Heart wrenching adoration Part-9

"Arnav,what's wrong with you?Why are you behaving so peevishly?"Aman asked for hundredth time.

We were on our way to the Boys' hostel after the school hours got over.I walked absent-mindedly,not paying attention to anyone and simply turning a deaf ear to Aman and Akash who were surprised with my behaviour.

I had spent the better part of the hours after lunch in yelling and screaming at anyone I could find and had quite literally seriously annoyed most of my class mates with my crabbiness,but I couldn't help it.

The reason was that I felt guilty of getting khushi reminded of her trauma and obdurate as I was,I simply couldn't get over it,even though it wasn't exactly my fault.Well...technically at least!Despite my futile attempts to cheer her,I had seen the shadow of grief in her eyes and that was what which bothered me the most! Who wanted to get reminded of their ordeals when they were to embark on something new?

Anyway,I stormed about angrily and after a while my brother and my best friend stopped pestering me resignedly,which was good as I didn't want to make them upset on the first day of the session.

After changing into my casuals and wasting an hour on trying to concentrate on my studies,I left it for good and marched out of the hostels into the ground and that's when the idea struck me.

I saw Brijesh bhaiya,the Chemistry Lab attendant who was also the secret supplier of the things that we asked for in the boys hostel and which or surly warden didn't approve of, leaving the school premises and I rushed to him,

"Hey,Brijesh Bhaiya wait!"I yelled as I ran towards him.He stopped on hearing my voice.

"Arey Arnav,how was your first day?"He asked casually,smiling at me.

"Just fine!Brijesh Bhaiya,I need you to do me a favour,please!"I panted as I reached him.

"Started goofing around from the first day?Sure!Now,what do you want?"He asked,grinning conspiratorially.

I handed him some money and asked him to get me a box of chocolates.I remember that khushi fancies sweets so I decided to gift it to her.

Soon Brijesh Bhaiya came back and I took from him the beautifully decorated basket of chocolates and put it inside a polythene bag.

"Thank you so much bhaiya.I owe you for this."I said gratefully,waving back at him as I rushed towards the library where I had seen khushi just moments before.

"Hi khushi!"I greeted her enthusiastically.

She looked up at me from the book that she was studying and smiled.She was simply clad in a peplum top and jeans,yet she carried it beautifully.Her long hair were tied in a ponytail casually and few of her fringes fell on her face,enhancing her beauty.

"Hey Arnav.What's up?"

"Uh,I brought this for you."I said,handing her the plastic bag.

"Wow,Chocolates!"She squealed as soon as she took the basket out.

"Thank you so much!"Khushi gushed,smiling benignly at me.I stared at her fascinated by her bubbly effervescence as  she opened the packet and took out a chocolate.

"Here,Arnav."She offered me some.

"Thanks!"I murmured and we both munched chocolates happily until our hawk-eyed,grim looking librarian,Mrs.Smitha Zarine interrupted our happy moment with her usual cackle.

"This is library,and not your cafeteria or something!If you want to eat something than better go out!"She growled,her large spectacles glinting furiously magnifying her eyes so much so that she looked like and over sized owl!

Khushi and me rushed out,leaving her screaming at our wake and laughed.

"That was fun!"I said as we walked down the verdure length of our school football ground.

"Yeah,that was,but..."Khushi began,but she was cut short by Lavanya who came barging.

"ASR I want to talk to you!"She said sullenly,glaring at khushi.I groaned inwardly.Now,she was really annoying me!

"We can always talk later Lavanya.I've some work now."I said trying to ward her off,but that set her off.

"Why?Because of this ugly rag doll?"Lavanya screeched,flying into one of her tantrums.That ticked me off.How dare she slander khushi like that!But before I could give her a piece of my mind,I was brought up short by a furious voice.

"Excuse me!How dare you call me by that name,when I don't even know you! If you enjoy spreading displeasure in your wake and walk around like a real snob, then do it!But don't you dare show your useless temper on me,got it?"Khushi yelled,as me and Lavanya stared at her agape.

Then,she turner around and stormed off huffily,with her little nose in air!

Heart wrenching adoration Part-8

“I’m an orphan.”Khushi  continued,her tone was that of deepest melancholy.

I gaped at her, too stunned to find my voice to say anything comforting.Her face was warped with pain and it hurt me to see her that way.Her beautiful,doe-like eyes were dimmed with tears and her lips trembled incessantly.She clenched and unclenched her fists to keep her grief at bay,but I could see  the last vestige of her will power fading away.

