Part - 9 (unedited)

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"Madhu, yaar, please... Do me this favour" Sikky pleaded.

"Sikky, I can't do anything. Nothing is in my hand. It's Prof. Kundra and Dipali ma'am's decision. They will decide the dancing pairs"

"But girl, you are the student representative so you will have a say in this matter. Please pair me with Trishna but no one... And I definitely don't wanna dance solo or in group." Sikky stated clearly.

"Sikky it won't work like that. Rules are different in this college"

"I seriously don't get this idiotic college's rule! Who the hell are they to decide the best dancing partners? Whoever is interested can participate in solo or partner dancing or in group dancing right? They can either select or reject the individual/pair/group. Why they wanna mix-match the pairs of their liking? If they wrongly match the pairs then there won't be any chemistry or comfort. We students should pick the right partners for us to dance. If one couldn't find the right one then he/she should dance solo." Sikky cribbed.

"Hey! don't call my college idiotic! It's one of the top colleges in Mumbai okay!"

"Whatever!" Sikky rolled his eyes heavenward.

"Look, this is the general practice of our college. Everyone should prove their talent individually... No teaming! And no ganging! If you are really good in dancing then you will be selected and the organizers will match you with the suitable partner or put you in solo or in group. This way only the best contestants will compete with the other contestants from other colleges."

"God! Madhu, I know the rules clearly yaar. That's why I am asking your help. You have to select me in the solo round if Trishna gets selected and then pair me with her in the next round. I don't want us to dance solo or in group. We want to participate only in partner dancing!" He said with finality.

"Okay, I will see what I can do" Madhu agreed to help him.

"Btw who is the representative for boys?"

"Not you Sikky" Madhu smirked.

"That I know girl" he rolled his eyes. "You own this college so you got this representative post by influence..."

"I didn't idiot! I was forced! I didn't even want to be a part of this cultural program"

"Oh why?" Sikky asked curiously

"I am just not interested"

"Ha ha! You don't have any talent in you to prove. If you do then you are scared to show it out." Sikky provoked her. Madhu fist her fingers tightly fighting the urge to punch him. "I seriously wonder why Miss. Dipali chose you..."

"She didn't choose me as representative. Kundra Sir did." Madhu corrected him.

"Bhai? If he has chosen Madhu and even forced her to be the representative then there sure will be some reason. I will ask him later" Sikky thought.

"Alright! Why don't you help me practice my steps, Madhu?"

"What do you mean?"

"Dance with me" he held out his hand

"Duffer, you will dance solo in the first round so why you want me to dance with you?"

"I know, looney! I am talking about the second round. I am sure you will help me get through the first round and also pair me with Trishna." He said confidently. Madhu shot her brow up. "So I wanna practice for the second round so dance with me, girl" Sikky insisted. He would have practiced with Trishna if she was there but she wasn't as she had gone to give elocution contest audition.

"No! I won't" Madhu folded her arms.

"Please, Madhu. In two hours they are conducting the audition. Trishna seems to be preforming well but I lacking behind. I need to match with her grace and flexibility. What if I get rejected in the first round itself? What if they pair Trishna with someone else? Oh God! I heard Mukkund is also participating. What if they pair her with that Mukkund? You know what that Mukkund is hitting on my girl. I want to keep him away from her..."

"Uh-huh" Madhu shook her head.

"What?"

"Mukkund is the boys' representative." Madhu said impassively.

"Oh shit. Who chose that good for nothing idiot as representative?"

"Of course Dipali ma'am. You know what all tricks he tried to become the representative?"

Sikky shook his head in no.

"He really impressed ma'am by preparing synopsis for each and every chapter and reducing her burder of preparing short notes. It's his synopsis she was reciting this morning in class." Madhu laughed.

"How do you know that?"

"He sent the short notes PDF to all the girls in our class through whatsapp"

"Man, he is such a show off. Fake guy! I hate him"

"I agree" Madhu hi-fied with him.

"Then what else he did to impress Dipali ma'am?"

"You know how attentive he use to be in her class and answer all her question. She liked that about him I guess. Then he often praises her that only because of her he started liking economics the subject he hated once. He also helped her to carry books from the library. He got photocopies for her. He literally did everything for her and he is still doing to maintain the good name he earned from her. He is at her beck and call..."

