The next day on campus. I was seated in the courtyard reading. The day was beautiful, with no disturbance. I haven’t seen Sidd since today, so I was rest assured of a peaceful day. As I continued reading, I heard my name.
“Rani!” Someone called angrily. Sidd? I thought he wasn’t on campus today. Oh, God! He came standing right in front of me. “Where is my jacket?” he demanded.“Sidd, let me ask you a question. Why are you so obsessed with a common jacket? I told you I burnt it,” I said nonchalantly.“Do you know the worth of that jacket?” he asked.“Does it costs millions?” I retorted.“I want my jacket back, Rani. You got to give to me.”“Then beg for it. Let’s see if it resurrects back for your sake,” I said. “Besides, I had begged you to give it to me. It’s your turn to beg me to give back to you.”“Do you know the ramification of what you are doing? You know next time I won’t ever give you anything from me no matter what you say, hope you know that.”“And I hope next time you won’t ruin my shirt because I will retaliate, hope you know that,” I riposted.“Rani, please, the jacket isn’t a plain one. It’s a gift and I can’t lose it,” he said calmly.“Honestly? Tell me about it. Who gave it to you, huh? Your girlfriend? Your wife? Your mother?”“Stop joking!” He groaned. I only stared adamantly at him. “Fine, it’s a gift from my grandpa on my 20th birthday before he passed on. You see why I can’t lose it?”“Aww! What’s going to happen now? I already burnt it.”“I know you didn’t, so give it back already.”“I didn’t? How do you know I didn’t? Are you seeing the jacket on me?”“I know you are not that heartless to burn an innocent jacket. What did the jacket do to you?” He questioned.Sidd read my mind this time. I had wanted to burn the jacket. I brought it out with a match and fuel to burn, but I stopped to ponder. Has the jacket wronged me? The jacket isn’t Sidd. I stood at the burning point for over five minutes before deciding not to burn.“Fine, you will have to beg me before you get it. Make it as sincere as I did that day.”He sighed with his eyes closed. “Fine,” he agreed. “Rani, I need my jacket back. In all the words of sincerity, I am pleading with you. It’s a gift from my grandpa, he is late already. If not for my sake then for the sake of the deceased, I want it back, please…I know you will give it back because you respect the elders a lot. You are a good-mannered girl. You are beautiful, intelligent, pure-hearted, and caring. I love the simple girl in you. Give it back now, please,” Sidd pleaded.I knew it wasn’t sincere, but I had to give back his jacket. I keep a deceased gift to his grandson. What if he starts attacking me in my dreams? I opened my bag and brought out the jacket. I handed it over to him.“I washed it,” I said.He put on the jacket. “How do I look?” He asked.“You look like someone I have never seen,” I said.We were locked in each other’s gaze. Our enemy spirit is slowly bonding. Sidd, I wouldn’t want to say, but he is breathtakingly handsome. He is a fine body with a crazy soul. At first, you will think he is an angel, but when you get on his late list like me, then you will wish you had never met him.“You know what I think?” He asked. “You are the opposite of everything I mentioned earlier. Those words are for angels, not enemies,” he declared. I scowled at him. “Start watching out for me,” he said moving away.“You are insane!” I abused.I love indulging in artistic paintings. Not that I know how to do it well, just to rub colors together. I was feeling bored today. Manu is not on campus. I got one more lecture by 3:30 pm. I ambled around the courtyard and tried focusing on a book, but still, I felt bored. Those were my daily college activities and it’s becoming ho-hum somehow. I decided to try out something new. I went to the campus art studio. I got my materials ready to start painting. I sat down holding the paint palette. I thought of what to paint. Maybe a sun or rainbow. I will paint a rainbow. I started by giving the background a dark color. Rainbows are curved somehow, I tried using my imagination of a rainbow in the sky to begin painting. I was on it for a couple of minutes. My painting is turning out okay, even though not well as art students do. I still loved the turnout. “This is beautiful!” I exclaimed chuckling to myself. It wasn’t a complete rainbow yet, I still got more colors to add. As I cheerfully continued my painting and got engrossed in it, Sidd came along. I glanced at him and then focused on my artwork. He moved closer, and intentionally knocked over my paint palette, ruining my artwork. I wanted to cry. I turned an angry look at him.