friend even admitted his mistake. Why are you accusing me now!?"

"I guess its because his big ego can't handle the fact that someone doesn't recognize him" 😏 spoke a voice from behind them. Ragini turned to look at the new arrival.

'Wow. He's handsome! High cheekbones, mysterious aura, confident personality. Dreaaamy. 😍"

Laksh and Sanskar's faces turned bitter upon seeing Karan.

Ragini noticed this 'It looks like they hate each other for some reason. I guess I have to ask Swara about these class politics.'

"Its none of your business Karan, so piss off!"

"I'm the General Secretary of the College Union body. Since you are bullying a new student, I think it is my business to interfere."

(Karan 👆)

'New student? Oh! So that's why she didn't recognize me. I guess....I guess I over-reacted then.' thought Sanskar in regret. However, he refused to admit he was wrong. Instead he focused on Karan.

"Why you-"

"Leave it Sanky. We'll be late for class. Lets go." Laksh put an arm on Sanskar's shoulder and took him away.

"And what are you all standing here for? Move to your classes." Karan addressed the crowd there. "Now." although he spoke with a soft and calm voice, all the students rushed out of there in a hurry. Only Ragini and Karan were the ones remaining.

'Wow. Good looks and authority. This guy is every girl's dream man! 😍'

Raginj kept on looking at Karan dreamily. He came near her and waved a hand in front of her eyes. Ragini snapped out her trance and blushed.

Karan rolled his eyes "Listen...Ragini, right?"

"Y-yes. How did you know?"

"Like I said. I'm the General Secretary. Looking after the students' actions and the various college functions is my job. It's also falls under my duty to know about every student here."

"I see."

"I'm Karan by the way."

"Karan. Such a beautiful name. And manly too." Ragini praised him, not hiding her liking. However, her charm didn't seem to work.

"As I was saying Ragini, if you want to spend your days happily in this college, it would be best if you do not get on the bad side of the popular students here. They have great fan followings amidst the student body and those fans may make your life miserable for misbehaving with their idols. Understood Ragini?"

"Every detail. You explained everything so perfectly!"

Karan nodded. "The bell already rang 10 minutes ago. It won't do you good to arrive late in your class on the first day. You should wait in the library till this period is over and start your classes from the second period." He pointed towards the left "Go that way and turn right at the end of the corridor. You'll find the library." Karan instructed and moved past her with a simple "bye".

Ragini smiled to herself and watched him leave with the same aura of confidence.

However, before leaving, he turned back "By the way Ragini, listen."

"Yes Karan!"

"You shouldn't day dream about me or think that I might ask you out somehow. Because I already have a fiance. We are engaged and will be married in a year." Karan spoke with a straight face.

Ragini looked at him with her jaw open. 'How... how could he just blurt it out like that in front of a girl...a girl that likes him. That too, with a straight emotionless face? 😑 💔 '

He just shrugged. "Don't take it in a wrong way. I'm telling this to you before hand so that you don't get your hopes up and get heart broken later. See ya." with that, he walked away.

Ragini pouted. "Why is it that we always yearn for what we can't have? A guy like him is a dream come true. Too bad he is already taken. *sigh* Its always the same! The good and the best guys are either taken or married." Ragini mumbled to herself, as she walked towards the direction of the library.

#At the Library#

She looked through the rows of books lined up there. "Ugh! There are so many books on Shakespeare. They even have essays on him! Ugh! I will never understand why people like reading Shakespeare's plays so much."

Finally she found some crime and mystery books. She took them and looked for a place to sit.

'That table is already full with other students. The other table is too short.' Ragini looked around and saw a table at the corner of the library 'That table looks nice. It's placed separately from the rest and I can read peacefully!'

Ragini moved towards the table. She sat at the table and started reading.

After sometime...

"Um....May I know who you are, sitting at my seat?"

Ragini looked up to find a guy looking down at her quizically.

Raginj stood up abruptly and glared at the guy. 'It's the same guy who complained about his hair to me in the corridor!'

She looked at his hair and noticed that it was well combed now, unlike the crazy haphazard way it was styled before. 'What the heck!? Didn't this guy lecture me and argue with me for ruining his infamous hair style? But now...now he himself changed his looks! He even looks calm and satisfied with it.'

"YOU HYPOCRITE!" Ragini shouted in anger.

"Ai! No shouting in the library!" hollered the librarian from the counter.

"Sorry." Ragini apologized and turned to the guy "You hypocrite!" she whisper-shouted.

"Eh?" He looked at her shocked and whispered back "Look miss. Its okay if you want to sit here. Usually no one except me and my best friend sit here, so I was just enquiring."

