One Cuppa Chai

°22°

In the period of brief acquaintance with Lydia, she'd managed to evoke some deep, forbidden feelings that are generally disapproved by society. Feelings that want me to scream bloody murder in broad daylight.

The girl was hyperactive and didn't hold back in a conversation.

She had this habit of giving me mini heart attacks when I arrived in college, always wanted to link her arm with mine and loiter around everywhere with me. I wasn't excused of her presence even in the pretext of using the stalls.

But Monday was a fresh start for me, or so I assumed.

Two days of college, we had to register for language and classes.

And Monday was the day of registering for physical education. To my pleasant surprise, Lydia was a sports scholarship student which means she would have to unhook me from her grasp to complete a few formalities with the Bursar.

She gave me a sorry glance before letting go of my hands.

I watched her head towards the Office Building and I sighed inwardly, shielding my eyes from the merciless glare of the sun. I was glad that I'd chosen to wear the most modest cotton tee I owned to keep me from being roasted to a medium-rare.

People in the terse queue were becoming more scarce until I was allowed my turn.

I pulled my brand new pen out with a flourish and my movement paused midway.

Zumba

Traditional Dance

Aerobics

Yoga

Karate

Observing the fatally alien options that were spread before me with distaste, the words flowed out of my mouth in a feeble murmur: "Can I maybe, compensate the credits for PE with a subject?"

"No, absolutely not. This is a part of your syllabus," The staff replied indignantly.

"Ah."

I simply scrawled my signature under one of the fields because deep thought wasn't going to help it.

I passed the note back to the woman and picked up my bag from under the tree, unsure of what I should do.

A stream of students was headed towards a direction with so much surety that I was tempted to follow them.

And God bless them, they led me to food.

I'd already encountered the cafeteria and duly noted it the last time but these girls led me to the open shack along the pathway to the library.

Just nature and trees, a few cement platforms for the students.

Students were bumbling around the counter with wallets and juice boxes in their hands. I pulled my bag into an empty spot, ignoring the ruckus around me.

The menu board caught my eye and I studied it with excessive interest. I wasn't allotted pocket money but I'd saved a few coins and I was good to go for now. I ran my greedy eyes over the options.

Samosa, Chicken Puff, Sweet buns, Chole Bature...

I was distracted by a face in my purview. I relaxed a fraction when I recognised that it wasn't Lydia.

A strikingly pretty girl with a coat of rich coral lipstick gracing her lips stood before me, her wavy hair secured in a half-hearted bun, while a few brunette tendrils brushed her face.

 Must be one of those popular ice queens.

"What subject do we have now?" She asked me and my brows elevated, partially because I was befuddled. I simply stared blankly for a moment at her very angular face.