Anuradha was being followed, she could sense someone silently approaching her. 

Maybe two.

The shadows weren't helping her define who it was exactly but she was sure it must be those from the campus heading to the hostel. Yet she was a little sceptical on why they are walking slower than her.

She reduced her pace even slower.

*-*-*-*-*

"You go ahead..." Cameron pushed Manoj forward.

"No, you go" Manoj did the same.

Both kept pushing and yell whispering at each other eventually making louder noise. A loud thud from the other side of the door stopped their bickering.

Louder noises of chair being pushed, books getting slammed on the table was heard as they stood staring at the door.

"Hey! Whatcha guys doing here?" asked one of their hostel mates.

"Eh... praying. Can't you see we are waiting for the door to open!" Manoj shooed the guy away and waited for the door to open.

"Knock the door" Manoj tapped Cameron's shoulder lightly and pointed the door.

"Why me? You knock" Cameron scoffed.

And they started their bickering again until the door flung open with Manohar on the other side looking absolutely disinterested.

"Haven't you both left?" he asked leaving the door open and walked back to his study table.

"No, we are not those who will give up so easily" Cameron jumped on the bed and made himself comfortable under the duvet.

"Not gonna leave until you get back normal" Manoj closed the door behind and joined Cameron. "Ohh... its so cold" Manoj slipped into the duvet.

"It's not even winter, are you sure its cold?" Manohar turned around to see both adjusting themselves on the single bed. "What..." he stopped, shook his head and turned back to continue his assignment.

"Come on, Manohar don't look like we made a crime. We just asked you a simple question" Manoj asked.

"You people weren't asking, you were saying with confidence that me and Radha have feelings for each other." Manohar huffed, scribbling something on a note and started typing.

"We were just saying because that's what we saw. Many saw it too" Manoj defended his point. Cameron was silently listening, jerked when Manoj nudged Cameron to say something.

"What me? I wasn't the one started, it was you and Shika. I'm not gonna say a word" Cameron whispered.

"Many sees it is different and how you are seeing it should be different because you guys knew why we are being that way. They don't." Manohar stopped typing and stared at the wall.

"We are not going to deny that what we saw was just an act by you two but if you are not liking it, we will shut it" Cameron spoke for the first time about this topic.

*-*-*-*-*

The shadow slowed down and maintained a fair distance from Anuradha. She knew now that it wasn't just some hostel mates, these must be them.

"What do you want? Why are you following me?" she asked turning at the startled Shika and Christopher.

"Butterfly are you mad at us?" Christopher asked as they followed Anuradha to the small lobby of the building.

"No, I'm so happy" she retorted and sat on the couch at the corner of the lobby.

"Oh, come on Anu, it's not that we wanted to hurt you. We just wanted to know" Shika came and sat next to Anuradha on the arm rest putting a hand on Anuradha's shoulders.

"Good! You got your answer, now leave me alone" Anuradha moved Shika's hand gently off her shoulders.

"Hey, hey! Butterfly, just relax okay. No one is going to ask you anything about it until you wish to tell if there is anything... you know" Christopher couldn't finish his line.

He didn't want to say it out loud though at a corner of his heart, he did believe what Shika and Manoj claimed was right.
He chose not to.

Christopher walked up to the desk and picked a yellow tulip from the vase.

"A dinner date, butterfly?" he asked giving her the tulip which she took with a smile.

"Not anytime soon, Chris"

"So, we are fine right?" Shika asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We are fine" Anuradha sang. "Okay, tell me where you and Cam went?"

Giving her signature sheepish smile, Shika sat back on the armrest.

"We followed Tiffany" she whispered to Anuradha and Christopher.

"What?!"

"Shh... We some what found out why we weren't in the list" she said.

"It seems like Tiffany and David have some personal problems which we couldn't find out what, so forget about it. Apparently two of them got into an argument and David had challenged Tiffany that our college name won't be in the list."

"Stupid David" Christopher grunted.

