Chapter 3: You can call me Abhi and I will call you Battery

“Hey, I missed you all so much ...” Akshi went running towards her best friends as soon as she saw them getting out of their car. The joy of meeting your friends even though you are mitting just after one class without them is unexplainable then over here they were meeting after a long break the excitement was so obvious.

“We missed you toooo!!” Pihu said dramatically as they hugged each other.

“Oh, shut up drama queens we met yesterday only !” Nevi said, looking bothered.

“What crawled up to your ass? “ Akshita asked. It was quite bizarre for Nevi or Nevidita to speak in that manner.

“It’s my new neighbor; some Rajasthani family who has a lazy ass of a son and damn strict dad! God those lads they were fighting at 2 in the morning, I swear someday I am going to kill people like them.” She said and started to walk towards their class.

“let her be she will be alright after sometime, and to add up she didn’t had her breakfast so this is going to be usual.” Khushi said while linking their hands together as they perambulated towards the class behind Nevi.

Ohh well let’s introduce you to the three best friends or the lifelines of Akshita; pihu, Nevidita and khushi.

Pihu is said to be the laid-back girl among three best friends,many people as well get misinterpret Akshi and Pihu to be sisters. It is quite unusual that someone, whom we haven’t met at all, come on spur of a moment in our life and understands us in the most unexplainable way.

The way these two princesses of their family had met was aswell a big fuss. The great place which had honors of introducing them or to make a dramatic entry in their life was a hospital. Yup a hospital!

When you have a big family you tend to have cousins as well, so one of Akshi’s cousins had got into a fight with pihu’s cousin and to sought that out the whole family was out there, only to find their long lost friends and neighbors back.

The boys were warned not to pull up such a stunt again whereas the family was shocked to see their two princesses who were just 9 years old playing with their dolls and sharing their chocolates happily. The fight which they thought might create a big fuss had only made a new friendship bloom and the old one to rekindle.

Where Akshi belonged to a big Marwari family a clan that came from the villages of Rajasthan, Pihu was from a bright-eyed, big Gujrati family.For the two girls to be always together… pihu’s family had got Pihu admitted in the same school as Akshi and here they are friends forever.

The story of Akshita andNivedita was a bit funny. For Nivedita the only thing that mattered was her best friend and that’s ‘food’- and according to Nevi , Akshi’s mom prepares best food and hence sharing one single tiffin with a starving Nevi gave Akshi a best friend for life long.

Whereas khushi was Akshi’s seat mate in 8 standards, a little bit of understanding and here they are the best friends of all.

Relationships can’t be chosen, no one can decide that this the best person and that isn’t upto my standard’s it’s the heart which chooses them and when that brat has chosen for you who are you to backoff from them or to be fixed with that person for the life time.

“Well, Arshiya had come to the class, you should have seen Adi’s face it was so damn hilarious.” Akshi said the mere mention of Arshiya and Aditya together would only lead them to a fit of giggles. It is so weird, a connection, that just a look at your friends and you know what the other person is thinking… something like that had happened in that moment. It was mere the mentioning of names and the connection would spark up out of the blue.

The girls walked in the class which was by now mostly filled with everyone. As Aditya saw them he introduced the girls to Abhishek except for Nevi who was busy eating Akshi’s tiffin.

“Idiot Nevi, give me my tiffin back.” Akshita yelled, as soon as it registered in her mind and she ran to save her tiffin, but before she could reach her Nevi ran off to the other side of the class with my tiffin.

“Akshu yaar please let me have just one parantha, it’s so yummy, I didn’t have my breakfast as well.” She said while Akshi tried to catch her.

They both were so engrossed in their fight that they didn’t realized that by then they had reached at the middle of the row where Abhishek was sitting, after a moment or two Akshi was about to catch hold of Nevi, but it only resulted in the tiffin to slip out of her hand and landing up on Abhishek.

“That’s it girls thank you soo much for spoiling my uniform.” Being dramatic was one of the biggest lineaments in this school, and somehow Abhi had as well got the lineament.

Akshi removed her hands which had unknowinglycovered her eyes- a very stupid habit of her which she would do when the mind registered that she is about to be in a trouble.

She removed her hands from her eyes only to see that thankfully it was only the paratha’s that had landed on his trousers. She let out a sigh of relief and then scrutinized her eyes at Nivedita.

“thank you so much Nevi for letting me have my tiffin, no you can always have this I am taking your tiffin and no excuses, and if you don’t have one then give me money.” Akshi said and forwarded her hand so that Nevi could hand her the money.

She took out some money and kept it in my hand and that’s when she noticed Abhishek.

“ohh my god, you ?” she screamed.

“ohh hi hockey stick.” He said, making them all laugh. Hockey stick nice name for her she deserves it . Akshi thought while she kept the money safely in the pockets of her skirt.

