The Nerd and The Brat ✔️

8. Bunking Classes

Hello Fam :)

A/N - People living in Nainital, guys, you are living in heaven. *heart eyes*

Happy Reading...

It has been two weeks since Nandini punched Harshad in the canteen of their college. No one saw him after that but no one cared too since it wasn't uncommon for him to remain absent for weeks together. Being the head boy only gave him the pass to free leaves throwing the head boy duties as an excuse.

Manik, who doesn't know anything about all this, was a tad bit worried for him. That day as soon as he kept his bag down, the peon informed him about the principal calling him. Manik panicked and followed him out of the class. He sighed in relief when he saw Nandini outside their classroom, who was busy texting on her mobile.

"You are early?", he asked. He was still a bit scared of her, especially when she is in one of her moods but he got along well with Abhimanyu and Mukti even if their 'principles' were a bit contrasting to his. Coming to Nandini, he never thought she would appear too early to attend classes. The three of them usually strolled in the classroom after the professor starts the lesson.

"Yeah, I had some work at college", she replied without taking her eyes off her phone.

"Principal Sir has called me", he said in order to calm his nerves. He wasn't called to the principal's office ever in his school in between classes, that is. It wasn't helping his case that a girl was walking just beside him and without a care in the world. His own brain was ready to explode seeing her nonchalant about the world around her except the device in her hands.

"Yeah, he called me too", she said and shrugged.

"Aren't you tensed?"

Nandini sighed dramatically. "What's up with you? What exactly do you want to ask?"

"Are we going to be expelled?", he asked. A shiver ran through his body thinking about facing his mother after the expulsion. His already tender brain cells felt offended when Nandini burst out laughing for a good minute.

"Are you seriously letting Harshad's words into your head? Do you know who his sister is?", she asked after holding her breath. When Manik nodded in negative, she chuckled. "It's Alya."

"I didn't know that she has a brother", said Manik.

"Pretty inseparable they are. Didn't you see the way he defended her yesterday?"

"I met her just after coming to India."

"Leave about her. Whatever the principal asks you, answer it with complete honesty", she said. "Do one thing, don't use the word ragging there. Harshad didn't rag you, yeah?", she added as an afterthought.

"Why?", questioned Manik.

"Will tell you later. We have reached." Nandini knocked on the door and stepped in when the principal asked them to come in.

The first thing Manik noticed was Harshad standing beside the principal's table and was he still clutching his stomach? The pain from an average punch shouldn't last for more than 12 hours, owing to his experience with his brother and he doesn't work out extensively on his fitness, guiltily sneaking that time to read his novels. He didn't put it past the head girl beside him. As he tried to catch her eye, he found her rolling her eyes at the boy before the principal had their attention.

"Ah, Nandini," called the principal, "sorry for pulling you two out of your classroom but we have a serious issue here. Harshad was telling me, he couldn't able to attend today's meeting and his classes because you have physically abused him a few days back." He leaned back in his chair after putting his glasses down and rested his chin on his palm as casually as if discussing about the next class lesson. "What do you have to say in this matter?"