Kuch Keh Na Sakein || DROPPED

Safar

Who on Earth could this be? The thought of the letter clung to him throughout the day, casting a shadow over his usual focus. As the next day appeared, he was left trapped in curiosity.

As Anirudh entered the school hallway, he couldn't help but notice some famous groups huddled in circles. Giggles floated through the air. A chill ran down his spine when he realized their attention was now towards him. This triggered a wave of insecurity in him.

Anirudh anxiously checked himself from top to bottom. However, before he could gather his thoughts, Kartik the troublemaker popped out of nowhere. "Aye, guys! Look who's here, our famous Prince Charming!" Kartik's voice echoed through the corridor Anirudh decided to mind his own business and go ahead. But, Kartik had different plans, blocking Anirudh by positioning himself in his way.

"Hate to break it to you, but you, trying to ignore me is a futile endeavor," Kartik declared with a smirk. Anirudh, lost in his thoughts and looking down at his shoes, suddenly felt a hot breath hitting the nape of his neck. A shiver ran down his spine as he looked up to find himself in Kartik's embrace. The touch made him gasp.

Before Anirudh could process the bizarre turn of events, he felt arms snaking around his waistline and shoulders, holding him tighter. In the concerning moment, Anirudh, caught off guard, unknowingly reciprocated by holding onto Kartik. A weird tension clung in the air as Kartik, smirking, whispered, "Sure, we can snuggle if it will make you feel better." His words were a mixture of mockery and menace.

Anirudh feeling violated, immediately let go of Kartik, creating distance between them. But, the situation took a more vicious turn as Anirudh saw Kartik holding a letter in his hands. Anirudh's eyes widened.

Panicking, Anirudh checked his bag and, to his shock, found the anonymous letter missing. Determined to get the personal and confidential note back, he moved towards Kartik, tiptoed to reach the letter. However, Kartik, towering over him like a basketball player would, held the letter out of Anirudh's grasp. It was frustrating for Anirudh.

Kartik, filled with excitement of revealing the letter, was ready to read it out loud for the world to hear it. However, his plans were interrupted as he saw a girl grabbing Anirudh's wrists and swiftly leading him away from the scene. This fueled the fire of anger within Kartik, but he chose to smirk it off.

Anirudh found himself being guided by the girl, and together they made their way toward their class. As they walked, Shruti finally spoke. "I-i-is he the guy who always b-bull-ies you? Kartik?" she inquired. Anirudh, still processing the recent storm, nodded in response.

"We will t-t-talk about thi-s later, let's go to our c-class, we're getting l-late," Shruti said. With that, the duo continued their journey to reach their classroom, 11th 'B'.

As the bell rang indicating the end of their class, a storm swept across the room. The sound of papers, closing notebooks, and zipping backpacks filled the air. With a synchronized motion, the students got up from their seats and began to walk towards the cafeteria. The corridor buzzed with conversations and laughter.

"This is my c-c-contact number. Feel free to te-xt me anytime. I'm always onl-l-line," Shruti said as she handed Anirudh a note. He smiled and thanked her. After their classes, they spent the whole recess talking about schools and other things.
Shruti had this way of making Anirudh feel comfortable. In her presence, time seemed to melt, and he felt a sense of familiarity as if they had been friends for years. He told her about his background.

"My father was a skilled surgeon. He initially led a life filled with dedication to his profession. But, approximately two years after his marriage, he started excessively consuming alcohol and turned abusive towards my mom. A day before my fourth birthday, an accident resulted in the loss of my father's hands. Due to this, he lost his well-off job as well.
Currently, my mom is the one who's running the house. She works as an Accountant. However, life took another shattering turn just half a year ago. A routine health examination revealed that my mother was diagnosed with a terminal pancreatic condition. Her time with us is fleeting..."

After reading this, without thinking anything, Shruti hugged him. He held him tightly in her arms and Anirudh? His heart was about to pop out. He was frozen at the place yet he felt warm.

