Author's Pov

It was 2 am but Samira was still thinking about the same things. She wasn't able to sleep and wasn't feeling well either. She wanted to message Arjun and ask him but then she thought that it wouldn't be right to disturb him at that hour . She just closed her eyes and tried to sleep or rather waited for the next day.

Next morning when she woke up, it was already 7 am and she was late for college. But first of all she picked up her phone. She wanted to see if Arjun talked to Ahan or not. There was no missed calls from him in the phone but there was a message which made Samira lose all her sleep.

“My doubt was right Samm, I talked to Ahan, he told me that he hasn't read that letter, when he found that letter in his novel and saw your name on it, he thought that it was yours which must have been left in his novel when your books were exchanged. Just don't think too much now and come to college in a good mood, we will meet there."

After reading this message Samira was happy but she was feeling bad that she talked to Ahan in a such way without any reason. Now she wanted to correct her mistake, so she got up to go to college with a lots of motivation. As soon as she went to the cupboard to get her clothes, she saw a note there. The note was from Diya and a message was written on it.

"I know you didn't sleep properly last night, that's why I am not waking you up. If you don't feel like, don't come to college today and take rest.

-Diyu"

After seeing this cute note from Diya, her whole mood got uplifted. She became happier and quickly got ready to go to college.

The class had not started there yet. All the students had come to the class and were waiting for the teacher to come.

Ahan who was always engrossed in his books, was today looking at the seat next to him again and again. His eyes kept wandering towards the door, it seemed as if he was impatiently waiting for someone to come. He looked at his books, and then he felt the sound of footsteps. He thought that this time it must be Samira, he looked towards the door with a slight smile. But the person he was looking for wasn't there, when he looked towards the door, Miss Anna was coming towards the classroom. That sweet smile disappeared from his face and he became a little sad. Before he could take his eyes off the door, he saw someone running towards the class.

Yes, this time he saw the same person whom he had been wanting to see for a long time. Seeing Samira coming, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was coming towards him with a broad smile. It was as if he got some relief seeing her smile. As Samira was coming towards him, Ahan's heartbeat was increasing. He somehow controlled his feelings and averted his eyes from her and started looking at his books again.

Ahan was a very introvert and could never show his feelings openly to anyone.

Samira sat on her seat panting and turned back and started talking to Arjun, “Hey, do you want the notes of yesterday’s lecture? I have the notes of one class”.

On this, Arjun replied making small face, “Yes Yarr, Dadiyo, I did not come to class yesterday as well”.

After saying this to him, Samira moved a little forward and said to Ahan, “Ahan, will you give me the notes of the rest of the classes”?

Ahan got a little nervous seeing Samira talking to him very normally, but then somehow coming back to his character, said.

“No..no I will not give you the notes, how can I trust you if you take my notes, kick me then run away and disappear somewhere”

She understood that Ahan was joking and he wanted to clear yesterday's matter. Before he could say anything else, She suddenly spoke, “Ahan, I am actually sorry for yesterday, I shouldn't have talked to you like that. I was just a little.. sad, sorry”

Ahan took a deep breath and then said in a cold voice, “No no, actually I am sorry, but it is not my fault but still, I am sorry”.

Samira thought for a while and said, “Mmmmmm.....no I don't want any sorry from you, I just want a favour in lieu of sorry”

Ahan asked very excitedly, “Yes tell me what you want”.

“mmmmmm…I haven’t thought about it yet, but when the time comes I will ask for it, and you will have to favour me too”, Samira was talking with such charm that if she had asked Ahan for his property at that time, he would have given it to her.

Before anything could happen, Miss Anna had already entered the class.

“Silence class! Today I have to make a very important announcement.”

Hearing this, everyone settled down on their seats and became very quiet and Miss Ana started speaking, “So the thing is that today I have to assign a new project to all of you. This will be a group project and all of you will have to work in groups of 3. You will have to submit this project after 2 weeks from today. But the problem that you all are going to face in all this is that next week you also have your sessional exams, so in a way you can say that you all have only one week for the project, that is why I have asked you to do it in groups. By this evening everyone should make your groups and inform me”.

There was a commotion in the class after hearing Miss Anna's words. No student knew about the upcoming sessional exams nor did anyone expect this project. Now they had to form groups by evening.After the class was over, everyone went about their work. Samira saw Arjun going towards the library. She ran to him and said, “Arjun, what have you thought of the group, how to make the group?”

Arjun said very freely, “I don’t know, I am already with Ahan, in his group”.

She asked excitedly, “With Ahan? And who is the third person?”

“I don’t know about that, there is no one right now, but Ahan said that he will decide himself who to take. After all this project is very important for our final exams, and he doesn't take any risk in the matter of final exams”. Arjun said and went away.

Samira thought to herself, “I have to join their group somehow, I cannot get a better chance than this to impress Ahan and get closer to him”.

She stayed in the college till evening and when Ahan was about to go home, she went and stood near his car and waited for him.

