Chapter 3

Shankar and Shalini came into the college canteen. This sent Karthik into pearls of smiles. Vishwesh was full of dialogues with double entendre. He couldn't possibly miss the chance of having a go at Karthik. Shalini and Vishwesh had slowly in the course of the semester become pretty good friends. But Karthik could never bring forward the courage to go and tell Shalini that he liked her. All he did in regard to his love for Shalini, was go and crib to Vishwesh. Vish, as the insti knew him, was the good ol' grandma of his friends, who would go and make aby sort of love crib to him for advice, considering he had two failures in the bag.

Karthik couldn't speak in front of Shalini. It was so obviously a huge give away. But like all stupid females, God knows if they are that way or they are acting, she couldn't find any sort of 'special' feeling in Karthik's eyes, talk etc. She kept making fun of the fact that he was speechless in front of her.

Shankar came in and broke the news of him getting an internship with the Lawyer Tiger Varadachari in Tasmania, Australia. The three friends of his were delighted. In typical insti style, a treat was demanded and dished out immediately. The internship began a couple of days later, and the trio decided to have another drunk night in Shankar's room.

In a fully drunk state, Karthik told Shankar about his love for Shalini, and was it was returned with a tight slap. It got Karthik furious. Shankar thought this was another of Karthik's fifteen minute love sagas, and be didn't like it that it was one of his good friends being the target. Karthik was not ready to talk with Shankar anymore, and despite Vishwesh's requests, he left the room after abusing Shankar of having a relationship with Shalini and that being the reason behind his not accepting his love for Shalini.

Shankar left Chennai the next morning. When Vishwesh came to insti after leaving Shankar at the airport, he found a dejected Karthik at the hostel canteen. He asked him why, and was told that he felt guilty for have spoken that harshly to Shankar, and wanted to apologize. On being told that Shankar had left, Karthik got even more dejected and went to his room.