There was something wrong with her stars. Dull and scattered. Forming no sequence, no miracle. She had to admit she had started fearing life. For her, it was full of catastrophes.

Reaching the final year of post graduation, her mind was all set to be ready for the future she had always planned. But just as her stars had started to get in line, one of them fell right in front of her with a tag of rapist on it's forehead.

Her lips trembled at feeling as the unluckiest girl on this planet. Even if they were fake, those memories with him meant a beautiful phase of her life. But even that was meant to be ruined. She wasn't left with shame to even confess that she had a charming, sweet and hilarious ex-boyfriend.

The boy she had fell in love with was someone else, not a rapist. Shaking her head, Sakshi turned on the shower, concluding to herself that maybe this was all right. God just gave her the ultimatum to not wait for her first love anymore.

He was a fraud from the beginning. Too low than her heart. She cringed at the thought of being with a guy that had dared to ruin a girl's life. Girls used to swoon over him, what made him so sick to force on someone? She couldn't comprehend. Maybe, she got to see him so she could never wait for him again. He came back in her life but as a villain.

She was spending a life of princess because of her family as she really was a princess for them. Believing in that, she now knew that they would choose a prince charming for him only.

If not of her choice but at least he would be socially acceptable.

Tears burned her eyes and she slowly washed her face. She didn't have to cry for a guy who won't even remember her existence. She needed to get over him and his fake memories, she had saved in her heart.

Wrapping a towel around herself, she got out of the bathroom and looked for her phone. A knock came on the door and she ignored Aditi standing there.

"I prepared noodles for tonight. Do you want some?"

Shaking her head, she breathed heavily and dialled her Tai ji's number while ignoring the frown on Aditi's face.

"What happened?"

She waved off her question, "Get me some in the bowl."

Aditi couldn't help but drop her jaw at seeing tears in her eyes and left the spatula aside on the table. Walking towards her, she was about to ask when Sakshi spoke up.

"Tai ji? Yeah, where are you?"

Aditi raised her eyebrows at seeing her wiping the tears and sniffing to control herself. Mouthing her name, she actioned for the problem but Sakshi ignored her.

"I wanted to tell you that I," for a moment, she hesitated to even mention it in front of Aditi but then, she knew that she won't be able to hide it if things would go right in the future. She gulped, "I am ready to see the guy. Can you tell me more about him?"

Aditi's mouth opened in shock but shut it when Sakshi glanced at her sternly. She left the room immediately with the hope that she would be able to get out everything from Sakshi's mouth later. For now, it was clear that she needed privacy.

Sakshi twitched her lips in frustration. "Seriously? You can't remember a name? I won't marry a guy with names like Rajendra and Dharmendra. I am telling you."

Her tai ji laughed at her words. "No. Not like that. Mrs. Bhatia always calls him Nikku and I just forgot to ask her the real one. But if you are really interested in meeting him, then should I tell her? She will inform him and tell me the venue where you both can meet."

Sakshi bit her lip and felt her stomach churning at the thought of meeting a stranger with such attention. It was a blind date and she didn't know what to expect.

"Can you give me his number?" But that might lead to many things. What if she won't like him and he would have her number for no reason and might misuse it.

"No, but I'll ask-"

"No. Leave it. You just message me the venue by tomorrow morning. Alright? Tell him to meet me in the evening. I will be free only then."

By the faint squeal, she could feel that her tai ji was already excited. She wished that she could have been too. Suddenly, a small doubt lingered in her mind.

"Hey! Are you going to tell bhai about this?"

"No. Absolutely, not. He will eat my head whole day and night. We will have a war on for the whole week and he won't sit quiet until he gets to check the background, nature and everything about that boy. So, it's just between you and me-"

"-and Bhabhi?" She smiled to herself.

She heard her giving a light chuckle. "If you don't want to then I will control my emotions."

Sakshi closed her eyes. "No. It's alright. You can tell her. She would only get upset later. It's not like she is going to tell her almighty husband. Would she?"

"Not when she knows that he will have all our heads if we let this happen." Sakshi chuckled and walked to the cupboard to take her night shorts. "But what changed your mind?"

The smile wiped off her face immediately. "Um, I felt bad for ignoring your efforts."

She heard the woman sighing. "Sakshi, you don't have to feel bad about that. I am just eager to see you as a bride. Not that I ever want you to go far away from home. Do you understand? I just don't want to miss the one in a million. We don't know, which boy can turn out to be the perfect prince charming."

She could swear that she felt herself shuddering when she heard those words. Breathing heavily, she slowly nodded to herself.

"Have you even seen him?"

"I have seen him but that was five years ago. You don't have to worry about his looks. He is tall and has round features like Nakul and is quite a family man. His mother kept praising about his thoughtfulness. He is a good son, Sakshi. I think, you would like him."

"Age?"

"I am not sure, she had said about 1990. Now, how much is that? Three years younger than Raghav. Right? I don't know."

Sakshi rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Alright. Now, I am hungry. Message me whatever you guys plan. Okay?" Another squeal made her smile goofily. "Keep you emotions in check or Bhai-"

"I know. I know. You have to look beautiful tomorrow. Wear something nice. Give a real thought to it for once."

