I Need You..

chapter 4

Rishi
 
Pia had informed Rishi that she won't be attending school today, and that left Rishi, in no mood to go to school. 'What will I do without her?' The thought. "Maa.. I don't want to go to school today, can I take a leave?" "What? Why? Are you ill?" Rishi's mother asked, concerned. "I am not, but I don't want to. Please, let me be at home today, please, please, pleaseee!" "Ah! Rishi what's wrong with you?" "Nothing Maa!" Nitish came close to him and putting his hand on his shoulder asked, "Rish, everything okay?" "Haan Bhai, everything's good" "Then why don't you want to go?" "Nothing, I'll go."
 
Entering the class, his eyes looked for Pia, he searched for her everywhere. He knew, she wouldn't be there, but he wanted her to jump up in front of him from nowhere, he wanted to see her smile. He wanted to say "Hiiiii!", he wanted to be with her. He sat on the bench all alone the whole day. Unable to pay attention in the class, he wondered how he thought she was disturbing him, and not letting him study on the first day. Now that she was not there; with no one to disturb him, he could not understand even a single word the teacher said. 

He came home, tired, and sad. "What happened, Rish? Are you not well? Tell me? Is there anything that's disturbing you?" Nitish asked, observing Rishi's eyes, so dark and blank. "Not really, Pia was absent today, although she did tell me, yesterday, but still, I could not bear the whole day without her, it felt incomplete. I could not even imagine school without her. Ah! I miss her so much! I'll go and call her." Rishi sprinted to his room, brought his phone and was about to call Pia when Nitish stopped him. "You were crying in the ground, yesterday?" "Yeah! I was upset, regarding our fight." "You were with Pia?" "Yes! And you know what? She asked me to talk to you, she said, if I won't talk to you, she'll not talk to me, and look! Everything's great now! All because of her!" Rishi's eyes were sparkling, talking about Pia, is something he could do for the whole day. "What's wrong with you? Do you love her? Are you guys dating?" "Huh? No, Bhai, she's my friend." "Oh really? Look at yourself! A day without her, and you are already missing her! Rish, we aren't as rich as her, you need to score well! To get into a good college. How are you going to study? How will you concentrate on your studies like this?" 
"There's nothing like that Bhai. She is my friend, that's it." "Rish, it's evident, you were crying in front of her, you talked to me just for her, you might not have any feelings for her right now, but you might fall for her later. It's just been a few weeks, right? And she's such an integral part of your life already! Try to understand Rish. At this moment all your focus should be on your academics." "Okay" said Rishi and went to his room.
 
Rishi thought about what Nitish had just said. He knew he was just concerned and wanted the best for him, but Nitish, asking him to stay away from Pia, almost got him in the nerve. He tried hard to control himself and not fight over her. He then realized what Nitish said, was in fact true. Pia did become an integral part of his life, school was nothing without her. All he had been thinking about was Pia since the last few days. The way he got mesmerized by her beauty every time, the way he loved her voice, all of this pointed towards one thing; he might end up falling hard for Pia. He had to do something to control himself. 

Pia 

"Rishi! Why did you ask ma'am to change our seats?? Are you angry? Are you mad at me because I was busy yesterday and could not call or text you? I am sorry!!" Pia said as she ran towards Rishi and stood close to him. She looked Rishi directly into his eyes. "Yeah! Because you irritate me!" "Huh?? You are mad at me, Hai na? That's why you are saying this right?" Rishi stepped back and said "Stay a little away." "Rishi! What's wrong?" Pia asked, agitated. "Nothing, I don't want to sit with you, just go!" Pia felt bad, and went straight to her seat, sat next to Swati and took the Biology notebook out. She missed sitting with Rishi and talking to him between the classes; she had a lot to tell him. She thought about talking to him during the lunch break. 

In the lunch break she went to Rishi's seat with her lunchbox. Preet was sitting next to him. "Preet, can you please sit on my seat for the lunch break?" "No, don't go, sit here only, I don't want to sit with her." Said Rishi, Pia caught hold of Preet's shirt and pulled him away from his seat, "Just go!" Pia said, giving a dead stare to him. Preet took his lunchbox and ran straight to Pia's seat.