When she looked at him all she saw were sparkling hazel color eyes. She freezes as he was very smart and handsome. He has an angel-like face, very innocent hazel color eyes, his hair were not combed properly and he looked very handsome in his messed up hair. Then she realized that she was staring him for quite sometime and everyone else in the class were staring them. She quickly dropped her gaze and she realized that an electric current is running through her pulse. She thanked him. He replied with a wide grin on his face, “Your welcome!” Everyone else in the class realized that the filmy scene now was over so they got busy in their work. The boy sat next to her as it was the only place not occupied by anyone.
Then Mrs. Maitrik D’souza, the professor of math’s arrived and everyone greeted her. She introduced the new boy.
His name was Austin Fernandez and he has just arrived from Kolkata. The professor told Shreya to be cautious of him as he was a very bright student and can give her some real competition. Shreya did not listen to this sarcastic remark as she was busy looking at Austin’s ever smiling face. It seemed that the smile on his face would never fade away and she wished that this was true.
Today first time in her life Shreya was not aware of what is being taught in the class. She was only aware of his presence and the electric current that was running through her body. She badly wanted to look at him but did not have that much courage. At one hand she wanted this moment to continue forever. And at the other hand she wanted to run away as far as she could from him because she knew he would be a threat to her fragile and innocent heart. She didn’t realize that Austin was looking at her very keenly until she tilted her head to take out a pen from her bag. Their eyes met for a brief moment. It could have continued for a longer time but the bell rang and both of them dropped their gaze at once. She went red in the face.
After a few seconds he very deliberately holding her gaze again asked,” Want to be my friend?” Shreya quickly nodded without wasting any second. At this he smiled widely at her. Then she realized her swift reaction and blushed.
Then the next class started and they didn’t get any time to talk till recess.
Usually Shreya doesn’t go out in recess and eat nothing. She just sits alone and thinks about the good time that she had spent with her mother. Her mother was very close to her heart. She thinks about her a lot. But today she didn’t want to sit alone. She wanted to talk to Austin. And coincidently Austin also didn’t go out. He just sat there. She asked curiously, “Aren’t u going out?” He said, “No, and you?” She nodded her head.
He said,” Can you tell me about your family?”
She replied in a very casual tone, “I live with my grandpa here and my mother died when I was only 10yr old.” She has never told this to any of her friends herself. She never needed to. Everyone in the town knew about her mother. All her friends had attended her mother’s funeral.
He replied, “Oh sorry!”
She replied, “Its ok. Now tell me about your family”
His ever smiling face suddenly changed into a remorseful face, “I am alone in this world.”
At his reply, smile on Shreya’s smile also faded away and she felt very sorry for him. She started staring at nothingness.
They didn’t talk for sometime then. But his mood changed soon so did Shreya’s and he asked her,” So…what are your hobbies?
“Well my hobbies are reading novels, and helping my grandpa at household work and recalling the moments I spend with my mother. What about you?” she replied in a very casual tone.
He said” My hobbies are trying new-new adventurous things like river rafting, bungee jumping, parachute gliding, underwater swimming and exploring new places.”
Shreya was very amazed on finding out Austin’s entirely different hobbies from what she had expected. She expected his hobbies to be similar like hers. She did not think that he would be so cheerful and adventurous in spite of the fact that he is alone in this world. But she liked his attitude towards life. He seems very optimistic and wanted to challenge the world and prove himself.
Shreya remarked,” Very daring!”
He grinned and said, “That’s me!”
He requisitioned her again,”So can you suggest me any good accommodations here in Himpur as I have just came from Kolkata and my all luggage is kept in waiting room at railway station.”
She replied after thinking for pretty sometime, “Well it is very difficult to find a cheap and good hostel in the middle of the session. But still there is one house where you can live as a paying guest and it will not charge you much. So what do you think living as a paying guest?”
“Living as a paying guest is fine with me as long as the family doesn’t ask for much money and doesn’t interfere in my life much.”
“Okay then, take the address of the house”, saying this she scribbles the address on a paper and give it to him.
He takes the paper and read the address carefully. He said,” Thank you very much Shreya. Today only I’ll go and meet the person living in this house. You know you are a very nice person and a great friend. Can I have one more favor from you?”
She said,”yeah sure. Say’
‘Can I take your name for recommendation saying that you know me and they can ask you about Me.
She said, ’ya sure u can take my name as the owner of this house knows me very well and he will surely be very happy having you as a paying guest as you are so good’.
He said,’ Thanks!’
Then the bell rang and everyone walked into the class and their brief conversation came to an end.
In the next few hours of the school they didn’t get time to talk much but whenever they get even a single second they start looking in each other’s eyes.
The final bell rang announcing that the school is over. Shreya didn’t want to go to home. She wanted to stay near Austin and talk to him. The same condition was of Austin. But they both were feeling too shy to say anything. They both started walking towards the cycle stand together. They both were not talking to each other wishing that the other person should start the talk. Finally Shreya could no longer tolerate the silence between them so she asked him,” So… how was your first day at our school?”
He said with a playful smile on his face,” Initially it was okay! But after meeting you it became great!”
She blushed upon his remark but thank GOD he did not see it. Then he started walking towards his bicycle and she also went towards the other side of the cycle stand where her cycle was standing. She was wishing that Austin should say goodbye or anything like that to her. Just when she was thinking this he called her, ’Hey Shreya! Wait please’, Shreya stopped. Her heart started beating really very fast. She turned back to see why he called her.
Austin said, ‘I know you must be thinking why I stopped you like this. But I wanted to thank you for giving me that address and allowing me to become your friend. You are really very polite …err…goodbye…we’ll meet tomorrow…take care till then.’
She was very happy to hear that,’ No it’s okay. After all I am your friend, if I’ll not help you then who will. And no thanks and sorry in friendship’, saying this she smiled at him.
He too smiled at her and again their eyes locked but they were interrupted by the bunch of noisy primarily children. A 10yr old naughty boy was running towards them after pulling one of her classmate’s ponies and she was running behind him to teach him a good lesson. He was running very fast and very deliberately he pushed Shreya aside to make his way and poor Shreya was about to fall down for he pushed her really very hard so she lost her balance but Austin came for her rescue and held her in his strong arms before she hurts herself. And all this happened in a very short span of time and Shreya couldn’t understand and so she didn’t even try to stand on her feet until Austin coughed and laughed softly near her ears. Her face flushed and she gave him a shy and blushing smile and very timidly stood again on her own legs.
Seeing her blush he started laughing whole heartedly and madly. Even tears came in his eyes because of laughing so much and while he was laughing so madly Shreya was feeling really very stupid but still there was a kind of twinkle in her eyes as inside her heart she was really very happy to make Austin laugh and she could still feel the warm touch of Austin’s strong arms on her skin.
Then they both started walking towards their respective cycles. Her heart was beating really fast on thinking about his warm touch. She was not in her senses so consequently she walked past her own cycle and didn’t even realize that. She was just walking ahead lost in her own thoughts. She was staring blankly on the road. Her fists were clenched and there was a very beautiful but meaningless smile on her face. He was calling her name to stop her and make her realize that she is walking on the middle of the road and that she might hurt herself. But she was very far away from him to listen to his call.
Then suddenly out of the blue a car came screeching towards Shreya. She was still walking in the middle. She didn’t even heard the sound of the car
Austin ran as fast as he could to save her but he knew that he was very far away from her and would not be able to save her.
0 comments:
Post a Comment