"Listen here. If you think that acting polite now will make me forgive you, than you're wrong!"

"Forgive me? Why would I want you to forgive me, when I know I haven't done anything wrong against you?"

Ragini looked at him shocked "You...You're unbelievable! Even after all that happened, you refuse to admit that you were wrong? You still think that you were right!?"

"Look here miss. I just met you now an-"

"Now you've even started lying? A jerk, liar and a pretender!"

"Hey. Watch what you say. I'm not being rude to you as you are a girl. But if you cross your limits-" he felt a hand on his shoulder and found Karan looking at him with a smirk.

"Anto, let me handle this."

He wanted to retort, but decided to trust Karan. Afterall, Karan was his best friend and he would not do anything against him. He gave Karan a smile and nodded.

Ragini looked at Karan in confusion. "Karan... didn't you call him Swaskar before?"

"Not Swaskar, its Sanskar." Karan corrected.

"Yes, Sanskar. And....and it looked as if you two hated each other. But now you both are acting like good friends?"

Karan shook his head. "The guy you met before - the one who argued with you regarding his hair, was Sanskar. And yes, I do hate him." he agreed. "But this? This is Ansh, Sanskar's younger twin and my best friend."

Ragini felt like someone had dropped ice-cold water on her. "That guy...this one...twins?" Karan nodded.

"Oh my! I'm sorry! So so sorry! I didn't mean to be disrespectful! I'm really really sorry!" Ragini joined her hands and apologized to Ansh.

Ansh smiled at her embarrassment. In fact, he found her somewhat cute.

"Its okay Miss. I guess we both were victims of some misunderstandings."

Ragini nodded "Yeah. I kind of had an arguement with your elder brother. Don't mind, but he is a jerk. Is he like that at home too?"

Ansh's face became emotionless in an instant. "We um...he isn't a part of our family anymore. He lives separately in a flat he bought with his own money."

"But he is still studying in college isn't he?" Ragini questioned. 'Where did he get the money?'

"He's made a career out of singing. He earns quite enough from his albums."

"I see. What about you? Do you sing too?"

"No. I'm a computer programmer. Karan too."

"Wow! You both are twins but both brothers are totally different in your choice of careers." Ragini remarked jokingly. However, Ansh frowned. He picked up his book and left.

Ragini watched him go in confusion. "Did..did I say something wrong?"

Karan sighed "You see Ragini, Sanskar left home because his parents didn't approve of him singing. They wanted him to become a programmer. Mr. and Mrs. Maheshwari wanted their kids to follow the family business."

"Maheshwari? Isn't the owners of this college also-"

"Yes. It is their parents who own this college. However, their main business is Techno. Pro, one of the largest software and web development companies in India. They wanted Sanskar to inherit the business in future, as he was the eldest among the three children."

"Three?"

"Yes. The twins have a younger sister named Sara."

When Ragini nodded, Karan continued "Sanskar left, which has made Anto the next inheritor. Sanskar has passion for singing, not programming."

"Sanskar left home, but he studies in his parents' college?"

"Its for his friends. And he also gets the best contracts through the college."

"I may be wrong, but looking at Ansh's reaction....it kind of seemed that he hates his brother."

Karan nodded in affirmation.

"Why do they hate each other? Is it because Sanskar rejected his parents wish?" asked Ragini.

"Well you see, when...when Sanskar left home, their grandmother was furious at their parents. She eventually left home and went to stay abroad with her younger son for good. Anto knows Sanskar wouldn't ever want his grandmother gone, but...but he cannot bring himself to forgive Sanskar for it. He holds Sanskar responsible for his grandmother's leaving."

Karan looked up at Ragini. "It would be best if you do not bring up anything about Sanskar in front of Anto."

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't know about them. I'll go apologize to Anto right away."

Karan chuckled. "Only close friends and family call him Anto. His name is Ansh. Don't confuse."

"Oh. Okay. I'll go apologize."

"Not now. Anto isn't in a good mood right now. Talk to him later. He visits the library in the evening."

"Okay."

Karan waved her bye and left.

Ragini sighed as she flopped back down on the chair. "First day of college and I've already pissed off one of the most popular guys in the college, created a scene in front of the entire college body, upset the future heir of Techno. Pro and embarrassed myself in front of the General Secretary." she put her head on the table and sighed. "Welcome to Mount College indeed."

***********************************

To be continued...

Twins?
Laksh as only a best friend, but not brother? Shocked?

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Thanks!

~ 🌹 Mona 🌹