Naomi's POV
I strained my spectacles with the laptop’s only light for an assignment that I had to submit, as a part of the MOOC course, Administration of the Criminal Justice System in India(ACJSI).
My heart sank every time I read the third question highlighted in yellow. "What are the principles of natural justice borrowed from Anglo-American courts?”, asked it, in bold black font. I shrugged, hitting my back against the wall behind me. I sat on my bed with the laptop. A bundle of white sheets lay beside in a slanted posture.
I had gone through every line of the second chapter in the text but nothing helped to figure the answer out. The deadline was at 2 AM. I sighed and switched on my smartphone to note that it had already been 12.30 midnight.
ACJSI was an additional course that carried five marks for the internal. However, even a single point matters when one targets a high CGPA. Moreover, I was interested to learn the application-oriented subject for Akshat sir had recommended it in his class; it was thus worth investing time in.
I had always dreamt of being a criminal lawyer-it's my ambition. The very course was my stepping stone to gaining some insights. I wondered where the answer to that question was! “I want to become an Indian lawyer. Aren’t we learning Indian law? In that case, why must I struggle to learn about Anglo-American courts? Urgh!”, I grumbled, closing my fist only to hit the cot.
The online course was free except that one had to pay a thousand for the exam. ACJSI was significant especially because it was the combination of two subjects we had that semester, one being Administrative Law that Shreyas sir taught while the other being Criminal Law-II and probation of offenders act that Kiku taught us.
When I had told him once in college, in person, that I was doing the course, he remarked his usual ‘Sexy!’ and wished me all the very best to complete the certification and bag the five marks. It was a moderate-level course, I can say. Akshat sir had permitted me to call him in case I needed any help in the course.
“Akshat sir, please help me!” screamed I, placing the finger on my lip for Vyomi, a sensitive sleeper, was snoring at the wall. I didn’t dare to disturb her for she would, in reality, throw me outside and lock the door from inside! A few nights ago, I had clapped my hands late at night, after revising Economics for the upcoming internal. As a result, she kicked me out of our room! I had a hard time whiling away the entire night devoid of sleep.
I opened the contacts app on my phone and navigated to his number, which was, of course, the easiest to locate for it was the first alphabet of the English language! I wanted to call him and ask the doubt but he might scold me for hastening at the last minute. I looked at the glowing bulb above my bed and made a sad face at it.
All of a sudden, a cat meowed on the street down; it freaked me out. My heart failed to beat the entire next moment.
I looked at my phone’s screen to see that a video call was outgoing to Akshat sir! Oh my goodness! What have I done on Earth? Oh shit!
I cut it before he could pick it up. I closed my eyes and sighed. I had never called him ever before. He was my young handsome professor so I was limited to text messages on WhatsApp or maximum email; nothing beyond it-not even a normal call!
How did this happen? Fuck! I realized that the cat scared me and made me click on the video icon by mistake, before which, I had kept Akshat’s page open on my contacts app! Holy heavens! What a game have you played with this poor girl!
I placed the phone beside me on my bed. I rushed towards the window in front of me and looked down at the cat standing beside our building. Before I could frown, it was out of my sight except for its meow.
“Akshat sir! I am sorry…I didn’t call you..”, thought I. I was anxious, thinking,” Oh shit! What will Kiku think of me?”
“Why is this girl calling me late at night? She is taking me for granted…”, that's what he would think of me, I reflected.
I walked from the window to the room’s door, rubbing my palms along. I placed the finger on my lip again as Vyomi turned on the bed to face away from the wall. I looked out from the window. I closed my eyes. I could only imagine a scene of Akshat, in his favorite light green suit, standing in front of me, in the college corridor and shouting,” Naomi, what sort of behavior is this? Is this the time to call your professor? Don’t you have manners?”
Akshat and I shared a beautiful bonding. I was petrified that it would break into pieces because of my insane act-in fact, my mistake would cost me a lot.
I suddenly heard my phone vibrating on the bed. I hurried and grabbed it. I witnessed him video-calling me. I knew that he was going to screw me. I grabbed my headphones, wore my slippers, closed the door, and left the room. I jogged towards the couch at the end of the corridor and accepted his call.
He sat on his bed. He was in a gray T-shirt, black Bermuda, and white hoodie which had yellow dolls drawn on it. He was cute as a little boy.” Awwww!”, I wished I could say that and pull his cheeks by letting my hand through the screen but both were infeasible at the moment.
