ShivOmRu SS ~ Cross Connections

Chapter 1

5:32p.m. [Hey gorgeous! Wanna go for a movie tonight?]

5:36p.m. [What, just the two of us? Or Bhai and Behenji joins too?]

5:40p.m. [No babe, Om doesn't join us. As for behenji, I only promised Soumya that I will take care of her in class, not beyond. So just the two of us. Game?]

5:50p.m. [Sure, sounds like a plan! Pick me up at 9?]

5:53p.m. [Done ma'am]

Tia smirked after reading the last message on the phone. This Shivay was a charmer, she thought. They have become friends ever since they started college last year when her cousin Om and she ended up joining the same college for the same course - Shivay was Om's best friend from junior school. So naturally, they were sort of a group - of course the recent addition to the group was that behenji Anika - a total misfit thought Tia dismissively.

Anika was in the same class from the beginning, but they never noticed her until they started college this year. As luck would have it, Shivay's sister Soumya had joined the same college and she was Anika's roomie. Soumya for some reason had become fiercely protective of Anika seeing her docile nature and nerdy disposition - she realized Anika must be having a difficult time in the college, hence she had made Shivay promise her, that he will befriend Anika in class and let her hang out with them - in short taking care of Anika was Shivay's responsibility as per Soumya's demand. Of course, Shivay never said no to his tom-boy sister Soumya - so there was their revised group - Shivay, Tia, Om and Behenji.

***

Anika was furiously scribbling and making last minute corrections in the assignment - she couldn't believe that she herself had made so many silly mistakes in it, but of course by the time she had started working on it, it was past 3a.m. and she was really tired and sleepy - she had to learn to manage time better she thought to herself as she tried her best to drown out the constant chirpy voice of Tia sitting in front of her - gossiping over the phone about how fantastic her movie date with Shivay went last night. She needed to concentrate and revise this before the professor came for collecting their assignments - she couldn't afford another assignment going down the drain because of her careless mistakes. She was covering her ears with her hand and rocking on her chair and reading out her assignment softly to concentrate better, when she saw a long bony finger tap her desk - she glanced up to see Shivay looking down at her with an annoyed face.

"Why my assignment already isn't placed on the professor's desk Anika?" he asked with an annoyed expression.

"Woh..actually I was doing ---" but he cut her off.

"Oh, so this is how carelessly you do my assignment? Minutes before the professor arrives? And why have you scribbled so much on it? You're trying to screw me on purpose, right Anika?" asked Shivay furiously.

Anika silently turned around and dug out another file from her bag and handed it to Shivay. "This is your assignment Shivay, I finished it last night. The one I am scribbling on is mine" she replied softly not meeting his eyes.

Shivay took the file silently from her and flipped through the pages, it was neatly done and there were no scribbles. He still felt irritated, but he chose not to say anything.

"What is this yaar Shivay, at least listen to her once before venting out your anger on her. Firstly she does all your assignments and she prioritises your assignment over her's and this is how you behave?" chided an annoyed Om from next to Anika. Shivay turned back to face Om after he heard his remarks and was about to say something to Anika, when Tia who was sitting beside him, turns around and faces Om and Anika too.

"What bhai, if she was done with Shivay's assignment, then why could she not go and keep his file on the desk before only? Shivay wouldn't have got irritated then" finished Tia and smiled warmly at Shivay. Then they both turned around and started chatting, leaving Om and Anika to themselves.