Being interrogated by your parents, uncles, aunties falana falana is still acceptable and can be easily handled, but have you ever been interrogated by your friends?

For Divya Chavan, being questioned by anyone and then answering to their predictable questions was still a piece of cake, however as she assessed her friends – the short and timid Nandini who thought she would never get caught for any stupid things that she would do yet the whole college knew her as she would hop around mingling with everyone; the average height fair and lean Natasha whose hair dropped back till her waist and had always been open even through the scorching heat of Mumbai and then there was Simran whose big forehead she would rather keep hidden behind her bangs, and the only one who was so conscious of her growing cheeks, her figure, her skin etc and yet was the sweetest of all. Somehow the one girl who spoke less but had always been the talk among the boys and hence whenever they would be the one settled in as an interrogation panel it would land her up in a hitch.

 For two years now every time that she had been on the receiving end she had found herself getting nervous, all her talent of making best of excuses going down the gutter and she would surely get intimidated by them all, Such that even the raise of their eyebrows and smiles would speak louder than what their words had ever done.

However, among the hundreds of students in that college Divya Chavan was a localite just like her friends, whose life was spent travelling in the local trains of Mumbai, quite an average looking personality, nothing special until and unless she had those mood swings of hers where she decided it was time to just outshine and dress up differently, one where she looked funky, with her black eyes that would turn brown in light, would be the center of attention, and somehow would finally be noticed by all.

"What do you mean by you are not really in a mood to celebrate your birthday? Divya you are the first girl amidst our group to turn 21 we can't have it, we are surely going to go clubbing... ohh I can even ask the boys to get us into the guest list." Nandini tried to whisper as Divya sat back in the almost broken chair of their classroom. Her eyes then went off to simran and Natasha who was busy grinning; Divya could bet all her odds that they might as well be planning all the stupid things they would do later on.

"And I don't understand why is it that we have to celebrate my birthday in a club? We can as well go for a long drive, you can come at my place... we would cut a cake, I will treat you for lunch or you guys can even stay over at my place." Divya suggested. Her eyes assessing them as if she was once again in the examination room, quite unsure what would be the answer to the next question, while the rest gave her a bored look.

"Guys my parents won't allow... it's simple."

"Ohh ho Divya, why do you have to worry about that? I am here, Natasha is here we will talk them into it... and say if it's not them, tell me are you planning to go out with someone else?" Nandini bent a bit and murmured her voice coming out as if they were discussing a murder case that none was to know about.

"Ohh don't tell me, you have a boyfriend?" Natasha exclaimed.

Divya gave her an incredulous look and then turned to simran. She had always been the sensible one out of the three, however even before she could ask for help, Nandini banged the desk chair on which she sat and said,

"Simran this time you have to support us...we are right." As if an important notice was to be announced, the three of them waited for Simran to let out the final verdict. Simran smiled at Divya who very well understood that she had badly lost the case here.

"Sorry Divya but they are right... only few months are left for college to get over and we have so much left to do, please let's get this over with?" Simran's face as Divya studied her was anything but sorry.

"Alright, I will ask about this to mom, but no drinks and smoking, at least I won't do, you guys are free to do whatever you want... but I won't and none is going to force me into it."

Though it was finally understood and agreed upon, Divya wondered how was it that she was going to get this boat sailing. It wasn't the first time they were going to the club, but she knew, convincing her parents who were already not in happy terms with her hanging out with friends seemed like a difficult task.

For Divya her college life had been a summary of three to four steps until now, which included coming to college, attending lectures or working at the various committees that she was a part of, while going back home, bidding a huge and long bye to her group of friends with whom she hardly hung out with and then once again catching an evening local to go back home.

And as much as this seemed simple it surely wasn't.

For years she had been trying to find that one thing which suited her best and somehow college gave her that opportunity. An opportunity to explore herself to stretch out her wings and herself into doing things that she had never thought she would. Many times it had given her panic attacks, her moral would go so down and at times getting used to the feeling of indifference. But then she as well met many people here who guided her, who had been the real reason why she was the way she was.

It was yet another slow day for Divya, and that August afternoon seemed anything but exciting with the CR of the class giving out instructions for their upcoming course event the when and why still seemed nowhere to be known in the long run as well as the short run, and she knew a huge amount of work was going to be landed in her way while this whole thing would start into operation. This year seemed like a sinking boat... there were plans a huge number of them, just that not a right person to direct and implement them. Divya gave one of her classmates a small smile and took a deep breath. This shall pass by, she thought, and once again let the air out.

Her eyes wondered off to where Nandini and Simran sat, Nandini as usual was busy with the boys letting the time pass while she talked about everything and anything, where as Simran was busy chitchatting with one of their juniors. Divya for a long while couldn't decide what was she supposed to do. For a person who had always been busy, she didn't really like to let the time pass by ideally...soon she found herself counting on her fingers the number of days that it had been since the interview for the President of the Cultural committee of her college, she had given her name for it and was waiting eagerly to make into it... if not the president she really hoped she would make it for the Vice president, and somehow she knew many people seated here at that moment no matter what hoped the same.

