The Strings Of Heart

17

Sitara POV

I look at the board blankly, I'm sleepy and we have two more classes before the class ends. I try not to fall asleep, Lavanya ma'am is sitting across me.

If she caught me sleeping in her class one more time. I knew she would deduct marks from my assignments.

"You good?" Kavya whispers. I open the notebook and flip to the last page.

"Class sucks and I can't wait for this end." I write and pass the book to her.

"Yeah, twenty more minutes. We have two more classes later."

"Huh."

I lean back in my seat comfortably with my legs crossed under my desk. These days sleep became a forgotten thing, I can't help but feel frustrated.

Elora went to London last week, the work has been shifted to me. I hate it and can't find enough time to sleep. I can't complain about this knowing mumma is stressed and working late nights.

I need to tell her to hire a few people. I can't encourage her to work late nights or allow myself to work on those stupid files and projects.

The office work and college work is tiring me out. This is not me, I never wanted to have such kind of life. I wanted to be away from all this and live a simple life without stress.

I just want my school life back, back to those days where I f*****g enjoyed it with my friends.

"I hope everyone got the message? Emails will be sent by the evening and don't forget to check your email box. I want the registration to be done by tonight," Lavanya ma'am spoke standing up from her chair.

"Yes ma'am."

"Sure, ma'am."

Everyone responded to her while I kept yawning thankfully she is busy talking with the front desk girls.

"You don't worry, I will fill your form. Let me take a snap of your college ID," Kavya said. I smiled at her lazily nodding my head, I gave her my I'd card.

The first semester exams are going to start next month. Registrations are happing for projects and hall tickets.

"Just go home and take a rest okay? You look in need of sleep," Kavya says as we watch Lavanya ma'am leave the class.

"Yeah, I'm not having proper sleep these days. I hate it though," I say leaning on her keeping my head on her shoulder.

She pats my cheek and I wrap my arm around her. To be honest, I love Kavya and being with her makes me happy.

She is too cute and too innocent which makes me want to protect her and keep her to myself. The one good thing of coming to college or staying in Hyderabad is Kavya right now.

I'm glad that I spoke to her that day and made her my friend. She is rare and only a few can understand her.

"Wanna have a sleepover at my house?" I ask her.

"We can have a sleepover at mine, thata(grandpa) and nani(grandma) are actually asking about you," she said.

"Then at yours, I will be there by eight."

"Sure."

I unwrap my arm around her when Madhavi ma'am entered our class. I frown when she starts with her stupid complaints. She is one of those people who are more concerned about their looks and gossip in college.

Some of the boys have a crush on her because of her chubby cute face and modal figure body. But looks can deceive

"I give her two stars for her performance in class," I whisper to Kavya. Kavya chuckles keeping her head down.

"True."

The rest of the two classes went on. I felt like the time isn't ticking. By the time I reached home, I was walking with my eyes closed. I shut the door close, threw the bag on the wing chair before making a beeline towards the bed.

I turned on the AC and fell on the bed with a thud. I didn't think nor dreamed as I was out as a feather.

*

"So he wrote you an email but you didn't reply?" Kavya asks. I remove my pants and put on the shorts.

"Yes."

"Why? I mean it wasn't his fault and it was your aunt right who did that. And he felt guilty enough to send you emails and apologies," she says sitting beside me.

I look away not knowing what to tell her. David sent me an email, he apologized but I haven't sent a reply.

"It was my aunt but he was the one who spoke something with my sister and Aarav when the f*****g aunt eavesdropped. I don't plan to give a reply."

I try to shake off his f*****g smile in my brain. Whenever someone takes his name, I can't forget about his stupid smiling face for hours.

"Sitara, you are being hard on him. I think it's better if you accept his apology maybe then you will get over his face in your mind."

I give her a look she knew that I can't forget his face and constantly reminded in my mind.

"I hate to say this but I don't think I can stop remembering his stupid face," I tell her grabbing the pillow.

A playful smile grows on her lips, "I think you got a crush on him."

I roll my eyes, "crush and him? Never. Eww, he is full of smiles and I don't like sunshine guys."

She laughs, " that's what makes you get attracted to him. You are not a bubbly girl, you don't like to talk or smile while he talks politely and smiles. You don't carry the smile and he always does. You are a dark kind of girl and he is a sunshine kind of man. You see opposites attract. It's definitely a crush!"

I beat her head playfully, "you are reading those cheesy novels too much. Opposites attract is the theory only applicable in novels not in real life darling. Even if I have a crush on him it would eventually die. I dislike his cheerful personality and he hates my guts. Basically, he dislikes me and I have heard that from his own mouth."

"Hmm, but it would be so good to see you two together. Imagine the playful fights or stupid fights you would be having. Just because he felt guilty he has been sending emails, think how he would be going to apologize if you two are in a relationship?"

