Chapter 4

*Kritika Pov*

                

"Kri! Wake up!" I heard someone saying while shaking me.

"Please don't wake me up! He will go away." I said whining and turned away.

"If you don't wake up in one minute then you have to say good bye to your novels forever." I heard her threatening me.

"Bye, bye Nove.... Wait! Novels?" I shouted the last two words waking up with no trace of sleep in my eyes anymore.

I looked up to see Ri grinning like she won some lottery ticket. I glared at her and turned to look at the clock which made me glare at her more.

"It is just 6!" I shouted at her in shock.

"So? I woke up at 5 and even finished jogging." She said shrugging.

"Good for you! Now let me have some sleep." I said flopping myself on the bed again.

"You should try it sometime so that you can burn this baby fat." She said pulling my cheeks.

"I am not..." I couldn't finish my sentence as Di cut me off entering the room saying "She is not fat! She is healthy like we all are in our family except you ofcourse."

I grinned at Di as for Ri she is pouting at Di. Ri shook her head and said "I eat more food than all of you so I am more healthy."

"That is what surprising me. Even after eating like an animal you are still looking like this." I said genuinely amazed by the fact.

"Every person's body type is different from others. And you sleep for some more time ok. I will wake you up after sometime." Di said smiling at me.

"What Di? You never said that to me." Ri complained.

"If you want I can really wake you up at 10 everyday. So do you want me to?" Di asked raising an eyebrow.

"No way!" Ri said rushing out of the room.

We both laughed and Di left the room so that I can sleep again. After sometime Di woke me up as we are need to get ready for college.

I got up from my bed and walked towards the window to open the blinds. When I did I felt the morning air hitting me making me smile and close my eyes.

I stretched myself completely and opened my eyes in that position which just made my eyes go wide in that position.

Because I just saw my mirror image but only difference is my mirror image is a guy and I am girl. Even our expressions are mirroring each other but in the next second we both acted completely different.

He waved at me with a smile on his face and as for me I moved completely away from the window to lean on the wall like yesterday night. What is he doing waking up so early today? I thought frowning.

I am so disappointed in myself. I just acted like whatever I can be called at present. I don't even want to stress my brain now to think what word can be suited for my behavior.

From today onwards I need to spend some more time with Ri so that I can get some daring nature from her. Yeah! I should definitely do that.

I started getting ready and went downstairs to see Di and Ri are already sitting at the dining table to have their breakfast.

When I was half way through finishing mine, Ri suddenly said "I am so excited for ragging today."

"Ri! You are not the one that is going to rag everyone." I said frowning along with gulping.

"So? I think getting ragged is something really a special memory and should be experienced by everyone." Ri said grinning and I just choked on my breakfast.

"Ritika! Don't scare her like that." Di said looking at Ri and then she turned towards me saying "She is right! You need not fear that much about it. I too got ragged and see I am still alive."

And then both Ri and Di chuckled at my face. I pouted and said "Di! It is not at all funny."

"I know! But really don't worry about it." she said in assuring tone all I could do is nod.

We reached the campus in nearly fifteen minutes and directly went inside the auditorium as per the instructions.

After taking our seats I looked around completely excited. And then I got a small glimpse of Sanjay somewhere.

Great! Now I am hallucinating too?? I shook my head and concentrated on our Alien principal speech.

But today I really can see normal principal actions too. Thank god! Because until now I thought I need to completely hide myself from him these four years for sure.

And then again after the speech he smiled warmly but not that much like yesterday but warmly. Now he went back to his status I gave him making me groan silently.

*Akhila Pov*

"Kritika! Don't make those sounds." I said to her in whisper when I heard her groaning.

"You heard that?" she asked me shocked.

"The front row and back row must have also heard you." Ri said making her stiff in her seat.

"Nothing like that Kritika." I said assuring her.

After the meet we all walked outside and walked towards the campus blocks. The auditorium is actually little far away from all the blocks.

Then when we are completely near the blocks, Kritika held my hand tightly in hers. I looked at her confused but when I saw where she is looking at I understood her worry.

"It's nothing Kri!" Ri said who looks more excited about this.

"It's nothing? It's ragging Ri. It's R-A-G-G-I-N-G." She said and still held my hand tightly in hers.

"I know the correct spelling but you seriously need to stop fearing for this." Saying this Ri dragged her but she didn't saw that I was being dragged my Kritika.