“What the hell are you doing here? Didn’t you get any other school, and according to your antics this school is not at all for you, I would rather suggest you to get admission at the school near Afghan church.” Nevidita said and walked out of the room.

That was something really bad. The school which Nevi were referring to was school meant for special kids, and she isn’t the one to make fun of such a serious thing. If she has really used that school for a comeback in an argument then the matter is really serious. What have you done Abhishek? Akshi thought and looked at the girls who gave the smile which said ‘something is really there which we are missing.’

“You guys know each other?” Adi asked, bringing the detective girls, out of their detective minds.

“Yeah, unfortunately she is my annoying neighbor.” Abhishek replied.

“Ohm my god so you are the one with a sadistic dad-“

“Khushi!” Akshita hissed at her, but what surprised her was that Abhishek started laughing.

“I knew that she had a weird way with names, but I didn’t know it would be this weird.” Even though they all tried to suppress their laugh yet they all busted out.

Everyone was laughing and enjoying their life, it seems so good to know that we have friends around us who would be there with us when needed, Akshita had been always asked by many people which were herfavorite place In Mumbai? But it never occurred to her why would anyone ask her this.

Afavorite place, what could it really be?

A place where you would visit again and again, but then obviously this place after a time would make you bore and soon you will lose its solace, then she thought maybe it would be a place where you would have had the best of the time with your best people, but then it would be no more without the best people and the best of memories.

Then she thought that may be it would be one which would make you happy, where you would feel safe, where you would get your solace…. And such a place is not what she has visited yet .

Once her grand pa had said ‘beta happiness is like a bubble ,after some time it will burst and go away leaving only its memories but the sadness which it gives only makes us to build more of them.”

It’s true with this last year of school, she always want to build more and more of memories , building more and more of those bubbles, so what this bubble was busted by the school bell indicating the start of our school assembly it only made them think about the fun they would have while doing various antics.

They all walked to the assembly ground and were talking in various groups when suddenly someone came from behind Akshi and covered her eyes.

“Okay Dhruv you can let me go.” Akshita said and turned around and hugged the person tightly. Dhruv was the only cousin whom Akshi could list in the elder yet going to school list, he was a year elder than her and in 11 standard studying science.

“hey Akshu I thought you would be late as always .” he said and winked at Akshi . Yeah take that her cousin brothers were always with Adi to pull up a prank on her, but they would be the only ones to beat him to pulp if they would see even a small tear coming out of her eyes.

“very funny, acha did you talked to bua what did she said ready to let you go dhruviiii” Akshi teased him , he is Akshi’s bua’s (father’s sister) only son who wants to join the Indian Army and knowing the lively threats in that field my masi would be a tough job to convince.

“nope not so soon baby doll , by the way who is he?” he asked pointing at Abhishek, and before she could say anything Nevi came and did a wonderful introduction.

“ohh he is the sharabi son of a sadist father and you sharabi this is our javan, the head boy and Akshita’s brother Dhruv.” Dhruv gave Akshi a weird look to which she just rolled her eyes. How many times had dhruv tried to understand this stupid friend of his cousin, but every time he tried to do so he would get even more confused.

He pitied the guy who would marry her or would be her first, but with the behavior of hers he just wondered would any guy come around a meter closer to her.

They all were laughing and dhruv had welcomed Abhishek to the rest of the group, the social group which Akshi hated the most. Though she and the girls wanted to stay far away from it, they never asked the boys to be away from whatever they wanted to do. What kind of that friendship is when there are terms and conditions to it?

Soon the coach asked everyone to assemble in the line, and after a whole lot of torcher they were dismissed to their classes.

But when they came back the only thought that was going on Akshi’s mind was ‘we were better there than here.’ The boys had now got assembled behind them and were making a whole bedlam.

Let’s introduce to the other boys well than we have a lover boy Arnav who is also khushi’s boyfriend. Then the football captain omkara. These have become friends with Akshi only because of the same reason as Nevi- tiffin.

This group of friends has always been together, they have seen pihu crying due to her first pimple, Akshi going crazy after her novels, Nevi kicking atleast 6 balls a week once she hit puberty, Arnav following khushi like love sick puppy, Adi trying his stupid flirtatious tricks on various girls, and omkara trying his best to hide his obvious feelings for pihu.

Have any one ever realized, we call our college friends the best because they stick with throughout our life… if is it so then what about those who were with us when we had those dirty pimples on our face, when we got to know for the first time that a guy doesn’t get period where as a girl has to go through such a painful process, the ones who love you when you are the most reckless, when you don’t know nor do you care what future awaits for you.

