CHAPTER-49
RESIGNATION
Naomi’s POV
It has been three months since I got discharged from the hospital. Just like the previous year when I joined Janki University, this year too, I missed a few classes the first week and borrowed from Vyomi. I was glad that I recovered from the fatal attack.
“Excuse me, ma’am”, said I, knocking on the open glass door at the entrance of the registrar’s cabin. Phew! I was standing here last year with Akshat sir for my admission and look at how time flies! I can’t believe that I’m in my final year of law.
“Sure, come in”, said the spectacled senior staff, nodding at her desktop.
“Ma’am, my migration certificate from the Rajasthan Board Of Education”, said I, handing it over to her.
“Oh, great! Why did they take so long though?”, she chuckled, glancing at the front and back of the tall and laminated certificate.
“Sorry, ma’am. Apparently, there were some protests regarding hikes and so on”, I guessed.
“It's fine, Naomi. We need such documents for formalities. Carry on with your lectures. All the best!”, she concluded with a wide grin.
“Thank you, ma’am!”, said I, nodding and smiling back at her. No sooner did I step out of her cabin and strolled along the corridor than I heard a loud familiar male voice from the opposite corridor.
“Do what I say, Akshat!”, he yelled, to break the pin-drop silence dwelling within the enclosed building. I hurried, raising my eyebrows along, to trace it coming from the Chairperson’s cabin.
“Kiku!”, thought I, as tears accumulated in my eyes as soon as I spotted Rishabh bulging his eyes and shaking his right hand which he pointed sternly at Akshat standing opposite his seat. I clung to the door in an attempt to overhear them.
“Sir, why don’t you understand? Out of fifty students, only ten have barely passed with just one student securing above eighty. Don’t you know that they are final-year students? How can you fail all of them like this?”, argued the spectacled and elderly man in suit. He was our Law department’s HOD. I stood by the wall juxtaposed to the cabin. I glued my ear to the cabin’s wooden door painted white.
“Sir, please try to understand my point”, began Akshat, displaying an answer sheet or two, highlighting, “Look at them. They have barely written two pages. How do you expect me to pass them without even writing anything? ‘Practical Law: Learning from Case studies’-As the name suggests, the elective I lectured is quite practical. Key law points for a given case study is the essence. Why did they select it when they weren’t interested in law?...”
“End of it. Akshat, no more of your cock and crew stories. Either pass them or quit your job in the next twenty-four hours”, ordered Rishabh, frowning at Akshat and pointing towards the door. “The call is yours.”
Akshat offered a wicked smile, as I could witness from the glass window on my left. I shook my head, turning it towards my right to hear Akshat’s decision, “In that case, I would prefer to sign my resignation letter, Rishabh sir. Thank you!”
“Great! Finally!”, chuckled Rishabh, as Akshat headed to open the door.
What?! But, why should Akshat sir leave?” I breathed hard, as tears rolled down my cheeks. Does this mean that Akshat won’t come to college tomorrow onwards? I rolled my eyeballs hither and thither. I sobbed realizing that Akshat was going away from my life. No, no, no, how can he leave my life so soon? Does it mean that our journey together was only till this point, Kiku?
I closed my eyes and hit the back of my head against the wall behind me as I leaned recollecting how I met Akshat on the local bus followed by confusing him to have been disrespecting faculty and screwing him for the same, hugging him to celebrate several moments and the car ride with him. I opened my eyes and held my pendant-his gift of apology that I wore. I can’t miss you, Kiku.
But, why? He is just a lecturer and it's his decision to leave the university. I mean, I know that this is very common among professors but why do I always need him by my side? Many people come and go in our lives. I have never cared about missing someone but why is Akshat affecting me? Is this love? I looked up at the ceiling and shook my head.
No way, Kiku. You can’t go away like that. You were the only one who loved me more than anything else in the world and how could you leave so soon? It has just been a year since you colored my life. I slid down the pillar and squatted, breathing hard, as the scene of Akshat walking away from Rishabh’s cabin played without a pause, in my mind.
“Naomi!”, called Akshat, in his meek and hesitant voice. "What are you doing here?"
Love is so blind that it just happens unexpectedly.
You may fall for anyone!
Would you let go of your policy if you fell for someone you shouldn't? What would you choose-your policy or your beloved?
“Akshat sir!”, I exclaimed, looking up and bulging my partially wet eyes at the smiling gentleman. I stood up and hugged him.
“Hey, what happened?”
“Kiku, why should you resign? You haven’t done anything wrong. It's unjust to award marks to those who have submitted blank scripts. You were perfect. This is unfair. Why is the management rude to you?”, I trembled, as I questioned him.
