"Adhi?? What did adhi do?"

"Its a sacred history of this batch. You sure you're ready to hear it?" Tanya rubbed her hands together creating more drama in the room.

"Im ready" preethy raised her hand in the air.

"Bitch you already know." Tanya dismissed her.

Preethy pouted but said "its quite a filmy story and who doesnt like bollywood level drama. "

"Tanya im ready. What is this sacred history?" Maya grew impatient by the the second.

"Once upon a time..." preethy started but taniya beat her to it.

"Ohh cut the crap ill say it. Adhi and jeeth were once friends. They joined here the year before i joined so all the details of that year is passed down info."

"Okay just get to the point"

"They had a friend her name was khushi. She was really beautiful. Used to be in the cheer squad and all. So long story short. Jeeth fell in love with her. But khushi liked adhii. And adhi as you know was not interested" Taniya came and sat down on the floor legs folded up in her lap.

"They tried to keep it civil for a while but as time passed khushi got desperate and became obsessive over adhi. Started threatening girls who talked to him, bullying girls who were close to him and all. And guess who was her right hand?"

"Jeeth" maya said. Her voice almost a whisper.

"Bullseye. Jeeth was so crazy for khushi that he was helping her to get the guy she liked"

"Poor thing" preethy said from behind. Her mouth full of cheetos.

"Really? You think he was a desperate romantic after knowing the whole story?" Taniya said accusingly

"I was just talking for maya" preethy looked at her. "Werent you thinking the same thing?"

Maya waved her off." What happened after ?"

"What do you think? Adhitya found out. More like caught her in the act. She was threatening another cheergirl who talked to adhi. He screamed at khushi in the middle of the football field. He told her even if he didnt liked her he had some respect for her. And now she lost that too"

"Ouch" maya winced.

"Exactly. Khushi was heartbroken. She lost every hope of claiming him. So the stupid girl did the most obvious thing".

"She suicided??" Maya jumped and asked in shock.

"Noooo. This isnt star plus girl. She left. She tranferred from the college."

"She did that for a guy? Youre right she is stupid".

Tanya grinned." I think she was doing that as a last resort. She might have hoped adhi would run to her and tell her 'please dont go khushi tum meri ho mein tumhare bina nahi reh sakta'" Tanya dropped on to her knees to add the extra dramatic effect.

"Who's the star plus girl now?" Maya rested her chin on her knuckles at watched her.

The three of them started laughing.After laughing some time maya asked again.

"So jeeth is angry at adhi because he took his girl?"

"No jeeth is angry at adhi because he didnt."

"Heh??"

"Its just the assumption of the college. Not a proven theory."

"Out with it"

"If adhi and khushi were together atleast jeeth could have seen her. Hoped for a day when she would realise his love and go to him. But when she left he was robbed of that hope too"

"Poor thing" maya breathed but immediately put a hand on her mouth.

Preethy screamed "I knew it" and pointed at maya. They again had a good laugh at that.

"But why would he shove me? I didnt do anything to him"

"Honey. Although jeeth and adhi talk and hangout they are not friends anymore. The talk of the wind is that jeeth has taken an oath to never let adhi be happy"

"Definitely star plus" maya exclaimed.

"Right? So maybe thats why he pushed you."

"Arey. Why me? I just came here. I only knew adhi for 5 mins and that too only after he pushed me"

"Eye sex maya. Eye sex. A lot of people noticed that." Preethy said from over her shoulder.

"Ughhhhhh!! I cant even look at a guy now? Why is everything so complicated for me?" Maya buried her face in a pillow.

"Its not because you looked girl, its because he looked back at you. Adhi doesnt look at girls. He's a scholar kid. You're the first girl he talked to after khushi left.....well without screaming that is. Maybe jeeth thought he liked you and decided to hurt him by hurting you"

"Wowwww" maya sighed. The moment maya looked at jeeth, the moment she recognised that rage she should have known that people with that look always hurt her.

"I would be carefull if i were you. Dont stand in jeeths way. I know better" Taniya said and walked in to the bathroom and closed the door.

"Preethy why is taniya repeating this year?"

"Shushhhh." Preethy jumped to her feet and pulled maya out of the room.

They stood at the grilled corridor of the hostel. "Taniya doesnt like talking about it. It was a stupid mistake."

"What did she do?"

"Exactly what she warned you not to do. Cross jeeth"

"Huh?"

"Jeeth didnt just ruin adhis life. He ruins everyone elses for fun.His father is one of the board members of this university so he never gets in trouble"

"Okay i take it back Not a poor thing" maya exclaimed.

Preethy grinned."Last year jeeth kind of behaved innapropriate with taniya's friend when she complained to the princi about it nothing happened. Obviously."

