Part 11 -
Kria sat in the library. It was 5:20 pm. Neha had been in the computer lab, finishing off some assignment. Thankfully she had been able to book a computer room in the library. She grabbed a computer and started looking at the rubric for their assignment. She heard rattling sound. Looking up, she saw Rey fumbling with the door knob.
She got up and opened the door for him.
"I have three ideas for the assignment right now. I'm thinking you and Vikki can look at sea urchins and their food deterioration while Neha and I can look at corals and coral algae affecting our economy. Then we can connect the two together." She gave him the websites that were approved by Professor Mehta.
"Hi to you too. My day went really well. Thanks for asking! How was yours?" Rey smiled at her. How was it possible for him to always smile at her like that, Kria wondered. She gave him a pretend smile.
"Where's Vikki?" Kria looked around him.
"He's got a Management lecture. He'll be here after an hour. So it's just you and me then?" Rey took a seat.
"Well, Neha's got a computers assignment to finish. She'll finish it in the lab and then join us."
"So it is just the two of us." Rey smiled.
"Unfortunately." Kria muttered. She turned her chair around and began reading the article. She had thought long and hard about what Vikki had done to her friend Neha. Neha had left herself vulnerable to a Dazzler and the results were loud and clear. She had her heart broken by the idiot. How would Rey be any different? Hostility and indifference were the only two ways she would be able to deal with him.
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After 45 minutes of typing away, printing and highlighting, Kria felt a little tired.
Rey looked around at Kria. She had been working silently for so long but now she was massaging herself with her hands. He thought of something. He minimized his Ecology paper and opened up youtube.
"Bahar se koi andar na aa sake..." Kria's eyes widened. She turned around to see Rey standing up with a youtube page opened. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBJj-3sgcd0)
"Andar se koi bahar na jaa sake...socho kabhi asia ho to kya ho...socho kahbi asai ho toh ' " The video started buffering. Kria giggled, shaking her head at his useless efforts. Rey turned her chair to face him completely and started singing.
"Hum tum...Ek kamre mein band ho.." He took her hand and twirled her around
"Rey, are you feeling okay? I think you should sit down and ' " Kria tried to calm him down but to no avail.
"...Aur chaabi kho jaye" Rey locked the door from the inside. "This is your part now!" Rey urged her. Kria sighed. She hated singing.
"Tere naino ke bhool bhooliyan mein, Booby kho jaye.." Kria spun as she sang, throwing a high kick at Rey. Rey grabbed her hand and took her in a close embrace.
"Aage ho ghanghor andhera"
"Baba mujhe darr lagta hai"
"Peechhe koi daaku lootera"
"Hm, kyoon darra rahe ho"
"Aage ho ghanghor andhera
Peechhe koi daaku lootera
Upar bhi jaana ho mushkil
Neeche bhi aana ho mushkil
Socho kabhi aisa ho to kya ho
Socho kabhi aisa ho to kya ho
Hum tum kahin ko jaa rahe ho, aur rasta bhool jaaye" Rey pulled Kria closer by the waist while she was still smiling.
Kria heard the same rattling sound again. She looked over to see the Parsi librarian knocking furiously, peeping at the two from a glass door. Crap!
Kria went and quickly opened the door for her.
"Ma'am, we were taking a break."
"This room is for studying! Not for - " She made a gesture with her hands, "all this ganda things. I tell you, today's bacha-log have no decency! Get out right now! There are a lot of people who want library rooms and some come here to study too!"
"Ma'am, we really were studying - !" Rey offered.
"Hum tum...Ek kamre mein band ho.." The video started playing from where it was buffering. Rey looked at Kria.
"GET OUT!"
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Kria walked outside of the library, muttering to herself.
"What? I can't hear you." Rey stepped closer to her but Kria pushed him away.
"It's all your fault!" Kria shouted.
"Tum itni jaram kyun hoti ho? Jeez." Rey stepped back this time.
"What?"
"Jaram. It means hot."
"I know what it means! Don't teach me Hindi! Baade aye angrez"
"Seriously Kria, itni garam raho gi toh evaporate kar jao gi." He chuckled. Kria glared at him.
"Evaporate? Like you know...heat loss? Entropy? Transpiration in plants? Lecture 4?" Rey went on to explain the concepts.
"I KNOW what it means." Kria sighed. She walked away, towards her locker, carefully listening for his footsteps behind her. She smiled to herself. She felt a lot safer with him around.
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Neha walked into the library. She was really late but she was hoping Kria would still be there with the rest of the group, except of course that idiot...Kria had texted her earlier that she got a room booked for them. She started checking all the rooms and entered the one Kria had told her to go to. As she opened the door, she found it completely dark.
"Kria? Itna andhera kyun hai?" Neha flicked on the light.
"Neha?" A familiar voice called out.
"Vikki." She didn't question. She knew he would be here but she expected Kria and Rey to be here as well.
"Where's Kria and Rey?" She looked away.
"I think they left. Listen, Neha, I'm really sorry for everything. I didn't mean what I said."
"Really? So you don't think Neha's a gawar, then?" Neha cocked her head.
Vikki sighed. "Neha, it's hard - I just - "
"No, it isn't. You're a coward, Vikki. Meri English theek nahin hai par Neha would never stoop that low." Neha turned around to leave.
"Vikki?"
"Yeah, Neha?"
"Did you lock the door?"
"No, why?"
"It's locked." Neha looked dejected. "Vikki, did you do this?! Neha swear if you did - "
"There you go. Not everything is my fault!"
"Toh kya meri jalti hai?! Vikki, you're impossible!"
"I'm not saying it's your fault! You're putting words in my mouth."
"How Neha put words into your mouth?!" Neha looked angry now.
"How did I put words into your mouth..." Vikki muttered, correcting her.
"What?!"
"Nothing."
"No, it's not nothing. You did say something. I can't speak English. Alright? Hasso! Aur hasso!" Neha was turning red with anger. Even if it was for a few minutes, she couldn't believe she was attracted to this guy.
"I'm not laughing, Neha! And it's not a big deal! You can learn for me!"
"For you?!" Neha snorted now. "I don't want to do anything for you, Vikki!"
Vikki sighed. He was just digging a deeper hole for himself. "Neha..." He went to reach out to her.
"Don't touch me!"
"I'm just telling you -" Vikki started.
"Well then don't!" Neha yelled.
"FINE!" Vikki yelled back.
"FINE!" Neha yelled at him.
"FINE! THEN GO!"
"FINE!"
It was complete silence for a minute. But then they both realized that the door was still locked. Neha sat down, turning a computer on. If nothing else, she'd still be able to review her lecture notes. Vikki sat down away from her, putting an iPod in his ears. Neha stole a glance at Vikki and caught him staring. She looked away quickly...
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Edited by .Anamika. - 12 years ago
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