Unedited!

Part - 10

Sikky sauntered into his house happily, whistling. He had a great time eating all the tasty junk foods from road side stalls with his best friend Madhu and his girlfriend Trishna.

"Where were you?" Sikky halted in his track and looked up at his brother standing in front of him, crossing his hand over his chest and questioning him. "What took you so long to reach home?"

"Um... bhai..." Sikky didn't like being interrogated.

"It's not the first time you are coming home late, Sikky..."

"Bhai, I am not late. See, it's just 8pm, okay?" Sikky snapped. Rishab was taken aback with his brother's irritated snappy tone.

"I saw you with the girls"

He was coming home from college in his bike and that was when he saw Sikky and the girls near a road side pani puri stall. They seemed to be having too much fun and for some unknown reason it didn't please him.

What even pissed him was Madhu feeding a pani puri to his brother. Why she had to feed him? Doesn't he have two long hands? Can't he help himself a pani puri? He grumbled in his head.

"So?" Sikky frowned not getting his brother's concern

"It's not good to room around late with girls. Won't their parents worry for them?"

"I am sure the girls would have informed their families so you need not bother about them"

Rishab sighed as he rubbed his forehead.

"Alright, come, let's have dinner..."

"No, I am not hungry. I had too much of junk food. I will eat later if I feel hungry or I will just go to bed, bhai" Sikky said and ran to his room.

"Ah! What's wrong with you, Rishab? What's wrong? You know you shouldn't develop any sort of feelings for Madhu, right? Don't forget she is your student." Rishab chided himself for getting all possessive for Madhu and feeling jealous of his own brother.

--0--

Next day in college

"Prof. Kundra, student's committee has finalized the guest list. Will you please take a look at it?" Madhu asked passing a sheet of paper to him.

"Sure" Rishab took a quick glance at it and his eyes popped out of its sockets. "What? Disha Patani and Siddarth Malhotra as guests of honour? Remo D'souza to judge adapt tune and other dance events, Arijit Singh to judge singing contest, RJs, VJs, Public speakers..." and the list goes endless.

"Do we really have to invite these many celebs for our college cultural?" He asked shocked.

"Yep" Madhu said and blinked her eyes cutely at him.

"But where will we get the fund to pay the celebs?"

"We will collect a certain sum from every student and remaining we will get from the event sponsors"

"And who are the sponsors?"

"That I don't know. Students should approach various companies and get sponsors for the event."

"This is atrocious" Rishab shook his head and discarded the list on the table.

"This is how it works, Professor. This is students' event so students should do everything." Madhu said casually.

"Students are here to study and remember, you guys have your exams in a month so wrap this soon and get back to your studies"

"When you were a student you would have done all this right?"

"I studied in a Government aided college" he said in a way of explanation.

"So what?" Madhu asked puzzled. "Never had college festivals?"

"We had but we didn't have to spend so much money. We, students practice after college hours..." He specially mentioned that to make a point that he wasn't cool at all with the idea of students practicing during class hours. "... Praticpate in as many events as we could and the winners would be awarded with mementos..."

"Who will present the awards?" Madhu asked hoping they would have invited at least television serial stars.

"Our college principal" Rk said proudly.

"I can't even imagine my Bittu uncle presenting awards to the students at this event..."

"Why?"

"What why? Students are practicing so hard... To the point of exhaustion only to put a splendid show in front of celebrities, not in front of my uncle."

"Madhubala..."

"Sir, last year one of our college students got a chance to sing in a movie as lead singer through this event, you know? And that happened only because we had invited a famous music director as judge"

"Really?"

"Yes. We are actually creating opportunities for real talents, Sir. We will also have fun so don't mind about the money we spend..."

"Hmm" Rk thought about what Madhu said for a second before saying "Then I hope this year you will exhibit your singing talent and grab a chance just like that girl grabbed last year."

"I told you already I won't sing" Madhu said firmly crossing her arms over her chest and taking a deep breath.

"Oh c'mon!"

"No!"

"Sing a song for me. I wanna test your voice." He said authoritatively.

For a second, she was tempted to sing for him but she resisted the temptation and shook her head negatively.

"How long will you be like this, Madhubala?"

"Like what?" She retorted.

