MY FOREVER WITH YOU

CHAPTER-4

"The very essence of romance is uncertainty."

Sometimes its better to push your pride back and face the situation.

This was the encouragement I gave myself to enter the classroom ignoring everything else, lecture is more important than the mocking faces of students. I nod to myself.

I softly knock the door gently pushing it inside as I squeezed myself in as if the entire class with twenty nine students and professor wouldn't notice me. Apparently he did, very loudly.

"Why we're not surprised to see Ms. Mathur gracefully entering the class precisely fifty five minutes late..." the professor, Mr. Shukla commented looking at his watch.

The students definitely finding it funny chuckled loudly. I stood there giving him a weak smile hesitantly moving to my seat. Ayesha removed her bag as she reserved the seat for me glaring at others to shut their laughter. It worked on few, I shook my head telling her not bother.

 Students were allowed to join or leave the class or even campus gates whenever they wanted. According to set rules we were not anymore bunch of teenagers but adults who should be taking responsibility for our discipline. But the professors would painfully remember such students or latecomers and point it out in any given chance. 

Not to forget seventy percentage of attendance is a compulsion to write the finals. We would be marked absent if we were late even by five minutes. So my attendance was already gone for the day, many students if they were late, they would miss the rest of the class. But I never did.

Even if to catch up with rest of the lecture was difficult, I always attended the class trying my best to be at least be less late. Did it make sense?

I was trying to control my breathing as I was mostly jogging over one km path to the department then taking steps for three floors for what facing these taunts and exaggerated laughter. My thighs were starting to shake due to uncalled exercise. It was nothing new to me, no one was aware of my situations. 

So it was better for me to learn not to get effected by them. I hardly took a sip of water after Ayesha offered it to me before professor called out my name.

"So, Ms. Mathur what are stem cells?"

I discreetly sighed quickly sharing a look with Ayesha who was biting her lip not to grin openly, 

"Stem cells are regenerative body's raw material, the cells which under right conditions can generate other cells with specialized functions."

"State an example of stem cells in our body." He raised a challenging brow.

"Blood, bone marrow, skin, umbilical cord..."

He gave a thoughtful look then shook his head before waving his hands at me to sit down. Ayesha muffled her chuckle, I shushed her trying to hide my own smile. The other students were gaping at me much like professor feeling shocked that I answered the questions to the point from the syllables that was hardly started. 

What they all don't know is I and Ayesha had done a project on this topic in high school and stood second place in the competition. Also I can't help coming late for the classes but it doesn't mean I lag behind in my studies. Last moment preparation had never been my cup of tea I get too anxious, so I always be prepared well in advance.

I sighed loudly slumping down in my seat as the class ended, the second, professor stepped outside all the students stood loudly scraping their chairs, groaning stretching their backs. It is seriously a task to sit with straight backs continuously for hours together.