Chapter 13

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Dev Kapoor!

The name was enough to send a shiver down her spine because of which her conscious mind got better of her, making her choke on the cottage cheese that she was munching upon a few moments ago.

So, he is back, Arvika deduced, pushing away the plate, her appetite suddenly vanished to thin air, because why not? He was the freaking person because of whom her life had been no less than a marathon, making her the panting sprinter of an unknown race competition, also known as her 'life'.

While all the girls were already going all 'awws' and 'wow' over Dev's few of the pics that were visible on his Facebook profile, Arvika had already left the mess, galloping towards her room with her raised, palpitating heart rate and a dead and buried fear taking over her again after many years.

The fear of Dev and his possessiveness that she had tried to bury deep inside her fragile heart years ago which was now emerging again with an unknown fervor.

"He's back, he's back," her mind was chanting incoherently, again and again. She didn't know what was there in store for her in the future, but one thing was sure, she'd not be the older version of herself this time, she had pledged to herself. She couldn't be weak in front of that pig, the colorful name she had given to him, the very day he had touched his pig-like lips with hers.

"Arvika, why are you running?" after a few minutes of a happy dance with other girls, when Kavya didn't see her best friend in the mess, she too had left for her room and on the way, she saw how swiftly her friend was busy in running away towards their shared dorm.

"Nothing, come inside," Arvika immediately stopped her 'Dorm run' real-life game and waited for her friend till she reached her, anticipating the secret that she was going to disclose to her friend which she had hidden from her for so long. A heavy sigh left her lips, making her feet quiver a little. All this was so much to take in, the revelation of Dev being her senior was too unexpected and miraculous to her more than just being a coincidence.

"You didn't finish your dinner, Miss," Arvika had to pull her best friend inside their room and before she could've even locked their door, Kavya excused her of the left-out food where Arvika had sat in the mess today.

"Kavya listen. I need to tell you something very important but before that, promise me you won't disclose it to anyone, not even your mother, please," after making Kavya sit on her bed, Arvika knelt in front of her, taking her friend's hands into hers as she knew how woefully Kavya would react after the revelation of Arvika's past.

Kavya nodded her head and promised to Arvika, "Yeah, I won't".

"Dev Kapoor was the one who had kissed me forcefully when I was only thirteen, I hadn't disclosed the name five years ago, but he was the one because of whom I was admitted in that boarding school, because of whom my life took an abrupt u-turn, because of whom I was humiliated a lot, because of whom I was nothing but a laughing stock in people's eyes for many days," with her quivering voice and a heavy heart, Arvika finally voiced out all the things which her best friend needed to know before she could've formed a crush or worse, an infatuation for that particular him.

"What? Are you serious? That president was the one who kissed you?" Kavya had to do a double-take when her best friend's words finally registered in her consciousness, making her stand upright from the bed.

"Yes, he's Dev the person..." before Arvika could have spoken more, Kavya was already shouting her guts out in sheer glee and excitement.

"God Arvika, he's such a charmer, all our girls' classmates, as well as the girls of other departments, are after him as he's got such a heavenly and godly look along with his fantabulous personality and you're saying he's the one who kissed you! I really cannot believe it, man," Kavya's over-enthusiastic and out-of-the-world reaction was justified seeing the craze that Dev's personality had among the fella girls of IIET, Delhi, ranging from the girls of first-year to even of the fourth-year along with the other girls who followed him, blindly on other social media platforms and the girls of infinity.

"Even I couldn't recognize him, till a few moments ago when involuntarily I heard his name from one of his worshippers," Arvika stood up from the ground, noticing the shock that was written all over her best friend's face. She knew no one would believe her! For all, she was just a plain jane and who would like to be involved with her. And a guy like Dev Kapoor? That was next to impossible. People would laugh at her if she discloses it to anyone else. They would call her a liar as a famous, charming personality as that of Dev would never choose a simple girl like her out of all the gorgeous and bold women out there who were already dying for him, never!

"Arvika, but how did you not recognize him when you met him in our classroom today?" Kavya suddenly turned towards her friend, trying to cross-verify her friend's fact that whether she had a doubt over the 'Dev-man' or was she really right!

"He's changed, Kavya. Five years is a long time for a person to change. And of course, he has grown beard, muscles and all, but I had a little doubt because of his eyes that I had seen five years ago. But still not giving it a second thought, I had not recognized him as Dev Kapoor, the person from my past," Arvika explained in a deliberate tone, remembering all the things that she had encountered today after her meeting with him.