“Oh, God! Looks like you are going to start over, Rani,” he chuckled.I hit the desk angrily and stood up to confront him. “What is wrong with you?” I groaned. “Look at what you have done. You ruined my artwork,” I said frustrated. I have spent many minutes trying to make something out of a color palette and he just ruined it.“It’s not a big deal, just start over,” he said nonchalantly.“You are unbelievable, Sidd! Don’t you know it hurts for one's effort to be wasted?”“Does that mean you are hurt?”“Get off my way, scumbag,” I let out and rushed out of the art studio. I wasn’t even allowed to have a minute of cheerfulness on campus because of Sidd. Not that it’s important, but I so much wanted to see the end of my painting, and Sidd ruined it. It honestly pained me.Our final exams were around the corner, I had to prepare hard for them. I was an intelligent girl but still, I had to stay up late studying.I was studying one day on campus when a ball was thrown at me. Sidd came to pick up the ball from where it was.“Why did you throw the ball at me? Can’t you see that I’m studying?” I asked as calmly as I could pretend.“Did you see me throw the ball?” He questioned.“I knew it was you, who else in this whole campus does silly things?”“Seriously? And who in this whole campus is as bad looking as you?”“If my look was that irritating, why then do you always disturb me? You can’t live without my beauty,” I commented boldly as I was packing my books to go home.“You are so delusional, you know that?”“Just admit it,” I stated as I was about to go. He threw the ball at me once again but I couldn’t do anything about that. I knew that praising myself hurts him and that was satisfactory for me.I studied late on campus one day, I didn’t come with my scoo
Two months later, I got employed in a large business company as an assistant manager. My first day in the office was hectic. Now I know what Kiara had been going through. Come on, it’s not easy.My CEO was a nice man. Though he was kind and generous, he despises lazy workers. I love my new job and I wish to stay longer in the firm.I came to work the following day and I bumped into Sidd. That was the first time I was seeing him after our graduation.“Oh, my God! This is not happening!” I muttered to myself. “What are you doing here?” I queried boldly.“I should be the one asking you that,” he said. “I am the manager of this company, so what are you doing here?”At the mention of him being the manager, my jaw dropped. Evil is certainly coming after me.“What does it look like I’m doing here?” I retorted.“Don’t tell me you are the assistant manager my uncle was talking about,” he chuckled.“Your uncle?” I uttered surprised. “Who is your uncle?”“You want to know? Well, he is t
I stood beside the car waiting for Sidd. He had driven me to this place. I patted my feet on the ground, checked my wristwatch countless times, and looked at the hotel’s entrance, he wasn’t forthcoming. Should I cry? I was already feeling bad. This wasn’t a great day for me. Stuck in a tight dress, had to dance with my enemy, almost falling in front of everyone, and still being saved by my enemy doesn’t sound pleasing at all. Finally, he was coming. I sighed in relief. He opened the car and entered. Do I honestly have to go with him? I entered the car too, fastened my seat belt and he drove off.On our way, we got stuck in a long traffic jam. How did we get here? I was dying. My breathing was on the edge, my belly was tight with an unremovable belt. I was sweating even when the car had an air conditioner. I glanced at Sidd, he seems fine. I unfastened the seat belt. My home is many miles away from where we were. If I wanted to walk in this dress, I will sleep on the street. I didn’t w
I reached the office all rushed up, sorry and confused. I hurried into my office, fumbling with my files and computer. I got a telephone call. Not now. I answered the call. The CEO wants me in his office. Reaching work by 9:30 am wasn’t a joke. Who knows what Sidd had told his uncle? I learned he resumed before everyone else. As I tried to rush to the CEO’s office, my foot entangled with my computer’s cable pulling it along and hearing the system land on the floor. I turned to it, it was damaged. The screen was broken. What am I supposed to do? Another bad startup? This shouldn’t be happening, not today. Late coming, damaging company’s property, why? How do I explain myself? I rushed down to the system, gathering the pieces together, the telephone was ringing again. Gosh! I jerked up and scuttled to the CEO’s office.I was permitted to come inside after knocking. Sidd was there. He will be present in anything bad happening around me. I scowled at him while moving closer to them. “Good