He sighed. He didn't know how to tell her that her parents were gone and they weren't going to come back to her so she had start moving on. She had to start singing again to find herself again.

"Madhubala, do you think your parents would like to see you like this?"

"Like what again?"

"Like this... Broken!"

"I am not broken. I am fine. They are with me. I even introduced you to them the other day, right?" She asked with a childish smile.

I should seriously talk with her uncle about this issue.

She must be suffering from psychosis. He thought with worry edging his eyes.

"If you believe they are with you then why don't you sing for them?"

"I sing for them, daily" she said smiling. "And I want to sing only for them...but no one else"

Maybe, One day, I will sing for you Professor. She thought slightly blushing.

"Madhubala, sing for me, please" he insisted.

For a moment, he didn't look a strict professor but a sweet lover boy. Madhu's heart thumped violently against her chest seeing the look he was giving her.

Should I sing now? She wondered.

Okay! I will. She decided to try.

"Ma...Manzi... Manzilien ruz...ruzwa... Hai..." She couldn't string the words rhythmically because her voice choked in her own breath. "I...I can't breath" she fanned her face with her fingers.

"Hey, hey, relax." He stood up and gently rubbed her forearm. She was sweating profusely and her face paled. He panicked she would faint.

"Sorry... I can't sing. It's suffocating me."

"It's okay. It's okay. No need to sing. I... I understand." He said. He realized forcing her would do no good to her. She should sing on her own will. "Now, c'mon, pinch both your cheeks" he said with a soft laugh hoping to distract her.

"Wh..what?" She asked with a confused frown. "Why should I pinch my cheeks?" She asked placing both her palms on her cheeks scared he would pinch her of she didn't.

"To bring some color to your cheeks. You look so pale."

"Oh" she giggled showing her happy-dent white teeth. "You do that for me, Professor" she showed her cheek for him to pinch.

He playfully slapped her and asked her to leave the staff room.

"Alright" she agreed like a obedient child and turned to leave but stopped. "So approve the guests list right?"

He nodded his head positvely.

"Great. We will make this event grand!" she said enthusiastically and skipped out of the room only to dash on Prof. Dipali.

"Sorry, ma'am" Madhu apologized.

Dipali glared at her and entered the staff room without a word.

"Prof. Kundraaaa" Dipali called his name seductively as she sat beside him after moving her chair closer to his so that she could rub her legs against his.

"Yes, Miss. Bhatia"

"Oh how many times do I have to tell you to call me Dipali or Dips?" She fake anger and playfully slapped his shoulder. Rk shrugged off her hand quickly. He didn't like her touching him.

"Okay, forget that. I came to ask you whether you're free tonight?"

"No, I am not" he lied. He had no plans for that night but didn't tell her that because he knew she would have planned something for them in which he didn't want to be a part.

"Oh?" Dipali asked suspiciously.

"I have a date" he lied again only to make her believe.

"A date?" She shouted. With whom he has a date? She wondered for a second before something struck to her mind like a thunderbolt. "With that insane girl, Madhubala?" She blurted out.

When she neared the staff room she heard giggling sound and a moment later Madhubala sprinted out from the room and mindlessly dashed on her. When she looked at her, her cheeks were in blush pink color which gave room for her suspicion. When she walked in to the room, there was no one but only Rishab and he was lost in his thought.

What could have happened between them? Did he kiss her? Or he simply asked her out? She started speculating things in her mind.

"What? No!" Rk yelled. "How could you even think like that? She is just a kid... Besides, she is my student..." Always remember that, Rk. His subconscious warned him.

Dipali rolled her eyes hearing that. "She is no kid. She is a vixen."

"Miss. Dipali don't talk rubbish about that innocent girl" He snapped

"Uh.. Uh.. Uh... So much anger..." She smirked. "I know several ways to cool you down... Wanna try?" She said as she trailed her finger tip down his cheek.

He swatted her away rudely and stood up to leave but she held his wrist and stopped him.

"Ditch your date and come to my home, tonight to have a good time with me" she said with a wink.

He had declined her offer many times in a polite way but not today. He had enough of this woman throwing herself at him, unashamedly.

"You disgust me, Miss. Bhatia. Just stay away from me." he spat those words before marching out of the room, angrily.

... To be continued!

Vote!

Comment!

Share!

And thanks!