Dev had changed so much, if a person who had seen him last five-years ago, even he wouldn't be able to validate that it was the same lean yet fit Dev who was the Naughty Ninja of that time, phew! He was now handling the post of 'Universal crush' of his college girls, retired from his designation of 'Naughty Ninja'.

"So that's the thing, so are your thoughts changed about him? I mean, do you still hate him?" Kavya had an eerie feeling that her best friend still despised the charmer who had forcibly planted a kiss on her lips around five years ago.

"He deserves all my hate and abhorrence of what he did with me whose repercussions are far worse than the cause," if Kavya had not known Arvika, she'd have surely named Arvika as a 'cruel vamp' because of the way her black orbs were shining with a sharp intensity of just hate and hate like the same way vamps of Hindi serials shines when they plot their conspiracies against the leads.

"But Arvika this was all five years ago, dear, wouldn't he be changed? He was just a teen, man and you know how boys are, how much mistakes they do on a daily basis," don't know why, but Kavya was not ready to accept the fact that Dev was a creep, an abuser who would kiss any girl randomly out of some horniness or something. There must be some valid reason for that, Kavya pondered observing the facial expressions of her friend which was not a sight to see.

"Teen or whatever, he had no right to kiss me and forget that how could he even think about kissing me forcibly, I was his sister's friend, he's still the same, a jerk and a player," Arvika huffed and got on her bed with the new books that she had gotten from the administration office that she had visited earlier the same day.

"I don't think so, Arvika. Believe me, when I say this, I had seen pure admiration and respect for you in his eyes when he was speaking to you today, in the classroom, if he had been the same jerk and a player, he'd have surely tried to do something unimaginable and much nastier than what he had done in the past," Kavya too sat in front of her friend who was trying to find something in her bag.

"Admiration and respect? Really, Kavya? Other than lust and dirty eyes, he has nothing on me," Arvika's words sounded too venomous and bashful at the mention of Dev's love for her. Kavya could only sigh at her friend who was too naive to understand the true meaning of love.

"Maybe Arvika, but I just said what I felt, he doesn't seem to be such a guy who'd act like a horny teen," with a solemn tone, Kavya voiced out, distinguishing how different her best friend was looking currently, full of hate and negativity.

"With just a one-day meeting you're siding him, Kavya? I cannot believe this! Are you my friend or his? Better I had not taken admission in this college at your pleading. I was good at the college of Dehra where I had even a few more of my acquaintances, then I wouldn't have met this pig, again," in anger and frustration, Arvika didn't know how harsh and bashful her words were that made her best friend instantly tear up which she didn't notice.

"I am sorry for forcing you, Arvika," with a trembling voice Kavya apologized to her friend and plodded towards her bed, lying on it lifelessly. She was emotional, too emotional and after hearing the blame that her best friend threw at her, she was broken. As earlier in their counselling session of the selection of colleges, both had gotten to the engineering college of Dehradun but due to Kavya's pleading, they had to wait till the last round of their counselling to get to this college which was the best among all the other colleges at many aspects.

Kavya was the only daughter of her widowed mother, living in a city that was near Delhi. For her mother's sake only, Kavya had wanted IIET, Delhi, and not because of other motives. She sighed, suddenly missing her mother with her pearl-like tears flowing down her eyes which was still not noticed by Arvika as she was in her own Jurassic world of imagination where the evil was none other than Dev from whom she had to save the whole world especially the naive and innocent girls who were after him like some worshippers.

After a few more minutes of silence when Arvika didn't hear Kavya's voice, she realized how grave she had sounded earlier. She shouldn't have to be so harsh on her friend when there was no fault of her. Guilt and remorse surfaced her but her inner self didn't want to ask for an apology, and especially when her friend was siding that pig, no, she wouldn't ask for an apology this time.

"I will not be weak this time," Arvika pledged to herself once again.

That night both the friends had fought like this for the first time and that too because of a pig, one more reason was suddenly discovered by Arvika to hate 'Dev-The Pig' just like she hated the show 'Shaun-the Sheep'.

****

"Yes, Dad, she's here," Dev had disclosed about Arvika, the minute he realized that his mother and his sister had slept in the next room. How much excited and anxious he was since morning to share this news with his father-cum-his-best-friend, only he knew.

"That's amazing, Dev, but son this time, try to win her mind first and then her heart because she's very different, son. Unlike other girls, she won't be wooed by your charms, try something different, and make her fall in love with you. Lucky are those who get second chances, and you're one among them, don't let it go in vain, my son," talking to his father was no less than consulting a highly-professional, paid psychologist the way he made him understand things. He was fortunate to get a father like him who was with him in his every thick and thin, be it some love matter or some fighting actions.

