PEHLI MOHABBAT

# 42

Chapter is not edited. 

{  F O R T Y - T W O  } 

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Arjun stood in front of the mirror, watching his reflection yet at the the same time listening to his mom on the phone call. He held the phone between his left shoulder and ear, debating for a while whether to fold the black shirt's sleeves up, or button them down. Folding them up, he picked the comb and set his already gelled hair. He had trimmed his beard, that now to him looked much descent for an interview. 

"Haan Mumma I will eat the curd. You really didn't had to bother Heer for it." He said switching the phone to other side. He sighed as his mom complaint about him being a careless person and that he should learn something from Heer and Armaan. Thanking her mom once again for her best wishes, he ended the call and sat on his chair.

 Putting the phone aside, Arjun picked the yellow coloured tiffin box that Armaan had given him this morning. He smiled looking at the sticky note- Best of luck! You gonna rock it. :) He knew the handwriting very well. Aarushi. He chuckled at the thought of how collectively they had executed his mother's orders. Heer must have bought the sweet curd as asked by Arjun's mother, the tiffin box was definitely of Inaya, he could guess it easily by the condition it was in. Aarushi had written the cute note for him and it was Armaan who had done the honour of bring the dahi ka dabba to him. 

Taking a spoonful of curd in his mouth, he sat their closing his eyes. He was anxious no doubt. Afterall, he was about to give his first ever job interview. But Arjun would have been more concerned if he weren't anxious or nervous, because according to him, there is all the difference in the world between brave and foolhardy. Only a brave have these feelings. It's good. It makes him more reliable and solid. 

But the thing that was scaring him, making him more nervous today was the fact that once again he was about to face new people in his life. Arjun always feared of meeting new people. Call it his shyness or a trait of introvert, the thought of meeting, talking to strangers, made his stomach do all the summersaults. He remembered the reason why he left the Delhi University College application and applied for St.Maria. Ofcourse Ruskin bond was to be blamed for giving readers surreal experiences of Dehra that had made Arjun wish to visit it once  himself. But he also wanted to explore himself. To get out of his comfort zone and live in a place that was completely surrounded by strangers. 

With slow steps he walked out of the hostel building and was now heading towards the college. Arjun had always thought of these steps as something static. He had passed them so often, his black shoes making a gentle pitter patter on the stone-flecked grey. Today as he sat here, outside a classroom, waiting for his name to be called, they were anything but; the wind moving, dried leaves to pilling up against them. Waiting does this, he guessed. It gives one time to examine the ordinary and ask questions of things they simply take for granted. 

He had practiced the interview process in his mind quite a number of times now, but with each student going inside the interview room and walking out, he could hear his heart thumping loud. Closing his eyes shut, he imagined his parents. No matter what, he couldn't let them down. His decision of ditching DU college over another college shouldn't be labelled as a drawback to his future.

His pocket vibrated, making him open his eyes. Taking his phone out he looked at the screen- A(ROY)S the name flashed. It was video call. He slided the green icon upwards, and instantly Aarushi's face appeared. 

" Wasn't your flight at 12?" He asked looking at the background behind her. She had decided to attend his cousin's ring ceremony. 

" It got delayed." She shrugged. " By the way there is something on your face Arjun."