"_ Shweta."

"Miss Shweta."

"Hmmm"

Hearing someone calling her name in the background, Shweta got out of her stapor and looked away with a frown on her face.

"Sorry, what?" She asked.

"Your introduction. Or you can just choose a place to sit." The professor repeated again. Though he tried to act normal, the man was sweating buckets on his back as he watched her frowning at him.

"My name's Shweta. I had to change my city and transfer here due to some family issues. I think I'm good at studies, so I won't trouble you all much, but I'll ask for help if necessary." She finished her introduction and some normal info in a calm tone looking at everyone.

Yet her eyes drafted back to that boy again.

But this time she didn't stop and looked away instantly. "Thank you all for welcoming me. And let's hope we have a wonderful year together."

Her words had just finished when sounds of clapping rang in the classroom.

"Silence." The professor said in a stern tone and then looked at Shweta again. His tone changed back to being respectful as he informed her . "You can choose a place to sit first. If you have any doubts during the lecture you can ask me then, or after the class, whatever's best."

Shweta gave a little nod and walked down the stage and towards the students.

Though the class wasn't totally filled with students, there weren't many empty chairs at first. So she could just walk towards the back.

(Obviously ignoring the ones who kicked their original partners to the side, to make a seat for her.)

"Excuse me." She said when she reached around the 5th row. And asked "Can I sit here?"

"No"

"Yes"

Two different answers came to her question, almost instantly.

Kajal looked at Shiva with somewhat glaring eyes as he readily agreed to this new girl's request.

Shiva too looked at Kajal, raising his eyebrows as he wondered what's wrong with her. But in response, she just scoffed at him and said "Fine, you can sit here."

"I'm Shiva by the way," Shiva said once Shweta sat down near him. "And the angry bird over here is Kajal."

"I told you not to call me that." Kajal said as she slapped his head lightly.

"But that's what you are, tiny red." Shiva smiled and said, as he pointed at her keychain on the table.

"I hate that gift." Kajal muttered as she put the stuffy red keychain in her pocket.

Shweta kept looking at the two of them chatting happily while totally ignoring the lesson that was still ongoing.

She didn't know what she was feeling now - first, there was this sense of familiarity in her heart, something like a connection with him. And then there was this weird feeling asking her to stay away from him. To avoid him at all costs in her head.

'Looks like I'm still too stressed after everything that happened.' Shweta thought and blamed everything on her previous problems.

She hesitated to interfere in the duo's talks a few times, but then just decided to ask Shiva directly.

"Have we _ met before?"

"I think so." Shiva replied honestly and then added with a chuckle. "But I don't remember where though."magic

"Then how are you _ ?"

"A feeling." Shiva said meeting her gaze again.

"Stop talking and focus on the class for once. Cheating through my notes won't help you in the finals." Kajal said interrupting them.

After one long hour of boring class and half an hour of sleep for Shiva, finally the lecture was over.

"I still can't believe how you can just sleep without any worries like that." Kajal said as she stood up to leave the class.

"Cause you're watching over me." Shiva said gulping down water.

"Uncle told you that this will be your last chance, before you have to start looking for jobs right. Can't you take this seriously?"lights

"Come on. Not again." Shiva said to her in a helpless tone. "My grades are already in the middle."

"There was a time when you were at the top." Kajal said.

"Well_ times change, Red." Shiva shrugged his shoulders.

Yes, he was good at studying years back, but he had lost interest in those things ages ago. With everything that's been going on at home and the routine ramblings - he was already used to them. And passed those lines from one ear to another without any stop in the middle. Hell, if not for Kajal, he wouldn't even read anything at all.

"Miss Shweta, principal's calling for you in his office."

While they were all talking and roaming around the campus, giving a tour to Shweta, someone came and interrupted them.

Shweta nodded and after saying thanks or something, she followed the staff to main office. "What's with all the 'miss' stuff? Is she some rich girl?" Kajal asked, once Shweta was gone.

"Who knows. I'm hungry, let's go to the canteen." Shiva said and ignored it.

In the office of Dean, the man sitting in the chair looked at Shweta and passed her a phone with trembling hands.

Looking at someone three times her age being respectful to her, anyone would be a little awkward, but Shweta ignored the dean and took the phone.

Looking at the familiar string of numbers on the screen a complicated look flashed on her face and didn't speak anything.

"Are you still planning on not coming back?" The heavy voice of a men from the other end of phone came to her ears, but Shweta didn't reply and just waited. "I've told you before, what happened to that family wasn't your fault. It was because_ "

"I'll call you back later." Shweta said and planned to hang up the phone.

"Nashi is there too. Atleast meet with him. He doesn't know anything about it." The man spoke but his words were cut short midway.

-tu Tu

"If you call me for nonsense again, _ " Shweta coldly said to the Dean and threw the phone at him.

The Dean swallowed saliva with his dry throat as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and didn't say anything but just nodded his head in a hurry.

'Why did she have to come to my college.' The dean cursed his luck over this new arrival once she left his office.

'I already have enough trouble makers as is. And now there's this little rich killer here too.'

'Let's just hope this year ends smoothly and then I'll just get a transfer or retire from this damn city.' Dean thought as he looked at the message on his phone screen.

[Nirvaan - Keep an eye on her.]

'Shit' The dean cursed as he read the message and opened the drawer to take a few pills to calm his racing heart. While placing the packet back his eyes glanced at the various newspaper outlines placed inside the drawer, and his hands froze.

[Gang wars starting again in the city. 13 bodies found in an abandoned factory. Brutal incident _]

[Collapsed building due to gas leak explosion. 8 dead, 27 injured.]

[A family of three commits mass suicide, days after the death of their last relative.]

Over all these horrible news pieces, was a photo of a middle aged man sitting on a chair at the cover of some brand megazine, his indifferent eyes were like a king looking down at ants from his throne.

Abhinav Nirvaan, The most powerful man in Mumbai city.

Closing the drawer, dean picked the water bottle and emptied it in one big gulp.

While the dean was cursing his luck, drinking vodca from a water bottle, the announcement ping rang out in his office.

[Sir, there's a fight in the canteen. It's all chaos everywhere. Please come here fast.]

Hearing the clattering of tables and plates behind, the dean cursed these incompetent staff in his mind. 'For what reason, have I been paying you guys for. Idiots.'

Eating some mouthfreshner from the side, the dean forced himself to stand up, when another message came through the phone halting him.

[Ohh and it's that boy from the last time again.]

"Fuck" The dean cursed and looked at the empty bottle again, thinking he should bring an extra from tomorrow.