"Whatt?? No one didnt anything?"

"Nope. Not one came to help her.So taniya encouraged her friend to involve the police but jeeth somehow go to know about it and framed taniya and her friend for copying in the exams. They got banned from writing exams for a year."

Maya gasped.

"The girl left the college but taniya was-is a fighter. She stayed and decided to repeat this year"

"She's really brave" maya beamed. Pride shone in her eyes

"She is or she pretends to be. But i think she is still scared of jeeth. I would be"

"Me too" poor taniya. Shes been through a lot.

"You should be careful maya. Jeeth is not someone you want on your bad side."

"I know. Ill stay out of trouble". Maya patted preethys shoulder and walked in to the room. Taniya was already asleep on her bed.

As she lied down thoughts started flowing into her. Her father, jeeth, her mother, Adhi. Good and bad balanced. but as always bad took over. Negetive thoughts lulled her to sleep.

-----------------------------------------------

The 1st week of campus was slow compared to the first day. Teachers came in and out classrooms and warned the students about how lawyers were the gatekeepers of truth and the protectors of innocents.Maya was very attentive in class. She always wanted to be a lawyer. To be the voice of the unheard. Every subject was difficult than the other but what maya liked most was civil law.

It was interesting. It gave her a good laugh. About how a citizen urinating in public was also a crime one which was not a considered one in India. The typical ritual of seniors walking into the freshers classrooms and interacting with them had been going on since the 3rd day. Seniors from different batches and years all came but none of them were scary or angry towards them. They were friendly.

All though they would ask freshers to propose each other and made boys kiss each other or made them ramp walk. It was enjoyable. But when this group entered the class maya spotted that one brown eyed boy with a cut on his eyebrow.

Adhi. She hadnt seen him since that first day. Everywhere she went she would look for him. Being such popular person as he is maya assumed he would be present somewhere in the campus. But no sign of him so far.

Well today was her lucky day. As adhi walked and seemed to be searching the crowd as well. It is a crowd. 78 students in a class makes it quite a crowded place. When his eyes stopped on her maya felt time stop. Everyone vanished except them. As they stared at each other maya felt a sharp prick in her palm.

"Oww" maya shrieked as she saw preethy pricking her.

Adhi looked down chuckling and went to sit down in one of the rows opposite maya.

"What are you doing?" Maya whispered.

"Can you stop screwing him with your eyes and look who walked in?"

"Who? Tera baap?"

"No. Sabka baap. Look" Preethy pointed her finger and maya's eyes widened.

Jeeth malhotra was leaning on the lectures desk. Eyes on her.

"Hello children" his venom dripping voice boomed the class. His eyes drifted from her to the class.

"Hello senior" the students echoed in a single voice.

"I am assuming you all know who i am"

Of course everyone knows the devil.

"For all those who dont know im Jeeth malhotra. What i say is rule and what i do is law here at NLU."

Wow self centered much

"I know many seniors would have shown up here and 'interacted' with you" He emphasised the interacted with air qoutes which earmed a snicker from the seniors. Adhi was looking down at his shoes closed off the events happening around him.

"My interaction will be different. More FUN"

"His and my idea of fun are completely different im assuming" preethy whispered in maya's ears.

"Definitely" maya replied making an effort to not move her lips.

"Soo...." jeeth continued "i wont start by learning your names because i have no use for that. Ill pick a student ill give them a dare and if they dont do it ill make their life a living hell. Am i clear?"

Why do i feel this is intended for me. Maya thought nervously.

"So why wait. Lets start. Its ladies first isnt it?"

"Crap" preethy scoffed "such a gentlemen ".

"You in the back row" jeeth pointed to a girl in the back row and crooked his finger gesturing her to come forward.

"Dance an item song for us will you?"

The poor girl's scared expression spoke everything but she managed to nod her head. The song the seniors played 'aare pritam pyare'. The vulgur lyrics of the song was too much but she managed to do it with some awkward steps. As the song finished jeeth clapped. "Well down honey" he bent down and kissed the girls cheeks. She immediately turned red and ran to her seat.

"And next whom shall i pick....." he made a show of wiggling his fingers against the crowd as if he was choosing.And the fingers stopped at maya.

"Fuck" maya whispered

"You come here"

Maya's heart was beating so fast. Her hands started sweating but she managed to push off the chair and stood and walked towards Jeeth. Seeing maya adhi's head rose and his expression changed. Fear. Maya recognised it very well.

What is he gonna make me do? Maya was so scared she was praying to all the gods she knew.

"Hello. What's your name?"

"Maya" maya replied quickly

"Maya my dear its an easy task for you, MAYA WILL DO A STRIP TEASE FOR US".

..................................................