"Daadi ye Aryan hai, mera bahot achha dost aur ye Arikta aunty, Aryan ki mom. Inho ne hi mujhe khila khila ke moti kar diya hai" I say and chuckle.

"Namaste maa ji. Please baithiye na. Sanyukta bahot taarif karti hai hamesha aapki. Kya loge aap? Chai? Coffee?" Arikta aunty asks as we settle down on their couch.

"Nahi nahi. Abhi jaane ke liye already late ho gaye hai hum. Prize distribution ceremony 12 baje shuru hogi na" daadi says looking around the house.

"Mom aapko apni special chai pilaaye bina nahi jaane degi. Aur puch kya rahi ho mom, laao aap" Aryan says and sits in front of us and aunty hurries into the kitchen happily.

"Maine sunaa hai ke tum meri bachhi se bahot kaam karwaate the" daadi says staring pointedly at Aryan and his eyes widen and he starts panicking.

"Kaam? Sanyukta.. vo.. mai"

I and daadi start laughing at his shocked expression and he looks at us confusedly.

"Kya Aryan? Itna bataya hai tumhe daadi ke baare me fir bhi tum fass gaye?" I mock him and he slumps back on his seat.

"God! That was.. daadi mujhe abhi heart attack as jaata" Aryan says laughing lightly.

We get into an easy conversation talking about Panchgani. Daadi has loved this place and Aryan has promised her to show her all the best locations whenever she feels like visiting here.

When aunty arrives with the tea, we talk about the boutique and drink the chai which I have grown to love. After about half an hour we decide to leave and Aryan offers to drop us.

We get down and thank Aryan. "Beta jaise hi Mumbai aaoge pehle humare ghar aana. Jab tak tumhare ghar ka finalize nahi hota humare saath reh sakte ho" Daadi offers.

"Thanks daadi but mai rent pe apartment lene wala hu. Vo bhi aapke ghar ke paas hi hai. But mai subah shaam aate rahunga aapko disturb karne" Aryan says and bends down to hug her.

"Tumhari height toh Amitabh Bachchan jaisi hai." Daadi says and we all start laughing. Then Aryan turns towards me as I wear my graduation gown and cap. He looks at me proudly and straightens my cap.

"Look at you, looking so grown up" Aryan says grabbing my shoulders and looking at me with a smile.

"You mean mai aunty lag rahi hu!?" I say with a straight face.

"I guess you will never learn to take compliments" Aryan rolls his eyes and pulls me in a hug. I chuckle in his chest and pull away.

"I'm gonna miss you. Jaldi Mumbai aao ok?" I say. He cups his ear and bends forward. "Kya tumne abhi ye kaha ke tum mujhe miss karogi? Zor se bolo maine sunaa nahi"

I swat his arm. "Get lost" I say rolling my eyes.

"Now that's like the Sanyukta I know. I'll be there in a few weeks. Mere liye koi achhi Mumbai ki girlfriend dekh ke rakho" he says.

"Tum aao toh! Seedha shaadi hi karaa deti hu tumhari" daadi says patting his shoulder and Aryan raises his hands in surrender and laughs.

I realise that the campus is filling up quickly. There is a lot of chattering going on and all the students are already in their gowns.

Aryan decides to leave and I quickly give him a peck on his cheek and he slightly blushes and drives away, promising us to meet soon.

When I turn back to find that one face I am dieing to see, I spot him. He is standing at some distance with a grim expression on his face and his eyes glued on me.

Uh oh! He saw us. Jealousy alert. He is not really fond of Aryan. God knows why.

But seeing him standing just a few steps away from me makes me so happy. Yes we talked everyday on the phone but now he is hear in flesh. Now I can see him and touch him. And I want to touch him as soon as possible even though he is a bit mad. I know how to bring a smile to that face.

So without wasting much time and thinking too much, I run towards him and literally jump into his arms hugging him tightly. He is taken aback and he looses his balance but soon he hugs me tightly in return and lifts me up my feet twirling me around. I giggle in his arms not caring about the look all the people are giving us.

He sets me on my feet and leans forward. Someone clears her throat from beside us. Daadi! Shit!

