Chapter 2 : THE FIRST ENCOUNTER

ROMA (Starting from first day of college, eight years ago)

I woke up this this morning with the most annoying sound in the whole world for everyone (No, not the sound of drilling machine). The freaking sound of alarm clock!!… It just doesn't disrupts your blissful sleep but also make you realise that you aren't a kid anymore whom mumma will wake up with her holy chirping and your adulthood has begun.

TANYA : Good Morning!!! Some one looks grumpy today…..

Tanya is my new roommate with whom I will be living for the next five years. She is really kind and friendly. I moved in two days earlier so that I could adjust with the hostel life and bumped to her. Such a small world, that she also become my roommate. She is approximately of my height, has natural copper red hair ( yeah, pretty rare in India) and sweetly dusky.

I : Don't ask! I hate mornings… I wish we could all live with the moon light over, but that's just like asking me to quit chocolates.

TANYA : You like chocolate? Why didn't you tell me earlier, I could have picked some for you while returning with Advik yesterday.

Tanya and Advik are a couple since high school. He is in our college too. Tanya introduced us the day I arrived here and he seems like a gentleman. It's just been two days and us three really get along well. Seems a good start to begin my new life. It might sound stupid, but I always wanted to make my first day at college memorable.

I : That's really sweet of you dear, but I don't need any now. I guess we should make a head start for college, we will be late for the first lecture. ( I have never been very great with studies, but I am decent and regular…doesn't matter it's the first day or last, but breaking rules has never been my cup of tea).

Both of us were really excited to get ready and to make an impression on the first day but our enthu cutlet got crushed when the first class of the academic year got cancelled. I really wanted to use the opportunity and explore the college with Tanya.

TANYA : I wish I could Roma but Advik just texted and he wants me to go with him for exploring.

I : It's totally alright dude, go ahead…I believe exploration feels ultra exciting alone ( no,I don't believe this). With that she left.

I was wandering around, smiling to myself while taking in the beauty of the interiors of the college. I must say, studying in one of the top 20 colleges of the country has its perks. I guess almighty couldn't bear out my happiness for too long and made me bump with a pillar that made all my books make a local exhibition of itself on the floor. I was about to join the books as well when suddenly the pillar caught me by my waist. All happened within fraction of seconds and made me notice that it was a six feet tall guy with a perfect mix of lean and masculine body and broad shoulders. He was wearing a black fitting jeans, a royal blue T-shirt and cashew nut brown shoes. In short oh la la !!

THE GUY : I know I look handsome and fascinating but no need to fall all over my feet to get my attention girl, you can just ask me out (he said it with a smirk and winked to create an emphasis).

I have been always shy around boys due to which except a few, I have never even talked to many.

But there was something in him which made me feel he deserves a comeback and should be put into his place.

I : Yeah keep telling that to yourself , of course it's an awesome route for you to hit on girls. But guess what, your opinion about your own self is as relevant as pineapple on pizza.

( I didn't want to make enemies on the first day so I started picking up my books without arguing further and was about to leave when I noticed his identity card on the floor and seeing something on it, my eyes got wider).

I dashed in the opposite direction without meeting his eyes and making my conversation with god!

What wrong karma I did, that you are doing this to me ?? I asked looking up and hoping god to come out of thin air. He is in my year!! my class mate!! Moreover he is none other than Nikhil Dixit !!

whose cousin is our senior, head of music club and his group is know for ragging in our college…

What will happen now?? I headed to classroom for the next lecture with deep thoughts and tried to forget that I even met the devil incarnation.

(AFTER THREE HOURS OF CONSTANT CLASSES)

I caught up with Tanya and Advik as soon as the classes got over and the lunch break came up to promptus spirit.

TANYA : I feel so ecstatic…the professors are so good, the campus is so beautiful, I got an awesome friend/roommate (she pulled my hand while listing out her thrills to Advik and he like a cute boyfriend was simply nodding and smiling adorably at her).

I : Yeah, I so agree with you…( I wanted to say so much more. Even I loved the lectures and the high rated spirit of the professors but, while Tanya felt ecstatic I felt I am on ecstasy because my mind was still secretly drooling over the fact that Nikhil may cause trouble. Irrespective of his cousin, he is so arrogant and an incarnation of devil, not to mention a hot devil though).

Losing into my thoughts I could not apprehend whether Tanya and Advik's strides were too long or my strides have shrunken into toddlers. I felt like a lost child in an exhibition. I looked for them a while and took a herd of students at an area in notice. On moving closer to them I saw Advik, his hands had turned into a fist and he was fuming with rage. No longer seeing that, I saw Tanya on her knees, getting mocked by everyone around. Tanya's face lost her colour. I caught on with the situation and couldn't stand back Tanya's humiliation.

I : WHAT THE FREAKING HELL IS GOING ON HERE !! (Everyone turned around to observe me).

ADVIK : Please calm down Roma, it's Vicky Dixit's group. Even I feel raged, but everything is under control, trust me (he whispered and was trying to console).

I : WHAT looks like UNDER CONTROL to you here Advik, I don't care if it's Vicky Dixit or

PRESIDENT OF AMERICA !! I am not gonna sit back and gawk at Tanya's humiliation like everyone else. (Pouring out my anger on Advik and screaming my lungs out I went close to Tanya to help her stand up).

NIKHIL : Exactly, but she do care if the president of America is Nikhil Dixit.

I heard the familiar voice and turned around . I suddenly started getting chills down my spine on seeing the devil again. I felt so angry about how could Nikhil set this all up to Tanya to get revenge on me. I have no connection to him but his desire to take revenge on me felt like a backstab.

I : #NEWSFLASH Mr. Nikhil Dixit , I wish I had contacts of any psychiatrist to help you to get out of your own fantasy land and day dreams. As for reality, I can just say that you are a cold hearted, arrogant toe rag and more importantly, you are hell ya self obsessed!! Stay the heck away from me and don't you ever dare again to cause TROUBLE TO MY FRIENDS !!

(Advik and Tanya dragged me from the area so I don't kill him with my bare hands. I was moving along with them to the cafeteria but then I heard him saying…)

NIKHIL : Don't miss me too much my feisty fireball !!

( I ignored him and reckoned that I am desperately in need of chocolate to retrieve myself from killing that toe rag).