CHAPTER-41
HAUTE
Naomi’s POV
“Kiku, get up!”, I whispered. Akshat blushed and chuckled.
“How can I get up, Kiku?”, asked he. I shrugged, blushing along. He chuckled once again.
“Sexy! You have fallen for me…I mean, upon me. So, who can get up first?”
I blushed and bit my tongue as I rolled my eyeballs hither and thither to capture myself entirely upon him. I looked around to witness all eyes upon the both of us. Urgh! Have you decided to stop thinking, Naomi? I faked a wide grin and stood up. He shrank his eyes and extended his right hand.
“Sir, you can get up by yourself, right?”
“Sexy! As if I don’t know!” We blushed as I extended my right hand forward to pull him and help him stand erect.
“Why are you blushing, Naomi? I know that I’m blushing and I’m allowed to, as I love you. But, you shouldn’t. You just can’t, right?”, he whispered, looking around and massaging his light yellow formal shirt’s collar. I compressed my cheeks turning rosier and shrank my eyes as I looked at the floor.
What’s wrong with me? Akshat sir is right, of course. Why have I been blushing at him? Guru Devo Bhava. No, Naomi, you can’t love him. I closed my eyes and shook my head to remind myself. But, what am I feeling now? No, no, forget it. Stop overthinking! Yes yes, all good, I’m fine.
“Shashank, looks like you aren’t happy with the trivial punishment. You seem to badly desire for a dismissal rather than a mere suspension…”, Akshat began pulling the villain’s legs.
“Abey! Mere ko bataao duniye mein koyi aur ladki neheen mili tujhe? Launde saale haraam khor…(Hindi curse words)”, yelled Shashank, interrupting my cloud of thoughts. I opened my eyes and frowned at him continuously, shooting bad words at Akshat and rebuking the latter.
“Shashank! Stop!”, I yelled, bulging my eyes, frowning, and heading towards him. I slapped him hard. “Enough!”, shouted I, loud enough for it to echo, in order to invite students and lecturers from the entire law block to crowd the corridors and wonder at both of us.
“Why are you still standing here? Get lost. For your kind information, your suspension order has already come into effect”, I rebuked him. His friends surrounded and dragged him away from Akshat and me.
“Sexy! Now, what does this mean? You just couldn’t bear it when the lout insulted me like that. I have a mouth. I can speak yet you always overtake me, may it be what happened here or on the other day, during the protest with Rishabh sir”, whispered Akshat, blushing and playing amiably with his eyebrows.
I shrank my face and shook my head. “Sir, you are more than my family. You’re my well-wisher. How can I see someone screw you, a lecturer, above all, like that? I will speak wherever necessary and none can stop me…”
“Cool down! Chill!”, dragged he, winking at me and blushing, as he concluded, “Whatever, but, I’m clear that you don’t love me…”
“No, I will never love you…”, said I, in a trembling tone. He looked up and chuckled.
“Yes yes, I know. That's why I mentioned that I was clear. But, are you clear enough?” I felt my pupils dilating as I failed to turn on my vocal cords, at him. He waved, walking backward, turning about, and extending his right hand up to display a big wave, concluding, “Why were you sad at Khushi the other day? Why does your blood boil when someone rebukes me? Sexy! Kiku, keep thinking! It's your next love assignment. I have a lecture right now. I will ask you later!”
As soon as he reached the end of the corridor, he stopped, turned back, and blushed at me. Kiku, I will fail this assignment. I myself don’t know these answers. My mind and heart have two conflicting answers. I continued to swallow my cluelessness and tilt my head, along with my lips left a bit open, as he chuckled and left. Students passed in both directions on either of my sides as I stood blank in the middle of the corridor.
“Naomi!”, I was interrupted by someone patting my right shoulder.
“Hi ma’am!”, I greeted the young lady in a maroon salwar, from the disciplinary committee. She chuckled and nodded.
“You’re quite gifted and lucky to be loved by a gentleman like Akshat sir. Generally, in such situations as what you were, recently…the kissing video…”
I nodded rapidly.