We jump backwards, embarrassed. Daadi is smiling slyly at us. Oh god! My daadi is really a weird woman. Her grand daughter was about to kiss a guy and she is enjoying the scene. Wow.

"Bahot hi achha tarika hai milne ka" daadi says smiling.

Randhir quickly recovers from the shock and smiles mischievously. "Daadi, aise hi toh milta hu mai. Dekho.." Randhir pouts his lips fully and leans towards daadi as if trying to kiss her.

"Randhir!" I and daadi say together and he just laughs. "Ye ladka kabhi nahi sudhrega" daadi says as Randhir hugs her.

"Shaitaan kahi ka" I mumble and Randhir kisses my cheek and whispers in my ear, "Tumhara". I blush at his words.

"Daadiiiiiiii" I hear Vidushi's squeal and she comes running towards us and hugs daadi. "Kaisi ho aap daadi. Aap mere liye laddu laaye? Aapke saree ka colour kitna wow hai daadi.. aur daadi.."

"Dost dost na raha" I sing with a sad face and Vidushi turns towards me and pokes out her tongue.

"Oh shut that drama" she says hugging me. So many hugs in one day.

"Enough now. Leave my girlfriend" Randhir says pulling Vidushi backwards and standing beside me with an arm around my waist. Yes, my boyfriend doesn't even like girls touching me.

______

Vidushi drags daadi away to meet Parth. Randhir is teasing me and I am jumping up and down calling him all sorts of names trying to hit him but failing miserably. I put an arm around his shoulder trying to pull him down which makes him laugh more loudly. He abruptly stops laughing when his eyes fall on somebody.

"Dad" he says curtly. Shit! I lose my balance and am about to fall just when Randhir steadies me.

Great! Just great! Here I am jumping on his son trying to knock him down, calling him a 'bandar ka bachha' and that's when he decides to see me. I hope he didn't hear it. Now that's a perfect first impression Sanyukta. Ground, can you swallow me up please?

I stand straight and straighten my dress clumsily, trying to wipe away the creases. When I look up I see a man with a blank face looking at me. I guess I see disapproval in his eyes but it's hard to tell because his face is as hard as stone.

"Sanyukta ye mere dad hai aur dad ye meri.. girlfriend hai.. Sanyukta Agarwal" Randhir introduces us and I feel the thick layer of tension around us.

"Ermm hello.. sir" I say and smile at him. I forward my hand to him but he just looks at my hand and then me. Again I see a look of disgust in his eyes but it's really hard to tell.

I drop my hand and take a step backwards. Randhir quickly holds my hand and is about to say something to his dad when a lady's voice interrupts him.

"Randhir?" I look up to see a lady along with Vidushi and daadi coming towards us. She has the same face cut like Vidushi but her eyes are the exact same like Randhir's. She is wearing an elegant blue saree and her face is so pleasant with those smiling eyes. I immediately like her.

"Oh my my. Sanyukta right?" She asks and embraces me before I have a chance to answer. She holds my face in her hands and looks at me with wonder. "Very pretty. Kitni khoobsurat hai ye, Randhir. Are you sure she loves a spoilt idiot like you?" I chuckle at her words.

"Maa!" Randhir exclaims. "Sab ulta hi bol rahi ho tum" he rolls his eyes and pulls me closer. I just blush.

"Randhir ne bahot bataya hai tumhare baare me" she says looking at both of us like we are some celebrity jodi.

"Don't believe a word. Mai itni buri nahi hu" I say and she just laughs. Randhir's dad is nowhere to be seen. Vidushi goes to look for Parth. And daadi and Randhir's mom talk animatedly about.. well everything. Women!

"I can't wait to kiss the living daylights out of you" Randhir whispers in my ear very softly and a shiver runs down my spine. Oh I so desperately want to kiss those lips too. I have been craving for those addicting lips since two weeks and when he says such things it's so difficult to keep control.

After a few minutes, announcement is made asking all the students to gather in the sports ground and the parents are asked to take their places on the bleachers. Daadi goes with Randhir's mom. I am so glad that they are getting along.