"I will Dad and please don't tell about this to Mom, she'll freak out," Dev chuckled along with his father, later they discussed some more official and technical things of current market scenario along with their company which was still the topmost when it comes to mobile manufacturing and giving the best services to its customers.

"By the way, when would Sakshi's classes commence?" Kamaljit asked his son, suddenly remembering about his daughter who had gone to Delhi with her mother for her admission purpose only.

"Dad, in a week or two her classes will start as currently, the college system is busy in ushering the freshers of B.tech and M.tech, so they have strictly avoided any kind of formalities of B.Arch as of now," Dev revealed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he remembered how harshly he had hurt his sister with his words. He had to ask for an apology otherwise she'd take actions against him, worst actions, that was for sure.

"That's good, hope she chases her dreams and becomes a successful architect as she has always wanted to be," Kamaljit's optimistic voice rang in Dev's ears and after a few more exchanges of talks, finally Dev ended the call.

"I would have to do something, right now," having a guilty demeanor, Dev moved towards the room where his sister might be sleeping or not, he wasn't sure of.

"An ice-cream treat would be fine for her," pondering and pondering, and with a lot of pondering, Dev finally got an idea that would make his upset sister happy and content again, the ice-cream which was her favorite mood-lifter at times like these.

****

The air was very clear and the long morning shadows distinct. A new day, with new challenges to face!

With no apology and no greetings or smiles shared, the two best friends trudged their way towards their classroom, anticipating for the new professors that they'd be able to meet today. They both were busy giving each other the silent treatment that they had never experimented on themselves before. But their walk to their classroom was still together, not individual walk as they both knew how inseparable they were.

Both sat in the third row from where the view of the board along with the professor would be the best, not too close and not too far, just like the platinum seats of cinema halls.

"Hey, Shinchan," before Arvika could've taken out the notebook from her bag, she was greeted by a male foreign voice but that sounded too familiar. She glanced back and saw the same boy on whom she had fallen on the very first day of their college life. She was shocked would be an understatement. How was he here?

Vinay kept grinning at her while she could only glare back at him the way he was smiling at her oh-so cheekily. What was she? A joker to make people grin like this?

"Are you stalking me?" the obvious question of Arvika made Vinay's friends laugh at him who too were sitting beside him.

"Of course not, I am also from ECE, 1st year, Miss Arvika," in a fake-professional tone he answered, forwarding his hand towards Arvika for a handshake which she grandly ignored so perfectly. The action didn't go unnoticed by his friends who laughed more at him, calling him 'Popat' in their own code language.

"To padho na, Kyun nahi padhte, why are you disturbing me?" like the famous dialogue of Arvind Kejriwal with a similar tone and way of speaking, she replied and her witty yet savage reply was enough to make Vinay's friend laugh out hilariously at him. She was really too witty and smart. (Then study, why aren't you studying)

"Yeah, yeah," out of a little humiliation and shame, Vinay uttered recklessly, not liking the way Arvika had insulted him in front of his friends.

His very friends in front of whom yesterday only, after Arvika's introduction, he had boasted about how he had met her already and other spices-sprinkled gossips of his which were grandly discarded down the drain the moment Arvika's mouth gave him a fit and fine reply.

That's why it's well said, don't lie and boast, otherwise, you'd lie on the ground with your face as sunken and flat as a boat.

Kavya too had noticed all this with a giggle erupting within her. Her best friend was really an intelligent girl who knew how to handle such nuisance-creating boys.

"Don't know why boys are so sticky like some glue," Arvika muttered to herself checking her watch as it was the time for their first lecture to start. Yesterday, because of the unavailability of lecturers due to some board meetings and other important things, nothing major had happened. But from today onwards, officially their classes would start.

"Hey, Prachi, actually I am making WhatsApp group of our classroom, please write your phone numbers here according to your names that's already mentioned on the left side of the column," Prachi, who was sitting on the extreme side of the third row got a printed paper where the names of the students of their classroom were already mentioned which were arranged alphabetically along with their roll numbers.

"So, numbers would be exchanged too," Arvika sighed noticing how other students too were busy in filling their details on an A4 sized printed paper.

Unknown to her, a pair of scrutinizing eyes were already on her and her actions, gazing through her soul.

~**•°•**~

A boring update, I know, but it was needed to set the plot for the upcoming chapters!

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