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!