There were two people running towards them! Ananya shouted to them for help ...Shit! School guards!
Two school guards of The Presidency Convent ran in their direction. They waved their batons at them and shouted abuses. As soon as they saw them, the boys took flight.
Guards! RUN.!, someone in the boys shouted.
They all got inside the car and got away just in time. Rana left Yuvraj lying on the ground, bleeding from his chin.
Are you okay?' Ananya asked, almost crying as she got him up on his feet. He had a few minor bruises.
`Kaun the vo?The senior guard enquired.
Yuvraj and Ananya looked at each other and then Yuvraj said, `We don't know the boys, but we know the girl. Natasha. Apko to pata hoga?
Ananya looked at Yuvraj, a little confused. Why didn't he tell them it was Rana?
`The Head Girl?' one of the guards asked.
`Yes. You know her?'
The guards nodded. `What was happening here?'
`We were going to get my car from the parking,' Yuvraj motioned towards his car, parked a few feet away. And these guys came from behind in that big black car and attacked us...'
And you say you don't know the guys?' the senior guard asked.
'Actually-' Ananya started to say something but Yuvraj held her hand to stop her.
`No. We don't know the guys,' he said to the guards.
`You have never seen them before?'
'No.'
`So why did they attack you?' the asked.
`I have no idea.'
'Are you sure you don't know these guys?' the older guard asked.
`Pretty sure,' Yuvraj said.
Alright. So you want to lodge a complaint?'
`I don't think that it would be necessary,' Yuvraj said.
`No, we do,' Ananya said. `We do want to lodge a complaint against her.'
`Let it be, Ananya. Doesn't matter,' Yuvraj said.
`No! We can't let it be, Yuvraj! It does matter. Look at you. You're bleeding all over...'
`It's nothing,' he said, acting all macho.
She turned to the guards. `We want to report the incident.'
`Okay. We will let the authorities know. They'll take care of the matter,' the senior guard said.
`Thank you very much,' she smiled.
`Do you need any help with that?' the guard asked, pointing to Yuvraj's wounds.
`No, I'm alright,' Yuvraj said.
`Yes, we do need some help. Can we get some water please?' Ananya interjected.
`Sure. Come with us.'
Even though Yuvraj protested, insisting that he was okay and didn't need anything, Ananya forced him to follow the guards. She literally dragged him there. After she'd helped him clean his wounds, they made their way back to his car.
`How do you feel now?' she asked.
`I'm okay!'
Are you sure?'
`Yes! This was hardly anything big. Just a few minor injuries here and there...'
`Yeah, yeah! And you're above all that, eh?'
`Right!'
`Show off,' she said.
They got into the car and Yuvraj started the engine. They waved at the guards as they left. Now that Natasha would be reported, Ananya felt a lot better than she'd been feeling recently. Natasha had been messing with their lives for quite some time. And even though it had bothered Ananya every time, she had forgiven her and dealt with it.
But now she had crossed her limits. She brought boys to hurt Yuvraj! It had pained Ananya to see Yuvraj lying on the ground, trying to fight back as Rana hit him and the other three boys pinned him down. Four on one? How was that fair?
Seeing Yuvraj bleed because of Natasha was the last nail in the coffin. She just had to report the incident. It wasn't like she drew some kind of sadistic pleasure seeing Natasha pay for her mistakes. It was just that it was high time she faced the consequences of what she'd been doing.
This time, she had crossed her limits. And so, this time, Ananya couldn't have let it go. She was fed up of overlooking her evil deeds. She was fed up of playing the good girl and forgiving whatever Natasha did to them.
`This isn't our way!' Ananya said, as she saw Yuvraj taking the wrong road.
`It isn't?' he said and winked at her.
`No!'
`Well, it is, today!'
`Where are you taking me?'She asked, a little puzzled.
`Ananya...I am sorry for whatever happened this morning. And I want to apologize. To you and to a friend of yours,' he said.
`Friend of mine?' she said.
And then he parked the car in a service lane. Ananya was kind of shocked to see the car that Rana had come in parked right in front of them!
`Yuvraj! It's them! she shrieked, freaking out at the thought of Yuvraj getting hurt again. And there were no school security to come to their rescue this time.
`Don't worry,' he said. And before she could keep him in, Yuvraj had stepped out of the car. Half scared, Ananya too got out of the car.
As they approached the big black car, the door opened. Rana stepped out and Ananya's heart skipped a beat. And then, so did the other boys. But she was surprised to see that there was no Natasha! Instead there was one more boy...
`Rishab? she said to herself as she he saw Rishab stepping down from the car. Before she could react, she saw the boys hugging and shaking hands.
What the heck!
