Chapter 3

Shyam was an introvert in college. He had always been one. But one thing kept him going. Deepika Asthana. His best friend, or so she thought, but he had different plans. Deepika was probably the most outgoing girl in the college, and was the most popular girl in the college. She was a headstrong, intelligent and good-looking girl, a deadly combo, and Shyam was instantly attracted to her.

Deepika was not a great student of chemistry, and this was somewhere Shyam scored hands down. He had once sat down to teach her chemistry before an exam, and this was where the friendship began. But somewhere down the line, the two became as close as chalk and cheese. In the world where friendships had no meaning, Deepika associated every little idea and thought of hers with Shyam, and would discuss her life in and out with him. Shyam however, never got the guts to collect himself and go tell her that he actually did like her.

Deepika was an extrovert on the outside, but the amount of mental trauma she had undergone before she got to where she did was immense. An innocent mother and an abusive father did not much good to her. Her mother used to consider her an angel. She used to keep telling her that her little daughter was born to rule the world, and that she would be a princess some day. The family had fallen on bad times, and the father blamed it on his "girl" child. He had lost his job as a clerk in a private company soon after his daughter's birth, and used to abuse his wife everyday after getting drunk. One such night, in a fit of rage, he rigged a sickle into his wife's face, and she was no more. He was taken away to the jail, and Deepika ran away from home. Then, she grew up with a kind uncle of hers, who got her into the college. She was trying to make a difference with her life, and the only person, who she knew in her heart of hearts, actually wanted her to do really well, was Shyam.