Free Palestine 🇵🇸

•••

It was Anokhi's first day at the university. Apparently, she was the oldest student in the class and everyone was curious to know why she decided to do her Master's now, especially when her small business was doing well. So she narrated the entire story of how it's her grandfather's wish. And by the end of it, everyone was laughing at her situation.

“Why don't you just marry someone with a degree in Maths? Your grandfather just wants another Maths enthusiast in the family,” said Anusha. She was a 21-year-old nerd from the family of Maths teachers. Maths basically ran in her blood.

“I better stay single forever rather than marry a Maths enthusiast,” Anokhi dismissed the idea immediately.

“Why so? Maths lovers are also humans,” she heard someone say from behind.

“They are not humans. They are a torture to humanity- You!” She turned around to look at the owner of the voice and Veer Bhonsle was standing at the entrance of the classroom with a giant book of Mathematics tucked under his arm.

Veer smirked at her bewildered reaction, “Then let me torture the humans present in this classroom,” he went to stand behind the podium and introduced himself in a quirky way, “I'm your professor Veer Bhonsle and you'll have to endure my torture every morning during the first lecture.” He opened the book and then looked at the students who scattered back to their seats by then. “And don't go on my young age and handsome face, I'm not going to go easy on you all when it comes to tests and assignments.” Veer directly looked at Anokhi while uttering those words.

Anokhi felt like crying, “Vaat lagli, Anokhi. This Vedya is a professor?”

Studying maths was already a challenge for Anokhi. But studying it from Veer Bhonsle was going to be a torture.

“Maybe I should bribe him with some Achaar Papad? No! He wasted my Nani's forty years of hard work! I'm not gonna forgive him ever even if he gave me a hard time,” Anokhi told herself with determination.

✿ ✿ ✿

Veer was having breakfast at Ranbir's place with Anokhi's Achaar that Ranbir bought for him.

They were having Paranthas when Veer spoke, “Oh, Ranbir, turns out Anokhi is pursuing Master's in Mathematics. She is my student now.”

Ranbir chuckled, “Good, maybe now she will let you buy her Achaar in order to get good assessment.”

Veer shook his head, “I don't think so. She still throws daggers at me with her eyes. And I don't think she cares about good grades. She hates maths.”

“Then why she is studying maths?” Ranbir asked with a frown.

“I think her Aajoba has a hand in it. When I went to her house, I met him. He is crazy about maths.”

“That's weird.”

“But I don't think she'll be able to complete her degree. I mean, how will she get good grades when she is so repulsive towards maths?”

“It's not impossible.”

“We'll see that,” said Veer and drank a few gulps of water.

✿ ✿ ✿

Anokhi's scores were a little below decent, but still they were enough to get her passed. That afternoon, Anokhi gave a treat to her classmates in the university canteen because she passed the mid-semester tests. Now that's a different thing that Anusha had helped her with the multiple choice questions and formulae.

“My whole family loved the Achaar you gave me. It's savoury and tangy. Just perfect!” Anusha gave a chef's kiss. Her classmates couldn't agree more.

Anokhi smiled, “I'm glad you all enjoyed it. I'll get some cupcakes from the counter.” Saying so she headed to the counter.

The girl behind the counter gave her exactly ten cupcakes as Anokhi had ordered. Anokhi paid the price and headed back to the table. But then a tangy fragrance reached her nostrils. It was the fragrance of her Gajar Ka Achaar. She turned towards the direction of the aroma and saw Veer sitting with a coworker and eating a Parantha with her Gajar Ka Achaar.

Anokhi, with a paper bag filled with cupcakes in her hands, marched towards Veer who was busy talking to his colleague.

“Why do you have that Achaar?” Anokhi asked angrily.

That was when Veer noticed her presence. He looked up at her face. He could see fury in her eyes even through the specs she wore. He managed to chew the morsel in his mouth and took a gulp of water before standing up from his chair.

The onlookers stared at both of them with curiosity. They wondered what was going on between Anokhi and Professor Veer. They won't be surprised if they were dating. They were almost the same age.

“My neighbor gave me the Achaar which happens to be made by you. Am I banned from eating your Achaar?” asked Veer. He kept his tone neutral because few minutes ago he was mentally praising her for making such delicious Achaar.

“I don't want you to eat the Achaar I make,” Anokhi told him angrily.

“Why? I like it,” his words came out sincere. He loved her Achaar way too much to act rudely with her.

“I just don't like you,” Anokhi shrugged.

“Don't like me. I will still get my hands on your Achaar anyhow, by hook or crook,” And he ate an entire piece of Achaar, as if declaring a rebellion against her.

Anokhi gaped at his audacity, “Are you challenging me?”

“Yes,” Veer gave her a tight-lipped smile and sat down to continue eating.

Anokhi huffed in annoyance and walked back to her classmates, who were looking at her with curiosity. She told them the story of how Veer Bhonsle broke the Burnee carrying her Nani's forty-year-old Achaar. And, by the end, all of them were angry at their young and handsome professor. They could only imagine how heavenly that Achaar would have been.

•••

I had sworn that I won't watch another trashy romance after how Tere Bin unfolded. But here I am watching Iqtidar now 😮‍💨

Ali and Anmol's chemistry is 🤌

And Saman Shah's character is like a breath of fresh air.

•••

I'll try to update soon. I think the story will end soon.

Bye 👋