"I have already mentioned once that till the time the money doesn't come in we can't do anything...what is the use of the content team, the creative team and any other team and whatever the fuck that they are working on until and unless we do not have the money ...can you answer me, Dev?' The CR Kavya yelled quite out of her usual behavior. This surely had got attention of all the ones present over there, as the other person Dev stood up from his place quite pissed off himself as he retaliated,

"And nor had I asked them to make me the head of Marketing... this is just not my thing." With that said and done, he walked off from the room, Divya's eyes wandered around the room, each and everyone out their tried to suppress their laughter, but she understood what was it that Dev was going through.

The pressure on him wasn't any less. They weren't good friends hardly talked with each other only for about few hours each semester which was right before the exams as she would help Nandini and the Group with the answers, and she knew he how he had always been a cool headed person. But he had never asked for the post of Marketing head, it wasn't his thing, and he wasn't like that of others to do things that weren't his thing. He knew what were his capabilities and the places where he wasn't needed and couldn't work, he never went there. If only their coordinator had not taken certain decisions.

As the Drama further began to unfold, she stood up from there and decided it was the best time to make that visit to the washroom, and to fill her almost empty bottle. When she looked at her watch, Divya realized she still had a few more hours before the college would officially get over. Walking downstairs she smiled at the few familiar faces, reaching up the water point she filled the bottle and went back to the class.

As she entered the class she couldn't help but think how silent it was, peeping in scared that she might walk into yet another argument, she was glad to find that the room was quite empty with now just a few of her classmates, Natasha and simran seated in their respective places.

She walked up to her place and kept the bottle on simran's desk who as expected opened the lid and took huge gulps of water.

"Thanks a lot, I so needed that."

"yeahh, what else am I here for?" Divya taunted as she took her seat and fetched her phone out from her pockets, as the phone got connected to the wifi of the college whose password she was quite successful in retrieving through a bit of connections, she observed the uneasy emptiness in the class.

"where did everyone go?' Divya asked.

"Kavya was pissed, hence Rishi took her out somewhere, Atharv and the others went out somewhere as well, and someone was here to call Nandini so she went with them." Divya nodded her head and began scrolling through her instagram and whatsapp messages. There was yet another lecture left but the break that they have now got she was sure they could make the best out of it.

Lectures college and the stuff that came along for these three years for DIvya was perfectly planned in her unplanned life. What was one to expect somewhere she was glad that she was able to get good education pursue her hobby of writing, go around with her friends and do all that she had once planned for college... it was known that surely Nandini and Natasha had a complete different say at this but she was agreeably happy as to what all was happening around.

Mindlessly as she scrolled through her Instagram feed, she felt the bench beside her creaking as Natasha sat beside her and rested her head on Divya's shoulder as she looped her left hand into her right holding onto it.

"Dude I am so bored!" Natasha moaned.

"And I am no medium of entertainment here okay... you...oh wait" Shrugging off Natasha from her hands, Divya sat upright, cursing her phone as it began to act up the very moment when there was a message in the cultural committee group.

She could feel her heart beating at a rapid speed. Her breath labored as it perceived to her how eagerly she had been waiting for the results to come, and may be if this didn't turned out right she might actually get hurt. She had never thought she would go out there for that interview or that she would even make to that interview itself but she did and now she really hoped that she would make through. Divya observed as her hands shook while the whatsapp took its own sweet time to open, with a deep breath that filled her lungs until they hurt, she finally opened the group and downloaded the image.

"what is it that you are looking at with such serious face? Did someone die?" Natasha joked, and when she didn't receive the usual jab from Divya she peeped into the phone's screen and was baffled herself.

"ohh the results are here..." she then scanned the list from the bottom just the way Divya was doing... the first name for security department made them shocked.

"Rishi got in!" simran said as she herself checked the list.

"ohh even you and Nandini, congratulations simran creatives HOD not bad!!" Natasha yelped in excitement and stood up and went to go and hug simran. As soon as they broke the hug, the two turned towards Divya who sat there still as that of like a statue.

Agitated and worried, simaran kept a hand on her shoulder and said, "did you made it?"

"Divyaaaa...where is divya?" the three of them turned around as a whole commotion made their way inside the class. Kavya who was leading the troop ran off to where Divya was standing in a quite baffled manner and hugged her tightly.

"chutiya aurat Vice president!!" Natasha screamed on top of her voice as she as well joined the hug, which was then met by simran and Nandini who came all the way running from somewhere pushing people aside.

"dude we all made it!!!!" Divya screeched, and once again hugged Nandini and simran.

