FROM NEVER TO HAPPILY EVER!

5.

Nazanin Abbas.

Danish Goddamn Mustafa!!! He happens to be the craziest man I have had the misfortune of knowing. Like who on Earth with a penis can sit beside Raima, the most charming girl and not glance at her twice?

Apparently, Danish, The Great can. It has been an awkward twenty minutes   since Raima joined our table dressed like a fairy, the moment she stepped here I knew she would spread magic on his heart. If I wasn't straight, I would definitely tap her. Like, she is dick-hardending hot. I even got up from my usual chair beside Dani to make place for her so they are close enough to talk. But what did I expect from the most boring man on Earth?

All he did was look once at her politely while responding to her Salam and then continue eating his food without a care in the world, like the most beautiful girl in the college didn't just give him heart eyes. I want to bang his head against this very table. I clear my throat and smile awkwardly at Raima, who by now seems to have caught up with the fact that he is not into her.

"So, Raima. What do you do in your free time?", I ask praying internally she says something related to music because Dani loves soothing music.

Raima drops her fork on the plate so elegantly, then she wipes her mouth with a tissue looking up at me with a polite smile, "I listen to Arijit Singh when I have the time. Otherwise you will find me hooked up with a book in my library. Thrillers."

Impressive. Her manners, her elegance is gobsmacking. And then there is me, I bet I am fatter than her. While she is gracefully playing with those spoons and forks I am munching junk food like a stray dog.

"Whoa! Your interests match with Dani here. Even he is a bookworm", I clap hoping to get a reaction out of Dani. But all this jerk does is look up at me and smile, then going back to his damn food. What is so interesting about that samosa that he wouldn't mind rejecting Raima.

Ullu da pattha. Ghar chal, tumhara janaza nai nikla aaj to main bhi Niny nai.

The moment her lunch is done, Raima stands up to go out of the cafeteria, and I burn holes in Dani's head signalling him to ask for her number. But no! Jackass only shrugs nodding at her with lowered gaze as she leaves the table. The moment she is lit of sight, I spring out of my seat going to back to my original place as I smack his head. Once. Twice. Thrice. He scrunches his eyebrows, glaring at me.

"Ooo sanyasi mahapurush! Kya kiya tune? Itni khoobsurat ladki khud plate mein apne aap ko serve kar rahi hai, lo bhai mujhe khalo par nai. Janab ko to in phule hue samoson mein zyada interest hai. Maanjra kya hai tumhara aakhir?", I ask glaring back at him.

"Kuch nai. Mujhe kuch khaas pasand nai aayi", he shrugs as if it's no big deal.

"Tune dekha hi kab usko ki ye bolsake wo kaisi dikhti hai. Buddhu!" I sigh holding my head between my hands. Ab kisko dhundun main, Raima se koi khubsurat hai bhi nai.

He has the audacity to rub his fingers on my hair, "Leave it Naaz. I don't have time for this anyway. Finish your lunch fast, we will get going after."

I grunt, throwing his hand away. With a huge pout, I stuff the remnants of my food.

"Hi Dani! Are you free for a while before the math class?", I look up to see Zara standing at our table. She is the female version of Dani in academics. Meaning the girl topper, after my Dani obviously.

He nods at her, "Yes, do you have some work?"

She waves at me, and I throw back a quick smile before continuing to eat.

"Actually, yesterday's trigonometry formulae went over my head. I didn't get even one derivation. How about you explain them to me?", she asks.

He looks at his watch, then after contemplating for a few seconds he stands up nodding at her. She smiles gratefully. Dani faces me, "Naaz I will be in that spare classroom with her. Once you are done with lunch, meet me there. We will head to chemistry together after the bell, okay?"

I bob my head, because I am chewing my food. Then they both disappear down the hallway.

Even Zara finds trigonometry hard. Forget about me. I barely pass my exams while she is the second topper. I think that's why Dani agreed to help her and not me. Because she will atleast understand what he is trying to tell unlike me. I stop eating suddenly when an unpleasant thought strikes me.

When I asked him yesterday, Dani refused to help me. And I had pleaded. But with just one request from her, he right away agreed to teach her.

I feel uneasy suddenly, like my heart is being constricted. I grab my bottle, gulping some water to see if it goes away. But no luck. After a few more uneasy moments, I decide it don't want to eat anymore. I wrap the aluminum foil muttering a quick apology to God for wasting food.

I stand up quickly rushing out of the cafeteria towards the abandoned classroom. My steps come to a halt when I hear Dani's deep voice explaining the derivation vividly. I think he does that better that the teacher. Then comes Zara's voice asking her doubt. He gently clears it out then pointing at her mistake. She laughs embarrassed and he follows suit.

Something within me flares, not liking the fact that I am outside this room listening to their talk like a creep, so I step back walking away.

I speedwalk towards the parking area, inserting the key in my scooty. I quickly drive towards the gate and the guard stands up with his usual harsh glare, trying to close the gate before I escape. I increase my speed rushing past the gate.

But even the gushing winds, and the wild ride don't reduce my damp mood. I don't understand why the uneasiness is bubbling up in my chest again as I recall him laughing with her.

Four hours later.

The moment I park the scooty in our driveway, the door to our house bursts open revealing my worried looking mothers. Oh, these women! I just needed some fresh air.

"Naaz, where have you been all this time? You even bunked college. Dani had to bribe the gaurd to not inform you Principal. How could you be so irresponsible?", Mama screeches as soon as I walk up the porch.

"I am sorry Mama. I just needed some fresh air. I didn't mean to worry you both." I speak hugging both of them.

"You should have already told us jaani, look you got us harped up for nothing." Maasima says patting my head.

Mama doesn't let me hug her, "This is no behavior a grown up woman should exhibit. You are supposed to be responsible and mature Naaz, not adding to the stress Dani already has. Instead of going to work, he is in the streets searching for you. Do you even know how crazy that boy went when he found out you weren't in class?"

Really? I thought he was busy giving free trigonometry lessons. I move towards the kitchen to drink water.

"Chill Mama! I am sure he didn't think much about me. He was busy giving trigonometry lessons, and that too free of cost." She follows me with the intention of given my another lecture but frowns at my statement.

"What are you on about?", she asks me trying to connect the dots.

I shrug, sitting on the chair with an apple.

Kya pata agar wo sach mein mujhe bahut der se dhund raha ho to? Shayad mujhe use text kardena chahiye tha ki main safe hun. Kya Naaz tum bhi, hamesha pagalon wali harkatein karni hain.