Party!!!! I am not a person who likes party.. I don't dislike then either I have neutral feelings towards them. They are surely an escape from the monotonous routine of daily life but every year party at same club seems monotonous to me but... but.. I am excited for the party this time because she will be there, my crush.

Sooo yes.. I have officially announced her as my crush to myself of course... otherwise we are just friends. I mean just look at her the way she smiles, laughs, cries and other things who could resist falling for her...

Her ex was a bas- actually no he was good man, he broke up with her leaving my way clear. Way clear.. gosh stop Karan you still have a long way to go... I cringe at my thought.

***

It is 19:55 and everyone is settled in the bus... except.. except her... Monami is not here.. Is she not coming, has she changed her plans.. changed... I never asked her plan and was excited to go to the party for her. I need to miss the bus at any cost. I should get down the bus.

I excuse myself for washroom and as soon as I get down I notice her coming towards the bus. As she walks towards the bus she shows herself in light.

She wore an off shoulder white bodycon dress with red floral print which complimented her curves. She adorned a red bright lipstick with minimal make up, though I could make out how she has filled her eyebrows a little, made her jaw line appear a little sharper, highlighted her cheek bones and she has curled her hair which are cascading on her shoulders . She wore a simple watch, and red danglers are hanging from her ears... they seem heavy though a major part of them is hiding behind her hair. She decided to leave her neckline bare so I can admire her sharp collar bones. Freshly white painted toe nails and red pencil heels in her feet finished her look. As she came nearer to get in the bus she smelled like a heavenly smell was registered by my brain which made me more attracted to her.

She stepped into the bus only to fall so that I can grab her..Her waist in my arms.

The commencement of this journey couldn't have been more amazing than this.

I help her to get in the bus and then get seated in a seat from which U can view her clearly.

A sudden realisation hits me but Thank God no one asked me about my washroom lie... I could have said We were getting late hence I decided to use restroom in club only.

I am getting good at lies I must say. Faizi was not sitting alongside me, so there is no one to ask nonsensical questions... I can adore her throughout the journey to my heart's content.

How skillfully she plays with hair.

The hack she has used for her off-shoulder dress must be irritating her.

She has a coat of the shimmer nailpaint on her finger nails. How stupid of me I failed to notice it.

***

All the cadets were dancing their hearts out and helping themselves with food. I noticed her eating fish fingers and paneer tikka. I was even going to count to it.. but I remembered counting someone's good is bad manners so I let it go. The sight of her slender fingers picking up a toothpick, pricking the paneer then dipping it green chutney and parting her red lips to eat the piece of cottage cheese then chewing on it elegantly and dabbing the lips with a tissue paper was so mesmerizing.

Don't judge me for not concentrating on the food, I am one of those who eat to live.

She moved towards the dance floor, her moves were so smooth like she is made for dancing. She is made for everything actually. I also join a group of cadets on the stage to show her my dance moves at which I guess I failed miserably because instead of smiling and blushing she giggled, I made a fool out of myself.

Couple dance announcement was made and the single me decided to take a seat anyways she is not going to dance with me. I see her approaching towards me and my heart starts beating at a faster rate is she going to ask me for a dance ...??

"Would you like to dance Karan" She extends her hand towards to me...

What.. is this for real or am I dreaming.. she is asking me for a dance..

"I am not a good dancer" I reply clenching my teeth.

Why did I reply that... I wanted to dance with her badly.. because I didn't want to embarrass myself more in front of her...

"I have seen that .... you were dancing amazing just right now.."

What did she just say... I mean is it for real.. someone needs to pinch me right now.. I control my excitement and ask her politely, "Are you sure you want to dance with me, I mean there are so many people here...you could have asked anyone for the dance"

"Ummm.. yes.. but you know you are my only friend and I don't trust intentions of others ... so... if you don't want to dance... say a clearer no..."

Just a friend sad, but I want to say no...no ways.. so I give her my hand in his and we both go on the dance floor.

I strech out my arm to and she gives her hand in mine. There was a hesitation to hold her waist... something I want to do and have done many times... though it was always to save her from falling and instinctively .. still I was a repeated offender of grabbing it without her consent and now when I have her consent I am being so hesitant...Am I some type of weird human being...??

She places my hand on her waist on her own and I flinch. It felt weirdly nice, something unexplainable.

