Pari, Priya and Kabeer were tired after having a fun time at the fair. Although in the beginning, Pari was miffed that Kabeer will be accompanying them because her parents insisted to take him along but in the end, they all had a great time.

"One day, I will own all these fancy stuff we just saw." Pari commented as they exited the fair. She was in awe of all the things she saw at the fair which were on sale but they didn't have enough money to buy them, so they settled for the cheap candies.

But Priya was more tensed about the fact that they had broken the curfew time. It was too late now. She knew her mom would scold her and Pari. "Tch... It is soo late. Mummy will kill me." Priya whined.

"No one will say anything. Just blame it all on this loser." Pari pointed towards Kabeer and hit him lightly on his head. Priya's mom adored Kabeer because he was the only boy. She was conservative in her thinking and valued a son more than a daughter. She loved Priya and Pari but never gave them a concession on any mistake whereas she hardly scolded Kabeer. They knew if they say it was Kabeer who wanted to stay longer at the fair, Priya's mom won't say a word.

Kabeer hit Pari back on her hand and their banter continued until a group of rowdy boys approached them. At first, they walked closely behind them. Pari and Priya sensed it and started walking faster but the boys still followed them. When they saw the quiet road, with no man and car around, they stopped Pari, Priya and Kabeer and started teasing them.

Priya was very scared but held Kabeer's hand as he was too young. Pari was used to this. Some men were just disgusting, filthy and the scum of the earth.

The city in the day was chaotic with everyone running off to work and minding their own business but at night, some of these disgusting creatures come out. Pari was used to the glances men throw at her. First, they look at her face, then the long hair, then the chest and so the gaze wanders. It didn't matter that she was completely covered. The men would still ogle at her. At first, she used to be scared of these demons but she learnt that the more she gets scared, the more they will scare her. The first time she gave it back, she trembled for a few minutes, her heart pounding louder than ever. Then, she started to love the Uno reverse on them, the fear in their eyes when they realise that this little angle-like looking doll will really hurt them without hesitance.

Pari always took advantage of any weapons around her and used it against them, whether it be a stick, a rock or sometimes, she even carried a small knife with her. The goons and good-for-nothing perverts in her area knew not to mess with Pari after an incident where she thrashed a man who was trying to harass her with a stick. Pari was scary because she never hesitated before hurting others.

This time as well, Pari picked up the rock and swinged it, hurting the men in process. She was so angered that Priya had to stop her. After the men left, Kabeer held Priya's hand and calmed her down. To him, his Priya di was the most innocent one who'd get scared easily whereas Pari would scare others, if she was triggered.

Priya requested Kabeer not to utter a word at home while Pari threatened him that if he uttered what just happened, she would hit him with the same rocks.

**

A week later, it was Rose Day in their college. Red roses were all around. Some gave it to their crushes, some celebrated the day amongst friends.
Salem was surprised when a lot of girls from his class gave him roses. He was surprised because he hardly sat any classes, yet they noticed him. He accepted them all with a sweet smile and said a small thank you the girls. He loved it when girls gave him attention and he was used to it but this time, it made me feel shy because he hardly knew any of their names.

He looked for the one girl he wanted to see in the class. Ever since that night, he used to think of her often. However, he never saw that side of hers in college. In college, he was used to seeing her innocent, closed off self. Who would have thought she has a wild side to her? Strangely, he liked to see the fire in her eyes when she threatened those boys. But, there was no trace of the fierce girl he saw that night. She was the quiet girl in the class like before, only sticking to her few friends and uttering words only when asked. He thought a lot....is it that she doesn't like to talk? But all girls he knew loved to talk. Is she not comfortable with people around her? But it's been months since their college started....he concluded that may be she is not talkative. 

Finally, he saw her and her hand was full with roses.

"A lot of boys from our class gave it to her. This can be your chance to talk to talk her. Give one of these to her." Aman adviced his friend.

Salem shook his head. He didn't want to be one of the random guys who gave her a rose, who she will forget the next day. He wanted her to remember him.

"Aman, can you get me two bouquets of roses?" Aman smirked and said, "On to it." He was excited that his friend is finally going to talk to the girl he has been staring at.

Aman was in shock when Salem didn't give the bouquets to Pari. On the contrary, he went up to every girl from their class who gave him a rose and said sorry for not knowing their name. He also did sweet small talks with them.

Salem also went to Ashley, Pari's friend who had given him a rose but didn't talk to Pari at all.

"You could have talked to Pari!" Aman was frustrated by Salem's behaviour. He was familiar with how Salem noticed Pari the whole time, so why would he not take a chance to talk to her?

"And what? She was not even looking at me, so why should I talk and show her any interest?" Salem knew he had to think of another idea to talk to her.

"Maybe because you are interested in her?" Aman replied. Salem just shook off Aman's words.

"Well, well, I heard you gave roses to other girls but not your girlfriend?" Tina walked up to Salem.

"I gave it to the ones who gave me." Salem hugged Tina.

"Should I be jealous?" Tina asked in a fun manner.

"I don't know. Some of them were quite pretty." Salem replied and Tina pouted.

"I am sure none of them were as pretty as me." Saying so Tina flipped her hair. Salem rolled his eyes. "Yes, none of them were." He replied dryly, not liking her arrogance over her looks. Yes, she was pretty and had a hot body but he had seen better.

He left college and stopped for a quick smoke break at the small tapri (general store which sells cigarettes, paan and mints). He saw Pari coming out of college with Ashley and dumping the roses she received in a trashcan outside the college. He shook his head at the sight he saw. He was relieved that he didn't give her any rose because if he had seen her dumping the rose he gave her, he would be angry. She is so disrespectful, he thought. Why did she even accept it if she was going to throw it in the dustbin? People were never as they seem like.

Salem stopped going to college for two weeks as he got involved in a small time project as a model. He met Tina and his friends outside college. For some reason, when he saw Pari throwing the roses away, it irritated him and he had no mood to see her face, so there was no valid reason for him to go to college. He got to know about the exams that would be just three weeks from now. He asked Aman to help him with list of books to refer. If he failed the exams, his father would cut some of his allowances and he cannot let that happen.

He entered a library which was at distance from their college. Their college library was small and Salem didn't want distractions from other students. If he had known faces around, Salem would mostly just chat and not study at all. This library was newly opened, so he thought it would be a good idea to study here.

What he didn't expect was the librarian to be Pari. He blinked his eyes twice to check if he was hallucinating but no, it was indeed Pari. He found it funny that he had taken her name so many times in his head but never once uttered it loud or called her.

He looked Pari in the eye and gave her the list of books Aman had given him.

"I can only issue you one book at a time. Let me know which one would you like?" She informed him. It was their first conversation.

Salem was enthralled by her soft voice. He just pointed a book from the list and she got it for him. But alas, that day he didn't study at all as he just kept looking at the girl till his heart content.

Just for once, he wanted to touch her long hair, see her eyes closely and kiss her. He was almost desperate to get what he wanted.

Now, he just has to think how will he have her.

Was it going to be easy? He didn't think so but where is the fun in getting what is easy?

Aman had told him to leave her thoughts as she was hard to get.

"Let's see baby, if you are really hard to get or just pretending? Either way, I will have you." Salem declared.

_____

28th Aug 2023

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