Ranveer's POV Continued

Idhika looked at her watch, and then tapped her foot multiple times.

"Late ho raha hai?", I asked, hesitantly.
"No..all good.", she said, then again looked front.

"Aarav-", I called him.

"Haan, aya. ok girls, excuse me.", Aarav said to the senior girls, and walked briskly towards us.
"Haan bro.", he said.
"Bro, it's getting late. Shall we head?", I asked, showing him the watch. It was already 9 pm.

"Yes, yes, sorry Idhika to keep you waiting.", he said to her.
Idhika shook her head, "It's ok.", she smiled.

"Main tumhe ghar drop kar du?", Aarav asked her.

"Nahi, I can go.", she said.

I kept quietly walking.

"Waise which side are you going, Aarav?", Idhika asked him.
"This side? you?", he asked.
"Oh...opposite side. It's ok I can go.", she said.

I am going on the opposite side. Does she have a car? Doesn't seem to be.

Aarav looked at me, and gestured with his chin..Ask her.
I raised my eyebrows.
He mouthed, "Ask her"
I mouthed, "Me?"
Aarav clicked his tongue.

"I am going on the opposite side. If you are...comfortable", I hesitated.

"Huh? You are. Actually it's late and I have been here only four days. So..and today is first day in college.", she started explaining.

Aarav looked at me, and I looked at him.

"If you are comfortable I can drop you.", I said, timidly, almost unsure if I did the right thing.

"Hm...ok.", she said.

"Haan...we are all batchmates, chill chill.", Aarav said.

Why would you say that, bro?

Idhika didn't answer him, neither did I.

"Ok bro, see you tomorrow. I'll drop her and go home.", I said.
"Bye, see ya.", Aarav walked towards his car, while Idhika and I walked towards mine.

I unlocked my car, and looked at her, "Please get in.", I opened the door for her.
She looked at me, blinking, "I..."
"Aren't you comfortable? Do you want me to book a cab?", I asked.

"No, it isn't like that.", she said, very fast and got into the car.
Huh? Ye kya sochti rehti hai itna?

I got into the car too, and closed the door.
She was looking at the car interiors.

But I...just looked at her.
She felt my gaze, and looked towards me, "Chalein?", she asked.

"Your location?", I asked.
"Oh..sorry. Here.", she gave me the address.

Hahaha...poori pagal hai.
"Ok, I will put it here.", I connected my phone's GPS with the car's.

"Oh you stay nearby..", I said normally and started the engine.

She kept quiet for few moments.
And I realised that she was quieter than me, super quiet.

I cleared my throat.
"Umm...so-", I started speaking.

She looked at me, "Hm?"
"You stay in? I mean in India...which state?", I asked.
"West Bengal. Kolkata.", she said.

"Oh okay, I have never been there.", I said.
She nodded then looked out of the window.

Haha, kya hai ye?
I quietly drove the car.

"You don't have a car?", I asked, deliberately.
"Huh? No..My dad has one, my mom has one. I? No.", she said.

"Oh, why so? Uncle didn't buy you one?", I asked.
"Who buys children cars?", She asked.
"Children? Are you a...child?", I asked.
"For my parents I am. Anyway, I don't know how to drive.", she said.

"Oh okay, then it makes sense.", I said.

"You can learn here in Boston.", I added.
"Who will teach me?", she asked.
"Umm...driving schools maybe...or if you want I can.", I said, just flexing a little.
"No thank you. You are incredibly young to be a good driver, I was scared to get into this.", she said.
WHAT?

"That's why you hesitated?", I asked. I had to ask.
"Yeah...but now it's fine.", she said.

I chuckled, I did.

She was too funny.
"Anything funny?", she asked.
"No..not at all. Uhm..sorry.", I said, controlling my laughter.

She smiled at me, "I did not mean it that way, sorry, I mean, you drive well. I just don't know anyone yet so.", she explained again.
"It's ok. Totally ok. I understand.", I said, and kept driving.

She looked out again, but this time smiling.

Soon we reached her place, after crossing mine. But I did not tell her that.

She was going to open the door.

"Sit, sit..", I said, getting out of the car.

I opened the door for her.

"Oh it was not needed.", she said.

"Umm..no this is how we do it in our house.", I said.

"Oh I see. Thanks a lot, Ranveer, for dropping me home.", she said, smiling politely.

"Anytime. Get in there.", I said, nodding.

She walked towards her building, and I waited somehow till she went in.

But she turned, "Good night.", she said.

