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!