Shruti

The lectures got over. I saved all my running notes of the lectures scribbled on my apple iPad's notepad and arranged my bag to leave for the canteen.

A new bitterness was taking life in me. I had no idea how. It made me feel irritated, helpless and hurt all at once.

A certain feeling I could never put a name on till now, intensified as I saw our seniors settled on their usual table having their lunch and sharing jokes.

A certain Sidharth nabbed my soul, without my notice. His brusque behaviour bothered me. His aloofness towards me irritated me. His closeness and amiable nature with others constricted my heart.

Now that I've seen and worked in the same project as him for almost two months, I've come to realise that he had lied to us that night.

"That's how I am"

He had said, but, he wasn't like that with others. And, the fact that he was different to me, bothered me. Not in a good way, to be precise.

As I served myself a food platter and got to a vacant seat, my eyes unknowingly registered two beautiful girls seated on the both sides of him as he wiped his gold rimmed specs with his handkerchief.

The way they were laughing with each other and were so engulfed in their world stinged my senses. Seeing him from the last couple of weeks closely, I've known his friend circle now, which consisted a bunch of three boys and two girls.

But, every time I see him talking so amicably with those girls from the super sixty or even, Rishita or Swetha, it doesn't feel right. It just doesn't settle well with my palpitating heart.

I sighed, eating my lunch as my roommates had already completed it long before and I was struck in the extra lectures, they bunked.

The mighty project for the Royal Science Exhibition has been proceeding gracefully. We were halfway done with the soil sample testing for microbial growth and even, the fluid density of various gradients. As said before, the students of physics department under Sidharth Sir created a mini version personifying that of the gravitational field of Jupiter, said to be the planet with highest gravity pull by using iron bars compressed under high temperature and pressure and another contrast set-up, replicating that of the world's least gravity zone, Hiriwadunna, Sri Lanka.

It was a major milestone in our project, inching us a step closer to success.

In this final month, we would be toiling to calculate and predict the peculiar impact of microgravity of microbial growth, hence, evolution of life, in general that will be a stepping stone towards achieving easier ways to terraform (i.e, begin life in) planets like Venus and Mercury and perhaps, establish life there.

After lunch, I walked towards the lab as we had been starting early these days since, only a month is left for us.

"Kunal Sir has instructed us to run a PCR on the specimen bacterial gene and create various virulent strains of it." Rishita and Swetha informed me as I immersed myself in work.

In an hour, our job was done. So, we proceeded to the next step, that was to gauge the growth of bacteria at high temperatures and identify those strains for further procedures.

"Should I put this sample of virulent strain of bacteria to test, sir?" I asked Kunal sir, who nodded.

I wore my regular white gloves and straightened my glass shield as I walked towards the tube furnaces, which was maintained at a temperature of 750° Celsius.

Handling the sample in one hand as I opened the knob of the tube furnaces in my other hindlimb, I was thrown away by an earth-shattering push.

I could hear frantic calls all around as I felt someone picking me up, before I drastically blanked out.

**

"Shruti?" I heard a shriek. I dimly opened my eyes as a side of my face hurt terribly.

"Shruthi?" I heard again as someone shook my fingers.

"Water!" I croaked out as my throat dried. Sipping some water, I looked around to see the room. My eyes, a little blurry. It seemed, I was still in the campus.

"You scared us, girl. You were electrocuted." Swetha sighed as they sat to ask about my well-being, while, he came to see me and walked away, advising me to 'take care'.

"Girl, be responsible from the next time. You know, it was Sidharth Sir, who jumped in to help at the right instant. His palm even got burnt." Swetha spoke, exasperated.

"I will." I muttered as I retrieved fragments of moments of the mishap.

The way the electrocution threw me away, the way the chaos ensued, the way Sidharth Sir pulled me out of the effect and saved the virulent strains of bacteria, getting his palm burnt.

My cheeks warmed at the thought of him, saving my life.

I felt blessed to have him for the same.

As I calmed down, my eyes met with his as he walked towards us again.

"All good?" He asked and I looked around for response. When I realised he was addressing me, I answered.

"Yes sir" I nodded as I felt more sleepy, maybe due the medications.

"Take care, I'll get going." I nodded as he dispersed out of the room.

'Why Again?', my soul countered back.

Finally, he left, not before muttering, "Join the lab after two days. Till you are completely healed."

All I could do was nod at him.

In an hour or two, the medical team of IISU let us go to our hostel room. Swetha held my right arm as she ushered me towards my bed. While, Rishita went to the canteen, from where she packed and brought our dinner to the room itself.

Swetha helped me get rid of my kurti and get into a loose tee, then. After which, she combed my hair. I looked towards the hand mirror in my palm and saw my tired eyes staring back at me.