There were lot of students in the mess and many of them shamelessly,obviously curious about khushi’s piteous countenance despite her earnest attempts to hide it and I disliked it for  I knew that many shallow and pigheaded amongst them were simply looking for some hot topic for gossiping around!

"Khushi,lets' go from here."I whispered firmly,urging her st get up.

I guided her out of the poking,sympathizing crowd of the cafeteria to the lush green lawn,proceeding towards our school library.I took her to the second floor- which was usually deserted- of our three-story library and gently helped her on a chair.

Just as I had correctly anticipated,the moment khushi found herself in the silent isolation of the library,she broke down completely!She covered her face in her hands and sobbed relentlessly while I,being unable to think of anything to make her feel better,gingerly stroked her head soothingly.

"Shh Khushi.Please stop crying!"I pleaded.It hurt me to see her face so warped in hurt and agony.

"Ar...nav..they...le.. ft...me!M..my par...ents.I loved ....the..m so much!"Khushi chocked,hiccuping.

"I know khushi,I know!Please calm down!Don't cry!"I implored again desperately.I've never been quite verbose when it comes to emotional talks, though I could well understand her pain,having felt it myself.

"I can understand the emptiness that you feel khushi!I know how scary,how..how terrible it feels to not to have parents...to be an orphan."I whispered,almost against my better judgement.Nobody in the school,apart from Akash and Aman knew about this hideous truth of my life,not even Payal,though I doubted that she had a vague idea.Still,I was filled with a desperate urge to tell her,to confide in her the truth of my past.

"I can empathize with you khushi because I'm an orphan too...well,I should rather say,almost an orphan."I continued,staring determinedly at my hands that I had clenched into a double fist.

"My dad died when I was two and my mom couldn't withstand the loss of her husband whom she loved so dearly and went into shock.She slowly lost her sanity and is till date admitted in an asylum in Lucknow,with no chance of recovering ever again!...She doesn't even recognize me."I said into the absolute silence for khushi had calmed down,maybe due to the unnatural gravity of my voice.

I raised my head a fraction to look khushi straight in her eyes and I could see the same pain smouldering there,though this time,it was meant for me!I was shocked to see tears brimming in her puffy eyes,though this time round they were meant for me!

"Khushi,shh,I didn't meant to hurt you!What..."I fidgeted bewildered.

"Arnav,that must feel so so terrible,to have your own mom not recognizing you!...I'm so sorry!"She chocked,looking even more despondent and low.

"Yeah,it does feel wretched!I never got to know her and its all because of a bunch of bloody,orthodox scoundrels who believed in age-old bullshit and screwed others life!"I swore so vehemently that khushi nearly jumped.

"Wh...what do you mean?"She whispered,frightened of my sudden mood swing. I stared at her as I mulled whether to tell her the greys  of my shady past,and just as I decided to go with my instinct and desire to confide in her,we were rudely interrupted.

"What are you two doing here alone?"Payal asked,staring suspiciously at me. 

Akash was close on her heels carrying a toasts and plum cakes wrapped dexterously in tissue paper.

"We got this for you two!There is a near bedlam over there.Not even a tiny crumb would've survived till your arrival."Akash said as he slumped into a nearby chair,unaware of his in-the-process-to-become-girlfriend's glare.

"Khushi,why didn't you wait for me!I was searching so frantically for you!" She chided gently,ruffling khushi's hair gently.

"Di,I didn't feel like eating anything.I'm not hungry."Khushi muttered,shading her eyes,which were still puffy and red due to her recent crying jag.

"Yeah,but you should eat something.It helps a lot in escaping the monotone of the boring lectures of teachers on first day regarding do's and don't do's by inducing a good slumber!"I joked glibly,winking at khushi,to make her at least crack a faint smile and I got the desired effect.

She laughed at my tongue-in-cheek comment,forgetting her ordeal for once and making me feel buoyant with her ebullience.I ignored the unnerved gaze of Payal as I reveled in her silver laughter!

Heart wrenching adoration Part-7

"The size of biggest heading in HTML is H6,isn't it Arnav?"Ankit whispered inconspicuously,surveying our class teacher from the corner of his eyes.

 

"No,its H1!"I replied irritably.

