Maurvi's POV

We reached my computer centre just in time. I saw Prachi and Naman going inside the centre. I thanked Gautam and was about to get out of his car. When he stopped me.

" When will your class get over? " He asked with a smile.

" At 6 PM, but you don't have to come back to pick me up. I will take a cab. " I told him.

" No, I will be there. Now go inside and don't talk to them. Bye and take care. " He said and after saying bye to him, I went inside.

The teacher was already in class. I asked the permission to enter and when he nodded, I went to take a seat.

I was feeling very good from within. Gautam gave me a lift here and will come back to pick me up. I can get used to it very easily. I just loved the way he cared about me, the way he was listening carefully. I didn't realise that I was smiling like a fool.

" ....... Maurvi? Maurvi? "

" Oh! yes sir? "

" Are you in the class? Are you alright? I mean you came late and now you are not attentive in the class and on top of that you are smiling all to yourself? I asked you a question and you are not even listening. " Sir asked me.

" I am sorry sir, It won't happen again," I said but the heat was creeping in my cheeks making them pink.

" It is ok, now pay attention. " I nodded and he started teaching again.

Just 5 minutes had passed when there was a knock on the door. Our teacher opened the door. Prachi who was sitting next to me asked me why I was late. Before I could say anything, sir called out my name.

I looked at him and he said,

" Maurvi, Someone wants to talk to you for a minute. Please come here. "

I got up from my seat and reached where sir was near the door. I was surprised to see Gautam standing there. He smiled and said, " You forgot your bag in my car. I thought you might need it. Bye. " I took the bag and thanked him with a shy smile. He was so good and I was so clumsy. He smiled and went back.

I kept looking at him till I heard someone clearing the throat. Sir was smirking at me.

" He is gone, Maurvi, will you please take your seat. I think now I know why you look distracted today. " Sir said in a low tone with a smile and winked at me. I blushed harder. Our teacher was just a few years older than us; he was like a friend.

He resumed his lecture and I went back to my thoughts. I could not help thinking about him and smiling. The class was over and I excused myself and came out of it. Prachi called my name but I pretended not to have heard it.

I reminded myself of the suggestion Gautam gave me about avoiding both Prachi and Naman. So I was looking for Gautam as I didn't want him to wait for me. All of a sudden someone caught my hand. I turned to find Naman holding my hand.

" Are you Ok? " He asked with fake concern.

" I am good, please leave my hand. " I tried to get my hand out of his but he tightened his grip.

" Are you trying to avoid Prachi and me? Please don't do that, we are your friends and are concerned about you. I am sorry that I couldn't reciprocate your feelings but you need to understand that I love your friend and not you. I am sorry for that but I can't change that. I really love her. " He was behaving like a nice man in front of Prachi.

" Just leave my hand, Naman. I don't care what you two do. If she has decided that she trusts you more than she can trust me, fine I will not say anything and stop acting. She doesn't know about your true colours but I do. What feelings are you talking about? I never had any feelings for you. In fact, you disgust me. Now please leave my hand. " I tried again but he was holding my hand very tightly.

" Oh come on Maurvi, these things happen. It's ok we are not judging you for having feelings for me... You don't have to deny them. I respect them, it is just that I can't reciprocate them. I am madly in love with Prachi. Please don't tell lies to her about me. Why are you poisoning her mind against me? "

" Shut up and leave my hand. " I shouted at him while he was smirking

" No, first you say sorry to both of us and accept your mistake. "

" What?? Never I never tell a lie. You are acting in front of her...." I was saying when I heard a deep angry voice.

" Leave her hand... " I turned to see Gautam standing there glaring at Naman.

" What if I don't? Don't mess with us just go and do your work. This is not any of your business. " Naman said carelessly.

" It is my business... Now leave her hand or I will punch you to pulp. " Gautam said in his angry voice.

" What is your problem? " He asked Gautam.

" My problem is that you are holding her hand. " Gautam caught his hand and released my hand from his grip with force. He came and stood between Naman and me.

