Cigarettes & Peonies

25

"Good morning maahi." maahi stopped dead in her tracks and looked up. She gasped at the sight of beaming Karanvir standing down, next to the stairwell. Quickly she climbed down the flight of stairs and reached him.
"I thought you'd left last night. What are you doing so early in my house??" asked maahi flummoxed. Karanvir grinned.
"Well I did stay in your house last night. Your mother let me stay for the night, she said it was a small token of gratitude from her for taking care of her daughter while she was away." he said to her sheepishly. Maahi's brows came together.
"But you look so fresh already and you weren't wearing these clothes last night, I am sure about that." she said innocently. He chuckled.
"Well I do keep a spare set of clothes at the house across yours, I think I already told you that they are my relatives....I guess they are pretty plain clothes but I'll work with them." he said with a smile. She smiled shortly. Soon her father was inside the tiny hall.
"Good morning my little girl and.... what are you doing here Mr. Roy?? I thought you must've left by now. Planning to stay for breakfast??" asked Mr. Khandelwal insolently. Karanvir rolled his eyes.
"Good morning Mr. Khandewal and yes, Mrs. Khandewal has asked me to stay back for breakfast." said he slyly. Mr. Khandewal grumbled.
"Yeah Yeah whatever. Maahi dear, c'mon quickly have your breakfast, i don't want you running late for college." said Mr. Khandewal hastily. Maahi nodded and started running off to the dining room.
"Um, I can drop the four of us to the college." offered Karanvir courtly. Mr. Khandewal showed him a simper.
"I'm not leaving my precious girl with three mules. You go your way and my daughter goes her way. Ok." hissed Mr. Khandewal and left for his room. Karanvir cursed after him under his breath.
"Your daughter will go my way and with me and you won't be able to do anything, Father-in-law!!!" seethed Karanvir as he made his way to the dining room. Maahi and her brothers were already eating when Karanvir walked into the small, comfy room.
"Good morning sir...." the twins yelled in unison. Maahi kept her focus on her food.
"Karanvir.... come in please. Luv, lay a plate for Karanvir." Mrs. Khandewal arrived with a plate loaded with warm, straight out of the pan, paneer paranthas and karanvir's stomach was already grumbling. Luv dexterously laid a plate for him. On his plate were two steaming hot paranthas, mixed pickle, curd, onion drenched in vinegar as a salad, and a cup of tea next to the plate. What else do you need in life man!!! Karanvir sat opposite to maahi, his eyes locked on her cute face.
"If you need anything else then please don't hesitate to ask, ok." said Mrs. Khandewal politely. Karanvir looked up at her with a smile and somehow he saw his own mother standing before him. He politely nodded and she retired back to the kitchen.
"Maahi why aren't you eating pickle??" asked kush with a mouthful. Karanvir quietly heard him, too invested in eating.
"Ew!! I don't like pickles...." she said, swirling her spoon in the curd. Karanvir smiled inwardly knowing he too doesn't like pickles. How similar they both were!!! He wondered.
"Maahi are you done honey??" her father's voice boomed inside the room. Maahi quickly stuffed the rest of her parantha in her mouth and stood up. Karanvir frowned.
"I'm coming papa....." shouted maahi and dashed outside. Karanvir huffed.
"Why's your father always in such a hurry??" asked Karanvir irritated. The twins wolfed down their food and said.
"No idea!!!" and they went back to eating. Karanvir looked at them tiredly.

Maahi sat in her classroom. She was listening to the lecture of her vertebrates professor. Suddenly, in walks Karanvir Roy.
"I'm coming in." said he haughtily as he walked in through the door. The girls giggled.
"Yes I can see." professor sulked. Karanvir's eyes searched for maahi. There she was, sitting alone in the corner row first seat, and avoiding making eye contact with him. He smirked.
"What do you want??" asked professor insolently. Karanvir looked at maahi.
"Maahi." everybody gasped loudly, so did maahi as she looked up at him in incredulity.
"I want maahi to come with me to the auditorium so I can discuss with her some really important stuff." explained Karanvir. Relief washed over maahi and the entire class.
"Oh there you are Karanvir......I was looking for you in the entire uni!!!" a sultry voice came through the door. Now behind stood Sherlyn Dasgupta, the hottest girl of the university, well at least she thinks she is and you too if silicon implants and fillers are your typical beauty standard. Karanvir cringed as her heavy perfume raided into his nose.
"Why were looking for me ma'am?? What have I done to you anyway??" asked Karanvir uninterested. She chuckled and wrapped her arm around his. Karanvir watched her bemused.
"O Vir, you're so sweet aren't you!!!" she said provocatively, her fingers scaling up to the buttons of his shirt. The professor coughed awkwardly while maahi watched the two naively. Karanvir huffed before wrenching his arm off of hers.
"You need to count 10 steps and stay exactly that distance away from me." said he rudely. Sherlyn's eyes flared with anger but she did a good deal in not showing that to anyone.
"Whatever. So everybody, you are aware that our university is organising an annual day and all of you are eligible to take part. Me and Vir are organising a drama and we need participants for it. So who's interested??"
"Wait a minute!!! I'm not organising anything with you. You need to shut the fuck up. Stop spreading lies...."
"Wow drama.....I want to take part." maahi said excitedly. Karanvir gasped.
"Yeah yeah....who the hell says I'm not organising it.... I'm doing it. Yes." Karanvir covered up. But then maahi's face dropped.
"Oh no, I can't. My exams are approaching." she said sadly. Karanvir stopped short. Sherlyn was watching Karanvir intently.
"Well um I remembered now.....I have other things to do so I can't help you in setting up everything sherlyn. You need to do this by yourself." Karanvir said and grinned. Sherlyn wanted to murder him for good.