 

We were taking our first day test,another boring and monotonous aspect of the first day in class.Every year at the start of the session,we had to take first day test for all the subjects,course being what we had learned in the previous year. Our teacher liked to think and gave the same  reason to us that it was for our own benefit,that the test helped them to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their students,but I never really saw any point in these tests.The reason being,that everyone depended to much on -what we liked to call-'sharing and caring' for these tests!

 

That was the reason why our first day test annoyed me so much!All my classmates,right from those who were seated surrounding me to those who acquired back benches at the far ends,everyone asked answers and I had to tell them,otherwise they started their show of 'peeping tom' with my answer sheet.

Time went as sluggishly as it can ever be and we attempted the test of all the subjects.The answer sheets were supposed to be handed over to the class teacher of 11th 'A',the in -charge of all the sections so naturally I jumped at the opportunity.I needed to get out of the class anyway.

I searched around for her as apparently I couldn't find her in her won class.Teachers have a natural flare of getting wiped off the face of the school when you want them the most!

So anyway I searched her in all the corridors and classrooms where students were still busy with their tests,until I spotted her!

Khushi was writing her paper with such a furious concentration that she really had no idea what a cute picture she made.Her smooth brows were furrowed, her lips jutted out in concentration and her nose was literally touching the paper as she wrote.When she rose her face to check her answer,I had a hard time stifling my laughter!

Her nose was dabbled in blue ink and she was sticking  her tongue out like a small child!I gawked at her,absolutely entranced by her innocence and so lack of self-consciousness!She looked so small and so child-like that I felt a serious urge to simply embrace her and wipe that blue little nose of hers clean!

"Arnav,why are you standing here child?"A sweet voice broke my abstraction and I turned around to face my Vice-Principal,Mrs.Remani Thomas. She was one of my most favorite teachers, and for that matter for all the students who studied in the school.So gentle and compassionate was her disposition and such a serenity enshrouded her face that I was always reminded of the murals of the pious saints that adorned the walls of a nearby church,whenever I looked at her.

"Uh actually ma'am,I was searching for Shaziya ma'am to hand over these papers of our first day test."I said hastily.

"Oh,but she is in the Library dear!Go and give it to her."She said sweetly.

"Thank you ma'am!"I murmured and scrambled off,after a last,quick glance at khushi.

"Khushi,have these plum cakes!I'd wager that you wouldn't have tasted one as tasty as these!"I prattled,placing a plate of delicious-smelling plum cakes.But to my immense chagrin and bewilderment I saw the smile that had adorned her beautiful face moments before completely wiped off!

 

It was lunch time and we were seated in cafeteria.Enticing wafts of the sumptuous lunch that the cooks had prepared was redolent in the air,making our mouths water.Khushi was  ensconced with me in a far corner,away from the hustle-bustle, waiting for Payal and Akash who hadn't arrived yet.The wait was pretty difficult as we watched others lavish the delicacies,so I decided to get started to make the wait bearable!

"Khushi what's wrong?Don't you like cakes?"I asked stupidly,unable to comprehend the catalyst behind her wistful look.

"No,Arnav,its not so.In fact,I love plum cakes.Its just that...I...well,I was reminded of my Ma.My Mum used to bake plum cakes for me every weekend and they used to be so delicious that I used to wait for weekends like anything and though,I liked to sleep late,I used to be the first one up and about and bathed, as my Mum was a strict disciplinarian and allowed me to have breakfast only when I had had a shower!"Khushi smiled sadly,her beautiful eyes dimmed with tears.

Her pain twisted my insides and I was truly desperate to see the beautiful curve of her lips,  pulled up in merriment,that made my heart skip several beats.So,I immediately whipped out my i-phone and handed it to her.

"Hey,cheer up khushi!You can talk to her now!"I enthused smiling at her,hoping to pass her willful mood,but it went in vain!If she had looked sad moments before,it was nothing compared to the look that she now had on her face,an expression of deepest anguish.

"I can't talk to her Arnav,...ever!"She whispered,blinking back the tears that threatened to spill out.

I gulped and I nearly dropped my phone as I reeled in horror of what she had just said!

Heart Wrenching Adoration! Part-6

The first day of the school was at its insipid best!No sooner had we reached the class room,we were whisked off to the great hall for assembly,something each of the five thousand four hundred forty students despised!

