chapter 26

*Next morning*Vihaan is on his way to college.. he stopped at a traffic signal (because it's red), a block before their college... He is waiting there for a signal to be green, there he saw a little girl on the other side of the road running towards the traffic... She was about to get hit by a high-speed bike, But someone saved her...At the same time, the traffic light from their side went green and traffic started running, the driver behind Vihaan's car was beeping impatiently so he started driving too, He is curious about that person who saved that little girl but he didn't get to see her face... "Ria... Are you okay... Let me see..." That little girl's mom came in a hurry running towards her and said in a worried tone, checking if her daughter got hurt anywhere with a scared expression on her face...After a minute when she confirmed that her daughter was absolutely fine, she moved towards Manasvini holding Ria's hand tightly..."Thank you so much," Ria's mom said looking at Manasvini."..." Manasvini didn't say anything she just nodded her head a bit. She started staring at the floor as soon as Ria's mom came there. Manasvini looked at a little girl before going on her way to confirm that she is okay and then turned towards her college's direction...Ria's mom was waiting for her reply but when she saw her leaving, she interrupted... "Excuse me..." Ria's mom saidManasvini stopped after hearing her voice and turned back, she adjusted her glasses but didn't reply to her... Not even in a single word...And she is still staring at the floor..."Um... You... You are hurt" Ria's mom didn't get Manasvini's strange behaviour, so she said pointing out at her (Manasvini's) left hand.Manasvini looked at her hand... She got a wound... It's not too big but not so small either... And blood was dripping from her hand... Drop by drop... "I...I'm fine" she replied in a really low voice hiding her wound with her hand and continued walking as she didn't want to be late for class.on her way, she took out a handkerchief from her bag and covered her wound... Before entering the college premises she covered her left hand with her 'dupatta' to hide the handkerchief on her hand, which now has a bloodstain on it, just to make it unnoticeable.(Dupatta is a long piece of cloth used to wear together with 'salwaar kameez' a part of female Indian clothing style. Used to cover the neck and upper body area... More like a scarf but bigger in length and width.)She went straight to the classroom but there isn't any space left in front so she moved towards the last benches. And seated down at the corner of the middle row and buried her face in a book.No one in her class knows that she is that top student they all are curious to see... Whenever or wherever they see her, they only laugh at her and make fun of her for being old-fashioned.Even now, she can hear them talking about her...  But she decided to ignore them... A paper flower dropped out from her bag when she was taking out another book, she picked that up and placed it on her desk and put her face again in her books.Other than studying the only hobby she has left was making something with paper. Whenever she is having a hard time she plays with paper... Her aunt always says that 'she is a curse for everyone around her'... Because of that, she started being separated from people, she surrounded herself with books, and papers became her best friends... She started to see life in them and those paper creations became her relief... A way to escape her reality...Whatever she felt she wrote them inside those tiny little paper flowers... And the one on her desk also has something inside..."Why can't I be the person you love most..." She wrote that because she want her aunt to love her, care for her, cherish her... she wanted to be a happy family again, just like they used to be in the past...There is a time when her aunt tells her every day that 'she (Manasvini) is the most precious gift her aunt ever received.'... and she just wanted to go back to that time...Manasvini is floating inside the book with her thoughts... Suddenly everyone there started chattering loudly... and that sudden noise made her come back to reality...  She realised it was them... 'The AJs...' and they are walking straight towards her...She gulped because she didn't want to get involved with anyone, especially not with them...  And she buried her face deeper into her book... Just to avoid their presence...  She almost got a heart attack when one of them came near her...It's Vihaan, he usually hates people like Manasvini just like all other AJs, but this girl somehow seems familiar to him... But before he says anything... "You... village girl, this isn't a place for you, go sit somewhere else" Garv ordered her...She remembered what those guys were saying yesterday...'one of them is the owner of this college...' a sentence started echoing in her head...'What if they take back my scholarships... Who is going to pay for my studies then... And in the worst-case scenario ... What if they rusticate me... ' those thoughts immediately jumped over her head and she picked up her books and bag to shift somewhere else... Without looking at them.Vihaan got that seat she was sitting in before, and he is staring at her, trying to remember something..."Where did I see her" he mumbled"What did you say?" Aarav asked"Huh?... Nothing... Just..." Vihaan replied shifting his gaze towards Aarav. "Okay," Aarav said and he got busy again in a talk with Anaya.Vihaan is still struggling with that faded piece of memory... 'I definitely saw her somewhere...' he is trying to find her in his memory, but a piece of paper under his desk caught his attention...He picked that up, it's a piece of paper, moulded in the shape of a flower."... Interesting..." He mumbled looking at that paper flower but before he opens it...