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Sikky shout in frustration. "Enough of shits about him" he said pissed. "He is so cheap. Why don't he go clean Miss. Dipali's house's toilet? Why don't he pick her dog's poop? Why don't..."

"Sikky, yaar, please stop!" Madhu laughed hysterical clutching her tummy.

Rishab was passing by the classroom and stopped in track hearing Madhu's melodious laughter.

"Don't laugh, Madhu. I am not joking here. I am seriously pissed at that makki Mukku"

Rishab heard his brother's outrageously loud voice. "Who is this makki Mukku?" Rishab thought.

"I am so jealous of him. You don't ever talk with him, okay?" Sikky warned his friend Madhu. He worried if Mukkund befriends with Madhu then his next target will be his girl, Trishna.

"Why he is ordering her not to befriend with other boys? Rishab wondered. "Oh yeah! He is jealous. That's what he said right?" He answer to his own stupid question.

"Ha ha ha... Nice name. Makki Mukku. You are choo cute, Sikky pikky" Madhu pulled her cheeks.

He took a secret look into the classroom and found Madhu pulling his brother's cheeks and giggling like a school girl. She looked so cute and adorable.

"What the hell?" Rishab almost shouted. "Can't they talk without touching? Whenever I see them they are hugging or cupping cheeks or pulling cheeks" he thought gritting his teeth. He didn't like what his brother and Madhu were doing. "For God sake! It's college where one come to study not to romance" he groaned inwardly. He made himself believe that he was annoyed of their closeness because they were romancing in study place and not otherwise. "I am not jealous of their closeness. I am actually happy my brother is making Madhu laugh." He chanted in his head.

"Sikky! I don't know to dance!!!!" Madhu squealed when Sikky pulled her in arms and Rishab was brought back from his chain of thoughts. He couldn't witness the scene in front of his eyes so he quickly ambled away.

--0--

"Sir, ma'am, cool drinks and snacks" Madhu placed two coke bottles and two plates of samosa's on the desk in front of Rishab and Dipali. They were seated in the auditorium ready to conduct the audition for dance competition.

Even students were allowed to sit inside the auditorium and watch the audition and cheer for their friends.

"Why are you doing this, Madhu? Where are the refreshment committee members?" Rishab asked not liking the owner and future Principal of the college carrying refreshment tray.

"It's okay, Professor. I don't mind doing this for you" she said with a soft smile. Rishab liked her humble side.

Dipali rolled her eyes and sipped her coke.

"You didn't get diet coke?" Dipali asked making a face after taking the first sip. She only ordered Madhu to get the refreshments.

Madhu would have ignored her order if it was only her but professor Kundra was also there and she wanted to impress him by being nice and polite to Dipali ma'am.

She also wanted to serve him something so she got hot onion small samosas, 6 for him and only 4 for Dipali.

"I will make him my special snack veggie pakoras when he comes to my home to have coffee with me" she thought.

"There is no diet coke in canteen, ma'am" Madhu said with a fake smile.

"Are you participating?" Rishab asked

"No, professor" Madhu replied shaking her head and stood behind Rishab and Dipali's chair.

"If you are not participating then why the hell you danced with my brother?" Rishab's inner voice screamed.

"I wonder why you selected Madhubala as students' representative when she doesn't have any talent to exhibit" Dipali said leaning closer to Rishab by placing her hand on his chair's armrest.

Rishab didn't bother to answer her. He had his own reasons. He wanted to help her and bring her out of her shell.

"Take Mukkund, the boys' representative I chose. He is such a smart and talented guy. He got selected in debate, elocution, poetry contest so far. I bet he will also get selected in dancing contest" Dipali said proudly with her choice.

"Miss. Dipali don't you think you are being biased?" Rishab asked outright.

"No! Not at all, Mr. Kundra" Dipali said giving him a shocked look that he would think her like that.

"I hope at least in this audition we pick the right candidate." Rishab said dryly and asked Madhu to call the participants one by one.

"Lovely" Rishab stood up and clapped his hands when Trishna was done giving her solo performance. She danced Bharatanatyam, Indian classical dance form.

Instantly everyone in the auditorium knew she was spot selected.

Madhu smiled feeling happy for her friend. Then she looked around and found Sikky standing on the left side of the stage ready to give his performance next. Madhu gave him thumbs up. He weakly smiled and stepped on the centre stage.