“Guys ditch girls in such troublesome situations. They become reluctant to recognize her and end up running away. Glad that your Akshat is just like my husband who accepted my pregnancy before our marriage and married me, despite opposition from his family…”
“Aww, ma’am that's so cute! I feel happy for you!”
“Aww, thanks a lot. I too feel extremely happy for Akshat and you! From this situation, all I wanted to advise you was that you should never miss Akshat’s love, no matter what. Hardly does one find such a godly partner. Bye!”
I narrowed my smile and returned to square one: my blank stage, as she patted me and left, blushing away. I turned about and headed towards the opposite staircase. Vyomi, Tanvi, Diya, and Karan pounced to hug me. With Karan jumping at my success over Shashank, Diya, and Tanvi playing a few strings of the guitar and Vyomi forcing a bar of chocolate into my mouth, I faked a smile, continuing to remain more lost than before.
How can I love Akshat? But, I know that I shouldn't miss him either. Urgh! What should I do?
“See, you should have informed Akshat long ago. It's all sounding like a dream more than a tough situation after you informed Akshat”, boasted Karan.
“Exactly, dude!”, hurried Vyomi, commenting, “Why worry when Akshat is in Naomi’s life? Akshat and Naomi are indeed made for each other.” She dashed, blushing along. I blushed secretly recollecting how Akshat had wrapped me in his cozy arms last night at my PG.
“Hey, what do you guys mean? He is my well-wisher. So, he helped me. That's all! Nothing more!”, diverted I, at which Karan let out his whooping cough. As soon as we heard the long bell, I gestured for us to rush back toward our classroom.
No, what does the committee member know? Akshat himself declared that he pretended to call me his girlfriend, just for the situation. Neither do I love him nor will I ever think about it. Come on, he is my lecturer. How can I see him as a dream boy? It's not only forbidden but also feels absurd. How can one love and wed one’s own lecturer? Thoughts shot like arrows to crunch my poor heart!
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I woke up from my bed, at my mobile’s ringtone singing the psychic heroine’s background score from my favorite possessive drama daily soap. I wiped the drops of sweat on my forehead. I sighed, looking around my pitch-dark room except for traces of the crescent moonlight escaping from under the small curtains hugging the window, and recollecting Shashank’s suspension.
“Who then at this hour?”, thought I, grabbing my mobile. Vyomi was already shrugging from the opposite bed. Her left eye was half-open as she rubbed her right eye with a closed fist.
“Kiku!”, I exclaimed, jumping down from the bed and blushing.
“Dude! You and Akshat sir. Done with your love atrocities. Let me sleep! Urgh! Now, I understand the pain of a lover’s bestie in the movies!”, she squealed a bit and threw her pillow.
“Catch!”, I exclaimed, as it fell perfectly into my palms. She yawned, gesturing the middle finger at me, and falling back on the bed. I chuckled and blushed.
“Akshat sir!”, I called, managing to pick up, just at the last ring. Vyomi blew out air and gestured for me to talk slowly. I nodded and shrank my eyes to apologize. I hurried to stand on the balcony. Empty balcony except for two pants drying at the opposite corner and myself leaning on the wall behind me, with white moonlight dancing to illuminate my face.
“Naomi! Halooo!”, I chuckled at his meek and hesitant yet sweet male voice.
“Good night!”
“Sexy! I didn’t call you to wish for a mere night!”
“I know. Hurry up and tell me what’s the matter. I need to sleep.”
“Oooo, my girlfriend is ordering me.”
“What? I am not…”
“Yes yes, I know that you don’t love me. How many times will you keep reiterating it? I will still address you as my girlfriend. You don’t call me your boyfriend. Alright?”
“Kiku, I seriously don’t understand how you understand our complicated relationship…” I heard him chuckling as I too gazed at the smiling celestial body from the night sky and massaged my hair with my right palm.
“Excuse me for having called you this late at night. I know that it's already eleven…”
“Of course, I don’t mind, Akshat. Kiku, I’m all yours…” Urgh! What did I just say? I shook my head and reminded myself once again that I can never be his.