“Aye, you have come here to study. Focus on your goal. Don’t interfere in such matters. Don’t share with anyone else too. I shall announce this during my last lecture tomorrow. Goodbye!”, said he, patting my cheeks and walking away.
“Akshat sir! No! Why should you leave when you were right?”, trembled I, catching his hand. He turned back and rolled his light brownish meek eyes at me. He shook his head as I began sobbing.
“Naomi, stay strong! No, you are an upcoming brave criminal lawyer. You shouldn’t weep. If you weaken, who will fight for justice?”, said Akshat, wrapping my cheeks in his cozy palms. He kissed my forehead and smiled, waving and parting away, as he slowly released his palm from mine.
“Sexy! By the way, wherever I lecture, my heart will keep beating for you. No force upon you. Take your time but try to love me!”, said he, chuckling and offering a flying kiss, as he walked backward. He turned about and raised his hand to wipe a drop of tears. While he reached the end of the corridor and headed downstairs, I knelt and continued weeping my heart out.
“No, Kiku, I won’t let you go, not only because you’re innocent but also because I need you. I want you, Akshat sir”, whispered I, sobbing along.
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“Thank you, students. I’m winding it up here. Remember that the next topic is transferability of shares”, declared Akshat, closing the textbook and placing it on the lecturer’s desk.
“Haha, sir! Good joke. You have never asked us to remember where you left off. Why today, then? Your class is unique wherein you have always remembered the next topic and have never asked us to…”, pointed Karan, chuckling along.
As I, in a thick black top having tiny white dots on its surface, was engrossed in unplugging his system and stopping projecting the PPT, Akshat nodded at the class chuckling at him.
“Good catch, Karan. But, hereon, it's your turn to remember where the lecturer left”, Akshat clarified.
I sobbed, continuing to shut down his system and removing a few other connecting wires. Karan shrugged, asking, “Sir, why? Won’t you be handling company law for us hereon?”
Akshat shook his head at the class as I developed goosebumps on both hands.
“No, Karan. Dear students, I need to tell you something very important. Today is my last working day at Janki University. It's my last lecture for your batch as well”, Akshat unveiled, turning towards me and swallowing his tears. I raised my eyebrows and sobbed secretly as the ray of sunlight piercing through the adjacent window heartened my face to erupt my frustration further.
“Sir!”, exclaimed Karan as the others too shared puzzled faces with each other. The three musketeers too bulged their eyes and shrugged at each other.
“How come? What’s he saying? Really? But why?...”, curious whispers turned into gossip from every corner of the lecture hall.
“Guys, no!”, I raised my voice. I neared Akshat and frowned at him. He chuckled, shrugging along and adding, “Naomi, I understand that it's a shocker. But, it's also a harsh reality. Sometimes, we must accept the fact although our mind isn’t aligned with it.”
“Akshat sir, I’m serious. It's not your last working day”, said I. My classmates shrugged at me asking what had, indeed, happened.
“Naomi, control!”, whispered Akshat, shrugging at me.
“Countdown begins now”, said I, folding my left fingers as I counted, “Three, Two, One.”
The long bell rang aloud. Akshat turned in the corridor to spot professors rushing with their laptops and books downstairs.
“What’s happening? A sudden inspection?”, whispered Akshat, raising his eyebrows at me and leaving the class.
“Dude, can you please tell us why Akshat sir has decided to quit?”, asked Vyomi, in her hurried tone, as she hurried to stand beside me. Karan too nodded.
“Dude, any idea? We wanna know”, added Tanvi.
“Guys, follow me downstairs”, said I, heading outside.
“We are from the Bar Council, Delhi”, said an elderly gentleman, displaying his ID and shaking hands with Rishabh.
“Good Afternoon, sir. Why a sudden inspection without any prior notice?”, questioned our chairman.
I stood with my gang behind the trees in a secret corner of the lawn as the faculty members, Rishabh, and the inspection committee crowded the ground floor’s corridor of the admin block. I folded my hands and shrank my eyes at the drops of sweat dominating Rishabh’s forehead.
“Mr.Rishabh, we heard that Janki University’s Law School has passed most of the recently passed out final year batch with fake marks. Many failed but were marked as just passing. We have hence decided to appear for a sudden scrutinization of all the papers, especially those of Practical Law according to the complaint. The university’s license will be canceled if you were found guilty”, warned the frowning senior officer, as he barged upstairs toward the exam cell.
“Sir, please…It will spoil the university’s name and fame. We haven’t done anything of that sort”, added the Vice Chancellor, appearing beside Rishabh.
