"So lets see what we have to discuss this week. I was assuming that we could do an extensive discussion of Jane Austen's novel, '''Pride and Prejudice'''

I almost internally screamed as I closed my eyes in anticipation. No offense against the novel, well who was I to judge a classic, but the entire idea of having a discussion and expressing our personal opinions and stuck up reality to one of the portrayals in the boom was just plain idiocy.

But it was a part of education and there we go.

"So assuming that you have all read the novel....." the professor continued, and the crowd laughed.

A perfectly lame response to a perfectly lame question.

I rolled my eyes and drummed my fingers on my desk as I waited for the question he was going to pose us with.

"Why do you think Darcy-" he began but he was interrupted by a loud hit on the door and a girl stumbled in.

The girl had a mess of dark brown hair covering her face as she wore a light skirt and a dark blue blouse over it. I still couldn't see her face but the professor was annoyed by it.

When she got up, I saw that it was same girl whose car started to sound its alarm in early hours of the morning.

Great, the klutz just waltzed herself into the room. And now she was going to get a lecture about punctuality.

The professor sighed and said, "Just don't do this again."

He looked defeated over it. Well I couldn't understand his response. If I had been the one, I would have gotten a earful of how my poor time management was going to crush me in my life. But a girl comes stumbling and its all in the drain.

That partial fucker.

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose as the girl smiled and nodded before she took her seat.

A few minutes of silence persisted as the class shifted uncomfortably in their positions and I rested my chin on my hand placing my elbow on my table.

The professor rather fazed by the events that just unfolded cleared his throat and began again, "So back to the question. Why do you think that Darcy and Elizabeth are both guilty of having prideful and prejudiced emotions towards each other? And how do you think that these emotions are the driving force of the entire story?"

He paused to create and dramatic pause effect and I rolled my eyes.

"Anyone is welcome to share opinions on this." He continued and a few hands shot up.

Of course, people loved to talk about the triumph of love over themselves and whatnot. People love that cliché aspect of the story.

A girl got up and began her interpretation. "Well I think that the reason why they were guilty of harboring pride within themselves and having prejudices directed at each other because they hadn't discovered that they were soulmates yet. But if they had, it would have proven to be a different situation. Their love would have consumed them and they wouldn't have even had the thought of igniting such hateful emotions in their heart."

She finished and say down in her seat, pleased with herself as the professor nodded.

I guess her passionate vocalizations of their all consuming love got something out in me and I found myself standing up and saying, "I beg to differ from your opinion."

The professor was a bit taken aback by my decision to participate and retorted, "Nice of you to consider, Mr. Mahfud. But would you care to elaborate."

I shook my head and said, "There's nothing to elaborate, Sir. Its clear on the first page itself. Elizabeth, though one of the most complex female characters ever written, is certainly guilty of having her own negative opinions about Mr.Darcy. But those opinions are due to her though processing and her way of seeing the world. Not due to her 'Love' not existing for Mr. Darcy." I scowled as I mentioned the word, making air quotes with a hand.

"And coming to Mr.Darcy, I think in the beginning few chapters, Darcy establishes himself as a self proclaimed critical person who is very proud and conceited. And this has to do more with their personalities more than their affection for each other. If I am correct." I said, looking at the girl who looked back at me, her mouth slightly agape.

I smirked and added, "The answer to the second question, however is only one. It is their hate in the beginning which over time is changed into love. And that's why the story clicks. Not because they forgot it. Rather it was the seed from which it grew." I finished and sat down.

The class was silent for a few seconds and the professor smiled and managed to choke out the words. "Mr. Mahfud, I have nothing to say about your analysis. It seems to be negative but nevertheless it is also a truth which is ignored."

As far as I knew, he wouldn't have even considered my perspective.

Most of these people here, just memorized the stuff that they found online or maybe told the same idea over and over in different words.

And that sucked.

Suddenly, Miss Mystery got up from her seat and walked over to the black board mounted on the wall, grabbing a chalk stick off the table.

People were surprised as they waited for her to do her thing.

And if I were to deny being astonished, that would definitely be a lie.

And she began writing on the board.

I would like to disagree with my fellow student's opinion. She wrote and I raised my eyebrows.

"And what would that be?" I asked, unable to contain my ccuriosity. This new and rather strange girl had the audacity to question my opinion and people usually didn't do that. Regardless of the fact that I didn't talk much.

I would like to think that it is neither their pride or prejudice towards each other that keeps the story interesting. Nor it is the transformation of their hate directed at each other turned to love. It is their own conscience that keeps the story going.

She stopped and looked at me before erasing the board and continuing.

I would like to peg the fact up that even if Mr.Darcy was a conceited man, he couldn't allow himself to live with the fact that he hurt Elizabeth. And he did apologise, in his own way, which may or may not be conventional to most of the audience then and now. But it is the truth. His conscience didn't allow him to live with the fact that he had hurt someone, who he would begin to love eventually, when he could do something about it.

And Elizabeth wasn't too back either. She always made sure that she accepted her mistakes, grudgingly or not. She surrendered herself when she was in the wrong and she did what her inner self would allow her to do. Her mind wouldn't allow her to commit an act which she knew was wrong. And that is depicted through her replies and comments to Darcy and various other.

Rather than love or impressions and assumptions, it is their conscience which keeps the story going.

I was shocked.

And as much as I knew it was difficult, she was right in her own way too.

Who was this girl?

Just then the bell rang, signalling that class was over and the students got up from their seats to leave.

I couldn't move from my seat. This girl had managed to shake my opinion about life too. To not be upset about her proclamation would be wrong.

When I talked about Pride and Prejudice, it hit quite close to home. Palestina and I had shared a relationship that stemmed from annoyance to love. And that was the same situation in the book.

And when I spoke, I had been convincing myself that it was because of our dynamic personalities because of why we had fallen in love with each other. And the cause of our split too.

But it wasn't. It was our conscience that was the push of limits. It was her conscience which made her convince herself that I was too broken for her to fix.

That I was too messed up.

And it was my conscience that wanted me to get angry as she was supposed to be my girl when she was with him. When I found out, it was the same inner sense that made me snap and understand.

Thus leading to our separation.

She was right.

But the question remained.

Who was she?