Naivedhi and Tara were ready to go for classes.

N~yaar mera toh na bilkul dil nahi class mein jaane ka

T~dil toh mera bhi nahi hota tha, lekin sach kahoon toh Deep ke aane ke kaaran ab class mein jaane ka dil karne laga hai

N~achha jee?

T~haan jee, waise yaar, main toh kehti hoon tu na jaldi pata laga ye jo imaginary boyfriend tha, real kaise bana, aur yr phir is ke saath setting kar ke isay class mein le aa aur mauj kar

N~wo suspense creator itna jaldi aa he na jaye kaheen haath mein mere

T~chal koi nahi, main hoon na, chalein?

N~haan chalo

The duo exited the dorm and walked to their classroom. Naivedhi sat with Tara, Deep sat on the desk in front of them.

T~hi Deep

D~hi Tara

Teacher came.

Te~tum sab ne notes bana liye? Naivedhi, tum ne notes banaye kya? Tara, aao notes check karwao

T~jee ma’am, maine notes banaye hain, abhi dikhati hoon

N~(whispered) ye kab hua?

T~Deep ne bana kar diye hain

She went. Naivedhi sighed, pulled out her notebook and her water bottle. She opened the cap and drenched her notebook in it. Tara came back and sat beside her.

Te~aao Naivedhi notes dikhao

N~ma’am maine notes banaye thay, lekin wo baarish ke paani mein gir gaye aur kharab ho gaye

She said flashing her drenched notebook before her, Tara chuckled.

Te~achha? Beta dorm se yahan tak ke raaste mein khula aasman kahan hai zara ye toh batana? Tum ne apni water bottle se daala na ye pani? Abhi jao, class ke bahar khari ho

N~kya ma’am? Ye school thori na hai ke class ke bahar khari ho jaun

Te~tum ja rahi ho ya murga bana kar khara rakhwaun yahan sab ke saamne?

N~aray ma’am, aise mast mausam mein murga bantay thori na hain, murga khaatay hain

Te~achha? Chup chaap bahar jao, warna abhi fry karti hoon tumhe

Naivedhi began to leave.

T~ma’am, aap Naivedhi ko murga nahi bana sakti

Te~kiun nahi bana sakti?

T~kiun ke ma’am Naivedhi toh larki hai, wo toh murgi banay gi

The class burst into laughter.

Te~shut up! Naivedhi, leave

She left and stood outside the class. Just then, a frog jumped in front of her.

N~kamaal hai, itna bara mendak? Baarish ka mausam bhi toh hai na

She picked it and threw it right at the teacher who bounced it and it went on some other student. The whole class was laughing like a maniac and screaming. Tara came out and the duo ran away hardly being able to stop themselves from laughing. They came to their room laughing madly and fell on the bed.

T~kya karti hai yaar tu? Mendak phenka class mein tu ne

N~shukar kar ke teacher par phenka tujh pe nahi

T~kiun? Maine kya kiya?

N~aray notes banaye toh mujhe bhi batati na

T~sorry, ainda bata doon gi

N~okay

There was a knock at the door. Tara stood up to open and in walked the warden.

W~ye kya sun rahi hoon main? Phir shaitaani karne lagay tum dono?

T~hum ne kya kiya ma’am?

W~sirf isliye ke teacher ne class se bahar nikaal diya, toh Naivedhi tum ne class mein mendak phenka, aur sirf teacher he ki nahi balkay poori class ki haalat kharab kar di? Kisi ko phobia bhi ho sakta hai, bulwaun abhi kya ghar se parents ko? Lagaun shikayat?

N~ma’am, pehli baat toh ye ke kya saboot hai wo mendak maine he phenka? Nahi wo bahar se uchhal kar bhi toh aa sakta hai na?

W~achha? Toh dono bhaag kar kiun aye?

T~humein darr nahi lagta kya? Toh chalay aye

W~I know you’re lying you pretty little liars, last time parents bulwa kar bhi koi faida nahi hua, aur main is baar bulwaun gi bhi nahi, seedha principal se keh kar bas tum log ka samaan bahar phikwaun gi, phir jao tum log ko jahan jaana hai

N~aray ma’am please hum ne kuchh nahi kiya, just because hum shararti hai, is ka matlab ye nahi ke sab hum he kartay hain

W~okay. But this is the last warning, ja rahi hoon. Phir complain ayi toh main sach mein samaan bahar phikwaun gi.

She left. Naivedhi and Tara had a sigh of relief.

T~kya patakha hai yaar ye? Ek dam aag se bhari

Naivedhi giggled.

N~larka hoti toh us se shahdi karti kya tu?

T~chal bey

Naivedhi chuckled. She placed her hand under the pillow as a matter of habit and touched a paper.

N~oye ye kya hai?

T~aray bhy itna hairaan mat ho, tere us imaginary come real boyfriend ka prem patra hai

N~chup ho ja, ayi bari shudh hindi bolne wali, kameeni

She unfolded the paper. She was shocked to read it.

N~Tara, yaar ye dekh is mein kya likha hai

T~aray aisa kya likha hai? (she stood up and took the paper) parhti hoon. Maine sab dekha tum ne kya kiya, uff, kya adaein hain tumhari, tumhari ye shararatein, ye mastoyaan, ye andaaz, yahi toh dil chura le jata hai. Pehle toh classes bilkul he attend nahi karti thi, lekin jab karne lagi toh halla macha diya, sachi mere mann mein bhi halla mach gaya hai. Kabhi class mein dance, kya dance karti ho tum, aur aaj wo mendak phenkna, aur poori class ki haalat kharab karna, wah, life ho toh aisi. Matlab kaise khud bhi har waqt hasti ho aur doosro’n ko bhi hasaati rehti ho, isliye toh itni pyaari aur Aakesh ki rani ho, Aakesh ke dil ki rani, jo Aakesh ke dil dimag pe kabza kar chuki hai. Jis ki rag rag mein nas nas mein Naivedhi ka pyaar behta hai, jis ki har dhadkan mein bas Naivedhi ka naam aata hai, jis ka poora ka poora dil he Naivedhi ke naam hai. Umeed hai ye sab parh kar chehre par muskurahat zaroor ayi ho gi but you know what? Hassi toh phassi. Agla letter, agli call, ya phir agla whatever, jo ho ga jaldi ho ga. Tab tak ke liye bye, your Aakesh.

N~isay mere baare mein sab pata hai, that’s what shoxked me

T~yaar ye koi prank kar raha hai, ho sakta hai koi Aakesh naam ka banda ho he na. Accidentally us din kisi ne sun liya aur ye mazaak karna shuru ho gaya. Koi hai jo bas tumhe is pyaar ke jaal mein phassa raha hai, baad mein ye sab fake nikla na, dil toote ga. Kya tumhe pata hai ye kaun hai? Kahan rehta hai? U know nothing about him, so basically is ke changul se bahar niklo, no need to read letters, is ki calls bhi mat uthao. Humein kya pata ye kaun likh kar chhor gaya, ye bhi kya pata ke phone ki screen ke us paar kaun hai? So please, is ke changul mein mat phass.

N~nahi Tara, ye sab real lag raha hai

T~oh God, nahi ye real nahi hai

N~mera dil keh raha hai ye real hai

T~is ka matlab tera dil us se jurr gaya? Seriously? Jisay tum ne kabhi nahi dekha?

N~par suna toh hai na?

T~aaj kal bohat softwares hain aawaz badalne ke, who knows kya technique use ki gayi hai, aagay teri marzi

She gave the letter back to Naivedhi, she got thinking.