Chapter 9 : The fight, the Corridor and the practical lab

“I don’t understand why this Newton or Einstein whoever it was had to sit under that damn apple tree, he could have sat under any other tree, but not just to irritate us the future generation he had to sit there… What do you say about it, battery?” Abhi wiggled his eyebrows at Akshi who sat beside him with her head resting on her left palm while her arm supported on the cranky school bench.

“Abhi its Newton and no I don’t have any such thoughts or views, why don’t you just keep that Tiffin away, if she sees you again then this time you will be out of the class for sure.” Akshi tried to make him understand, which was in vain.

This habit of his would for sure take him to nowhere, Akshi knew that.

Eating Tiffin in-between the class, bunking classes and the whole day either sleeping or playing games on mobile.

It really made Akshi wonder how did he even manage to score well with these antics of his.

“It doesn’t matter, you tell me battery, after a few years will these classes matter, see even though I am studying science right now I don’t remember who was the person that discovered gravity, studies don’t help you much… it's just the matter that you learned in first and second standard that stays long with you.” He explained as if he was explaining to her of the questions what was given on the board.

He was so fine at making a fool of the teacher, Akshi thought.

How many times they had these or similar base less discussions while the class would be going on, and if ever they got caught he would easily tell that he was explaining to her what was being taught, as she was not able to see the board.

The reason would make her furious, but as time went by she stopped correcting him and the teacher stopped asking him.

“and how does your fist and second grade syllabus stay with you life long?” Akshi asked, curious for his answer.

She had to admit that though the statement he made sound futile, the explanation would be quite interesting and full proof – that much of intelligence he did possess.

“see in mathematics we were thought how to add, subtract multiply and divide the basics, in English the spellings and how to read, so was in other languages, in E.V.S we were thought the basics of organisms the solar system etc, which we would know till the end, and which actually mattered… “he gave her a ‘I told you so look’ and continued

“And see now a few years later when we do our jobs the basic thing that we do is the basics of math, speak English and sign contracts that’s it!”

Akshi laughed at his stupid attempt to exclude education from the life on this planet and shook her head.

“You know what Abhi you are crazy for, if you didn’t study why we need to breathe, or how the gravitational force was found, don’t you think that the contracts that you were talking about signing would have never taken place?”

The look, the confused and cute look on Abhi’s face made her laugh even more.

And Abhi all he could feel was happy.

She looked so beautiful with that smile. Abhi thought.

He kept on gazing at her, how her fluffy cheeks would make her eyes small , how her eyes would almost be impossible to look at, he wondered if she could even see while laughing?

But still the glow in her eyes was so enchanting, it made him so addicting that thought if it was to act like a joker to just see that glint, he would do so – her smile was precious as precious as pearl!

“Abhi don’t use much of your brains, it doesn’t suit you, now be quiet and listen to what ma’am has to say.” Akshi gave him a small smile and looked ahead.

The atmosphere in the class was quite studious and looking at Akshi it seemed that the topic was as well interesting, hence just for the sake of that smile Abhi as well turned around and for the first time listened to what the teacher had to say.

Akshi smiled to herself, seeing that Abhi had as well changed the mind and was concentrating on his studies.

The class went on, while everyone was silent. Everyone was so engrossed in the atoms and molecules that when the bell rang they were quite shocked to know how the time had passed by.

Everyone stood up from their places, it was time for the practical’s and none of them wanted to be in those boring practical labs – other than the ones who had their bio practical.

Akshi stood up happily and took her note book along with her rough note and practical file and walked out of the class, a scowling Abhi following her.

“Why are you so happy to have chemistry practical?” he asked leaning on the door, as they waited for the small corridor to get cleared.

“I am happy because it’s not my chemistry practical, rather it’s my bio!” she said and smiled at him sarcastically.

Nevi and khushi came and stood beside them, the way these two were talking around, soon the whole corridor was about to see one of the best fights.

“Well I know that you have a very poor eyesight, but I didn’t know you had a poor memory as well, it's not your bio practical, it's ours!”

Sad to say, since Abhi was the new comer, and as yet the names were to be arranged Alphabetically, he was placed at the end of the list and Akshi being the old student was in the first 10 roll numbers .

Hence even though Abhi’s name started with the Alphabet A it didn’t help him much at all.

Akshi walked closer to him so that they had a direct eye contact, though he still towered her, but the determination in her to make herself correct she stood as proud as she could and retorted back

“and I very well know that you have such a great height that when the blood and some of your brains were transferred to you… it got stuck there, in your knees, so I forgive you, I know you can’t do anything about it.” She smiled and was about to walk away from there when he ran off to the door of bio lab and stood in front of it and said in finality

“it's our bio!”

“it's our bio!” Akshi said with same ferocity.