A torn off-bandage covering my head due to the blow of the sudden fall and even in right palm as I remembered the shreds of the broken test tubes had pierced into my skin. I looked horribly sick.

"Here." Swetha forwarded me a small zipped plastic packet which had a broken teeth as I hit her with my functioning palm.

"You are so mean." I hissed under my breath as talking loudly would induce pain in my injured jaw.

"Thank you. But, I am responsible unlike you." She whispered, shaking her head.

"What did you think before bravely touching that machine without switching it off and without proper green insulating rubber gloves?" Swetha fake glared at me.

"If I would've been at Sidharth Sir's place, I would've thrown you into that machine instead of saving you and banned you from entering the lab. But, that man, he was way too patient to arrange a blanket for you to prevent more shock and rushed you to the medical emergency centre of IISU in his arms." Swetha explained to me things, I never knew and for some odd reason, it invoked a strange peace in my heart. I never knew, I craved to be someone's concern. To be cared for.

Or, maybe, to be someone's everything, he would fear to lose out on.

"Exactly! I felt, he wasn't a college president, worried for a fellow junior but, a husband, worried for his wife." Rishita spoke as she placed our takeaway on the table. At her words, all the fluttery feelings left my tummy as I stoned.

"That's all bullshit, Rishita." I muttered, containing my raging emotions while, she shrugged.

"I said, what we saw." She voiced out, plainly, not heeding my discomfort.

"By the way, your father called while you were unconscious so, I explained him the situation. I'm sorry." Swetha murmured as I cursed under my breath, wondering what more can go wrong tonight.

Sighing, I whispered, "Fine."

We sat to eat in silence as my phone rang to break the eerie silence in room.

"Baccha" I heard as soon as I picked up the call.

"Are you fine?" I heard his tired yet anxious tone, which wrenched my heart.

"Yes, Papa." I spoke as lightly as I could.

"Can you come downstairs? I'm waiting here. If you can't, just let me have a look at you through a video call. I just wish to know that my child is safe." His voice hitched as I knew, he was broken at the news of something bad happening to me.

"I'm fine, Papa. I'll come downstairs. Give me five minutes." I muttered, declining the call as I gestured Rishita and Swetha to give me support as we walked down the stairs again to reach my waiting father.

"Baccha" I heard a shriek as he rushed to me along with the hostel superintendent.

"You said you are fine and they told me that it was a minor accident, what's this?" He muttered, exasperated.

Patting his back to calm down, I whispered, "It's fine, Papa. I'm fine now."

"This is not being fine, Shruti. You are coming with us now. I'll drop you back in a week, after you are completely fine." He stated, firmly.

"Papa, we are on an important research. The deadline is close. I can't afford a week's leave." I whispered painfully as my jaw hurt.

"Shruti, don't speak too much." Rishita piped in as Swetha briefed my parents of the situation, calmly.

"Still she is coming with us for now. I don't want any more discussions on this topic." Both of them nodded as my father gave his final verdict to the hostel superintendent, who rushed to clear the hostel formalities.

"Papa, not more than two days." I whined, which came out even softer than a whisper.

"We'll see to that later. Now, don't hurt your jaw more and come." He spoke as we walked ahead.

Just a little ahead, I heard a gasp as I eyed my mother, standing a little away, while holding a tree.

My eyes observed her, however I didn't wish to. She looked weaker than the last time, I saw her. Her face was pale like a dull winter noon, her dense black hair locks had turned thin and peppery, her fair toned skin shrinking faster due to collagen loss while, her legs seemed wobbly as she approached me with glossy eyes.

"What have you done to yourself, girl?" She gasped again as she held my shoulder in a gentle grip, believing me to be a fragile doll, whom even a single touch would break.

"I'm good, Maa." I whispered, trying to get away from her.

To be honest, I was shocked to my bones to see her here. I never thought she would care if I live or die, given, how she threatened to break all her ties with me less than a year ago.

"I can see how good you are!" She hissed as she hugged me softly.

"It's been eight months, yet, you didn't change your stubborn heart, did you?" She spoke a pitch higher this time.

"Shruti, life is too short to hold grudges. For once, don't make your life more difficult due to your stubborn nature like your father." She asserted, caressing my hair.

"I was never wrong. Not then, not now. Because, my intention was pure. All I wanted was your happiness and if you can't trust us, trust our experiences, Shruti. We've seen life more than you." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Leave it, I know, you still don't get it. So, I won't try either. I know, someday you will realise it yourself we never wanted or will want anything bad for you ever." She expressed as my father patted her shoulder to gesture her to leave it.

Soon both of them ushered me inside the car towards our guesthouse, where we would reside for the next few days.

°°°

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Love,
B❤️