“Sexy! I just wanted to suggest that we must celebrate our moment of relief after surviving the awful Shashank’s matter.”
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?
“Definitely, Kiku! You’re absolutely right. Where shall we go?...”
“Dinner date?”
“Date?...”
“Hmm, yes yes, I know”, said he, in his meek and hesitant voice, “It's a date for me but just an ordinary dinner party for you…”
A minute of awkward silence followed, and I rolled my eyeballs hither and thither and blushed at the partially functioning streetlight hoisted opposite.
“Fine, chuck it. If you aren’t fine with the plan, let's drop this idea. I won’t force you…”
“When?”
“Uhhh…sorry…what?...”
“Kiku, when are you planning to take me for dinner?”
Oh, wow! It's the first time a guy is asking me out for a meet-up. Why would I miss it? No, Naomi. This is just a casual dinner with your lecturer. That’s all. Nothing more! Nothing else!
“Tomorrow night?”
“Well, it works for me.” I blushed and chuckled, hanging up the call, after a sweet ‘Bye’.
#################################
The next evening, I hurried towards the parking lot, to spot Akshat removing his bag and locking it in the back seat.
“Kiku!”, called I. He turned back and blushed, placing the finger on his lips. I bit my tongue and caught my ears along.
“Sorry, Akshat sir. Came in a flow!”, whispered I, as soon as I neared him.
“Aye! All OK. How was your day? Prepared for your internals?”
I nodded and grinned.
“Sexy! I appreciate your confidence. Keep it up!”, he acclaimed, opening the back door and grabbing a rectangular box of a small width and wrapped in a red gift wrapper. I shrugged while he offered it to me.
“Ummm…Hmm…I would love it if you….” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and completed, in a single breath, “If you can wear this sari to our dinner tonight. I bought it myself for you.”
Aww, Akshat sir! How sweet of you, Kiku! I swallowed my tears. I don’t remember the last time anyone gave me a present. Am I indeed very special to you; literally, more than anything else in your life? I looked away and wiped a drop of tears. I faced him, wondering if I was already falling for him, or, in case I end up loving him, how would I stop my heart?...
“Naomi! It's fine if you don’t wanna wear it. No force, again”, dragged he, in his meek and hesitant voice. Aww, he had such a soft personality.
“Kiku!”, I exclaimed, snatching my gift away from his hands. He blushed and shrugged.
“Restaurant venue?”, asked I, blushing along. Our eyes hugged each other for the next couple of moments.
“Sexy! I will message you”, replied he. I nodded, wrapping my hands around the gift resting on my chest. I looked away to save my poor pupils from dying, dilating and dilating at his. Urgh! Stop it right away, Naomi! The earlier you cut it, the better.
“Naomi!”, called he. I stopped and turned back.
“Come, I shall drop you like the other evening”, offered he, opening his driver’s door halfway. I shook my head.
“Vyomi is waiting, sir. I will go myself. Thanks a lot for your concerns. You are very sweet.” We blushed at each other.
“Aye! Come on, let's go!!!”, he exclaimed, catching my hand and stopping me. I shook my head while he shrank his tiny eyes, as he dragged me towards the slang. He made me sit inside. I sighed and chuckled as I wore the seatbelt.
“Sexy! Someone learned the safety act quickly!”, he commented, taking the driver’s seat and putting on the seatbelt.
“So, do you call me dumb?”, asked I, pretending to frown. He chuckled and shook his head.
“Shall we go?”, asked I, in a hurried tone like Vyomi and extending my tight palm forward and pointing at the back of the windscreen, as visible to the passengers.
“Sure, my lady!”, he acknowledged, placing his right hand on the chest and bowing at me. I closed my eyes and chuckled as his left hand moved the brake in between us and the right hand turned the steering wheel to make turns and turns to exit from the parking lot. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“What?”, asked he, at which I shrugged, shaking my head along and turning away at the window. Phew! Naomi, behave yourself. He is your lecturer. I hid my hair behind my ears and grew engrossed gazing outside from the window.
