Page 68 of Storm
It was getting scary now. Their eyes were giving me chills.
“Elli is the same girl who was with me yesterday when you came to meet me. She had told you how tough our coursework is. Now do you remember?” Tina crossed her arms staring at me as if challenging me to deny.
Why would I deny?
I slowly nodded trying to understand where this was going.
“Elli had just told you about our classes. She had not meant to scare you. But you went to Prof Deewan and ratted her out. Thus, today when he was taking our lecture he shouted at Elli in front of the whole class!”
Oh. My. Goodness!
“He didn’t just scold her. He yelled...he insulted her.” This came from the high-pitched girl whose tone hurt my eardrums.
I took a step near Tina, but she stepped back giving me angry looks. Still I spoke pleadingly,
“I had just told him that a friend of yours was telling me about her Political Science class. All I asked him was, if what she said is true, and would it be that difficult to handle for me? I was just trying to confirm with him.” They all stood hunched around me in a circle staring at me in complete disbelief, making me almost cry out in desperation,
“Guys, I did not even know her name. I had not complained anything, I just casually asked him. I did not say anything wrong about her.”
Flabbergasted with this scenario, I turned towards Rose for help. She had been standing quietly beside me all this while. Now meeting my eyes, Rose shook her head as if saying, ‘I did not expect such a bitch move from you.’
Tina gave me a stern look,
“Look Sani, I wanna believe you. But I can't. This morning Prof Deewan asked us all, which one of us had met you along with me? When Elli said she had, Prof Deewan started having a go at her saying, ‘You told Sani that you all are regretting by choosing Political Sci and you would advise her not to do it? That your coursework is really hard to deal with?! If you can't cope up with the course work, you have no right to try and scare your juniors. It’s their future, they have to decide. How can you intimidate them and influence their decision about what they should study next year?! You went to the extent of telling Sani that your Political Science syllabus this year has no relation whatsoever with her current coursework, which is false and you know that. Still you had the gall to say all that to Sani. How could you try scaring off your junior? How could you discourage her?!’ He yelled all this and a lot to Elli. Poor girl was crying after the lecture, that you must have complained about her.”
I couldn’t feel my legs. They seemed to be giving away. This was too much information to process.
She went on,
“How could you do that Sani? That’s freaking nepotism! Just because you have a good rapport with a Professor you are using it again others.”
I gaped at her, hearing those words.
Are they insinuating he is partial to me and I'm using that?!
“We are friends of Elli's, so we have come to tell you what you did was wrong and we will make you pay for it one day.” with the last threat and glares, Tina and her friends turned on their heels.
“I didn’t do anything. Trust me.” I pleaded, but they had already gone.
“Trust me Rose.” I turned towards my friend but she gave me a disgusted look, not even seeing that I was trying to catch her hand, as I felt dizzy and had no strength to form words.
She pinched at the bridge of her nose and started talking over the phone with Mirelle, while I took support of the wall to stay upright, as I kept whispering,
“I didn’t do anything.”
I don't think Rose heard me. It felt good to say nonetheless.
Hanging up her phone, she dragged me inside the food court and Mirelle appeared soon. They both wanted to know the truth, wanted to give me the benefit of doubt. I was relieved they did not totally jump to conclusions. I told them everything I had told Aariz, but they did not look convinced. Making me feel like shit all over again.
Reaching home, all I could think about was if it was my fault. Was my tone complaining? Did my tone make Aariz feel I was frightened and will scare away my classmates as well from choosing his subject further next year? Was it just because of me that an innocent girl had to withstand the worst of Aariz's anger?
Before I could curse myself and ponder over all this, I realized, I needed to figure some other shit out first. This guy was a constant in my life since past few months. Why does he fight the world for me? Bashing my classmates, just because I had a fight with him a day before, getting himself in a state, becoming all caveman, just because he thought Zee wasn’t being protective of me in front of other guys. What’s his deal? Who the hell is this Aariz? And behind most of his actions, why just me?!
My reverie broke by a chiming voice that greeted me. Before I could turn around and answer, a pair of arms pulled me into a bone-crushing hug from behind.
Source of that voice, was none other than Umber.
“Thank God I caught you. I wasn’t expecting. I thought you might be out with friends.” Umber giggled.