"Right, since the committee found out David was behind this nasty work and they spoke to the president of the college, got him suspended for a couple of weeks. Along with ripping off his responsibility for the competition." Shika explained.

"Ahaa... personal issues? What about the other two colleges? Why their names weren't in?" Anuradha was curious.

"We don't know. This was what we got to hear from their conversation. I mean from their argument." Shika shrugged.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Manohar was seen roaming the campus for almost thirty minutes and he is doing his second round, searching for Radha. With just one week to go for the competition to start, they were still in the mid of discussion on to choose which mythology to play.

Manohar looked worried, tired and sweating when he reached his faculty, where he started his search. "Found Anuradha?" Manoj asked passing him the water bottle.

"No. Can't find her anywhere. She isn't picking up her call too"

"Did you search everywhere?"

"Yes, I did"

"Alright, I'm heading to the hall since there is no class today. I will give you a call if she is there." Manoj left the faculty.

"I'm going to the library bring your assignment there" he heard some spoke.

"Library" he murmured, picking up his stuff Manohar ran to the library.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you sweating? Are you alright?" Anuradha asked when she bumped into Manohar outside the library.

"Why are you hiding?" he asked.

"Hiding?" she turned and looked at the library and back to him. "No one hides in library, Manohar."

"Then why didn't you pick up my call?"

"Call?" she fished out her phone from her bag, "ten missed calls? Sorry, the phone was in silent," she smiled.

"I have been going around the campus twice searching for you and you are here in the library" Manohar chided.

"Hey, its not my mistake if you can't find me. Anyways, I have to leave now. See you later." Anuradha waved her hand and walked off.

"Radha! Wait, we still need to discuss about the last script!" Manohar yelled.

"Why don't you discuss with Manoj and Shika or wait for me. We will discuss in the evening. I'm really very sorry, I have to go" She quicken her pace and disappeared out of his sight.

"Looks like I'm the one who have to choose a script" Manohar mumbled and left to the hall.

*-*-*-*-*

Anuradha spot the black Range Rover parked at the side of the college entrance. A smile form on her tired, wilted face.

She jumped into the Range Rover, threw all her stuff at the leg space. She was welcome with a whine and wet kisses on her face.

"Shark! I missed you too!" Anuradha said in mid of those loving kisses she was receiving.

"Did you miss me this much, Shark" she asked as Shark continuously gave her kisses and wagging his tail.

"He sure did miss you a lot" came Mark's voice from the driver's seat.

"I'm sorry, Shark. I promise we will go back home soon, okay" she spoke to Shark, petting its ever soft furry head.

"Is he okay in your house, he is troubling you and your wife?"

"Not at all. Shark's been a good boy all along. He was quite happy today for the ride, probably he knew he is gonna meet you" Mark said. "Let us go for a short drive" he said buckling his seat belt.

"Did you find out anything about Ajay's activity in that area?" Anuradha asked after sometime.

She had spotted him at the same place where the fundraiser happens. She was sure that Ajay wasn't there to attend the event but for something else.

She wasn't able to find out what he was doing there because of the event and her company's BOD was present. Hence, she seeks Mark's help to track Ajay's activity.

"He is into illegal gambling and bike racing. He had joined a tug of that locality and has been frequently seen there. Ajay has been also dealing with drugs in small quantity"

"What?!" Anuradha startled hearing her brother dealing with drugs and tugs.

"Did you spoke to dad about this?" she asked.

"Mr. Ray isn't in London for a week now."

"Did you speak to Ajay?"

"I did but he isn't going to listen to me but I have kept one of my man to always watch over him"

"Why is he doing this?" Anuradha was on the verge of crying.

What made him take this path? Going along with tugs, dealing with drugs and gambling. Isn't he getting enough money from Kavitha that he has to join all these?

"It's ... Don't worry about it Anuradha, I will handle this. You just concentrate on your studies, okay" Mark decided not to add more reason to make Anuradha worried.

"Just make sure he doesn't get involve too much with the tugs. If he does... lock him up" she said, petting Shark's head before getting down the car. "And do whatever it takes to get him out of that"

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