`What's going on?' Ananya said, all puzzled and spaced out.
The guys laughed out at her.
`Will you please tell me?' She shrieked.
`Do the honours?' Yuvraj asked Rishab.
`Let's ask Rana to do it!' Rishab said and patted Rana on the back.
`Fine,' Rana said, `Umm...Ananya, Natasha came up to me yesterday and she told me about you two. Now, I really liked that girl...But then, she asked me to get Yuvraj, beaten up! And I was seriously going to do it...but Rishab...'
`Yes, me! Let me take some credit here,' Rishab said, `I made him see what a bitch that girl was! So, I asked Rana to refuse. And that girl didn't talk to him for three days...and that's when this dumbass got it...Natasha was just using him! That's what she does...'
`So we staged it,' Rana said, `Rishab asked a friend of his to tip off the guards about the fight, so that the guards could intervene on time. That way, I won't hit Yuvraj more than necessary.' he said and high fived Yuvraj.
`Was that why you were outside the school this morning?' Ananya asked, still wide-eyed and surprised!
`Exactly!' Rishab said.
`But how do you know?' She asked Yuvraj.
`Well,' Rishab interrupted, `...I called Yuvraj this morning and explained to him everything, he gladly agreed...'
`So he called,' Yuvraj said, `and that is why I felt so guilty. And my phone was switched off because I was with him!'
`Screw you guys!' Ananya said, `Why didn't you tell me?'
`We wanted to see this look on your face! Priceless!' Rishab said.
But...all this... For what?' she asked.
`For what she did to all of us,' Rishab said, `Yuvraj lost his President-ship, you opted out of the Debating Club, Rana was messed up...I couldn't sit there and just look at all this happening!'
`Rishab...' Ananya said, `Don't mind, eh? But I didn't know you were this smart...You always seemed a little dumb to me!'
And they all laughed.
nanya heard a car horn beep. She looked out her room window to see Yuvraj waiting for her outside her house. He looked up to see her and she mouthed, `I'm coming.' He smiled.
She grabbed her school bag and checked her reflection in the mirror. She'd been taking a lot of care of herself since the last three months. Not for herself, but for Yuvraj.
It was totally worth it, though. When she saw him look at her appreciatively and whisper dirty things in her ear, it made her day. They'd been inseparable. Mr. Sharma still throws them out of his classes. And they use the time to serve a better purpose.
The dingy last lane in the
library.
`Hi,' she said as she approached him.
`Hey!' he got the door for her.
`Wow! You're all gentlemanly today!' she teased and got in the car.
Yuvraj had ulterior motives. He had not taken the usual route to school. Instead, he picked a deserted road. And parked there. God knows what they did there, but they got late for school. As they entered the school they saw Natasha at a distance. They didn't feel sorry for him.
After that incident, Natsaha had been kicked off from her post as Head Girl. The complaint had worked wonders. Her post was taken away and her boyfriend, Rana, dumped her. And she had no idea what hit her. What confused her was that there was no complaint against Rana. She was the only one who was paying for that incident. She was subsequently kicked off the Debating Club too. Had it not been for her influential father, she would've been kicked out of the school too. She now walks like a ghost, in the corridors of The Presidency Convent. No one notices her...except the boys who feast on her legs.
Saakshi, the new President of the Debating Club, stepped down from her post with dignity. Ananya was offered the post, but she convinced everyone that Yuvraj was better suited for it. And that he truly deserved it. After a little cajoling and some great moving speeches, it was done!
As they got near the class, they saw Naman and Radhica coming towards them. They were looking visibly excited, wearing a tongue-in-cheek expression and laughing foolishly. They came to know that Naman had a six pack hiding behind his t-shirt. He even put a picture on it on Facebook! One fifty likes in three minutes. And Radhica spent the entire day showing it off to Ananya.
`Don't worry,' Yuvraj whispered in Ananya's ear. `I will get an eight pack. Soon. For you,' he smiled. Ananya smiled back at him.
And everyone got back to talking.
As Ananya saw them banter, she felt strangely happy. Things were normal again. In fact, they were better than they had ever been. After that incident, everything fell back into place. The four of them were happier than ever. Life was awesome. A thought crossed her mind. Itd be nice if Yuvraj really does get those eight packs, though.
Ananya smiled.
atasha isn't just going to take everything lying down.
In the next book read what happens when she catches Yuvraj and Ananya in the library, doing something that isn't allowed. What will she do? Will she destroy them for what they did to her? Or will it be her chance at redeeming her life at The Presidency Convent?
Also, will Rishab be able to get over Ananya by dating someone else? How does that change the dynamics of Ananya and Yuvraj!
The Backbenchers: The Extra Class Page 11