The hall was built over a huge area behind the football ground and was ostentatiously decorated. Heavy drapes hung from the windows and the walls were oak panelled.A huge,mahogany podium dominated the stage and maroon curtains hung from the roof at its  edge.Several chairs  were arranged in the room in neat rows and students competed with each other to reach the hall first so that they could acquire the last rows,where they could afford a quick nap or friendly chatter to escape the tedious lectures of the School Principal without being caught by the teachers!

Soon the rows filled and I quickly ensconced in the last row with my friends while other students filed in.I spotted Payal and Akash walking in together,surrounded by their friends,there was Lavanya, beckoning me to her and other girls battling their eye lashes at me which I studiously ignored. I looked around trying to spot khushi,futilely.

“Hi ASR!”Lavanya chirped coquettishly.

“Hi!”I replied only half-heartedly, adhering to the modicum of courtesy which I had!I thought that she would go away hearing my unenthusiastic response but Lavanya can be remarkably thick headed and deaf- eared when she wants to be!She immediately got Manish Sharma,one of my friends who was sitting beside me to get up and find other seat while she herself sat beside me.

“What  is it Lavanya?”I asked irritably,glaring at her.I hated her persisting nature.Heaven knows how I withstood her pigheadedness for six years that I had known her!

“Oh I just wanted to talk with you ASR,that’s it!”Lavanya’s matter-of-fact voice pushed me off the edge and so did her flirtatious fluttering of her eyelashes.I don’t know why and how but girls seem to have this ridiculous notion that they can round a guy up if they resorted to such kind of nonsensical tactics!

“Lavanya,if you’ve got something in your eyes then go and wash your face instead of bothering me with your useless prattle!I would be much thankful if you left me with my friends and scuttle off to your lot!”I said through my gritted teeth,not attempting to hide my irritation and turned away from her.

My best friend Aman who had been seeing the entire exchange in silence was regarding me with an expression of deepest shock.You would think I had popped up wings or horns for instance.

“What?”I asked. I felt the slight movement of chair beside me as Lavanya stormed off in greatest dudgeon.

“You have changed a lot Arnav!”He stated,not beating about the bush and I flushed. Even though, Aman was my bestest friend,yet I didn’t quite enjoy being with him when he held a public display of his knack of saying embarrassing truth face- on!

“Don’t be ridiculous Aman!There’s nothing like that!”I murmured uncomfortably.

“Whom are you kidding Arnav?We’ve been together since we both were in nappies!” Aman chided gently and I couldn’t find an appropriate reply.

“Its  because of that girl isn’t it,Payal’s sister?”He was so direct that I was disarmed.Unable to think of anything suitable to say,I simply averted my face to gaze at the streaming crowd of chattering students and I finally found her!

She was chatting with her classmates,her new friends and they seemed keen to hear her. It was apparent that they liked her,especially two girls that flanked her,but then again it was impossible to not to like khushi once you get to know her!I watched her intently as she made her way through the hustle-bustle,chattering and smiling.I didn’t realize that seeing her smile I had one on my face too, which didn’t go unnoticed by my best pal.

“See I was right.You like her!”Aman said with satisfaction,a smug smile pulling his lips up.

“Stop being a jerk Aman!There’s nothing like that.I bet your impending Schizophrenia is beginning to surface.”Derisory was the only option left with me otherwise the news of my first-time-serious-attraction, as my brother and best friend were very astutely   seeing it, will reach my beloved di faster than Mallinga picked up a Yorker and then,I’ll be in great trouble!

Apparently like any quintessential elder sister my di always admonished me of my flirtatious,colourful ways.In fact,that was the only thing that could get her yelling at me! So naturally she’ll be the happiest and most euphoric  if she got to know that I was serious for some girl and then,she’ll go overboard,sparing absolutely none from her enthusiasm and teasing me till my head burst into splinters!

I glared at the stage where the  Principal took the dais to deliver her welcome address and state a number of changes in school curriculum,but I was too lost to heed to any of it.My mind was buzzing and I attempted to grapple with the issues.Were my brother and friend right?Had I truly fallen for khushi?I could see how it was!It was as easy as falling!She was a beautiful girl with hell lot of brain and just the right spunk.

But it wasn’t that which drew me to her so irresistibly!It was her easy-going-nature,her innocence and sweetness.She had a raw force,a thirst for knowledge which matched with mine which was what invoked my interest.She had an indomitable will and an aura...an enigma!It was true that I liked her... maybe a lot,but love?I wasn’t so sure!