He blushed at me. Neither did he frown nor did he yell. His reaction frightened me even further. He didn’t utter a single word until I sat on the couch and initiated, in a low tone,” Akshat sir, I am sorry. I called you by mistake. I am very sorry to have disturbed you at such an odd time…I mean I was playing with my phone and suddenly clicked somewhere...I am sorry…sorry…sorry, Kiku.”
Love is so blind that it just happens unexpectedly.
You may fall for anyone!
Would you let go of your policy if you fell for someone you shouldn't? What would you choose-your policy or your beloved?
I closed my eyes and shook my head, apologizing over and over. I don’t know why my relationship with Akshat always involved guilt.
“Alooooo Kiku, stop it”, said he, convincing me,” It's fine, Naomi Dixit. I like your surprise.” I dared to open my eyes and look at the screen. I blushed, with my heap of fear vanishing away in one go. He advised me not to grow sentimental quickly and cry like a typical aunty of the colony. I laughed at it. He complimented the pinkish dimples that then showed up on my face. I thanked him, moving my eyes away and blushing.
He asked me to tell him what I wanted. I shook my head. He shrugged, reading my mind again,” Naomi, you wouldn’t have called me unnecessarily…”I denied it, repeating that I had clicked the video icon by mistake while playing with the phone.
He was smart enough to point out,” Sexy! First of all, why were you seeing my number this late at night?” I was blank at which he answered his own question,” It must have been because you wanted my help for something, am I right? So, yes, tell me…” As he blushed, nodding, I told him about the ACJSI assignment and the fast-approaching deadline.
“Fuck! Bring your notes. I am sure I can help you with that. I think I have the answer. I will check once and let you know”, said he, giving me a great deal of confidence.
Aww!, reflected I, seeing that he had already grabbed his laptop. In a minute,” Sexy!”, he uttered, chuckling along. I raised my eyebrows and shrugged at him.
“What happened, Akshat sir? Did you manage to get the right answer?”, enquired I, shrugging at him. He took a deep breath.
”Kiku, what is this? I didn’t expect it from you!”, he asked me.
I shrugged and continued to wonder what was funny as he continued chuckling. His attempt to conceal his laughter by covering his mouth with his right palm was futile. The state of being unable to find an entire answer for an assignment was a serious issue for any student. What was the joke there?
“Sir, I will lose marks if I don’t find the answer. I seriously don’t have any idea about the adopted principles of natural justice. Why don’t you understand my problem? My grades will come down due to this single question and you are laughing?”, ailed I, shrinking my eyes at him.
“Kiku, refer to page numbers 122 and 123 of the University textbook”, revealed he.
I pushed the pages of my textbook to land there. I bet my forehead. I couldn’t believe the fact that I had badly needed his help for such a silly matter.
“I guess you are very tired now. I think that’s why you couldn’t find the answer. What happened?...”, he enquired.
“Ooo! Nemo judex in re sua and Audi alteram partem. I was aware that such two principles existed somewhere in the corner. But, I didn’t know that they were the borrowed principles of natural justice. Urgh! Oh, me!”, shared I.
“Hmmm! Issoke, chuck it”, he relieved me. “It's convincing enough that you are clear now.”
“Thank you very much, Kiku. You made me clear”, I smiled and thanked him. He bowed like a gentleman over the call. I chuckled.
“By the way, you are pretty in two plaits at night”, he complimented. I blushed, massaging my left plait on the front.
Two weeks passed by as fast as the bullet train because we were engaged in preparing for the upcoming internal of the semester. It was a milestone in my life, especially because it was one of my initial exams at my new college.
Whenever I encountered Rishabh, the Chairperson who refused to give me admission and turned down my request until my sweet professor complained to his higher authority, he always discouraged me. He had also threatened me that I would run away after the very first semester. He boasted that I can’t digest the level of education at Janki University.
I remembered his foolish and illogical vengeance with Akshat, due to which he was targeting me-Akshat’s candidate. I ignored and studied even better every time he looked down on me. I burnt the midnight oil almost every day, two weeks before the internals.
It was the last day of the internal-the third day. We had six subjects distributed over a span of three days.
Sitting by the window, on the last bench of the classroom, I hurried with my last answer, as I saw my fellow mates leaving one by one. My gang had already completed their exams; I really wonder how they finish every exam faster than the arrival of the lightning. My besties were standing outside and gesturing for me to get done and come out as well; the last exam blues! I shrank my eyes and shook my head ensuring that the eyes of the invigilator were not on me.
The long bell rang like a fire alarm.’ Stop!’, ordered the spectacled, short, and stout sir. I closed my booklet, sighing and smiling to myself after having completed the last answer, writing it up to the mark. I was sure that Shreyas sir would reward me with maximum marks in the AL(Administrative Law) test.
