My Best Friend (Short Story)

My Best Friend

Ayesha's life was not a normal twelve year old's life. Things she was going through at such a tender age was painful to even think about. Her parents got divorced when she was nine years old and left Ayesha with her grandmother, now they didn't even care about her as they were busy maintaining their social life by partying and doing other stuffs. Ayesha was an introvert, who had social anxiety and making friend was not her cup of tea. Moreover the ignorance of her class mates because of her weird nature made  things worse for her. Her grandmother was a lovely women who used to care about her but she was mostly busy in household chores and weaving. After all this things she was left all alone in her own world with not a single friend to share something.

It was a Friday and like every other  day Ayesha just came back from her school. Though today something was special as it was her birthday but nothing made it different except the fact that her grandmother made her favourite dishes for dinner. Talking about her day in school, it was just like the other days i.e full of ignorance and ofcourse some bullyings. After the lunch she carried her sketch book with her to the play field that was behind their house. Drawing was the only thing that gave her peace and feeling that she was floating in her own imagination world and it was something that she usually did after she came back from school.

She took her usual spot under a tree and started drawing and thats when she heard a voice "Hello!". She looked up to see who it was. The face was unfamiliar to her so she replied awkwardly "Hi!, who are you?"

"My name is Rishab. I just shifted here today with my parents. I don't have any friends. Can we be friends?" the boy of nearly of Ayesha's age asked.

After some seconds of awkward silence, Ayesha replied "Ok" with no other option left with her.

She went back home after a short conversation with Rishab. She did feel good after meeting someone for the very first time. Though she really didn't want to be in any serious friendships as she feared because of her past experiences.

Next day was a Saturday means a holiday and holidays for Ayesha was mostly spent in the field sketching or in her room with her books. After her breakfast she preferred to take her spot in the field. Again today Rishab came and surprisingly sat beside Ayesha.

"You like sketching?" He asked

"I love sketching" Ayesha replied.

Initialy there conversations basicaly ended in two three sentenses but slowly and gradually they started to talk more often. This was kind of new and weird to Ayesha as now she found a person whom she can call a friend.

Nowadays Rishab even came to her house. They played and did drawings together. They even read different stories together. Ayesha was not the same anymore. She felt different. She didn't like to go to school instead loved spending time with Rishab.

One day Ayesha came back from school with many bruises which was not very new to her. One of her rowdy classmates  bullied her and as always she could do nothing. When Rishab saw her, he got worried and asked her about it. She told him everything. Rishab got really very angry and the next thing that came from him, shocked Ayesha to the core. He said with a stern voice "Why you didn't kill her?''

"What do you mean?" Ayesha asked being perplexed.

"Ayesha in this world everyone is selfish, don't you think you should take a stand for yourself?"

Ayesha felt something inside her heart, it was a guilt for never being able to stand for herself, never being able to protect herself, and ending with a loser tag.

She could not sleep that night as she felt her life was not worth it. She switched on the lights of her room and sat on her study table, thats when her eyes fell on her cutter, without a second thought she was going to cut her wrist when a hand grabbed her and hugged her without any thoughts.

Yes! It was Rishab.

"Are you mad Ayesha????? How could you?'' He asked with clear tears in his eyes.

Ayesha could not hold her tears and broke completely infront of Rishab.

"I don't know Rishab! I just don't feel like my life is at all important to anyone.... I am a loser!!!" She replied.

"How can you even think Ayesha that your life is not important to anyone.... it is important.....infact very important for.....me and most importantly for your own self." Rishab told everything in a go.

"Really???" She asked.

"Ofcourse!! And from now on you will never fall weak again."

Rishab hugged Ayesha with a clear smirk on his face as he left Ayesha's room which he entered through the window with the same cutter that she was about to use to cut her wrist.

___________________________________________

"What...." this was the only word that left Ayesha's mouth after she heard her classmates talking about the sudden death of Sheena.

Sheena was none other than the girl who bullied her the other day which resulted the bruises on her body. The sudden death of Sheena shook Ayesha to the core. Everybody is suspecting it to be  a murder. But why would somebody kill a twelve year old.

Police investication started and things started to open one by one. Sheena was killed using a cutter as a murder weapon. It was a clear blunder and with no way left Ayesha's school had to give them a holiday. Ayesha went back home and checked for her cutter in her drawer  thats when the realisation started to break her from inside as she remembered Rishab's statement 'why you didn't kill her?'. Ayesha thought it was just statement that came hit of the moment. He can never be serious.

'Dong' the door bell rang and Ayesha's grandmother went to open the door. It was the police standing at their doors.

"Mam, we need to talk to Ayesha." The police explained the whole situation to her.

Everything hit Ayesha's grandmother like a storm. The police told everything about the murder of Sheena and how they spotted Ayesha in the crime scene.

Ayesha came to the living room and was shocked to see the police. Even before she could say anything, a tight slap on her face which was by her grandmother.

Upon questioning, Ayesha told her points and about Rishab to which her grandmother replied "Who is Rishab?"

"Rishab... the son of our new neighbours" Ayesha replied.

"Which neighbour are you talking about?" Her grandmother asked being perplexed but the next scene in front of her shook her and the police person to their core as Ayesha replied them with a completely changed voice of that a boy and a smirk "Don't you know me Grandma?its me Rishab..."