"Why'd you get into a fight again?" Kajal said, looking at Shiva who was lying in the infirmary with one of his hands wrapped in bandages.

"Don't blame me, it was his fault. He's the one who started it." Shiva said, pointing at another guy lying on the next bed, with a black eye and swollen nose.

"Still arguing, huh." Kajal said and tapped on his swollen wrist with her hands.

Shiva just pulled his hand back and raised it in surrender while flinching in pain.

"By the way, your sister called. She was asking if you're coming home next month or not." Kajal said.

"She called you. When did you become besties with her?" Shiva said to Kajal and started chatting with Ria on the phone.

[Nashi - Hey buddy, you fine? Heard you got into another fight. Want me to handle it?]

Shiva shook his head seeing the message and replied back. "Do your own stuff. Stop butting in my problems."

Nashi was someone he met a few months back on some empty mountain side behind a temple.

No, Shiva is still an atheist. He just goes there since the scenery there is peaceful and there isn't much crowd or noise there.

He liked talking with Nashi, since the guy always gave him the feeling that he knew exactly what he wanted to say. And then there was the way he spoke, the man always knew the right answers to all his questions, like some wise sage.

They've met a couple of times more since then and are acquaintances now. Though Kajal thinks Nashi is just some rich guy messing around, so she's against him roaming with Nashi.

She's afraid that he might get some bad habits from him.

Which Shiva still doubted how she came up with knowing his lax personality.

His life back then was much simpler then it was in his later years. He was just another student from a normal background. With parents who wanted him to study hard and find a stable job. Earn some money and be self sufficient.

That was all they wanted, and all he dreamed of. No fancy goals, no target for being the richest man alive or most famous person on the internet - nothing.

He was simply just breezing through life without caring for anything. Going to school, skipping lectures, sleeping in lectures, getting into some little trouble every now and then, and then coming back to hostel, either reading s and watching movies or sleeping.

And that was it.

That was just basically his whole day routine.

He never liked crowds or getting mixed with 'friends' or anything else that one might call enjoyable. His silent personality wasn't really suitable for a social life, after all.

But then came Kajal, his classmate. She was the type of girl who loved life and everything in it. Seeing the beauty with a shade that only shows the goodness in everything. She had this friendly aura and easy going personality all around her.

Till date he never really understood how she became his only friend in school.

Maybe it was after she overheard him having an argument with his father one day.

She was an orphan, so maybe she couldn't understand why he who had a family,would fight with them.

Then there was just her being curious and trying to teach him to be a better person and wada nada.

Though simple minded like that, she was persistent enough to not leave him or give up on him for weeks when he tried his best to avoid her, so there was that. magic

Though sometimes annoying and little nosy or whimsical, over time he started to enjoy her company. Even look forward to meeting her on the next day in school.

By the time Shweta came into his life, they had known each other for around an year and a half. At that time there were only a select few whose company he didn't hate, or with whom he didn't feel lonely. Or in a hurry to end their conversations. lights

There was Ria, his sister. He never hated her. Fuck hate, he didn't even have the guts to get angry at that overdramatic little fool.

Then Kajal and one more was Nashi.

The day Shweta came into his life was the day everything changed.

After the first day ended Shweta ended up being Kajal's room mate in the girl's hostel somehow.

He smiled as he remembered how much Kajal complained about it to him over the next few days. Even though she always wanted a partner.

Though he ignored whatever his heart was feeling when Shweta was around. Suppressing it and calling it harmones. He did still feel curious about her.

Who wouldn't? She came mid year, which shouldn't be allowed, and had all the staff dancing over her fingers in fear or respect.

But that wasn't what interested him.

He just wanted to know why she was acting. Why she was silent alone and trying so hard to mix in with everyone around her.

He knew that was an act, cause he had done the same most of his childhood.

Being someone who always gets lost in his head and thoughts, isn't exactly a way to be friendly.

"You don't have to try so hard?" Shiva said as he sat on his table and found Shweta already present there.

Shweta looked at him, showing expression like 'what do you mean' without saying anything.

"I don't know why you're acting too nice, but if you keep up that act, everyone would just try and take advantage of it. And that would just end up hurting you more. So stop doing that, or at least tone it down a bit." Shiva said.

"Speaking from experience?" Shweta asked with a smile.

"Does it matter." He replied and stopped saying anything else.

"Aren't you feeling curious about my identity?" Shweta asked.

"I am. But your past doesn't really matter to me, so why bother?"

"Kajal said you were different?"

"I'm just lazy, that's all."

"How's your hand now?"

"It was just light swelling for my thumb dislocated. It's fine now."

"I watched your fight." Shweta said and then smiled "You're a terrible fighter."

"Ohh, you're saying like you know how to fight. You're not one of those black belt kung fu girl, are you?" Shiva asked with a chuckle "Or better, a gangster girl."

"Nope, I _ just know some self defense. That's all." Shweta hesitated a little and answered. "Want me to teach you a few things?"

"Nope. I'm too lazy to try. And too scared of pain to get into fights." Shiva resolutely replied.

"Then what happened that day?" Shweta asked, as she just entered the canteen when he was already in the middle of pulling and throwing stuff on the other guy.

"Nothing. My hands were just itchy I guess." Shiva said as he looked at Kajal entering the class and smiled.