CHAPTER-1 ARRIVAL

I stared out the windows at the scenes flashing by,trying to hide my breathlessness at the pristine beauty with a scowl,but failing miserably.I gazed at the verdant picturesque with awe that verged on near reverence.

The vast stretches of lush green land,labyrinthine of primordial trees swaying gently to the rythem of  breeze,the subtle shade of lovely crimson at the horizon and flight of rooks silently flying by.It was inexplicably simple yet beautiful!

It was this stretching serenity that had altered my belligerence. Thought there was no way I was going to admit that!

My sister Payal snorted and rolled over,having zonked out with her mouth open like a golden fish.Usually I would've teased her to hell for this,but I wasn't in quite a playful mood,to put it mildly and though,the I was quite awestruck for the moment owing to the vignettes of piousness off nature passed by,I knew that my tear glands were quite literally on the verge of starting their function!

We were en route to St.Marcus's Boarding School,one of the most prestigious ones in Dehradun,the one where my elder sister Payal had spent better part of her schooling years and which was soon going to have a new student...me.This was the cause of my distress and my not being my usual verbose self.I simply couldn't stay away from my parents!

Yet here I was going to that wretched place!I had spent a major chunk of my Summer holidays over past few years in trying to conjure up plans so that I could avoid getting admission here and my family had resignedly accepted my tenacity every time.But this year my dad had finally put his foot down.

I had put up a very colourful pretense of a spoilt brat-which admittedly I was owing to all the pampering that I got from my family-but that hadn't deterred my dad who was adamant of getting me entered here,reason being that I had to carry my family's legacy of completing Higher Studies from this School! Family orthodoxy tends to be quite ludicrous and foolish at times!

''See,its so beautiful here.You were needlessly fretting!''My mum's soft,complacent voice broke my abstraction and I hastily maneuvered  to put on an unconvincing pout.

I could feel my dad's appraising gaze on my face through rear view mirror and I obstinately chose to avoid that.I couldn't bear his smug expressions.

My dad had always given in to all my demands whether rational or otherwise,quite gracefully,yet this time it was him who had imposed his decision on me with the firm tenacity of an army officer that he was.I had never seen my doting dad metamorphose into Lt.General Shashi Gupta and it was quite frightening for I had always been his golden girl!

I had stopped goofing about and had spent all my left over days in Lucknow sulking.The prospect of having to live without my parents was quite horrific and so were the stories enshrouding boarding schools,despite constant pacification by my jiji!

All too soon the subject of my dismay stood majestically in front of me as we entered the sprawling premises of St.Brutus's Boarding School.

I gaped about,stunned at the grand impresarios of the ancient school.The building rose in the middle of a lush green lawn and was painted in a soft shade of peach.A massive porch was wrapped around the ground floor in front of which was an ornately carved out fountian!

The scene looked straight out of the old holywood movies.You could almost expect ingenues of silent movie era came walking down!

As I gazed around with apparent,undisguised admiration,my dad opened the door for me and helped me out.

''What do you think khushi?''He queried.

''Its so...so beauitfull!'' My voice came in a whisper.

Though I knew fully well that by saying so I was shooting myself in the foot,yet that couldn't deter me from admiring my surroundings.It was so timeless and graceful.....

''I told you so!Everyone falls in love with this place and you're no exceptional my dear sister!''Jiji teased me,gently closing my open mouth.

My dad guided us through into a tastefully decorated entrance hall.If the outsides had been grand,it was equally opulent.The walls of the posh reception area were panelled in rich mahogany.The floor was covered with thick oriental carpets and heavy looking draperies hung in the room.A large bay window occupied most of the right side of the reception and large,multi-hued paintings hung on the walls.Black,leather couches were arranged in a cozy grouping near which stood a high polished counter.

''Welcome Sir.How may I help you?''The tall,fair-skinned receptionist asked in a gentle cadence.

She was impeccably dressed in a business suit and looked absolutely professional.

''I've an appointament with the Prinacipal ma'am.My younger daughter khushi is going to join the school.''My dad replied.

''Ah,so khushi gupta is here.Well,we've been anticipating your arrival.Your sister Payal has pretty much blown the news!'' The receptionist said smiling.

I glared at my jiji who looked away sheepishly.The lady talked on intercom.

''Well,this way sir.Ma'am is waiting for you.''She said politely, waving us in.

I took a deep breath as my dad brusquely knocked the huge oak door and pushed it open.