"What's wrong?" I ask for the 100th time today, hoping for an answer from his end, but no, all what I get is an indifferent "nothing". I hold his arm, "C'mon, you can tell me...Am I not your friend?" I look at him, hoping he trusted me enough to share it. I nudge him, "We are best-friends, after all!" He sighs, and looks at me rather pissed, "I told you that it's nothing. Why don't you believe me?" Something was surely up with him, and his "nothing" couldn't deceive anyone- not me at least. "Oh, so it's N-o-t-h-i-n-g, that makes your smile fade, your hands sweat and now lie to me, huh?" He looks at me as if I said something grave. "I don't want to lie, but I have no other choice." He muttered under his breath. "Did you get threatened? Did something wrong happen to you? Or is, is someone blackmailing you?" I ask, all in one breath. He bursts our laughing, "No man, not that. It's just that you wouldn't understand me, if I say the truth."
"That's not an excuse for lying to me, and absolutely not one for scaring me." I say, with a genuine smile, "I would of course understand you, at least try to." I promise.
He takes a deep breath and announces, "I got admitted to my dream college!" I look surprised at him, about to open my mouth to congratulate him, but he continues. "I would need to leave this place, leave you, my family, my friends, my school, everything...in order to go there." He takes a breath. "I have grown so attached to this village, that it's really difficult to even think about leaving you all." He says. "But it's your dream college, Darsh!" I remind him, "You've always wanted to go there. This college is all what you would be talking about, day and night, ever since I met you...You can't leave this dream!" He looks down, "Dreams change, priorities change, Jiya." Something in his voice made it difficult for me to accumulate words. "Yes, I have always wanted to get into this college, to make myself better and be the best someday. But, what have I gained from this wish? Stress, insecurity, and pain. I always tried to make myself better, more suited to the environment there, in the city. I gained nothing, but I lost my little brother, other friends of mine. Now, I don't want to lose you. You are all I have, Jiya." A tear forced its way down my cheeks, "You lost no one, no one. Your brother still wants to spend time with you, he still wants to be your partner-in-crime, he still wants to be the one you would fight with, but he knows how important this DREAM is to you. So, he decided not to disturb you and let you focus on your goal. And talking of your friends, look how happy they are that you got into your dream college- they threw a party for you. " I stop taking a look at his face, "Darsh, you deserve this, don't let this opportunity slip- you need to go, for me, for everyone."
He looks back at me, with his eyes showcasing a hundred emotions at once, too afraid to say anything. He mouths a "thank you" and hugs me tight. "I know you will do your best, be the best one day, right?" "THE BEST" he repeats.
YOU ARE READING
He knows- A Collection of Short Stories on Darshan Raval
FanfictionIt's not portraying DARSHAN RAVAL in different characters, it's seeing DARSHAN RAVAL in the characters. It's exploring the various horizons of love, dreams, heartbreak, rains. It's an aura of its own kind.