I laugh shaking my head. "Kavya it's not a novel and it's not going to happen. The guy's mum is searching for a bride."

That got Kavya's interest as she sat up facing me while I slept on my back.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he is twenty-nine. His mum wants him to tie the knot and he is running away. But my sister was saying they have selected the perfect girl for him and he will be tieing the knot soon."

"Ugh, that's bad. I just imagined you two together and you dropped the bomb." Kavya's shoulders slouched down in disappointment.

I chuckle "he is too old for me to date and I don't date old men."

"Truth to be told, he doesn't look like twenty-nine years old. He seems young and cute with his sunshine smile," Kavya says leaning on my stomach.

"Lol, that's because of his lanky body and tall personality," I say remembering his body and height.

I don't think he goes to the gym or exercise. He got the thin and lanky body compared to Aarav whose body is built with the right amount of muscles.

"Yeah, he is taller than the guys I know. I was surprised seeing him for the first time."

"Lol stop about him and tell me about Vinay guy," I say poking her stomach. She laughs poking mine back.

"There's nothing actually, I don't think it would work out so I called him brother and he stopped texting," she replied.

"Expected."

Kavya is a shy girl, the only romance she knows is the romance from the books. At least one of us is aware of romance while I don't even get it how people fell in love and stay in love.

There are other section or department guys who have shown interest in her but she politely rejected everyone without uttering a word.

"Why wouldn't it work out? Like how you understood that?" I ask her.

"Hmm, when you think about them you get busy with the thoughts running in your head of them. You get excited and when you are with them, you just feel the connection. If you don't get any vibe or connection with them it's a waste of time."

"Lol you are gone crazy if you are mind is filled with their thoughts," I say.

"That's what, love makes you go crazy! And if doesn't then it's just attraction."

"Haha..."

"I think the Karthik guy from the architecture department is cute and hot," Kavya says.

"Show his face," I say. She nods her head and goes to get her phone.

I wait looking at the ceiling thinking about home and my life. I really really feel like I'm wasting my time. Nothing excites me and everything is so boring.

"Here, this is profile. Heard that he only talks with limited people and doesn't involve with other class girls. He didn't accept the friend requests."

I go through the f*******: profile, the guy is okay but nothing makes me say cute or hot.

"He is okay," I say. She laughs nodding her head.

"Of course it's okay for you. You have seen all the hot guys and even have them as your friends."

When I showed her the pictures of Abhinav, Gaurav, Joel, Aryan and Kabir she was in shock.

"Let's go to a movie tomorrow," I say to her.

"Yup but I need to submit the assignments in the college. We will submit them and go to a movie."

"Yup, what movies released?"

"Let me check," she says.

"Telugu, Hindi or English?" She asked.

"Telugu," I reply. The last time I watched a Telugu cinema in theatres is years back.

"S/O Satyamurthy."

"Yup."

"Should I trim my hair or go for a haircut?" I ask Kavya rolling on my stomach. She touches the ends of my hair which have grown and they are touching my bum.

"No, don't cut your hair. Just go for a regular trim. I love your thick hair," she says.

I nod my head brushing my hair with my fingers. I'm not a fan of long hair as maintaining it is torture. At the same time, I don't like to cut my hair short, I'm actually proud of my thick hair.

I usually get many compliments from women for having healthy hair and the feminine side in me doesn't want to harm my hair.

"Should we join the gym after our college hours?" I ask her.

"Doesn't it tiresome for you? You got work to do after college hours," she reminds me.

"Ugh, sucks." I groan.

"Why? Gaining weight?"

"Not really but I'm becoming lazy and I used to play basketball and have my everyday training now I hardly play. I don't want to give a break you know."

"Got it."

The whole night we spoke about random things, listened to her while she spoke about the Freshers party.

I didn't attend the Freshers party because of the work at the office. I wanted to attend it with Kavya and see how these parties happen but no.

"They asked him where he sees himself in next ten years. He answered them 'i see myself in our living room with my wife and two kids' practically what he said was true but I guess they expected some other answer."

"Haha."

"Yes, where do you see yourself in the next five years?" Kavya asks. She is painting my toenails.

"Five years?" I take my time to think about it. I will be twenty-four, my sister will be married by the time. I might be in a different place but not in Hyderabad for sure.

"I don't know, maybe finishing off my master's somewhere in the world. Maybe on a trip with my friends, living my life in an apartment with a roommate. Parties, meeting new people, work, earning money... I don't know but maybe something like that. I'm sure I would be somewhere single or in a relationship or recently broken up chick living her life trying to work to earn a livelihood."

"Woah, I should record that or write it down. You spoke in such a flow girl," she says. I roll my eyes.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" I ask her. She thinks for a minute.

"Engaged maybe, working in a company. Thinking about college memories when adulthood hits us, catching up with friends or out with you or trying to find out where the heck you are."

I chuckle nodding my head. "True but don't worry, I wouldn't abound you girl."