You guys need to agree once in college all we thinkis what are we going to do in life and how shall we get atleast a 100 bucks more to impress that cute girl from the other batch. But when in school it doesn’t matter, the way we eat, how much money we ask shamelessly from our friends and how unlettered we are even for that Friday test which for sure would make that 19 year old college going you to wake up till late in night.

When we have such beautiful friends in our teenage then why do we just give on them when we reach in the huge world on competition? The answer is unknown and for this group of friends, they didn’t even know that such a thing might even happen.

The boys were still eating each other’shead; their conversation was completely directionless, sometime arguing about the actual matter, sometimes the numerous girls that they approached during holidays and sometimes the increasing bet for who would be the class teacher.

A total cataclysm was what you could tell the whole situation was.

“Guys shut up, and listen one of you can go and sit with Abhishek or call him to sit with you people what say Arnav?” khushi asked.

“Baby if you want I can come and sit with you this Nevidita can go and sit with Abhi .” he said and walked closer to khushi who was blushing furiously.

“ohh hello lover boy, I am not at all interested to sit with this god for nothing idiot, I have my seat reserved .” Nevi snapped at him. I guess it’s the wrong time of the month for her or may be Abhishek has literally got her mad .Akshi thought while she sat on her place beside Pihu enjoying the beautiful battle.

“no one has to worry about who is to sit with whom as I have already paired my wonderful class into an arrangement of one boy and one girl so all you have to do is pick up your bags and stand here in a line.”

They were still in the fight when heard the most dreaded voice, when they all turned around at once, it was only to meet their worst nightmare Mrs. Shashi.

She had been their class teacher last year,at the beginning she was a chocolate, you know, all sweet and good but once she started to know the various characters of the class she turned into a bitter guard.

“But ma’am-‘ disha one of their class mates tried to speak.

“no disha in a line right now.” Mrs Shashi said.

I guess we don’t have any choice other than to really get into the line. She thought and walked with the others to stand in a line which was going to set her fate for the next whole year

“you listen to me if even try to touch , or smile at her or even tried to talk to her you won’t be able to say anything else, ask why”

“Why?” the poor guy asked.

“Because I will break all your teeth’s and then get you admitted in the hospital, am I clear?”

“y-yes” he replied

“Arnav leave him alone.” Akshi said, if Khushi would come to about this Arnav is going to be in a bigger problem. Once they had all got into the line, Mrs. Shashi had allotted them their seats and khushi was going to sit with a new comer who was again and again smiling at her. He looked like those nerdy boys with perfect round specs and oiled hair.

Arnav left him once he saw khushi coming inside the class, once all the students were allotted their seats Shashi ma’am had gone to the school office to get the chalk and duster for the class.

Akshi smiled at khushi and then looked around the class, the most near to her was pihu who sat with the most vulgar guy of their class Aryan in the middle row on the third bench.Whereas Nitya sat with some new guy whose name they haven’t caught yet. The boys were in the most vulnerable state, Adi was sitting with Ritu the biggest drama queen of their class. Arnav was sitting with ritu’s friend who was same as her and the captain was sitting with disha the queen bee of 10 standards.

Akshi gave a smile to pihu whose expression said she would have preferred to be in Adi’s or omkara’s place rather than sitting there, and turned to walk towards her seat which she was sharing with none other than Abhishek.

Akshi sat on her seat and took out her favorite novel ‘Nadia knows best’ by jill Mansell and got engrossed in it.

“Hey partner” she suddenly heard, making her jump in surprise. She turned around to only meet Abhishekh who was smiling, but there was something weird in it, it was not the one she had seen on other boys of her age it somewhat had earmarks of her .

‘Akshi don’t get in the detective mode now’ she thought and gave him a smile and continued to read, but the book was soon snatched out of her hand, making her see red.

“Okay no offense, but never ever snatch my book, I hate that thing the most, if you want to talk you can tell me so or if you want to read ask me. But snatching not at all allowed.” Akshi said to him through her gritted teeth and was about to take that book, only for him to take it far away from her reach, making Akshi fasten her eyebrows in confusion.

“You can call me Abhi, and I will call you battery.” He said giving her the book.

“Why thank you , but you can call me Akshi or Akshu my friends and family call me that only no need for some other name.” Akshi retorted taking her book back.

“okay battery.” Persistent on the name Abhi yet was successful to irritate her. Somehow the reactions which she was giving were quiet fascinating. Not giving a single chance to Akshi to strangle him to death he walked to Adi for some hot gossip.

Leaving a confused and bothered Akshi to get acquainted and wonder why the hell does he call her Battery?

sometimes when a person can't understand what they are feeling the only thing they do is... ignore the cause of that feeling and when they ignore it only leads to getting them irritated, as its just the cause they are ignoring and not the question that had already implanted in their brains.