Just when I am about to go behind them, Randhir grabs my arm and starts pulling me inside the building. What?? I start protesting and pulling away but he has held my hand in a vice like grip, ignoring my protests.

"Randhir we need to go.. tum kar kya rahe ho? Daadi waha..."

My words are cut short when he quickly pulls me inside an empty classroom and pushes me against a wall. And then in just a blink of the eye his lips come crashing on mine. Whoaa.

He kisses me hungrily, moulding my lips in his. Just in a moment I'm responding to his kiss grabbing his arms and pulling him more closer so that there is no gap for even air to pass between us.

I suck at his lower lip and there is a strangled sound from his throat. I kiss the corner of his mouth and then trail kisses down his jaw. "Sanyukta..." he groans. Our breathing is heavy and mingling with each other.

I look into his eyes which are full of desire. "Iss bachhe ko tumhari wild side bahot pasand hai" he says grinning evilly at me. I blush and bury my face in his chest and he just chuckles. Is this what it's like to be crazy in love...?

______

We all sit roll number wise and since my surname is from A, I am sitting in the first row. After the principal's and the head boy's speech, the long process of the prize distribution starts. After one hour we are all done.

Lastly the names of toppers are announced to give them a special trophy. Randhir is ranked first in his course of BSW and the only one in our group to get a trophy.

Our whole group cheers loudly for him when he walks to the stage. My voice is the loudest. I am so so so so proud of him.

He grins while receiving the trophy and blows a kiss at me. I make a gesture of catching it and placing it on my heart.

But then his smile fades when his eyes land on someone. I follow his gaze and see that his dad is just sitting with a blank expression not even clapping or looking at the stage at Randhir. Beside him, his mom catches my gaze and gives me a tight smile.

I look at Randhir and he gets off the stage with his head hung low. Why is his dad so.. stone hearted?

_______

After the ceremony, I and daadi have lunch in the canteen. Everyone is with their own family. "Tumhare mummy papa abhi hote toh bahot proud hote Sanyukta" daadi says wiping her eyes with her pallu. I hug her trying to keep my own tears at bay.

Daadi wants to go to washroom to adjust her saree so I take her to the washroom on the backside of the college. The others are mostly full and chaotic.

I wait outside and I hear faint shouting noises from the classroom on the far end of the corridor. The curious girl that I am, go to see what the commotion is about.

"I am the damn topper dad. Can't you see this trophy? Is this not enough?"

Shit! It's Randhir's voice and he sounds really frustrated. I should not listen to their family talk but I can't seem to move my legs which get rooted on the spot.

"Trophy kha ke zindagi kaatoge kya. Ab tak toh tumhe job ke liye letter bhi nahi aaya hai. Abhi bhi chance hai Randhir. Ye gareebo wali field chhod do and so something useful." His dad says in a raised voice.

"Aji jaane dijiye. Aa jaayega letter." I hear his mom's voice.

"Tum kuch mat bolo Renuka. Tumhare laad pyar ka hi nateeja hai ye. Bass zidd karte reh jaayega ye life time. Do saal pehle bina humse puche vo bike bech di. Kal hume hi bech ke kha jaayega. Paiso ki zara bhi value nahi iss ladke ko. Dusro ki seva karne chala hai. What about you? Help yourself first. The whole college has a job except you."

There is a crashing noise and Randhir speaks up. "Mujhe kal tak job nahi mili toh mai ghar chhod ke chala jaunga. Aapke paiso pe aur nahi jeena mujhe", he says each word slowly. Oh no no no shit shit shit shit!!!!!

There are footsteps nearing me and I hide in the corridor. I hear Randhir's mom following him trying to console him. I slowly collapse on the floor with my head in my hands going through the whole conversation. What the hell did just happen.

I hardly process the words when a figure looms over me. I look up to see a hard cold face but with eyes full of fire.

Shit!

Randhir's dad!

_________

Dun dun dun.... Cliffhanger!! Don't kill me please. Thoda late ho gaya update karne me but the chapter is a long one, so I hope I'm forgiven. Shit is gonna go down!!
Ok now byeeee :*