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I glued myself in front of the dressing mirror in my room. Vyomi hurried from the only wardrobe to me and vice-versa, sometimes to grab the hair dryer and at other times, for the hair straightener. Tanvi and Diya fought with each other, while selecting the foundation cream, maskara, nail polish, blush, glittering facial sticker, and almost every other make-up item that I was hardly aware of!
“Girls, make way for me!”, insisted Vyomi, untying the towel tied firmly on my hair and began drying the same.
“Urgh! Please lemme go…”
“Dude, come on, you’re wearing a saree for the first time, especially to meet Akshat sir. Don’t you want to look beautiful?”
“Yes, I want to but…”
My three friends cheered, in chorus, to tease me. I blushed, shaking my head and diverting, “But, this is too much. I hope Akshat doesn’t run away, mistaking me for a ghost. I pat your make-up skills. But, I have never ever dressed up like this ever before…I feel like you are overloading me with all the make-up I would perhaps apply throughout my lifetime.”
“Naomi, stop! That’s because you’ve always been like a simple tomboy but exempt tonight, please!”, added Tanvi, helping Vyomi to iron my hair, as I witnessed in the mirror. She gestured for Diya to begin waxing my right hand.
“Ouch! You’re worse than the parlor didi!”, I complained, as she pulled out the very first pink strip. “I don’t have much hair. Leave this, right? Thanks!...”
“Oh, boy! You have actually grown a forest on both hands and it's a half-sleeve sari blouse. No way! Get it done right away!”, Vyomi highlighted at which I pretended to sob only to reunite Diya and Tanvi to hit a hi-fi after their little make-up riots. Aww, it's the first time I was around friends who fought for my happiness. I blushed, noting how Akshat’s entry added colors to my lonely life. Yipppeee! It's our first dinner together! I had never been this close to a guy ever before.
“Propose and accept him tonight, dude!”, Vyomi spilled the beans. I held my breath and shook my head. She turned me back to face the mirror and positioned my head as she continued ironing my hair.
“What else, then? She is right”, supported Diya, pulling another strip from my hand, this time, with a lighter force; Phew!
“No way! I have made it very clear to myself that I can’t love Akshat sir although he loves me loads. Come on, he is our lecturer! No doubt, it's forbidden…”
“Hmmm! You and your policies. Oh boy! I don’t understand. Seriously?”, asked Vyomi as Tanvi too shrugged along, as I noticed them from their mirror images.
“Chuck it! It's your life. You have all the authority to make decisions. Just don’t miss him. Act before it's too late. That’s all!”, advised Diya, raising both her hands up in the air as if a cop pointed the gun at her.
“Why do you blush when we take his name? Anyways, you don’t like him, right?”, Vyomi threw a valid question, in her hurried tone. While I remained, standing blank, with my eyes glued to my own mirror image, my friends surrounded me to help me put on the sari Akshat had gifted me.
“Dude, done!”, announced Vyomi, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and smiling at my face in the mirror. Diya and Tanvi turned to face their mobile cameras in order to capture the four of us. I threw my mouth open, spotting myself to be very beautiful, in the black fancy saree with tiny white dots hither and thither on its surface. I headed towards the mirror, feeling mesmerized at my own avatar in a sari. I hit the long and classy white droplets, triggering them to oscillate restlessly.
“Aww! So sweet of all of you!”, I complimented, hugging each of them, one after the other. I blushed, bringing my silky soft hair, front, as it fell to the hip.
“Wow, Naomi! You look like a haute lady. I wonder how our poor Akshat sir will resist. Wohooo!”, teased Vyomi, at which I punched her with my money purse.
“Indeed! You shine in black, Rosie!”, teased Diya at which I blushed and hurried towards the door.
“Bye! I’m already running late!”, I argued, waving without turning back at my spa girls. I froze, withdrawing my fingers about to unlock the door. I breathed hard as I felt a calm breeze blowing my hair. I blushed, resting my right palm on my chest and feeling Akshat around. I turned back to my friends. “Akshat sir!”, murmured I, at which they returned equally puzzled faces.
Will Naomi surprise Akshat on their dinner date?!
Dear readers,
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