" She is my friend, Who are you?" Naman said to him in a fighting tone.

" Hello I am not your friend Naman and for your kind information, he is my....friend." I retorted

" Boyfriend... I am her boyfriend. " Gautam said all of a sudden and I felt as if I was going to faint.

" What? No... you didn't have to. I told you... I don't want to tel-" I was saying but he interrupted me. He caught my hand.

" On come on Maurvi... I know you said that you don't want to tell them about us, but it is ok, they are your friends. We must not hide it from them. Trust me it is ok. " He smiled at me and placed his arm around my shoulder. I was going to faint. It seemed that both Prachi and Naman were shocked with what Gautam just said.

" Listen, you, just stay away from her or I will rip your hand off your body. Let me tell you that I have been a boxing champion during my college days. So don't mess with us. " He threatened Naman and then smiled at Prachi.

" Hi, you must be Prachi, Maurvi's best friend. I am Gautam, her boyfriend. She talks so much about you. I sometimes get jealous of you. I wish I was as important to her as you are. Bye, it was nice meeting you. Take care. " She just nodded and looked at me with shock.

It seems we all were shocked as only Gautam was speaking.

He turned to me and said, " Let's go beautiful, I am really hungry. Where would you like to go? Hey, show me your hand. " He caught my hand tenderly.

" Oh, it is so red, it is going to bruise. Next time if I see you anywhere near Maurvi, I will kill you. Understood. " He barked at Naman and caught my other hand in his and walked towards his car.

I saw from the corner of my eye that Prachi looked a bit concerned about me. She even looked angry at Naman.

He opened the emergency medical kit and took out a pain killer spray and sprayed it on my hand. He looked very angry.

" It's ok. Gautam POV

I was going out when I heard my neighbour Maurvi talking to someone on the phone. She is tall, cute, beautiful, witty, smart, innocent like a child kind of girl. She looked very tense. I wanted to know what was bothering her.

" Prachi... please try and understand..he is bad news.. he is not good. I can prove it to you. Please just stop right there. He even has a criminal record, however small it may be. Please stay away from him." She was literally pleading.

She then reminded her friend that he proposed to Maurvi but she was not interested. Her friend said something and Maurvi was shocked to hear that.

" Oh come on Prachi... I used to tell you about each and everything if I ever had a crush on him, I would have told you. You know very well that I have a crush on someone. "

Oh, so she has a crush on someone... Lucky guy...

" Please Prachi trust me yaar... I just want you to be safe and happy. He was just a friendly batchmate to me. Nothing else." She was trying to make her friend understand. It seemed that she was not listening to Maurvi.

" Prachi, he is not good for you... He is a liar... He has a criminal record. Just stay away from him. What can I do to make you understand that he is a liar?"..... " Prachi please... " The girl on the other side must have disconnected the call.

She tried calling again but no response. She looked helpless.

She dialled another number on her phone.

" Just stay away from Prachi." She said in an irritated voice she must be talking to that guy.

" Are you kidding? Why would I be jealous? Just leave her alone. "

" Why are you telling lies to her? Why did you say that I am interested in you or even worse that I proposed to you? You know very well that is a lie. You proposed to me and I declined it. Why are you poisoning her mind? "

" What? Never. I never had feelings for you and now, you disgust me. I will not let you spoil her life. Just take my suggestion and stay away from her or you will have to face the music. "

" Shut up. I will never let that happen. Just stay away from both of us or I will have to take help from my family against you. Let me tell you that if I use our contacts or if I tell my parents about all this, you will be in hot soup. I hope you still remember that there is a hell lot of difference between your and my family's social status, as you put it yourself. So beware and stay away. "

She looked very angry just like a little tigress. She turned to go back to her house when she saw me. She looked a bit conscious

" Is everything alright? " I asked her seriously. She just nodded meekly.

" It doesn't look like that? You seem to be very upset. What is the matter? And don't even try to tell a lie as I heard most of what you said. I can easily guess what was said from the other side of the call. Now come out with it. "

" Oh.. nothing. Seriously it was nothing.. " she tried to avoid the topic, but I stared at her.