“Sir, you?”, shrugged Rishabh, startled at his sudden entry.
“What is this, Mr. Rishabh? Is this your reckless management skill?”, he roared, frowning at Rishabh bending and rolling his timid eyeballs at the floor. I offered a wicked smile at my clueless gang of friends. Faculty members including Akshat and clerks exchanged puzzled faces at their honorable chairman being rebuked in front of almost the entire university as students from all batches too populated the corridors and wondered at Rishabh’s heated debate with the Vice Chancellor.
“Good that I had visited Pune’s branch at the right time”, said he.
“Uncle, please…”, whispered Rishabh.
“Sir. Call me sir. It's not our house.”
“I wonder who has complained”
“That's not important now…”
“Sir, a foe must have purposely complained to ruin the decorum.”
“Rishabh, at least ensure that the media doesn’t make a big fuss.”
I smiled at Akshat rolling his eyeballs hither and thither and shrugging at Shreyas as the two nodded wondering what was happening in the premises. He happened to catch me staring at him. He blushed while I shook my head and looked away. Urgh, Naomi! What did I just do? I blushed, looking back at him who then returned a wide romantic grin, with a tooth or two unveiling itself, in the midst of his soft lips.
“Sorry for the disturbance. Nothing is seized. Practical Law papers are perfectly marked according to the scheme. It was just a suspicion. You can carry on”, declared the Bar Council’s senior member whom the entire committee followed. Akshat chuckled, nearing
“Sexy! Look at it, Rishabh sir”, Akshat whispered to the frowning chairman. “What if I had followed your instructions yesterday?” Akshat chuckled while Rishabh looked away.
“What!”, exclaimed the Vice Chancellor. He whispered to Akshat and Rishabh. “That's why it's always better to be on the safer side. We are a reputed university. How can we do such an act? Are you playing, Rishabh?”
“Sorry, sir”, Rishabh apologized.
“Akshat sir, please sign this”, the clerk offered the resignation letter having the university’s letterhead pinned to wooden cardboard. Akshat’s eyes flooded with tears as he turned to me. I shook my head.
“What’s that?”, interfered the Vice Chancellor. Akshat handed it over. “What! Resignation? Are you serious, Akshat?” He unpinned the sheet and tore it into fine pieces. He patted Akshat. “You saved our university today. Such incidents may happen at any time. I will give you a handsome bonus but we need an honest man like you here.”
“Yes!”, exclaimed I, hugging Vyomi. I blushed, bulging my eyes and repeating, “Akshat sir won’t leave!” I jumped upon the grass and twirled, smiling at the bright noon sky. “My Akshat sir won’t go anywhere now! Wohoooooo!”, I cheered to myself.
Karan let out a round of whooping cough. I stopped spinning and threw my mouth open at Akshat’s eyes, as witnessed through the leaves. He chuckled as he headed towards me. My friend chuckled as he stood in front of me. Our eyes interlocked into each other as we blushed.
“Kiku, did you inform the inspectors?”, asked he.
I blushed and nodded. “Yes, Kiku. I had an inspector’s number while enquiring about my transfer last year.”
“Did you do this for me?”
“Of course, Akshat sir.”
“But, why did you have to risk for me? I understand that I have been your well-wisher. I know that I’m important to you but complaining was heights…”
“That's because I love you, Kiku”
I said it! I said it! I breathed hard as we continued blushing at each other. My friends smiled and nodded with tears at each other.
“But, am I not your lecturer? How are you supposed to love me although I have always been loving you loads?”
“Kiku, there is no policy in love”, concluded I, hugging him and drenching his suit. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest. “I realized how much my heart beats for you only after your resignation decision hit me hard. I shouldn’t have loved you but love is beyond one’s own control. I love you very much, Kiku!”
“Naomi! Don’t tell me that it's a slip of your tongue now”, said Akshat, his meek and hesitant voice trembling along, as he massaged my hair.
I released myself from him.
“No, Kiku. I really love you. Don’t you love me anymore?”, argued I, breathing hard and sobbing at Akshat. “It contradicts the fact that I have a heart if I continue to ignore my feelings for you…”
Akshat lifted me up. My friends clapped and cheered as he blushed, looking up and twirling me along. I chuckled and blushed, pressing my hands on his shoulders and shaking my head.
“I love you too, Noami!”, announced Akshat, as I threw my mouth open and we chuckled.
“Finally you guys are together!”, complimented Vyomi, unveiling her tears of happiness.
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Aww, finally! Naomi has accepted Akshat!!! What next?!
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