As soon as she saw Ahan coming, she stood in front of the car door.

Like always, this time too Ahan asked with a lot of attitude, “What? ....do you want a lift?”

“No no....I just came to tell you that ....mmmmm....” she asked hesitantly, “Can you take me in your group, for the project?”

“You? Don’t even think that I will agree to this, you work less and create more problems. I can’t see our final exam marks being played with. No, I won’t agree, you go and try somewhere else”. Ahan refused.

Samira again blocked his way and said, “But I promise that there will be no problem and I will do something from my side to give you the result a day before the submission”.

Ahan refused once again and started sitting in the car. Before he could open the door, Samira said, “Wait a minute , it is time for you to repay my debt”.

Hearing Samira, Ahan turned back and said in a confused tone, “Debt? Your debt? On me? Are you okay?”

“Yes, you owe me a favor for sorry, now it is time to repay it. So I ask you for this favor that you keep me in your group”. And Samira smiled.

Hearing her, Ahan took a deep breath and shaking his head said, “you are very clever you look innocent but you aren't actually”.

He was still speaking when he saw Sourav coming, seeing Sourav, he pulled Samira towards himself and hugged her without saying anything. His eyes were on Sourav and he was talking to Samira. He, “Okay you can do the project in our group, but I am trusting you, I hope you will remember your duty and will do the work on time. And yes, from now on I will believe that you have forgiven me for yesterday”.

Ahan held her until Sourav sat in his car and left from there. As soon as he left, Ahan also left Samira,sat in his car and left from there without saying anything.

Samira stood there in the same position for a while, she was trying to understand why Ahan hugged her in all this? She was blushing with shame which was clearly visible on her fair cheeks.

Ahan opened the car window as soon as he left the college. He was also blushing and in the cold days of early March, he was feeling June-like heat.

When Samira reached PG, she was surprised. She saw that Diay was sitting very seriously and studying. She kept her bag aside and went towards Diya and said, “What is this? What I am seeing is it true or am I daydreaming? Are you studying?”

“Don’t joke Sam, didn’t you hear today, there are sessional exams from next week. I don’t know anything about exams, I don’t even know what our syllabus is, I even forgot what course I am doing in college”. Diya said in frustration.

Samira started laughing loudly and said, “ohh you too, why are you taking so much tension. Don’t worry everything will be fine. it ’s just exams, and that too not finals, don’t take unnecessary tension”.

“Yes, it doesn’t matter to you, you will score even without studying. Here I am in a situation of failing”, she said pointing towards the calendar, “See, only 4 days are left”.

Samira looked at the calendar and shouted loudly, “Wait a minute, what is this, Holi is on the 12th. Wow, this will be my first Holi in Delhi. You know, in Kolkata, there Holi starts three days before Holi with puja sweets and what not, fairs are held, people come from far and wide, it is a lot of fun. You tell me how is Holi in Delhi? And even the exams will be over before Holi”.

Diya heard her saying  with just one ear and took it out from the other and while reading said, “First let the exams start, if they go well then we'll see, you have started finishing it. And as far as Holi is concerned, here in Delhi Holi is celebrated for only one day, but the celebration is equalized to 4 days. Ok, now shut up and let me study”.

Ahan had also reached home and today he seemed much happier and in a good mood than usual. He entered the house humming a song. Seeing him happy, his mom became even happier.

She teased him and said, “What's the matter, Did the sun rise from a different direction, Ahan babu is smiling, singing a song”

“What mom, so what do you want to say that I don't even smile”?

“YesOf course, this is what I want to say, look at yourself, you look so good when you smile. I don't know why you always keep a angry face like your father, I don't know how you become like him, it would have been better if you had been like me”.

Both of them were talking happily when someone said in a heavy voice from behind, “Huh, he is like me? If you was like me, then he would have definitely had some brains”.

Ahan looked back and saw his father Narayan Malhotra coming towards them. He came and sat on the sofa with Ahan and said, “How many times I told you to study Business Management, do MBA, Araa i have built such a big business and instead of worrying about it, you are only after science”.

Ahan never used to answer back or argue with his father and that is why he did not answer this time also,standing up from the sofa, he just said, “I am doing what I think is right”. And saying this, he went from there to his room.

Narayan Malhotra said to his wife, “See! You see, he doesn’t even talk to me straight, I don’t know what he thinks about his life”.

On this Mrs. Malhotra said, “Oh hoo, you should talk to him about something else sometimes, you have discussed all these things so many times, right? Sometimes, you should ask about his well-being”.

“Wellbeing?I work so hard day and night only to keep him well. He just thinks of me as his enemy”.

“What are you saying, you know very well how much he loves you, he never even answers back, you will not find a better and calmer boy than Ahan these days”.

•••••••••••••••

So did you like the chapter do tell me what's your thinking of this chapter.

What will happen next in Holi??

And hope ypu like this, drop your comment and please like this ....

Bye bye👋

-pritihearts💞💞