"Inn dono ko maine maar dena hai aaj."

Prisha hissed as she hurriedly put on her earrings.

(I'm gonna kill both of them today)

She was late. And both the girls were already gone.

She practically ran across the campus to her building, checking midway if she had all the files for her assignment.

Before she could even register what was happening, she collided with someone.

She fell to the ground. Coffee spilled all over her top.

"Kya be, tujhe dikhai nahi-"

Prisha stopped. She looked up and her eyes widened.

(What the hell! Can't you see-)

Shit.

It was me who was running. Not him.

What was the universe trying to say?

It was him. Again.

Warmth crept into her cheeks. Her heart thudded fast. Now he'll give me his hand and help me up. Just like in the movies...

"I'm sorr-" she started to say.

Prithvi took a few steps back, turned around, and sprinted away.

Prisha stayed on the ground, dumbfounded.

Not even a sorry? Not even a "let me help you?"

Still, her cheeks were red. And the coffee stains on her crop top, which should've made her furious, only made her blush every time she looked at them.

______

"Tu coffee se holi khel rahi thi?"

Dharna asked, eyeing the stain on Prisha's top as the trio walked toward the cafeteria.

(Were you playing Holi with coffee?)

"Nahi... so tum dono ne mujhe subah nahi jagaya," Prisha started, glaring at both of them. "I was late."

(Nope...so as you both didn't wake me up early morning, I was late)

"We both were shouting and calling you for two hours, and you still weren't waking up. Meko toh laga tu tapak gayi," Swaha replied. Dharna gave a sheepish smile.

(I thought you died)

"Arey wo mere sapne mein tumhare jiju aaye honge na, isliye," Prisha said, blushing and giggling.

(It might be because HE came into my dreams, being the reason why I wasn't waking up)

Both Dharna and Swaha stared at her blankly.

Prisha continued anyway. "So I was running to my class and I wasn't paying attention. And I bumped into someone. Coffee spilled."

"Kaun tha be?" Dharna asked.

(Who the hell was it?)

"Aapke jiju," Prisha said, and immediately went red like a maniac.

(Your brother-in-law)

"Hein?" Swaha looked surprised.

"Haan... and I thought he'd give me his hand and help me get up, or maybe apologise. Par wo bhaag gaya." They all sat down at a table.

(But he ran away.)

"Bhaag gaya? Ye baat baat pe bhaag kyun jaata hai," Dharna said, scrunching her nose.

(Ran away? Why does he keep running away everytime?)

"Arey wo mujhe dekh ke sharma jaata hoga," Prisha said.

(He might be shy seeing me)

"Ye alag hi delulu mein ji rahi hai," Swaha muttered, shaking her head as she took a bite of her sandwich.

(You're living in a delusion)

"Par usne meri help kyu nahi ki?" Prisha asked, pouting.

(But why didn't he help me?)

"Dekh... kya tune uss din usko apologise kiya tha for the misunderstanding?" Swaha asked, looking straight at her.

(Had you apologised to him for the misunderstanding?)

"Maine achhe se shayad nahi kiya..." Prisha admitted.

(Maybe...not properly)

"Then I think you should go, and apologise to him properly. Also aaj tu bhaag rahi thi and his coffee spilled... Agar wo tujhse darega toh baat kaise karega?" Swaha told her.

(And just because you were running, his coffee spilled. If he's scared of you then how is he gonna talk to you?)

"Haan, aur usi bahane baat karne ka bhi bahana mil jayega," Dharna added.

(Yeah exactly...and you'll also get an excuse to talk to him)

Prisha nodded slowly, processing it.

"Baat toh sahi bol rahi ho tum dono."

(You both aren't wrong...)

"Abhi tak uska naam bhi nahi pata?" Swaha asked.

(You still don't know his name?)

"Arey usne uss din kuchh toh bola tha, but I was too lost in his eyes... and usme I didn't hear what he said. Hi bhi nahi bol payi." Prisha pouted, regretting it all over again.

(He did say something that day but I was too lost in his eyes and I couldn't even reply to his Hi)

_____

"Bhai, tu thoda sa dimagi taur pe paidal hai kya?"

Dev asked, looking at Prithvi.

(Are you mentally retarded bro?)

"Mai kya karta yaar... mujhe darr laga," Prithvi ranted as they walked down the corridor with Shresth. "Unhone itne gusse mein bola, 'Kya be, tujhe dikhai nahi deta?' aur upar se badi badi aankhon se ghoor rahi thi. Mujhe laga fir se marengi, and mai bhaag aaya."

(What do I do...I was scared. She was so mad at me when she asked "Who the hell- can't you see" her eyes were so big and filled with anger. I thought she's gonna hit me again.)

"Fir bhi bhai, gentleman nahi hai kya? Atleast usko utha deta," Dev said, enjoying the fear on Prithvi's face. "Bechari gir gayi, upar se uske upar coffee bhi gir gayi. Ab toh pakka dhundh rahi hogi tujhe maarne ke liye."

(Whatever man...Still. Aren't you a gentleman? Atleast you should've picked her up. Man...she fell and on top of that you spilled your coffee on her. She must be very mad searching for you now, to hit you.)

Prithvi's eyes widened. "Bohot maarengi?" he asked.

(She'd hit me?)