We dance for sometime and then get down the dance floor. I turn my neck sideways to call a waiter and notice Faizi coming towards me... which means I am dead.

Faizi stands beside me and Monami excuses herself for the washroom.

"You had such a good chance and it has been nearly a month to her breakup, she will be ready to move on now.." He starts blabbering.

"Just one month and I don't know whether she likes me or not neither I am aware if she is willing to move on now or not."

"Karan you should atleast try talking to her once about the ... "

I decide to quit and walk away from there because this man is not going to get a head or tail of what I am saying. I spot Monami coming out of the washroom with moist eyes, her mascara smudged making her eyes a little black.

She goes to the bar counter and by the time I reach her she alresdy had her first drink down her throat.

"Repeat" She orders the bartender.

"Stop" I look at the bartender.

"Why stop..?? I am not drunk yet.. I need to drink more..."

"No Monami, you can't drink more" I try convincing her.

"Why..?? Why can't I drink more, just because I am girl ... you are such a sexist person Karan.. I didn't think you will be like this... I am so disappointed Mr. Shergill so disappointed... you broke my heart.."

Disappointed with me. Broke her heart. I am sexist. She is too high to know what words are coming out of her mouth.

She stood up and grabbed my blazer and kept her head on my chest. She will for sure listen to my pacing heart , it is beating so loud.

"See even my friends are breaking my heart... so how could my boyfriend not do that.. he broke my heart and then..." I feel my blazer getting wet and notice uncontrollable tears flowing from her eyes.

Boyfriend why is she remembering that bastard... wait that shouldn't be my priority...I need to take her back to the academy before someone else notices her like this and a drama is created.

I call up Faizi and he doesn't answer the first time, I ring him again and this time he answers ...

"Faizi someone spiked Monami's drink I guess and now she is drunk and behaving weird so I am taking her back to the academy in a cab"

He answers me back in a positive way without questioning much...I cut the call and book a cab on urgent basis. I couldn't have spilled the beans of her drinking with her choice it would have tarnished her image, because we were strictly told only to consume non alcoholic drinks.

I place her one arm around my neck hold it. Grab her waist from my free arm and help her walk. She struggles to walk in her pencil heels as she repeatedly keeps tripping. I bend down and gently remove them from her feet, then I lift her up in my arms while carrying her red sandals in my hands. I carry her to the cab carefully ensuring no one from the academy notices us.

All the way back to the academy Monami keeps babbling. As soon as we reach the academy I make a payment and carry her to her room. Gladly everyone had gone to the club and except security personnels who report to me no one else noticed us.

I make her lie on the bed and just when I am about to leave I feel a hand on my shirt, she had grabbed my shirt and the first two buttons of it fly to land somewhere out of my sight.

"Why did he do this to me.. was I not good enough.. I loved him with all my heart.. yet yet he decided to leave me.. I won't be able to ever fall in love again, the way he has broken my heart... he doesn't have even an ounce of guilt for breaking my heart, if he had Why would he taunt me like this..."

He.. who he...??? I get into deep thinking and make my brain workout only to realise she is talking about her boyfriend. Hence she gulped down a drink and was talking about him and heartbreak in club because she met him.

"You saw him today..??" I asked in a soft voice..

"Yes.. when I went to the washroom .. he taunted me saying it has just been three weeks to our break up and you are already partying, you never loved me you bitch.. I knew it.. He called me a bitch that didn't hurt me but saying I never loved him.. I loved him so much.. I was trying to heal the wounds of my broken heart... I don't... I don't even hold the right to move on.. why.. why.. " She replied to me whimpering.

"Monami he was a bastard... hence he moved on so quickly and can't stand when you are trying to move on, enjoy with your friends and be happy in your life. Monami he never loved you.. he never deserved you.. nor did you deserve him" I tried calming her down by my words and caressing her.

"You deserve better someone much better Monami"

Someone like me Monami who values you. These words stop escaping from my lips because what if she remembers them.

My gaze shifts on her sleeping face a sight I could admire for hours. I notice her holding my hand and blush creeps up on my cheeks. I softly free my hand from her grip, position the pillow underneath her for her to get a more comfortable sleep. I cover her up with a comforter and leave the room turning the lights off.

I immediately walk towards the CCTV room to delete some part of the footage which if anyone saw would not be good for both of us.

I have even started breaking the rules for her.

_____________________