College Anniversary Celebration Day:
The campus, decorated with white and golden balloons, was gleaming in the sunlight.
The entrance looked nothing less than the passage to heaven and many fairies and angels dressed in luxurious outfits were passing through the doorway.
"Oah-la-la! I can't tell what is more eye catching, this party or me! "
Nina was all dolled up, wearing an off shoulder bodycon dress which was complementing her beautiful figure.
"Obviously.... it's you who is stealing the glam of this gorgeous afternoon." Anna responded while playing with her red curly streaks.
"But it's certain that once Dev is here, he will steal the spotlight and you will be more like a tree that no one notices." Richa again tried to let down Nina with her witty comments.
"Shut your trap," Nina glared at Richa, "and never ever try to talk to me like that again."
"Bloody hellll! " Anna crossed her arms, "Please don't pick any fight. I am not in the mood to waste my time resolving your issues on this Marvellous occasion."
"Gosh! You were so close when you were kids. What metamorphosed great friends into rivals!" she added.
Close friends!! Appears to be, they are more like past life foes.
But neither the snake nor the mongoose stopped ogling each other. They were so emersed into the hatred that none of them replied to Anna.
Anna rolled her eyeballs and exhaled
" Well, you both are my bosom friends, and I can't get partitioned from anyone so please don't tarnish this event. "She said, trying to bring the situation under control.
"Well! Then just tell her not to look down on me. I can't stand criticism even if it's coming from the person who is my childhood friend."
Nina footslogged on the route that transversed the garden to the stadium in which the award ceremony had to be performed.
"Richa! Do you desire to spend this event here, standing alone or with your friends..."
Anna followed Nina on the route.
Huhh!! Friends..... My foot! Richa grunted and abhorrence towards Nina rose up in her ogles.
"Gibberish!"
She was about to start walking but her eyes captured the glimpse of a girl whose face was half-covered with her long wavy hair.
Who is she? Richa tried to take a look at her but that girl disappeared from her sight.
"She must have got acne on her face." A smirk curled her red shaded lips.
The girl whose face was half-hidden stealthily walked to the stadium and took the corner seat in one of the middle rows.
Thankfully, no one has noticed me. I will not let my face destroy my award ceremony. Aster's heart rate was faster than running horses.
..
Daisy and Krish were standing in the hallway.
"Ahh! That charm King is never punctual." Krish slammed his palm on the wall decorated with embroidered wires.
"He is getting affected by your company." Daisy took the first chance to taunt on this ceremony day.
Krish moved his eyes from the face to the feet of Daisy and then again to her face in an up-down motion.
Daisy caught the comment of Krish before his utterance.
"Don't you even try to.... " She rotated to the opposite side and started a marchy walk.
"Hey! Walk like a lady, not a soldier."
She twirled back, grasped some portion of her silk georgette lavender coloured gown with her left hand and pointed at Krish with her forefinger of her right hand.
"Not today. I am already irritated by sitting more than 2 hours in the Miss. Charisma beauty saloon."
"Are men allowed to get ready in women's saloon."
Dev propped out of the blue and pulled the leg of her female bestie.
"Dev" she yelled.
Krish couldn't control chortling but if he laughed, he would be screwed so he placed his both hands on his mouth.
"You guys are always like this. Always make fun of me." She rotated in anger and walked rapidly.
Dev stepped towards her, put his arms on her shoulder and strolled along her. Krish also followed them.
"You are beautiful for us even without makeup and feminine look." Dev tried to uplift her mood.
"Yes! Yes! You are the apple of our eyes and no one cares if the apple is male or female."
Krish tried to featherweight the situation by using his funny remarks.
"Krishhhh!" Dev winked at Krish and gave a fake smack on his back, "You and your shabby witticisms."
" Arghh! Stop acting. I know you both are always in one team opposite me." Daisy glared at Dev and Krish with her sharp eyes bordered with a brown eyeliner.
"Move faster! And Don't spoil my mood." She was limping while walking because she was not comfortable in her stiletto heels.
Both Krish and Dev supported her by grasping her hands from both sides.
"Let's take a selfie. I will post in my Hamlet page, @Dazzling_Dev." Dev drew out his cell phone from his blazer's pocket and took selfies in many poses.
..
The award ceremony begun.
Mr. Kiyaan and Miss Samantha were sitting on the leather Chesterfield sofa with tufted back, facade and high rolled arms.
Miss Priyal, a middle-aged woman, was hosting the ceremony and one by one Mr Kiyaan and Miss Samantha distributed the awards among students.
"Now time for most honourable awards 'Mount Prestige awards' to precious stars of our college."