By now, each and every student from the three classes of 9,10, and 12 were seeing the best fight of all.

Khushi and pihu went ahead trying to make their friends aware of the situations but they were nowhere in a situation or ability to understand anything.

“I just can't believe that a minute ago they were laughing and talking as if they are best friends.’ Omkara said, as he came and stood beside pihu, and others who were as well thinking the same thing.

“Yeah but no matter what, they look so cute while fighting, Akshi trying to act superior with her small height, and Abhi doing his best to irritate her, I just wish that they would be together!” khushi fangirled at them, fighting with a hopeful glint in her eyes.

“Arnav, go and get your girlfriend checked by a psychiatrist, she is talking about these two together… I mean look at them, any moment they are ready to kill each other.” Adi said pointing at the two idiot friends of them who had now as well started to insult each other's names.

But no matter what, they knew this thing was something with no feelings attached, if they were fighting now like a cat and mouse the very next moment they would be as well feeding each other, each other’s tiffin – and this only made Nevi think what really they had.

Neither were they friends, nor enemies, and nor lovers – yet they cared for each other, and hated each other like a loved one and an enemy.

Their relation was something, which even Shakespeare won’t understand.

Soon the crowd that was gathered around started to disperse as their biology came towards them, yet the two continued their fight.

“Akshita, Abhishekh what is going on here?” the teacher asked.

Everyone thought that maybe now, the soft spoken and sweet little Akshi would be quiet and back off.

But they all stood there gaping at her when she opened her mouth and spoke.

“Sorry ma’am but I would like to know which group has their bio practical right now?” She waited patiently while the bio teacher checked her records and came back again.

“it's group 2 with me today… so you two don’t have to fight at all, you may go to your respective groups.”

The whole corridor was filled with loud laughter, looking at the two defeated pupils.

All the energy, all the vocabulary and whole lot of time, just went into the drain.

“that’s what we were trying to tell you two… Akshi we have our chemistry practical today and Abhi you have your physics dude!” adi patted on his shoulder and they all started to walk towards the respective labs.

And as arrogant the two culprits were they kept their head high and started to walk towards the lab.

_________________________

Akshi was still engrossed in doing her practical when she heard her name being called from the back door beside which she was working.

“Akshi!” she turned around and came face to face with dhruv, it was quite surprising to see him there – especially during the class.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, while still stirring the mixture used to make the soap.

The lab wasn’t quite big or something, a room as big as a classroom with two doors, and 4 tables to work on, and a few cabinets attached to the wall which were filled with the chemicals.

The 4 tables were divided or allotted to a group of 4 people who will be performing the practical together, and Akshi was glad that adi wasn’t in her group.

“I saw what happened in the corridor, was it a lovers’ quarrel?” dhruv teased her, while leaning on the door.

Thank god to the tables with stands for bottles of chemicals he was safely guarded from the prying eyes of their chemistry teacher.

“don’t you have a class to attend?” Akshi asked, rather ignoring his question … what else would you do?

“no we have free periods… you see its arts!” he smiled at her, a knowing smile which made them both chuckle a bit.

The most famous class in A.P.S was their Arts class.

Where you could find the teacher, the blackboard but no chalk duster and just a number of students who were quite bored to get out of the class, doing nothing just chilling.

It wasn’t that the school had a ritual of it, or the teacher wasn’t strict, it was just that, the topics that were taught weren’t that interesting and nor were the students so submissive.

“just go and sit there, let that lady have a bit of peace.” Akshi suggested while checking the mixture which had started to boil now.

The yellow color mixture smelled awful, and the fact that it wasn’t just her’s over there had made it a lot more difficult.

“says the one, whose class is on the hit list for bunking her class.” Dhruv retorted and looked at his sister keenly while she worked with the chemicals.

To say she was bad at it would be an understatement.

Akshi was never friendly with chemicals and now all he could do was to pray to god for the whole lab and people working in it to be safe with her being there.

“That's the class we are talking about, not me, and please go from here, let me concentrate.”

Dhruv just laughed at his poor sister, winked at Ayushi, one of her classmates and walked away from there.

“do you know dhruv?” Ayushi asked, she had come to this school last year and wasn’t that social, you see, was there in the school, knew people by faces but never had the guts to talk.

Well to some extent even akshi was the same, but she knew the names and would as well associate with others, but not till that extent to just hang out with them daily – the way Nevi and her sister would do.

“that’s my cousin brother, I am sorry if he has ever troubled you , I know he can be a bit weird and –“

“ohh no he is really sweet!” Ayushi said all of a sudden and the way she blushed later on, only made akshi to raise her eyebrows.

Well my dear brother you have got a secret crush over here. Akshi thought and gave the spatula to Ayushi, scared that she might spoil the whole hard work.