9 Seema's Move
Part 9 Seema's Move
Night
Arnav came to the bed and was about to switch the light off, but he stopped hearing a beep sound. He took his mobile and gave it a look. He rolled his eyes, as it was a message from Khushi. He thought something and changed the settings of the LAST SEEN. So that no one... correction... Khushi would not know if he had seen her messages.
Then he opened her message, which was a GOOD NIGHT message. Arnav turned the mobile data off, threw the phone on the bed, and lay down.
The next morning
Arnav got ready for college and came to the dining table with an apple. He took his phone while biting the apple. He turned the mobile data on and saw Khushi's GOOD MORNING message. He didn't open the message and was about to keep the phone on the table when he received another message from her.
'Good morning message is not just to wish good morning but to let you know that I REMEMBER you when I wake up.'
Arnav rubbed his forehead, sighing.
"Crazy Girl..."
He stood up, finishing the apple.
In the college
Akash saw Khushi standing outside the staffroom and peeping in.
"What do you want?"
"Var....na...v..." She intentionally skipped uttering SIR by dragging his name.
"He has not come yet..."
She removed a box from her bag and said,
"Could you give this to him, Sir?"
"Was that his lunch? Did you prepare it?"
"No sir...dry fruits..."
"Oh, did you bring his favourite dry fruits?"
She nodded.
"My father sent it for him, sir"
"Oh...Keep it on his table"
"Which one, sir?"
Akash pointed out the table next to his. Khushi kept the box on the table and left after thanking Akash.
"Thank you, sir"
He nodded. When she came out of the staff room, she saw Seema looking at her from the women's staff room in the opposite building. She smiled at Khushi, who made a weird face and smiled at her, composing herself. Seema gestured for her to come to her.
"Ohfo, Khushi, you are gone..." She went to Seema smiling awkwardly.
"Good morning, Madam"
"What are you doing in the staff room?"
"Dad sent dry fruits for Arnie..." She said, and noticed a shocking expression on Seema's face. She bit her tongue and said,
"I used to call him by his name..."
"Won't he get angry if you call his name in the college?"
"I don't want to call him by his name, but I could not change the habit, Ma'am", she pouted.
"Why did your father send dry fruits for him?"
"He likes it. There would be dry fruits on his dining table anytime"
"Is it?"
"Yeah, he is very particular in his diet"
"Particular means?"
"Very health conscious..."
"Me too..." She said seriously.
"Oh..." Khushi grinned.
"I want your help..." Seema asked hesitantly.
"What help, Ma'am?"
"Could you give him something?"
Khushi was alerted. What the hell was she going to give? Love letter?
"Ma'am, you don't know him. He has a horrible temper. If I do anything he doesn't like, he will kill me..."
"No, no, don't tell him I gave that"
Khushi sighed in relief. So, it was not a love letter.
"What do you want me to give him?"
"A shirt"
"Shirt?"
"Yes... for his BIRTHDAY"
Khushi was excited. Was Arnav's birthday ahead? When?
"Oh, do you want to present a shirt for his birthday?"
Seema nodded yes, smiling.
"You can give it to him directly, wishing him on his birthday..."
"He won't take it from me"
"But why? You are his fellow professor..."
"No, no... please don't tell him it's my gift"
"But, what if he gets to know?"
"Don't tell him"
"He will smell because he knows MY TASTE"
"Please make him believe that it's you who brought it"
Khushi sighed, making a fearful face.
"Please, Khushi, I will give it to you on Friday. Just pass it to him"
Khushi was delighted.
"Friday?"
"Yeah, then only you can give him on Saturday..."
So, Saturday was Arnav's Birthday.
"Could you?" Seema asked.
Khushi became irritated. She didn't know how to avoid her. She looked around and found Arnav coming. She sighed in relief. Arnav was annoyed to see Seema talking to Khushi. He tightened his fist.
"Khushiiii..." He shouted.
Khushi and Seema both jerked.
"What are you doing there? Come here," He said.
Khushi was stunned. Arnav never entertained her. But now, he did that. That showed how much he hated Seema. She went to him.
"Seema madam..."
Cutting her,
"I warn you... If you do unwanted things, I won't spare you and will call your father. Mind it," he said, while looking at Seema.
Khushi looked at her whose face hung.
"No need, Arnie, I will not do anything you don't like..." She intentionally uttered his name in front of Seema to know if Arnav minded it.
"Go to the class", he said, and walked to the staff room.
Khushi wondered. He didn't mind her calling him ARNIE in front of Seema.
Khushi looked at Seema pouting and went to the call, hoping inwardly. Seema headed to the women's staff room, all sad. Another professor, Asha, who was Seema's friend, asked,
"He is not giving you heed. Then why are you behind him?"
Seema was silent.
"Khushi is our student. Don't stoop low to get her friendship"
"It's all only until I get Arnav. After that, who is going to mind about her?"
"Students are already talking about your interest in Arnav, sir. Don't behave so mindlessly. Students will not respect you then"
Seema was silent because she had no idea of stopping her moves towards Arnav.
............
On the other side,
Arnav entered the staff room and found a COSTLY dry fruits box on his table.
"What's this?" he took it and looked, turning it left to right.
"Khushi kept it. Her father sent it for you," Akash said.
Arnav was weary. He didn't know how to react to it.
"The box looked expensive", Someone said.
"Her father is a businessman", Arnav said, and kept the box in the locker.
Akash leaned towards him and said,
"It seems Seema madam is targeting Khushi..."
Arnav gulped hard.
"Being a professor, I don't know why she behaves so silly", Akash said.
"Why are you telling this to me instead of her?" Arnav asked.
Akash became silent.
......
Khushi was horrified to know the next period was Seema's. She rushed to the back bench and sat. Seema, who entered the class, searched for Khushi but didn't find her on the front bench. She saw her sitting on the last bench. She started the lesson and finished it as usual within half an hour. Without caring about anything, she came to Khushi and asked,
"Why did you come here?"
"I don't want Arnie to see me talking to you, Madam. That's why... didn't you see how he shouted at me?" She said as if she was feeling scared.
Seema was disappointed.
"But, I should thank you, ma'am"
"Why?" Seema asked curiously.
"Because of you, Arnie talked to me today. He never showed interest in talking to me after our parents started our WEDDING talks," Khushi said, observing her expression.
"Whaaaat? Wedding talks?"
"Yeah... our parents talked about our wedding when we went for a trip"
Khushi removed her phone and showed the selfie she had captured without Arnav's knowledge on the bus when he had pretended to sleep.
"See, how he is sleeping..."
Seema's face emitted fire, seeing the photo in which Arnav and Khushi were sitting next to each other.
To be continued...
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