Rajeev is screwed.

Chapter 3: Rajeev, the Nucleus.

The day's lectures consisted of a class on the basics of mechanical engineering and electronics. Rajeev got up at 7.30 am, took a shower and got dressed up. The only mirror in the house was in Nandan s room. Rajeev went in, combed his hair, applied some talcum powder and noticed the new wall paper “Neha loves Nandan” on the computer screen.

The electron revolves around the nucleus in a circular path, “As you boys revolve around a beautiful girl” said the professor trying to be funny and like always got nothing but a few girls giggling in response. Rajeev sat in the last second bench and had written “Neha loves Nandan” 112 times. The class concluded with the professor instructing the boys to be a nucleus rather than an electron. Tejpal Gill, the professor , who made those not so funny jokes, the entire college called him TGIF- Tejpal Gill Isn’t Funny.

Rajeev walked back to his apartment thinking about the common dream of his dad and Mr TGIF to be the nucleus around which everybody revolved. Right now Nandan was the nucleus of his life. Everything including Neha revolved around him. Nandan the Nucleus, they even shared the first letter.

Rajeev opened the door and found the hall empty. No Nandan , no loud TV. He went to the kitchen, drank a glass of water and went straight into his room. He threw his bag on the chair and looked around. The Ganpati statue was still on his cupboard and books were neatly arranged, but his priorities were misplaced. The bed was undone; it had never been that way. The pink bra lying told all about what it had played host to. Rajeev stared at the bra for 5 minutes and started sweating. His dad would have had a heart attack if he saw the present scene of his room. Rajeev ran across the hall and locked the door immediately. He went back into the room and held the bra in his hand. That was enough, no Madhuri Dixit, no TV, and no Angelina Jolie,nothing, just the touch of that smooth fabric and Rajeev closed his eyes and let out his swimmers. It was Neha’s.

The guilt feeling engulfed him; he threw the bra away and smelt his fingers. It smelt of lust. He rushed to the bathroom and fiddled to find the best soap that could wash him clean of his guilt. The soaps were always advertised for being anti-germ and not anti-lust. He watched Sanskar TV for the rest of the day.

The clock had ticked to show 7pm when Nandan came in with Neha. Rajeev noticed that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“Nandan, were you sleeping in my room? “Rajeev asked.

“Yeah, we did” Neha replied.

This was one spicy electron, the wanna be nucleus Rajeev wanted to taste.

“I think you left something behind on my bed.” Rajeev said noticing that Nandan had gone to the toilet.

“Oh let me check.” Neha said and went in.

“Ah! My bra.” she said casually while coming out.

“Dumbo we forgot my bra in Raj’s room” Neha told Nandan as he came back.

Raj! She had a name for me Rajeev thought. He had to wait 19 years to hear the sweetest words he had ever heard all his life, Raj. Nandan pulled Neha into his room and said “Round 2 Raj!” and smiled.

Neha dropped her bra out, winked at him and whispered into Rajeev's ears “For you.”

The swimmers were out again and no soap was used this time.

The classes on the next day explained all about the force between the electron and nucleus and what was binding them. Rajeev smelt his hands more than a thousand times and ultimately found the explanation to the force of attraction.

“Prasad”

“Present sir”

“Rohit”

“Present sir”

“Rajeev”

“Raj! Sir, Raj, my name is Raj and I am present sir.” said Rajeev while a few girls giggled. Raj, the handsome engineer had arrived. Confidently he walked back home.

Neha sat with her legs crossed on the chair in the hall as the handsome Raj opened the door.

“Hi Neha, where is Nandan?”

“He’s gone out to get some milk”

“Oh, alright.”

Rajeev went into his room, removed his pants and was wearing his shorts when Neha pushed the door open and asked “Coffee?”

Rajeev stood shocked and managed the words “Ya sure”.

Neha had a nice look at this partially bare physique and whispered into his ears “that’s ok” and left.

Something was wrong, this could not happen. It seemed apocryphal and yet it was true. Rajeev secretly thanked his dad's decision to discuss his stay over a cup of coffee and for having met the FCUK Ganapati. It was his destiny, his good looks, a rich flat mate and a hot babe. Engineering had been his encyclopedia of sex.

Raj thought about Neha the whole of next day. The professor called him Raj all the time and the girls giggled.

That night Neha stayed back at Raj’s place. She looked stunning; she had worn the same pink bra with one of the straps peeping out. At 10.30 Nandan and Neha went in. Rajeev sat in the hall watching TV. The door closed behind them.

“I need water Nandan” said the voice and Neha came out drank water and went in, Rajeev didn’t look at her. She didn’t close the door this time. The electron was getting tastier. After 30 minutes, Raj got up from the bean bag and went near the door, he could see them. He could see what Neha wanted him to see and Neha could see “Raj”. All numbers except 69 did not matter. Rajeev locked himself in his room and slept.

It was pouring cats and dogs the next day. The power line had been cut off and was not to come for a whole night. Nandan was out. Rajeev read his newspaper under candle light. He answered the knock on the door. Neha was all drenched and wet. He looked for Nandan behind her.

“He is not here” Neha said and closed the door behind her.