Chapter Four

"You're kidding me," Lavanya exclaimed.

"Nope."

Lavanya leaned back in her seat. "Are you serious? I mean he's so rich and successful... I guess it's true what they say: money can't buy you happiness."

"Hmm... but now I feel kinda worried."

"Worried for what?

"I mean the presentation. He's an official business guy so he knows everything and-"

"So what? You'll do your kickass presentation and show that guy what you're made of."

"But do you think pothead will like it?"

"Why all of a sudden does it matter what he thinks," she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

I gave her a face. "Shut up Lav. I know where you're going with this."

"What," she asked innocently. "All I'm saying is-"

"Lav," I warned, "don't even try. Anyways, I'll just give It my best and there we go."

Lavanya nodded. "We got this girl," and we high5ed.

*~*

The first day of presentations began and like usual, the same policy followed. Those who wanted to go first would go first and then it was the whole out-of-the-bag lottery thing.

But this time, I just didn't want to go first. This way I would also be cutting Lav some slack.

Some groups volunteered to go first and the first group went up. The professor took his seat behind us and got his stuff prepared. All of sudden the door opened and everyone turned to see.

In came Mr. Pothead, and the environment had completely changed. Like he was in charge and we were his workers. He saw the professor and nodded at him and the professor nodded back. Pothead came towards the professor to sit with him. Not good. The professor was sitting directly behind Lavanya and there was an open seat next to him, which was directly behind me!

Please, please don't sit there!

And yet he comes and sits directly behind me. Crap! i can feel his gaze on me and this is no humble feeling. My neck is stinging and its so uncomfortable!!!

Austin's group went first and the enitre time, all i could think of was pothead behind me. i didn't like it whatsoever! I mean why is my neck stinging? And why does my back feel like it's burning? It's so weird!

Soon group after group went and the period was over. Unable to stay another second, I stood up and turned to pick up my bag when I looked up at him. He was alaready looking at me and my eyes widened. Damn he looks handsome! He was in a light gray button down, black vest, with black jeans accesorized with a gray Armani belt.

Oh boy, he is drool worthy!

"Khushi," Lavanya nudged.

I blinked and looked at her. She had her eyebrows scrunched and I shook my head. Placing my iPad in my purse, Lav and I walked out. Yet the walk out, I felt my neck still stinging. Taking a chance, I glanced back and saw pothead looking at me.

Shit!

I quickly turned my head back around and practically ran out the room. Lavanya looked at me confused and I shook my head. Really, I don't wanna talk about it. I really don't.

*~*

Arriving at my apartment, I placed my bag down on the couch. I crashed down onto it and rested my head back. Sigh... what a day. I looked around my small, one bedroom apartment. Everything was just how its supposed to be, all cramped with minor decorations around. There were a few pictures of me and Lavanya around on the wall.

Taking in a deep breath, I headed to my room and changed into pj bottoms and a v-neck. I headed to the kitchen to heat up some macaroni & cheese I had left from the other day. Grabbing my food, I went to the living room, turned on the TV and ate as I watched. After that, I started on my homework and then studied. It was dinner time before  i even knew it and I was still full from the mac and cheese, so I decided to just go to bed.

Once I got in bed, I opened the drawer to my bedside table. I pulled out a picture frame and just looked at it. It was a picture of my parents, my brother, my sister, and I. Everyone was smiling, all happy. I still remember that day. We were on vacation at the Niagra Falls and had someone take a family picture. Those times were good, and now....

Eventually i fell asleep- well, I tried to. Pothead kept popping in my head and I was disturbed. Images of him flashed in my mind and it was really getting to me. So i sat up in bed and tried to clear my head. But even that didn't work!

What is it with that pothead? why is he in my head? ugh!!! What's his name again?

Grabbing my laptop, I turned it on and went on Google Chrome. I typed in "Arnav Singh Raizada" and a whole bunch of image results appeared. Below were several links, the first one from AR Industries, the rest from newspapers and other websites. Clicking on the first one, I was taken to the AR Industries website. 

The page loaded and I was welcomed by a picture of pothead himself. He was standing his arms crossed, looking serious in his black Armani suit. Dayum! Pothead looks extremely hot! But what I don't get is why is a man like him, owner of a huge industry, a pothead? I mean he has it all! He has the money to solve all his problems! Then why...?

Looking through the short bio given, it says that pothead is a very private person. Hmm! He has a sister, Anjali, who he apparently loves very much. 

Wow, so pothead has a heart? Interesting. 

He also has... a stepsister? Whoa! Her name is Kalavati and it doesn't have much to say about her.

So wait, could he be doing pot because of that? I wonder...

Going back to Google, I went through more and more pages. From what I've gathered on him, all interviews basically had the same thing. He owns AR Industries and is very successful, and he loves his sister Anajli very much. Apparently, if he could, he would buy the world for her. 

Damn! He really does love her.

His father, Arhat Singh Raizada, didn't have much information on him. Just the fact that when Arnav was fourteen, Arhat had remarried to Arnav's stepmother, Kaushali Das Raziada. That was the only information on his stepmother and then his stepsister, Kalavati Das Raizada, is two years older than Arnav- er, pothead. There wasn't much more information on Kalavati, except that she was born to her first father, who her mother had divorced for some reason not stated. 

Leaning back, I'm thinking if this really could be the reason. I mean if I were him, I'd probably need a way to get rid of the whole step-family members from my head to. But it's been almost ten years since then. Arnav and I are the same age, 22, so about eight years. Unless... unless this has to do with his birth mother. ... yeah! Yeah, that's probably it. But... but there wasn't anything about her. Not anywhere.

Could it be that Arnav does pot because of his mother? 

What is his story?