Last days

Chapter 1

"Happy new year" she texted back. It was 8 in the morning.

"I wished you last night at 12, where were you?" I asked.

"Sorry, mate! I was studying and slept early!" I looked at that message for five minutes. She was online at 12 AM, at 12:10 AM and at 12:30 AM. Why is she lying? I thought. I throw my phone away in frustration, no on the floor of course! I don't want to talk to her.

"Rishabh, it's 8 already. Get up!. You'll be late!" My mom shouted from the kitchen.

I get myself up from all the new year mess of feelings and washed away my miserable thoughts with the shower. But it did not wash away.

I am Rishabh Malhotra, I live in Worli, Mumbai with my parents. Who is doing a good job raising me, and in return I am not sure if I could live up to their expectations? I am in my final year of high school. And my board exams are coming up. Two months from now I'll be sitting in an unknown school taking them. I am not at all prepared for that day yet. Right now, I want to know why Ananya is lying to me about basically everything. We have been best friends since we were 10, and I started to fall for her when I turned 13. for three years I have been in a one-sided relationship. Too scared to ruin our friendship and more scared of rejection.

My school is a fifteen-minute walk from home, and hence I have the luxury of sleeping till 8. My dad obviously protests my habits. And on this first day of the year. I have a pretty good idea about what he is going to say.

"It took you long enough, your highness is finally here!" he says, without looking up from the newspaper.

"Good morning dad!" I said taking my seat at the table. For a moment I felt like I am in one of his conference rooms.

He works in a finance department of a big private bank. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps and join banking. But, my rebellious age and my curiosity for chemistry led me to disappoint him.

"Science? Have you lost your mind? This country has enough jobless engineers! Go ahead do whatever you want!" I remember him saying.

"Your boards are coming soon, stop fooling around now and get serious!" he said. I nodded and ate my omelette quietly.

***

 "The syllabus is complete. And now for the next one and half months, you will have a series of mock exams for every subject. Especially Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. If you take them seriously as if you were giving the real one. You will definitely improve your results on boards. I wish you all, the best of luck and Happy new year!" said our Math teacher Mr Das concluding his speech. His moustache has gone thicker than a month ago. And he is bald head is shining as ever.

"What a clown, he spoke for 30 minutes about boards. I bet he could write a book on it and still have something left to say." Krish said mockingly.

Krish has been my friend, a comrade since I came to live in his building five years ago. I still remember when a truck filled with furniture and boxes pulled over at the gate of "Sharda Colony". A boy holding a cricket bat on his shoulder like a sword stood there. "Wanna play cricket? But you only get to the ball." He said. And that's how we met. Neighbours, classmates, teammates and best friends.

"Why is your mood off, princess?" He punches me on the shoulder.

"She didn't reply even though she was online," I said.

"You fucker, she isn't your girlfriend. As much as you would like her to be." He said.

"I know, but can't get over her."

"Ananya has friend-zoned you ever since you guys met. Since you both were children." He said, "Does she have a boyfriend?"

"No! How many times are you gonna ask this?" I said.

"How can you be so sure?" she is damn hot." I kicked him.

"Oh! That hurt bro!" he grunted. "Alright, but she is cute bro. And she lives in Bandra and goes to a super duper big school. She has to have at least one boyfriend."

I glare at him, "your eyes don't shoot lasers. And it doesn't kill the fact that she isn't being honest with you."

"Shut up man! I've gotta read, the exam is in an hour." I said burying my head in the book.

"You rascals on the last bench!" Mr Das shouted at us, and heads down we buried ourselves in a Physics textbook for the remaining hour.

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Hii readers! This is my first time ever posting something I have written. please have mercy!❤️ 😂️