They both heard someone behind them say, "Oh, look at our little boy with his girlfriend. I'm going to need therapy after this." which made everyone else laugh. It was Kartik. The bully.

"What's your name senorita? Wanna hang out sometime?" He asked as he winked at Shruti. She cringed.

"Were you d-d-dropped on your he-ad?" Shruti asked back.

"Just to let you know, you're as intimidating as a butterfly." He replied, ignoring Shruti's question. "I'm Kartik, the school's heartthrob," he said with a confident grin. "And you are...?" he added, gesturing Shruti for her introduction.

"I'm S-s-shruti Bose." Shruti said rolling her eyes. Kartik tried his best to not pluck out her eyes. "Well, if it's alright with you, I was thinking we could meet after school. How does that sound to you?"

She just nodded once in response and left the place along with Anirudh.

When they both entered the classroom and settled into their ateas, Shruti couldn't help but notice Anirudh, who looked nervous. His eyes were wide open and he was sweating heavily, showing signs of an uneasiness. Worried, Shruti gently asked about what was bothering him, but he just shook his head in response.

Anirudh's eyes were fixed downward, but he stole small glances in Shruti's direction. It was as if he was trying to express some unspoken words, silently hoping for her to understand. Sensing his discomfort, Shruti, despite her own tics and whistles, comforted him, "You know you d-don't have to be ner-vous or hesit-ant around me. You can t-t-tell me what you're h-hiding."

Her words, though broken by her unique speech, held a comforting quality. Strangely soothing, they seemed to have a bridge of connection between them. In that moment, Anirudh felt as if he had found someone, one of his kind.

Writing hurriedly in a notebook, Anirudh conveyed his concerns, "I think it's not safe for you to meet Kartik alone after school. He is quite dangerous, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you." 

As Anirudh was done writing, he quickly got up and rushed to the boy's washroom, leaving the classroom. Standing in front of the mirror, he rested his hands on the sink. He couldn't help but notice the horrible state he was in. Panting heavily, with sweat all over his body and his once-slicked back hair now messed up from the rush, Anirudh stood in front of the mirror.

Taking a moment to collect himself, he stared at the reflection of himself. Jet-black strands of hair fell down, partially showing his face. He opened the tap and cold water rushed down. He splashed it on his face. He got his handkerchief, he carefully dabbed away the water.

Looking at himself again, it felt like the first time he had truly seen his own face. Anirudh observed his facial features carefully— long wavy hair, a high nose bridge, plump lips, thick eyebrows, and a quite defined jawline. A new thought struck him: how did he appear to others, especially to girls? Just as this question lingered in his mind, another thought emerged.

"What the heck did I just do?" he questioned himself. "I can't just order her around. She can choose the good and bad for herself. I'm not her dad, and she's not a child. I should give her the freedom to do whatever she wants, I don't want her to feel bad," Anirudh thought.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even noticed that someone has entered the washroom. 

"Hey, little Prince Charming! You alone here?" The voice echoed in the washroom. "I thought you were hanging out with your chick, what was her name again? Ah yes, Shruti Bose!" The taunt lingered, and Anirudh, recognizing the voice, closed his eyes, preparing for the torture. He turned back, leaning against the slab.

Kartik stepped into view, a creepy smirk plastered on his face. Each step brought him closer: One. Two. Three. Four. The distance was now gone, and Anirudh standing still, felt Kartik's presence towering him. 

 His own hands, once steady, began to tremble. The charged air seemed to generate a magnetic field, drawing them closer. Sweat started to bead on Kartik's forehead, betraying the cool mask he wore. 

As Kartik closed in, he tilted his head, locking eyes with Anirudh. He stared deeply into Anirudh's eyes with his hazel eyes. Anirudh who was now panting, could feel the rising tension. Despite the mutual embarrassment, none of them were willing to step back.

Both of them backed away when they heard footsteps of students, creating a visible distance between them.