"Good night.", I said it back.

She went inside the building and I too drove of to my apartment.

NEXT DAY

Although I was alone, I slept well and was very much ready to go to college today.

Had some cereals and milk, and drove to college.

As I entered the lecture hall, and walked towards my seat, there she was.

"But it is my seat.", Idhika said to a girl with brown hair.

"Is your name written over here, girl?", she answered.

"But I was sitting here yesterday. Why don't you sit where you were sitting?", Idhika said to her.

I quietly kept my bag on my desk.

"That is taken, now what? Huh? Find some other desk.", The girl said, conveniently sitting on that particular desk.

I looked at Idhika, her eyes were teary.

She took her bag, and went towards the last row.

I looked at the girl beside me, she had an arrogant look on her face.

But she wasn't entirely wrong, seats are always on first come, first serve basis.

What to do now?

I sat on my seat...adjacent to that girl's.

"Hi...", she said.

My mind was elsewhere, I didn't realise that she was saying Hi to me.

"Can't you hear me?", she said.

I looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"You are Ranveer, right? I am Lizzy..", she said.

She knows my name?

"Hello.", I said, formally.

"I...took this seat because of you.", she said smiling flirtatiously.

My jaw tightened.

I sniffed, and looked at her, "Sorry?"

"This desk was my target today.", she said.

"Is that so? That's why you...sent her away?", I asked.

If she was this frank with me after acting petty with Idhika, I could be frank too.

"She was pestering me.", Lizzy said.

"Was she? Is that what I witnessed?", I asked, sarcastically.

She looked at me as if trying to read me.

"Enjoy your class.", I said, in a low voice, took my bag, and stood up.

"Hey..what do you—", she started speaking.

I just started walking towards the last row.

Idhika put her head down on the desk.

She didn't see me. I sat on her adjacent desk.

The professor walked in...and that's when Idhika finally stood up.

I did not say hello to her. Was just waiting for her to notice.

And finally she just casually looked at me (sitting on her left), then front. Then froze.

Then again to her left.

"You?" She asked, eyes widened.

"I didn't want to sit in the front.", I said.

"Ah..okay.", she said and looked front, afraid of getting caught by the professor.

I focused on the class, and surprisingly I could focus too well today.

The class got over soon, and Aarav stood up, waving at me.

"Yeah bro.", I said, in my usual tone.

"You were sitting at the last? That's why I couldn't see you.", he said, and stepped towards my seat.

"Yeah, just wanted to try this seat.", I said.

"So...dropped Idhika to her home right?", Aarav asked me.

"Yes, bro. It was nearby to my apartment.", I said.

Idhika smiled at him, "The party was so good.", she said to Aarav.

"See..I told you, college mein party nahi karenge toh kab karenge? And you liked it.", Aarav said to her.

"Yeah, you were right.", Idhika said in her usual voice.

"Ok you guys, carry on. I am going back to my seat. I have heard the statistics professor is very strict.", Aarav said and went back to his seat.

"Oh no...strict professor? I hate strict professor.", Idhika muttered.

"Why? What will they do if you study well?", I asked.

"Huh? Oh...umm well, they might ask questions in front of the whole class.", Idhika said.

I looked at her face properly..

"You are scared of that?", I asked.

"Oh it's embarrassing if I cannot answer.", she said, tucking strands of her behind her ear.

"Aah...embarrassing? Yeah that makes sense. I thought you are scared of punishments.", I said, in a hurry, and instantly regretted it.

She looked at me and rolled her eyes, "No. Nothing like that, Ranveer."

"Got it...absolutely got it.", I said, and shut my mouth.

The statistics professor entered the class.

And as the class begun, his eyes were on the last row...on us.

"You...young man, answer this sum?", He asked me, after writing a sum on the white board.

He just taught it, and he expects me to solve it?

I walked up to the board, and started solving it with the graph.

"Sir..", I said.

"You can call me Mr. Cooper. Well done young man. Go back to your seat.", he said.

I was walking back to my seat, when Idhika just raised her one eyebrow, and smiled.

"What?", I asked, while sitting down.

"Nothing...", she said, looking towards the whiteboard, a faint smile tugging on her lips.

This girl's mind...is definitely chaotic.

"What are you...thinking, huh?", I asked, whispering.

"I? Thinking? Nope.", She said, quickly.

I looked at my notebook.

And ran my fingers through my hair.

No...don't smile. No!

I finally focused back to the class, and made my mind about not to get distracted again.