Madhu was surprised to see her goofball of friend dance amazingly.

"We should select him I guess" Dipali discussed with Rishab. Though Rishab was stunned with the way his brother danced he didn't show it out.

"Yeah, he is good..." he said nonchalantly. This time he let Dipali to make the call.

"He should dance in solo contest" Madhu piped in.

"Why?" Both Rishab and Dipali asked in unison. That made Dipali to look at Rishab and blush.

Rishab gave her a tight smile and looked back at Madhu. Madhu made an 'eewww' face looking at Dipali.

"He won't fit to dance with a partner or in group." Madhu said playing her card.

"I don't think so" Rishab disagreed.

"Is she being jealous?" Rishab thought doubtfully and his doubt got confirmed with Madhu's next statement.

"Especially don't pair him with Trishna" Madhu said firmly.

"She is jealous. She doesn't want my brother to dance with any other girl not even with her friend. There is something seriously going on between these two. I should talk about this with Sikky first" Rishab thought.

"You are not the deciding authority here" Dipali glared at Madhu asking her to shut up.

"I think we should pair Sikendar and Trishna" Dipali suggest. She wanted to dump Madhu.

"But professor, she danced classical and he danced western. How will they match?"

"They can do fusion." Rishab said.  "So it's final Trishna and Sikendar selected for partner dancing" Rishab said looking at Dipali and she nodded her head, shyly.

Why she is acting shy now? Rishab frowned. "This shameless women is getting into my nervous. I want this audition to get over soon so that I can escape from this fevicol tin!" Rishab thought.

"Great" Madhu fist pumped in the air. Both Dipali and Rishab looked at her as if she was a weirdo.

"Sorry! Two true talents are pairing. I am just happy. Hope they get good points for our college." Madhu said feeling embarrassed of showing her excitment.

The overall trophy will be awarded to the college winning more number of contest and having the height points.

--0--

After the audition, Madhu ran to her friends Sikky and Trishna to give them the good news.

"You both are paired" Madhu said jumping up and down.

"Oh really? You are just amazing, Madhu. You are the best" Sikky tightly pinched her chubby cheeks.

"Ahhhh! You idiot, it's paining" Madhu shouted and whacked his head. Then she turned to Trishna and hugged her.

"But how you got us paired?" Sikky asked curiosuly.

"You both really danced well and got selected in the solo round and I had nothing to do with that. It's purely your talent guys. I must appreciate what you both gave on the stage was a stupendous performance."

"Thanks yaar" Sikky side hugged Madhu. Trishna smiled

"Then I told them to put you in solo category" Madhu said looking at Sikky.

"What? You told so?" Sikky asked horrified.

"Yeah. I know Dipali ma'am hates me so she will go against my suggest. I even told not to pair you with Trishna as she danced classical and you western. You guys wont match but professor Kundra said you both can do fusion and he only selecter you two"

Thank you, Bhai. I love you. Sikky mumbled softly.

"You said something?" Madhu asked. Sikky shook his head in no.

"Well guys, I did my part... Now you guys should practice hard and perform well. I am sure you guys will rock and win trophies and points to our college"

"Sure. Thanks Madhu" Trishna thanked her grinning widely.

"Oye! Only thanks?"

"What you want?" Sikky asked.

"Get me pani puri"

"That's all?" Sikky laughed

"Hey, you will go bankrupt buying me pani puri. I eat that much. I just love pani puri" Madhu couldn't help but keep on bouncing in excitement. Why? because she helped her friends and she was happy for them.

"Oh I forgot to tell you something Sikky" Madhu pulled Sikky closer to her so that Trishna won't hear them.

"Mukkund got rejected"

"What?"

"Yeah, he slipped and fell flat on his butt. You should have been there to see that delightful sight." saying that Madhu burst out laughing and Sikky joined her.

"Why you two are laughing?" Trishna asked turning back hearing their loud laughter.

"Oh nothing. It's our classmate Mukkund. He fell down while dancing" Madhu blurted out still laughing.

"Ow! Thats sad" Trishna pitied. Sikky glared at Trishna first and then at Madhu for telling that to Trishna.

"Um... Well, we will go eat pani puri" Madhu said and walked ahead of them while Trishna and Sikky leisurely trailed behind her hand in hand.

... To be continued!!!

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