What would my life have been like if I hadn’t met Sidd? Wouldn’t I have been happy? I always thought to myself. Hateful days in college, bizarre days in the office. All because I happened to know Sidd.“You look pale, what happened to you?” my mom asked me in the morning as I prepared to go to work. “Nothing, Mother, I’m fine,” I replied. “I will see you when I get back.” I left.The truth was that I cried last night. I imagined my life without Sidd and it was awesome. I got no other problem but Sidd. How can he be so cruel? He behaves crazy around only me. I have never seen him hurt the emotions of any other girl, but me. I tried recalling how it all started.I was a month old in college, and Sidd was the highly praised folk. His status matters less to me. I never cared about how girls swooned at the sight of him. I was rushing to class and got piles of books in my hand. I bumped into Sidd. I apologized, being too full of himself, he ordered me to tie his shoelaces as a sign of genu
He lifted my chin. My heart pounded even more. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I tried to push him, he pinned my arms to the wall. I was crying. He was going to kiss me. His lips were an inch from mine. I struggled with him. He wouldn’t let my arms go. I tapped my feet on the floor in frustration. His gaze was on me. I felt self-pity. How can I live with the trauma of being defiled by my enemy? Why did I agree to stay with him in the first place? It would be better to lose my job than my integrity. Sidd was a psychopath. He wouldn’t let me go. What came over him? He had said he doesn’t desire his enemies especially not the ugly ones. If he deemed me as ugly, why then does he want to take advantage of me? Who will I report to that I was raped by Sidd? They will say I’m making up an accusation because we hate each other. His family will defend him to the last point and I will be left to feel abashed.“Close your eyes,” he ordered.“Sidd, I’m begging you, don’t touch me. I will do any o
I looked through the window, it was late, yet some people were still walking down the street. I saw an old man pulling a truck. He looked tired and frail. They were light traffic ahead of us. I glanced at Sidd, he seem focused. We haven’t spoken since he decided to give me a ride. Yes, he didn’t let me stand there, he only wanted me to regret my words of not wanting to go with him, but would he blame me? He never left room for me to feel secure with him. I opened the car door as the old man found it difficult to pull up the truck to a certain height. Sidd looked at me. He didn’t utter a word. I walked down to the old man and helped him pull up the truck. He honestly appreciated me. I looked behind me, the traffic had lifted, and Sidd’s car was nowhere around. I hurried down to the road, he was gone. He left me. What was I supposed to do now? My bag is in the car. I got no money on me. How do I even get a cab that seems not to exist at this time of the night? My home is many miles away
As promised, Kiara got me a new job as a managing director in a large corporate company. I was well paid. I knew no one there before and that made me comfortable. I came back home from work one day and I met Sidd looking around. I was flabbergasted to see him in my home. I alighted from my car and moved close to him.“What are you doing here?” I questioned already getting pissed.“Relax, Rani, I’m not here for you, okay?” he responded.“Who are you here for then?” I asked. “I shouldn’t even be asking you questions, get the hell out of this house before I call the cops,” I added.“OMG! I’m so scared!” he acted up. “Anyways, like I said before, I’m not here for you, just go inside and see things for yourself,” he said.“I just hope you haven’t brought bad guys to rob my home,” I stated and he laughed.I headed inside. I entered the house only to see a guy chatting with Kiara. I moved closer and Kiara introduced me to him.“She’s my sister, Rani,” she introduced.He stood up and