"And I once again gate crashed a group." Rishi said, as he stood behind waiting for people to congratulate him. The girls then broke the hug as soon congratulations began to fall in.

Divya and Rishi were still talking about how things were going to be from here on, along with Atharva and Nandini when Divya felt a tap on her back...

"Hii Divya congratualtions." Divya was quite baffled to see Madhav Khandelwal standing right behind her. She had surely missed out on him amidst the whole commotion that was going around. His style though had changed from the last time that she had seen him, yet his aura and attitude still remained same. She liked people this way, changes were needed but all positive, and if ever one was to change the way he dressed than that would be for the betterment of his confidence. Just the way Madhav Khandelwal had done.

"Thank you so much." Divya smiled at him, as the two stood there in a comfortable silence, until Rishi came ahead and swung his arm around his shoulder knocking him in a tight grip. "OHHh Madhav, bro listen as I had predicted I have gate crashed yet another group."

As the two fought over the predicament, Divya made her way towards simran and Natasha who were seated in their place waiting for the professor to come and begin with the lecture.

"Divya, isn't that Madhav?" Natasha asked. she eyes wide in astonishment and amusement. Divya could very well understand her expression but was surprised that Natasha, the same Natasha who had hardly been to college as well knew him. it made her wonder for how long did she knew, because Divya couldn't be any proud to say that it had been just months that she came to know about him. the one person about whom most of the college knew about.

"ohh yes, who is he, is he from our course....but then I have never seen him." simran took hold of the water bottle yet again and gulped yet another couple of sips. Divya let out a chuckle as she heard simran. It could only be these two idiots one who is though regular to college yet hardly knew any one, and then there is Natasha who hardly came to college yet knew most of the gossips and people around.

"Naah, he is from Banking and Insurance, BBI. Simran how come you don't even know him...you sure you know me as well?" Natasha fell into a fit of laughter along with Divya while Simran gave them her signature look. Divya realized how Simran so needed to be a part of this committee she needed to get over her small group of friends and make a few more. She was an amazing person just that she took her own sweet time to get along with people.

"But then he was not this... you know, as much as I remember one would never remember him, all baggy clothes, those check shirts and what not oh yes his oiled hair style." Natasha exasperated. Her mind quite in denial to accept that the one who stood in front of her dressed in perfect west side track pants and well fitted t-shirt, with his hair perfectly jelled and set was actually Madhav Khandelwal .

"I don't know well, he was there last year at the conferences that we had went and that's where I met him, all I remember him is this way... but he and Nandu are best friends, in fact even the boys group that is Atharva, Rishi, dev, Aman and Manav they all are really good friends now. Because of them I started to talk with him."

Divya's eyes went off to where he stood. She didn't know him much, their conversations were strictly based on work and whatever that they talked was during their college fest where the rest of her friends had met him and became friends. Rather if not for Nandini they wouldn't have even been introduced to each other. But then again, she didn't really remember being officially introduced to him.

"You know, now that I think of it during the fine arts events, he was irritating me, pointing out my mistakes and I was pissed off. I had reprimanded him in front of everyone and that's it... now if ever we meet in the corridors we wave at each other and that's that." Divya explained.

"That's weird; I didn't know a year could change someone to such an extent." Natasha said as she flipped her hair back.

"Dear Nats it takes a person a day as well to change... so this is nothing. You should come to college more, than may be you won't miss out on important things like how come Madhav khandelwal changed so much from not so good looking person to a complete star student of the college."

Even before Natasha could answer back, the professor entered the class, as Rishi once again began convincing him to let Madhav sit in their lecture, dejected the professor agreed as Madhav took a seat right adjacent to Divya as the two smiled at each other.

A/N

Here it is finally the first chapter. I don't really know, this is my 4th book and yet I am way nervous than the first time. I really hope you all will like the characters and how the story is proceeding ahead. 

if you have anything to say do let me know through your comments, and I really wish that this journey of our would be a memorable one. 

hence if you all liked it, do share it with your friends, Vote on the chapter and share what you think about the chapter the characters through comments. 

Until the next chapter 

you all can have a look at this small sneak peak. 

"I don't understand if you do not like the way he serves why do you still insist on eating dosa here, we can go somewhere else or you can order something else for once."

"Dude his dosa is really nice, I like it...and if I can always get my order a bit customized here why go somewhere else?'

The whole table fell into a fit of laughter except for Divya who still tried to progress what the whole joke was all about.

"Areee Divya its okay you don't have to think a lot about him...someday just ask him if he wants to go have something, you will get it." Dev explained as he separated the large chunks of cabbage from his noodles.

"and I guess today isn't the day." Dev nodded his head while the rest began laughing, and surprisingly Divya liked the way this lunch was turning into. 

Happy reading 

Yadni Bagwe