Only two of us-Ruhi, on the first bench, and I, on the last bench had been writing till the last minute in every exam. As I went to the stage to hand over my paper, he checked my roll number, repeating,” JU-Law-T-0017..Ohk.” and enquiring,” Are you a transfer student?” He sighed and inserted it into the bundle. He looked at me, adding that the ‘T’ in my roll number indicated the same. He informed me that there were twenty transfer students every year at their esteemed university.
As he wished me all the best, I could see Ruhi frowning at me even in the midst of her exam, from the glassy material of the top part of the teacher’s table. She had a couple of pimples on both cheeks.
“Time up! Why are you still writing?”, asked the professor, chuckling a bit, at Ruhi.
“Sir, please five minutes…”, begged Ruhi, as she resumed writing.
I was about to take my bag and leave when the professor compared,” What are you writing?”Snatching her paper, he commented,” Oh! You are just on the tenth page?”He pointed at me and applauded,” Your friend, she has written fourteen pages. Looks like you need another half an hour to complete the paper. I can't wait!”
He hurried to place her paper into one of the bundles while she breathed hard and frowned to the fullest at me; A volcano was going to erupt, I reflected.
”Why are you comparing two students, sir?”, thought I. I called it a bad day as I left outside to meet my gang. Ruhi wrote smaller while my handwriting was bigger; I hoped that she would understand it and not grow her hatred for me.
Vyomi hugged me.” Aww! So cute!” cried Karan. Tanvi, Diya, and I laughed as Vyomi beat him.
“How was your internals?”, asked Tanvi.
I nodded, replying with a simple OK.
“Your OK means 50, right? I know!”, completed Vyomi and the others joined in. I laughed, denying while Vyomi justified,” Dude, you were studying both the subjects at PG itself.”She announced, with a more hurried tone than her usual one, ” Guys! She was up till one thirty every night!” My friends cheered. Karan reminded me of the treat.
“What treat, dude? I will treat you guys only if I score 50 in all, which I won't, so plan to cancel!”, declared I. My friends shook their heads as I laughed my heart out at them.
I diverted, asking them how they completed all their exams quickly.
“We just want to pass, not top like you!”, clarified Vyomi as the three hi-fi-ed, laughing at me. I chuckled, looking away.
Diya received a call. She gestured to us to be silent. Karan, as usual, emitted an artificial yawn. I laughed, closing my mouth while Vyomi beat him again.
“Oh is it? Fine, we will be there..hmm..thanks!”, uttered Diya, hanging up.
She announced, squealing like a playful child in the evening,” Guys! Akshat sir has corrected our papers it seems! All pass!”
“Oooo yeaaaa!!!!”, exclaimed Vyomi. Karan jumped twice. Tanvi turned behind to kiss her guitar protruding from her bag. I smiled looking at their joy and wanted to see my paper right away.
“Shall we go and check our papers now?”, suggested I, smiling.
“Oh! You want to check your paper or meet your Akshat sir?”, teased Karan.
I blushed a little, beating him with my pouch.
“Why are you blushing then?” caught Vyomi; A bestie knows everything!
“No! I am not!”, I denied, blushing and looking away.
“I love Akshat sir!”, shouted a girl, passing by us and running towards the other end of the corridor.
I frowned at her who didn’t notice me. For a second, my smile disappeared. I looked at her seriously, raising my eyebrows.
She hugged a guy, probably a classmate of hers, completing,” Phew! He gave me a twenty out of fifty and passed me!”
I closed my eyes, sighed, and blushed; I felt relieved. When I returned to my senses, I wondered why her confession had disturbed me so much.” Must be a sudden shock!”, I said to myself and reassured.
When I turned back to look at my friends, they were smiling at me.” Someone is jealous..” sang Diya as Tanvi hit a string of her guitar, just by touching it from behind. I denied,” I don’t care even if Akshat sir was dating her...But bad choice! She doesn’t know how to keep secrets…”
They laughed.” Aww! You love him so much?”, teased Vyomi. I denied again,” No, I was just shocked..”
“Hmmm let's see…You will never agree!”, concluded Vyomi, as we left towards the lift.
We entered the staffroom only to witness the three musketeers. Akshat was missing from his seat. There were five other classmates of ours busy digging the papers in the bundle. My friends too searched and spotted their papers. They smiled at each other and showed their papers to me.
Karan searched for my paper again and again but shook his head, giving up, at last. I rolled my eyeballs hither and thither wondering how my paper alone had gone missing!
Alas! Where did Naomi's answer sheet disappear?
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