THE LADY IN THE RAIN

HEARTBREAK-1

Palash observes Ritwik  for a while. Ritwik  looks confusingly both at Palash and Vani. Suddenly Palash comes closer to him and gives him a tight slap on his face. Ritwik ’s face turns in the downward direction towards the right due to the force from Palash's hand.
‘Rascal! How could you...?’ shouts Palash.
‘You don’t bother to inform us about your whereabouts! Have you noticed the time? It is 11:00 p.m. now,’ rebukes Palash.
Ritwik  looks at Palash. His eyes turned blood red due to tears and anger.
‘For which purpose have you been given the phone? Only to play PUBG?’
Ritwik  is agitated to a great extent. Palash completely spoilt his too happy mood. He is looking furiously at Palash.
‘How dare you slap me?’ questions Ritwik .
‘How dare you question me? Tell me...where were you till now?’
‘I don’t think I owe any explanations to you,’ says Ritwik  with a rude attitude.
Vani and Palash are shell-shocked on hearing this kind of statement from Ritwik .
‘Are you supposed to behave like this with your father?’ shouts Palash.
‘If necessary, then yes.’
‘Don’t you dare, Mr. Ritwik  Ganguly. Admit that you have been rude and disobedient.’
Ritwik  doesn’t reply and goes upstairs into his room.
‘The boy needs to mend his ways. And I’ll make sure that he apologizes for everything that he did just now,’ assures Palash.
                                     **********
Ritwik  comes downstairs the following morning. He is dressed in his school uniform. He sees his whole family having breakfast. Arya and Palash are eating and Vani is serving them. This somehow makes Ritwik  feel ignorant. He also decides to ignore them and have something in the school canteen. He begins walking towards the main door.
‘Pri!’ Vani calls Ritwik .
Ritwik  deliberately ignores Vani. This time Vani shouts at him.
‘Don’t you know to reply when someone is calling you?’ questions Vani.
‘Don’t you know to stop talking when someone is least interested to talk to you?’ cross-questions Ritwik .
This angers Vani. She gives a hard tap on the table. She gets up and approaches towards Ritwik . Ritwik  is still standing, carefree and unapologetic. He knows what is going to happen next.
‘Is there any problem that is bothering you, beta?’ asks Vani calmly.
This is like a bolt from the blue to Ritwik . He is looking at Vani with a big question mark on his face.
‘I know that you’re undergoing through so much. You’re missing your Tham so much. And I and Palash don’t give you much of our time. Being parents, we’re responsible for this condition of yours today.’
Ritwik  is in short of words. He has nothing to reply in return.
‘Well, I’m getting late.’
He quietly walks away.
                                   ***********
Ritwik  reaches his school. He sees Pihu and Rubel gossiping with each other in the school corridor. He happily walks into them.
‘Hola! Buenos dìas amigos!’ greets Ritwik  to Pihu and Rubel.
They both look questioningly at him.
‘This is what we learnt in the previous Spanish class, no!’ exclaims Ritwik .
‘Yep! Igualmente!’ Pihu greets back.
Rubel starts walking without saying anything. Ritwik  remembers the previous evening fight with him.
‘Rubel! Wait! I am sorry. I know it was my mistake. I shouldn’t have overreacted. My bad! I am genuinely sorry.’
Rubel stops and turns to Ritwik . He looks at him, flabbergasted.
‘I have only you and Pihu in the whole school. If you guys ditch me, then how will I survive alone?’ says Ritwik  making a puppy face.
‘Did I hear you say a sorry, Pri?’ asks Rubel.
Ritwik  nods his head.
‘I can neither believe my eyes nor ears,’ says Rubel out of enthusiasm.
‘That means sorted?’ asks Ritwik .
‘Yes, but I need a promise...you won’t behave like this again!’
‘Promise.’
‘Okay, now a group hug, please!’ requests Pihu.
The trio share a hug.
                                **********
After the assembly, the students get inside their classrooms. Rubel, Pihu and Ritwik  sit side by side.
Ritwik  is busy with his books. Suddenly, a soft hand rests on his hand. He feels it and looks up. Beside him, is sitting a girl, smiling at him. She is as beautiful as a doll. Her cheeks are reddish due to the presence of Ritwik  near her. Ritwik  takes her hands off and continues his studies.
‘Hey! Good morning, Pri!’ the girl greets.
‘My name is Ritwik .’
‘I know. But your friends address you as Pri, no?’
‘Yeah! I allow them to address me as Pri who are very close to my heart,’ Ritwik  says in a rough voice without looking at her.
‘Okay, am I not your friend?’
‘No, you’re just a classmate. That’s it. Now please go. Let me study.’
‘Pri...I mean Ritwik ...’ she again keeps her hand on his hand.
‘I love you,’ Ritwik  says on behalf of the girl.
The girl looks shockingly at him. Ritwik  is still looking down in his books.
‘Wow! I am impressed. But how do you know that I was going to say I love you?’
‘It’s in my timetable you may say.’
‘I got you. But I am not flirting like others. I am serious about you. It’s the first time that I have lost my heart to someone. I never found any guy so special before you. Trust me. I really, really do love you.’
Ritwik  ignores her.
‘Please. Don’t break my heart,’ her voice panics.
Ritwik  immediately looks up. Tears started to take shape in her beautiful brown eyes.
‘Listen Anaya ! You’re a very good girl. Any guy will like you. Please, forget me.’
‘Any guy would like me, right?’ questions Anaya  hopefully.
Ritwik  nods.
‘Then why can’t you be that ANY GUY?’
Hearing this, Ritwik  has no answers to give.
‘Or wait...are you into boys?’
‘Hell, no. I am straight,’ Ritwik  clears.
‘Then....what’s the issue?’ she asks him.
Now Ritwik  is completely exasperated.
‘Please, leave for God’s sake,’ he joins his hands and requests her. Tears started rolling down from her eyes.
‘I hate you. You are very mean.’
She angrily gets up and settles in her seat. Ritwik  looks at her and then again involves himself with his books.
‘Pri, how many hearts will you break?’ asks Rubel sadly.
‘What do you mean, Rubel? I don’t like her. So what can I do?’ says Ritwik  irritatingly.
‘But she is a pure soul. She is not like Shaheen, Mallika, Ishita and others.’
‘All are of the same type. I know,’ comments Ritwik .
He says this by looking at those three girls who proposed him the previous day. They three are well settled with their new boyfriends.
‘Above all, I already love someone,’ confesses Ritwik .
Pihu and Rubel look shockingly at Ritwik .
‘I didn’t know dude that you’re still in love with Tammanah!’ exclaims Rubel.
‘Tammanah? Are you crazy? She is gone. And above all, I wasn’t seriously involved in love with her. There is someone else.’
‘Who?’ asks Pihu.
‘She’s coming very soon. Or may be today?’
‘Where?’
‘About whom are you talking about? We’re not aware,’ Rubel asks him.