It had been a month and a lot had changed. The lectures were getting harder, friends had changed, fall had come in causing the tree leaves to change color. But one thing remained the same. The animosity between Rahul Muskaan Armaan and Shilpa. They fought at each and every opportunity they got, and it's not like they tried to stop themselves from saying all such foul stuff to each other either. They had done it so much that it became a part of their routine to hate each other. Kabir and Nisha would usually have to make amends between the four of them so that the third world war doesn't take place. Over the month Muskaan had met more people, not necessarily the right kind of people though. The biggest problem was that Muskaan herself didn't notice the change in her.
A change so big that her and Kabir had grown apart. Slightly, yes. But none-the-less slowly growing apart. Shilpa had immersed herself more and more into her book. So much so that sometimes sunlight would irritate her skin. Her skin was just not used to that much light as it was used to being shut up inside a closed environment. Rahul was the apple of all the professor's eyes. He wasn't a nerd per say, but he had a knack for the literary arts, causing him to win hearts of professors and students alike. Particularly in the female crowd. Armaan who had been a flirt from his teens, continued charming a new girl every week. But they were all just for fun, he had his goal in mind; to become a well known dentist in the US.
"Ughhh what am I gonna do now?" Armaan said pacing around in his small room.
"What's up Armaan? Itna preshaan kyun hai?" Rahul asked biting on his peanut butter jelly sandwich.
"Arey yaar, prof gave me a project...and for that I'll have to work with that evil girl" Armaan pouted.
"Shilpa? Haha tu toh gaya" Rahul laughed.
"I so wish and I will pray that you get stuck with Muskaan in some project in future" Armaan said glaring at Rahul.
"Chill yaar, mazak kar raha tha" Rahul giggled looking at Armaan's worried face.
"I'm off to the library..have to meet that monkey for a project" Shilpa said wearing her jacket as it was getting colder each day.
"Good Luck..and try not to argue in the Library" Nisha said shutting off her laptop.
"I won't...unless he starts ok byeee" Saying that Shilpa left.
"Muskaan yaar, aaj kal bohot busy ho kya? we barely get to meet" Kabir said as they walked out of the Student Union.
"I don't know Kabir, I try to meet you but it just doesn't work..I mean" Muskaan tried explaining but she was confused on why was she staying away from him. She liked him but it was just not working out for some reason.
"Ok rehne do, baad mein explain karna..I have to go now..see you around" Saying that Kabir gave her a quick kiss on her cheeks and ran off to one of the meetings.
"Shilpa, why are you so quiet today?" Armaan asked as they sat on one of the tables.
"Coz we're in library and I wanna get done with this without any problem" She said taking out her laptop.
"Acha? we'll that day we were in library you still argued...so aaj kya hua?" he asked just sitting there and doing nothing.
"Don't make me start Armaan....and start working!!" She demanded.
"Hey Muski...aaj Kabir nahi aaya?" Nisha asked as she saw Muskaan coming in the room alone.
"Nah, he had some meeting.." she said throwing her bag on her bunk.
"Awww ok.." Nisha said going back to reading.
"Shilpa kahan hai?" Muskaan asked.
"Library...Armaan ke saath" Nisha informed almost giving Muskaan a heart attack.
"WHAT?? Armaan ke saath? Uska dimaag toh theek hai na?" Muskaan asked taking off her boots.
"She had to do some project with him so yeah she had to go" Nisha said.
"I feel bad for all the students who are trying to study for their mid-terms in the library" Muskaan said shaking her head.
As Muskaan flipped open her book she got a call.
"Hey Muskiii part over at Marquee tonight! You in?"
"Hey Sarah, no.. I need to start studying for midterms.." Muskaan says.
"Muski sweetheart you still got time for those! And come on babe this is gonna be the party of the year!!" Sarah says.
"You said that for the last one too" Muskaan says chuckling.
"Come on Muski! Just one night" Sarah says coaxing her.
"Uh.. Alright! Count me in!" Muskaan says grinning.
"Alright we will be going over at eight in the night, so just meet me at my room k?"
"Alright will be there!" Putting away the phone, Muskaan gets back to reading.
"One caramel frap!" Rahul says putting the drink on the counter. He had started working at Starbucks a few weeks ago for pocket money.
"When do you get off your shift?" asks a tall brunette, taking the drink.
"In a couple of hours" Rahul says smiling.
"You wanna accompany me to Marquee tonight?" the brunette asks fluttering her eyes "Pleasee"
"Sure!" Rahul agrees.
"Here's my number" the brunette says passing a paper to Rahul "Oh by the way I'm Sheila" she says smiling.
"I know who you are; we are in the same class remember?" Rahul asks.
"Oh silly me..I thought only I had eyes for you.. but I guess you noticed me too" Sheila says in a flirtatious tone before leaving.
"Hey sweetheart" Armaan winked at a girl who was passing by. Getting irritated by his behavior Shilpa rolls her eyes.
"Armaan you are here to work not flirt" Shilpa said slightly closing her laptop so she can see his face.
"Jealous that nobody looks at you in that way?" Armaan asked.
"And why do you think that?" Shilpa asks.
"Coz look at you...you are not like other girls, you don't were skirts..dresses...you don't go to the parites..and you are just boring, and ur hairs they are always tied up" Armaan said "You're different from your sister..yeah its true that both of yous are evil but you guys have completely different dressing sense" he added. "And you just can't dress like other girls" he finished.
"You know what? I don't care what you think..just mind your own business" Shilpa said continuing her work.
"Oops kuch ziyaada hi bol diya" Armaan thought to himself.
"Kabir I don't wanna hear anything you ARE coming to the party" Rahul said before going for the shower.
"Armaan ko lekar ja.." Kabir yelled.
"He is coming...and you are coming as well" Rahul yelled back.
"Nisha yaar samjha na ise...she has to come to the party" Muskaan said as she looked for her dress.
"Yes Shilpa you have to come" Nisha said while straightening her hairs.
"Fine I'll come" Shilpa said finally giving up.
Even though Shilpa
still didn't want to go, she agreed just to get both the girls off her back,
but seeing the kind of dresses Muskaan was trying to get her to wear, Shilpa
refused adamantly.