" Listen Maurvi, just tell me everything... As it is, I heard most of your conversation. I can help you. See even your family is not here. Your parents have given your responsibility to us while they are not here. "

" But I can handle it myself. "

" Don't be so stubborn Maurvi... Or I will have to inform your parents or mine. " I said looking at her with concern.

" Ok fine. " She went back into her home and I followed her.

" So just start from the beginning," I said and she explained everything in detail. I understood her problem.

" Ok, let's see what can be done. I guess if your friend thinks that you have an affair with someone else, she won't think that you are interested in that guy. Just make her believe that you are in love with someone."

" Easier said than done. Where would I get a boyfriend from? No this won't work. And moreover, I don't tell lies. She won't believe it. How can I explain, from where the boyfriend came, all of a sudden."

" You don't need to, they didn't tell you about their affair. It's the easiest way to prove him wrong. He would not be able to say that you are having a crush on him. "

" Yes, maybe you are right... But .... "

" No buts... Do you trust me? "

" Yes, I do. But boyfriend? "

" I will arrange for him. When do you have to go to the computer centre now? " I asked her.

" At 5 PM. One hour to go. Why are you asking?"

" I am asking because today you are going with me. I will not let you go alone after you just threatened him."

" What? No need for you to go with me. I can handle my problems. "

" Yes, I know you can, but still, while your parents are away you are our responsibility. I can't let you go alone so I am coming with you." I smiled at her and came out of her house.

We left for her centre and I told her to avoid talking to her friend and that guy. She went inside the class but after a few minutes, I saw that she forgot her bag in my car. I took it and went to reception and asked about her class. I knocked at her classroom door. A very good looking teacher opened the door. I told him that Maurvi forgot her bag in my car. He called her. She took it from me. She was blushing a bit.

I have to admit that she was looking very pretty. But why was she blushing? Was it because of that very good looking teacher? Does she have a crush on him?

After one hour, when I came back to pick her up I saw a tall bulky man was holding her hand tightly and she was trying to get her hand out of his grip.

I threatened him to leave her hand or I would break his hand. He asked me,

" She is my friend, who are you? "

" Hello, I am not your friend Naman. For your kind information, he is my.... friend. " Maurvi was irritated with him.

" Boyfriend !!! I am her boyfriend. " I said all of a sudden and It looked as if she was going to faint.

" What? No... you didn't have to. I told you... I don't want to tel-" She was saying but I interrupted her.

" On come on Maurvi... I know you said that you don't want to tell them about us, but it is ok, they are your friends. We must not hide it from them. Trust me it is ok. " I smiled at her and placed my arm around her shoulder. Both Prachi and Naman were shocked by what I just said.

" Listen, you, just stay away from her or I will rip your hand off your body. Let me tell you that I have been a boxing champion during my college days. So don't mess with us. " I threatened Naman and then smiled at Prachi.

" Hi, you must be Prachi, Maurvi's best friend. I am Gautam, her boyfriend. She talks so much about you. I sometimes get jealous of you. I wish I was as important to her as you are. Bye, it was nice meeting you. Take care. " She just nodded and looked at me with shock.

I turned to her and said, " Let's go, beautiful, I am really hungry. Where would you like to go? Hey, show me your hand. Oh! it is so red, it is going to bruise. Next time if I see you anywhere near Maurvi, I will kill you. Understood. " I barked at Naman and caught her other hand and walked towards my car.

I took out a pain killer spray and sprayed it on her hand. How can anyone be so brutal? I wanted to beat him.He would not dare to do that again. But you didn't have to say all that. " I said to him.

" No it was necessary Maurvi, now he would not come near you. If he does just let me know. Did you notice that your friend was shocked and she is still looking in our direction? At least now she will not think that you have feelings for him. You just need to show some affection towards me. "

Oh God, how do I tell him that I already feel too much about him? What would I do now... Prachi is shocked by what he said because she knows what I feel about him. If he keeps saying things like that, I will fall in love in no time. I have to keep my distance from him.