Then inadvertently, my memory of her as she laughed and chirped with NK filled my mind and I felt a stifling sensation as if my breath was chocked out.I felt hot adrenalin rush through my nerves and felt a flare of resentment which was almost fury!I remembered guys staring at her in the morning and it only fuelled my ire!

The powerful emotion unnerved me!It was clear that I didn’t like to see her with other guys,or others ogling at her.Heck,I banked on her to give all her attention to me with near desperation,but that did nothing to ease my chaos!

I didn’t realize when the assembly ended,but suddenly Aman urged me to get up and I followed him out absentmindedly,lost in my abstraction.As we sauntered across the cemented pavement to our classes,sun hid behind the dark-bellied clouds, promising an overcast day.

I sighed seeing the austere crowns of the primordial trees that swayed in the distance,dancing to the rhythm of the gentle breeze!

I shall leave it on the omnipotent  time to decide what was in store for me and khushi!

PART-5

I hurried to the hostel,my mind preoccupied.There were so many nagging worries that I had to tend to,but all those vanished in a puff of smoke as soon as I saw the clock in my dorm and realized it was already 6:50!Lost as I was I hadn't realized that it had taken me so long to reach my room from the grounds.

I hurried through my daily routine,not wanting to be late on the first day of the session and more so,if I were being frank I was eager to see khushi again.I wondered how she would look in the uniform and the though got me rushing. 

I dressed and got ready,pulling on my sweater and blazer to ward off the constant cold that seems to grip Dehradun all year round and rushed to join others for breakfast,almost colliding head first with my dorm mates.

The cafeteria was packed and a noisy affair as the-first-day-of-the-new session excitement gripped the place so much so that it was almost tangible,a frenzy.I quickly spotted Payal and Akash ensconced in a corner,side-by-side and sauntered to them.

"Hey guys,what's up?"I pretended to be cheerful,though I realized from their sullen expressions that the two of them weren't quite engaged in a friendly conversation,still mulling over the morning row.I sighed at their pretentious greetings.What a mess!

But,I didn't get much time to muse over the grey mood of my brother and best friend as soon khushi came bounding with such gaiety that it dispelled the overcast like the bright sun emerging out of the grey clouds dispelling bleakness!

I stared at her unabashedly as she prattled on about how nervous and excited she was to attend her new class.I just couldn't care because her beauty enraptured me. I had always though of our School uniform in most tasteless a fashion,but looking at her clad in bottle green and dark grey of the school,I realized how very mistaken I was.Obviously it depended on who wore the dress.With her long hair pulled up in a pony with few tresses caressing her breathtaking face,she looked no less than a diva,straight out of some fashion magazine,not that there was anything provocative about the way she dressed!

I could feel Payal's eyes probing my face,but I couldn't care less.I was having a moment now!So,my reverie wasm't broken,until the subject of my fascination decided to impediment it.

"Arnav,all of us are wearing green blazers but you are sporting a blue one,why?" Khushi asked sweetly.

"Because this one is Scholar Blazer.You get this if you win Scholar badge for three consecutive years."I replied promptly.

"Scholar blazer!Wow!I mean...that must feel so great!You must be so proud!" Khushi said awestruck and for the first time in my life I felt proud of my academic excellence!

Since childhood,my dexterity and prodigious skills in academics and sports had shone.In fact,I had stacks and stacks of medals,shields and certificates,but I had never given them a thought.Maybe I was haughty but those things came naturally to me,but seeing khushi's awe gave me a huge sense of accomplishment...and a queer feeling of contentment.

 

"Thanks!"I said and blushed,making her laugh.

 

Soon food was placed in humongous piles in front of us and the enticing aroma had our mouth water to no end.Pakodas,Kachoris,dabeli,chocolate sandwich,Pasta,noodles,everything ranging from Indian to continental made us famished.My stomach growled and I realized how hungry I was...almost ravenous!

 

So,we laden our plates with as much food as it can hold and started.Food was one of the best facilities provided to the students in our school.Suddenly khushi started coughing after taking a bite of 'Pyaaz ka pakoda',and tears came out of her eyes.

"Khushi what's wrong?"I was alarmed to see her delicate face turn red.

"It..s so spicy!I think I ate chilly!"She gasped,groping around for water.

I immediately took a glass of water and helped her drink,rubbing her back soothingly,absolutely unaware of the stunned gaze and slack jaws of my friends who were seated around me!