"Kritka! I need not be there with you both." I said trying to release my hand.

"But if you will not be there then I will faint Di." She said and continued to drag me.

There we saw a bunch of seniors already started ragging few members. I sighed and stood there in the tight grip of Kritika.

"Hey! You don't look like a junior." One boy said from the group.

"Look! I am not..." I couldn't finish it as few juniors infront of us gasped at me.

"Look? You don't know how to show respect to your seniors and that too we are super seniors." Another guys said.

"Why?" Ri asked smiling.

"First call us by either sir or madam. And we are super senior's because we are third year students." One girl replied.

So these are same year like me. I shook my head and tried to leave my hand from Kritika but she looked like she is really going to faint.

"As you disrespected us we will find something to make you do." One guy said and they all started to discuss between themselves like this is some India's fate changeable meeting.

They all suddenly looked around and stopped at one place. They immediately got grins on their faces and turned towards me.

"There is a guy to whom you need to introduce yourself and also give this small rose to him." The girl who answered Ri's question said coming towards me with a flower.

We three looked at the guy whom they are talking and I immediately turned towards them asking "Is he a lecturer?"

They all laughed at my question and said "His personality is like that but he is not. He is actually third year student too and his name is Khushal."

"Kushal? He seems more like an Unkhushal person to me." Kritika mumbled to me but like always she thought she did it in whisper and is actually heard by everyone.

"Don't disrespect your senior like that." One guy said but they all are just stopping themselves from laughing.

"I am not at all..." I started to say but they again cut me off saying "You are again disrespecting us? We need to make your punishment even more severe."

"I have an idea! Go and kiss him on the cheek." The girl suddenly said who gave me the rose.

"What?" We three shouted at them.

"Either you do it or the girl beside you will do it for you when you will do something else." The girl said shrugging.

This is not at all the type of ragging I went through in My Mumbai College at all. And now I need to kiss a guy's cheek? I am not at all going to do it.

But as for Kritika she is shivering completely. Even Ri had a protective hand around her like me and is actually looking at the seniors in shock.

"Ok! I will do it but you need to leave her completely alone." I said gesturing Kritika.

They looked at me confused but I stood my ground. I mean I need to feel something I have got back for doing this stupid thing right?

"Ok! When we see you doing it we will let her go but only her." That girl said and Ri and I nodded at her.

"Thank you so much Di. I will do your laundry too." Kritika whispered but as usual heard by everyone. I couldn't help but smile at her squeezing her shoulder and started walking towards this 'Kushal' person slowly after taking a deep breath.

Kritika is always like this fearing about the ragging and even the small interviews she attended to join some great schools along with Ri.

If I don't do this or even if I tell them that I am not junior then this will be done by Kritika. I chanted this to myself and finally reached a little near to him.

As for him he is just fast walking ignoring all the feared looks given by few students and while few just looked at him like he is some museum statue. Well I can understand them because he is so big that I still think he is a lecturer.

"Excuse me Mr.Khushal!" I called him like that because if he turns out to be a lecturer then I can atleast don't get punishment for calling him without respect.

He stopped in his tracks when I called him like that and turned towards me with shock look but it immediately changed into blank expression.

"Yes?" he asked with monotone.

"My name is Akhila and take this." I said placing it in his hand before he says anything else.

"Close your eyes." I said fisting my hands.

"What?" He asked me this time he showed his shock.

"Close your eyes!" I said again and I may kind of ask it in a demanding way looking at the seniors looking at this along with my sisters who are holding their hands.

He frowned but closed his eyes. I went near his cheek and said "Sorry about this but I should do this as it is asked by few seniors."

Saying that I pressed my lips and immediately rushed away from him towards the seniors in such a way that I don't even think my lips made contact with his cheek.

When I came near the seniors they all looked at me with mouth wide open. I ignored them and took Kritika's hand and walked away from them.

I asked Ritika to come with us but she said she had to do something as a part of ragging. When she assured me we both walked towards our respective blocks.

I stopped at CSE block and breathed in relief. As for Kritika she is looking at me guiltily. I smiled at her and said "Forget about it."

"I am so sorry Di. Because of me you had to do that." She said and hugged me.

I chuckled and released her saying "It's nothing Kritika. See everything is over now so go to your class."

She nodded and entered her CSE block. I walked towards the EEE block and entered the class which belonged to third year students.

The start of the day is completely eventful and I hope he didn't mind. I also hope I don't have to see him again.