Sakshi pursed her lips and finally hummed. "Bye. Good night."

Leaving the phone on the bed along with her towel, she hurriedly changed and went to see Aditi whom she had to explain every single thing slowly.

But at least, she would be able to keep her mind off him.

_____

"So, you spent most of the day with me and told every single thing to her."

"Well, that sucks. But it's true," whispered Aditi while Aarush frowned at Sakshi who was trying to not get nervous as she was assuming that one of them might say it out loud in the whole class.

"We can talk later. Right now, focus on the class." Sakshi straightened while Aditi smirked and leaned near Aarush's ear.

"Yeah, focus on him."

Sakshi glared at her and elbowed Aarush who immediately straightened when noticed that the tall, intimidating lecturer was looking at them only.

She gulped when noticed clear warning in his eyes.

For ten clear minutes, no one talked but her friends were something she called unpredictable—actually, unbelievable.

". . . what's his age?"

". . . three years down her brother. So I don't know."

Aarush twitched his lips in frustration while Sakshi shakily wrote down the notes as the man in front kept lecturing. Today, he looked the perfect hot geek with that light pink shirt matched it grey check pant. It kind of reminded her of a business suit that her brother had wore in a wedding somewhere.

". . . Has she even seen him? How could she just go for a blind date? What if he's some pervert? Wait. Sakshi's a pervert too. I tell you. She is secretly ready for an early sex. That's why, she's not minding this marri-"

Another elbow attack made Aarush scowl and groaned silently while Sakshi cleared her throat.

"Shut the hell up, both of you."

"Miss both-of-you."

Her heart dropped down to her butt and started spreading in utmost nervousness when found him glaring at her.

"Would you like to share such important discussion with the whole class?"

Sakshi gulped and looked around, almost fainting in embarrassment when noticed so many eyes on her. Especially the one covered with thick spectacles and filled with fresh hatred.

"Sir, I was just-"

His eyebrows raised and she knew that he clearly wasn't liking her explaining herself and wasting his time.

"What did I just explained about?"

Goosebumps risen on her skin and her legs started shaking in extreme shame. She knew that she would be the one to get trapped because of her silly friends.

"The di-disciplines. . ." She stuttered while breathing slowly, fisting her hands to not look like she was really panicking. But who knew that being caught like that in her perfect academic record was a great catastrophe for her.

Again, that word. Sakshi swallowed when his eyes narrowed at her and then roamed down to stare at her hands that she was fidgeting now.

"You may leave the class."

Aarush gasped silently while Sakshi couldn't believe her ears. Did he just say that to her? She told him the topic that was mentioned two minutes ago.

"But-"

"We discussed the disciplines of behaviours ten minutes ago. Do you know what your friends were talking about?"

She lowered her eyes while he crossed his arms. "But you don't know what your teacher was explaining. Well, it seems what is more important to you. So, clearly my lecture is not of any interest to you and you can leave the very class of mine."

Her eyes filled with unwanted anger but she kept them lowered.

"I am sure, you heard me, miss. So, please. Leave. My. Class." How could the person she was swooning over from past two days, behave like that to her? All that admiration for his physique was now lost that she knew now what his heart like.

A rude old man stuck in such a heavenly body.

God was really amused at her that he kept on spreading these nets for her to get stumble on. "I am sorry, Sir. I was just telling them to stop-"

He turned around and started operating his laptop for another slide to continue his lecture while Sakshi glanced at Aditi for help who only gave her a confused shrug.

"Either you'll be leaving or I. I won't tolerate ignorant ears in my class." He announced while looking around and his gaze finally stopped back at her.

Feeling her skin warming up with shame, Sakshi gulped the lump forming her throat and looked at Aarush and Aditi who were sitting at the corner of the desk in the center. They slid down out to give her way and without wasting a second, Sakshi stomped out of the class, swinging her back on her shoulder and not even giving a glance to that overly enthusiastic teacher.

Never had she felt so ashamed in her life, at least not in ever as a student. But this guy didn't even care to show a bit of delicacy. Just to prove his aura of such a jackass teacher, he had to use it on her.

Cursing her fate, she walked away from the door, cringing when he continued his lecture.

As if her days were going so well, that this happened. She won't be able to attend his lectures for almost four-five days until she would get over this unwanted episode. It wasn't even her fault.

The sudden vibration of her phone startled her and she pulled it out from her pocket, taking a huge breath before sliding to the green.

"Tai ji?"

"Sakshi, he is ready to meet you. I am sending you the name of the restaurant. Dress nicely and just as you had said, he will meet you at six in the evening. . ."

Biting her tongue, she kept herself from saying anything stupid. She felt as if she had absentmindedly put step into the trap. But no, it was done knowingly.

There were so many problems already than facing a stranger and getting to like him.

Could she just ditch him today? She could make any excuse for not meeting him to her Tai ji. She herself knew that she really wasn't interested in seeing him at all.

Because for now, all she wanted to do was run away to flat and lay in peace, forgetting this useless life, for some moments.

_______

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