"Iss baar toh tu gaya. Mai bhi nahi aa raha beech mein bachane iss baar," Dev replied, barely holding back his laugh.

(You're dead bro. I'm not going to save you this time.)

"Kuchh toh pakka chal raha hai tum dono ka," Shresth said nonchalantly, walking beside Prithvi.

(Something's definitely going on between you two.)

"Kya matlab? Mai toh unko jaanta bhi nahi. Upar se wo bhi mujhe nahi jaanti," Prithvi said immediately. His cheeks went warm with embarrassment.

(What do you mean? I don't even know her. She also doesn't know me.)

"Fir tu ubla hua tamatar kyu ban chuka hai?" Dev asked, looking him up and down.

(Then why are you red like a tomato?)

Prithvi looked at Dev, then touched his cheeks, and adjusted his specs.

"Tum dono ko batana hi nahi chahiye," he murmured and walked ahead.

(I shouldn't have told you both to begin with)

"Bachke rehna! Savdhan Rahe, Satark rahe!" Dev shouted from behind, his laugh echoing down the corridor as Shresth shook his head, a smile on his lips.

(Stay alert!)

_______

The next few days went by with Prithvi walking on edge, doing everything he could to stay out of Prisha's sight. Dev's words had scared him straight into insomnia.

Prisha, meanwhile, was on a mission. She kept searching for him with a bottle of chocolate milk in hand. Every time she spotted him and started walking toward him, he either walked away... or ran.

Today he was in the library. Headphones on, noise-cancellation humming, eyes glued to a paper as he scribbled and solved.

Three hours later he stretched and finally checked his phone.

A notification from the group chat named 'Kis colour ki chaddi pehene ho', profile pic: a pair of red underwear. A group Dev had made. The same group Shresth had left a dozen times and Dev kept adding him back to.

Dev 👿: which colour would suit me?

Attachment: 2 pictures of two different coloured underwear.

Prithvi's eyes widened. He practically threw his phone onto the table.

Just then, a tap on his shoulder.

He flinched and looked back.

His eyes widened. He wanted to run.

There was no way out.

He was about to try anyway when Prisha put a hand on the back of his chair, stopping him. Her eyes were locked straight on his.

"Bohot bhaag liye. Now I want to talk to you."

(You've ran away plenty of times.)

"I-I'm s-sorry for t-that d-day. Please mujhe m-mat mariye, meri mummy mujhe bohot maaregi agar unhone ghao dekha," Prithvi said, clutching his bag to his chest.

(Please don't h-hit me. My mom would kill me if she sees any bruise)

Prisha's cheeks went red. So he finally talked?

Her eyebrows scrunched as his words sank in. He thinks I'm here to hit him?

"Toh tum ye soch rahe ho I'm here to hit you?" she asked, voice deadly, trying hard not to laugh at his expression.

(Okay...so you're thinking I'm here to beat you?)

Prithvi slowly nodded. Then immediately shook his head.

Prisha was smiling from the inside.

Ye kitna pyaara sa bhondu hai yaar, she thought.

"Dekho... I want to apologise for that day. I swear it was just an accident. Mai kyun maarungi aise kisiko?"

(Why would I hit anyone like for no reason?)

Prithvi just looked at her and nodded along.

"Ab tak mujhe chudail samajh rahe ho?" Prisha asked, a small smile on her face.

(You still think of me as a witch?)

Prithvi's mouth opened. He was about to say something, then immediately shook his head and looked down. His heart was thudding against his ribs.

"Aur ye as an apology for your spilled coffee."

Prisha placed a bottle of chocolate milk on the table. Her gaze dropped to his open phone.

There, on the screen: a picture of an underwear.

"Aaaahh," she almost shouted.

"Aaaaa," Prithvi shouted too.

The whole library turned to stare.

"S-sorry," Prisha said with an apologetic smile as people looked up and then went back to work.

"Ye-ye mera nahi hai. Ye toh mujhe Dev ne bheja hai-" Prithvi immediately fumbled to turn off his phone.

He froze. Wait. That sounded wrong.

(T-This isn't mine. Dev sent it to me.)

"Nahi matlab ye usne mujhe bheji to choose konsi achhi lageg-" He stopped and slapped both hands over his mouth.

(No- I mean he sent me this to choose one-)

He sighed and just shook his head.

Prisha couldn't help it. She admired him more in that moment. The way he tangled himself up whenever he was nervous.

"Tumne mere top pe coffee dal diya tha na? Pata hai how hard it was to remove the stain?"

(You spilled coffee on my top. You know how hard it was to remove the stain?)

Prithvi looked up at her, eyes wide with fear.

"I-I'm so sorry. Mai dry cleaning ka paisa-"

(I'll give the money for dry clean-)

"You're gonna help me with my assignment. Here. Tomorrow," Prisha said, with a sweet smile that didn't reach her glare.

Prithvi looked distressed. He shook his head no. Then nodded yes.

"Apna naam toh batate jao," Prisha said as Prithvi got up to leave.

(Atleast tell me your name!)

He didn't turn back. And before he could sprint again, she shouted in the quiet library

"Oyee Chikne Chashmish!"

Everyone turned.

Prithvi's eyes widened in horror. He looked back slowly, cheeks burning.

"Don't be late tomorrow... warna." Prisha said it quietly.

(Don't be late tomorrow...or else)

Prithvi nodded once and ran.

______

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