"Wow!" I exclaimed as I was taken aback by the almighty Akash honest words. "You are kidding right?" I asked to confirm those honest words.
Meanwhile, Rishi began patting on Akash back while saying, "I was in your shoes last year, so I know how imposing Ajin can be. Also, back then he was just a class representative and I was his assistant, but you are now vice president and he is president. I don't even want to think how depressing it is for you."
Watching them both depressed together, it's kind of weird as if they are shooting for some drama.
"Ok ok, let's end the drama for now and go to our seats. I can hear DSEM sir's footprints" listening to my words they both became stiff and their faces turned pale.
Immediately we all sat in our seats and the intimidating footsteps stopped at the door.
It was the DSEM sir. He stops at the door for exactly one minute. It is because he wants us to settle down in that one minute, and just when seconds hand ticks past 60 seconds, he enters the room.
Five and ten inches tall, two and half feet wide, looking like a sturdy wall, he stopped at the center of the dias. His face square, cheekbones visible, moustache with curling up ends and full beard, a truly fearsome being.
Just like his looks, he is a monster. A ruthless one at that. But the thing is, no one ever saw him raise his hand, yet all the students in the college, including the immature students who think no one can stop them and go on a rampage whenever left unseen, fears him.
He is truly fearsome individua-
"May I come in sir?" an arrogant voice turned the silence in the air shatter.
All the heads turned to the voice, mine was no exception.
It was Salman. Standing at the door without a book or bag in his hands, lips smiling with confidence and eyes looking around. He is one of those immature students I mentioned moments ago.
However, he is different. He has a brain instead of muscles and that's what makes him confident. But even I wonder, what he has over his sleeves to get late to 'the sir's' class and still be enough confident to smile like that.
Sir closed the book he was holding and turned to Salman. "What you wan-" sir was stopped mid-sentence by Salman's words, "I finished the assignment last night"
"So?" sir asked, dumbfounded.
"The last question was hard, I couldn't find the correct values for the dimensions and the stress values were hard to determine. I tried the second method, and took some assumptions and then I got it right. By the time I finished it, it was already 3 in the morning."
"So, what should I do?" sir asked with a slight anger evident in his tone.
"So, I missed my bus, but I didn't want to miss the class…" Salman stopped.
"I'm listening. Finish what you wat to say."
I said I hate him earlier, right? That's because of this. He is too smart for his own benefit.
He knows exactly how to deal with the people. What to say to make them convinced, what to do to make them believe and what to listen to make them feel important. He is a witty bastard.
"I took the public transport and reached twenty minutes late for the first hour. Then I went to canteen to kill time, but the fatigue took over and I slipped into slumber."
"Is that why you are late?", Salman nodded.
He nearly succeeded again, stopping sir in mid words, telling about how he worked hard in completing what sir ordered, and then filling the logics to make it convincing. He succeeded in calming sir's anger, but this is not the end.
"What did you do the whole week, then? Instead of doing it last minute and bragging about it, you coul-"
"I needed to leave the city for the state badminton tournament. HOD was my mentor and he took me with him."
Yup, he succeeded again… or maybe not yet.
"Okay then, hand me your assignment and sit in your place."
Now, what you will do my beloved friend. Show me what you prepared for this. Let me hear what that wicked brain of yours is planning to tell.
Amid my curiosity, his eyes met mine and I am sure I saw his lips curl into a smirk.
"It is with Ajin sir."
Oh, it is unexpected.
"I met him in the corridor earlier and gave it to him."
That's what you planned my beloved friend.
"Is it with you Ajin?" sir asked.
Now, what will I do, tell sir, he didn't give it to me? That's an interesting choice, but it's not exciting and also, his confident eyes tell me that he don't think I will speak against him.
"Yes sir. I was planning to collect everyone's assignments after the class and submit them to you, along with 'Salman's'."
Yup, I won't do it. I will let you win this time my beloved friend.
"That's good suggestion. Everyone submit them to Ajin after the class." Sir told the class and then gestured Salman to come in.
…
The class ended soon and now, both Rishi and Akash are standing before me with eyes beaming strong hostility. Also, few others who I spend most of the time with are surrounding me to know what happened earlier.
"What?" I asked, expressionlessly.
"Don't 'what' us. Tell us what was it you did back then, why did you defend that asshole," Akash grumbled.
"You are still at it… Okay, okay, I will talk with him now and get angry on him." I said, giving up against their serious looks.
I stepped out of my bench and walked towards Salman, but two feet away from him, his words stopped me, "You are here, Ajin. I wanted to come to you… it's that, I forgot to write my ID number on the assignment. Can you write it for me before you submit it to sir."
He spoke as if it was a normal thing to ask and also he made his eyes looked concerned as if to make the onlookers believe he did submit it.
"I know you would do that, after all, you are the kind 'president' who helps everyone with a smile."
Calling my designation as an insult, he knows how to behave. Also, if his intention was to irritate me, he did a good job at that.
"I will remember that." I said and began leaving.
"Also, 'President', won't you mind throwing this in the dustbin." He said, while sticking a chewed bubble gum on my palm.
Without making any expression, I tore a small paper from a book in front of him and quietly stuffed the sticky and disgusting gum in it.
"I don't mind throwing it at all" I said and lifted my hand above my head. While he was still confused about what I was about to do, I flicked my hand, making the paper fly into the air.
While, all the eyes were fixed on the flying paper, I looked straight into his eyes and mumbled in my most chilling voice, "Disgusting."
In the same moment, the paper swiftly fell into the dustbin seven benches from us.
…