She flipped the papers and read the names-- "Dev Raichand for becoming Face of 'The Fine Florent' perfume and his debut in music album, Nina Thappa for her debut music album and last but not the least - the computer genius whose project is selected for Cherry Blossom - Aster Malhotra."
All the students clapped for the award gainers and many hooted for their favourite stars, Dev and Nina.
Nina and Dev were seated on the front row so they got up on the grand stand in less than 1 minute but poor Aster, her heart rate was more than the speed of a running leopard and her whole face was sweating whose half side she was trying to cover with her dense hair.
She was stepping towards the stage by making her way through the glares of students.
Dev observed the terrified Aster, so he lend his hand towards her in order to help her stepping over the stairs of the grandstand.
"Come on! Hurry up! The award ceremony is not till tomorrow."
Aster saw the gentle smile on his face resulting in prinkling in her guts.
Her hand reached to Dev's hand and clenched the fist around the palm of the dazzling boy who was wearing a black Henley t-shirt underneath a dark red blazer and a black skinny jeans to assemble a perfect and sexy look.
She could feel the warmth of his body and he could feel her trembling and tension.
His body warmth was melting the glacier of her heart like a shining sun.
She landed on the grandstand
and her eyes locked with the eyes of Dev.
What an angelic set of eyes? Dev got lost in the chasmic eyeballs of Aster. Also, Aster couldn't resist herself from staring at the attractive face of Dev.
"Ahem! Ahem!" Miss Priyal cleared her throat in order to let them out of their gaze-locks.
They unclenched their hands.
He-He! Hiding face behind hairs. A wicked smile showed on Nina's chocolate matte coloured lips.
Aster was striding towards Miss Priyal to receive her award.
She was sliding past from Nina's left side. Nina put her spike heel worn foot on the pink and cream coloured silk gown of Aster, she was already trembling and stumbling, she couldn't balance her body resulting in her fall.
Dev captured the sight of her falling, jerked on her side and grasped her by placing his one hand around Aster's slim waist and another hand on her thin and bonny shoulder.
This should have been a very romantic moment for Aster right? No, it was the creepiest nightmare of her life. A day full of light and sunshine was about to turn into a dark and terrible night.
Aster was feeling safe and sound into the strong and muscular arms of Dev. Her pointed and kid-soft nose caught the pleasing lavander fragrance of his body. She was lost into the depth of blue crystal eyes of the boy whose aroma was making her calm and relaxed.
Her melanoid hair slipped from her face and she forgot to hold them.
Dev's eyes got the glance of Aster's ugly white marks.
He widened his eyeballs in nervosity and twitched back his body and arms so rapidly and jerkily that Aster propped on the ground with her face on the floor.
"Get away! Get away from my sight!" He swirled back and his face turned red in anger.
The denizens were dumbstruck to watch this tantrum caused by their beloved Charm King.
Oh! It was my part of play. Why is Dev acting like this? Nina who was getting thrill out of this dramatic scene was also stupefied but still she was smirking by watching Aster suffer like this.
Miss Samantha straightened up from her Chesterfield, rushed towards shuddering Dev, expanded her arm to hold him but couldn't, because she was aware that her touch and appearance would accelerate his outrage.
She met her eyes with Daisy and Krish, gestured them to tackle with Dev.
As Asked by Samantha, Daisy and Krish hurried towards Dev, patted on his back and shoulder and dashed with him through the back door of the grandstand.
Miss Samantha pinpointed the lying Aster, walked towards her and held her arms and supported her to get on her feet in an sluggish motion.
Her captivating snake-wavy hair was all messed up and her pearly eyes were tarnished like old rusted iron.
Nina came farward, started an act of handling the audience with her wicked remarks.
"O poor Dev! His day is being spoiled like this. But this is not his fault. Even when I saw this girl first time, I was repulsed and nearly fell off in fear."
She twirled back to face Aster. "Nature is so unfair. How could it give such horrible marks to someone."
"Yes, when I first saw her, I was so frightened that I couldn't sleep for a couple of days." One of the Aster's classmate who was jealous about selection of her project added fuel to fire.
Many other people started gossiping and commenting on Aster.
"All of you! Put an end to your shitty comments." Miss Samantha couldn't bear such a mediocre behaviour from the students of her college.
Aster, whose dreams had been crushed under the feet of the same person, in whose arms she was feeling safe, was wretched and downhearted. She was laughing in a horrible way while stepping backwards. Samantha tried to grip her arm in order to support her but All of a sudden, she started running, passing through the crowd and glares of the people standing there.
Questions for readers:
Why did Dev misbehaved with Aster?
If you were Aster and your dreams were crushed like this, what would you do.