Dark Secrets

5

The principal summoned Yuvansh's father for a meeting, so the next morning , Mahendra told him to come to school with him on his scooter and leave his bicycle behind. Yuvansh sensed that something was wrong.

"How can he be so violent ?" The principal raged at Mahendra Thakur after recounting the previous day's incident . Mahendra was visibly embarrassed and at a loss as to how to  answer the question because this was the first time he'd recieved a complaint about Yuvansh. Truth be told , even Mahendra was surprised to learn that Yuvansh had burnt Suryansh's hand.

"Did you do it?" Mahendra asked Yuvansh. The latter was standing beside him with his head hanging low. Suryansh and his parents were sitting adjacent to his father. Yuvansh only nodded a "yes".

"Why?" Mahendra asked . Yuvansh remained silent.

"Why did he do it?" the principal asked Suryansh.

"I don't know. He said there were sweets inside the box. And when I dipped my hand, I realized it had hot oil," Suryansh replied, avoiding Yuvansh's fulminating eye.

"So, it was just a silly prank? said the principal looking at Yuvansh.

"Do you know how harmful this prank of yours was? I want you to apologize to Suryansh first."

"I'm sorry ," said Yuvansh softly.

"Only because Yuvansh is academically brilliant am I letting him go this time with just a warning. Otherwise, I would have suspended him," the principal told Mahendra and close the matter.

Yuvansh followed Mahendra outside. The way Mahendra started his scooter with an angry kick told Yuvansh that it was better not to talk. He remained quiet all through the day at school.Suryansh and the gang shot him funny glances , but he didn't react. Dimpy kept  pestering him to tell her why he was so quiet, but Yuvansh didn't respond.

"Is there anything you want to share, beta?" his mother asked when he returned from tuitions. Yuvansh said"no",  went into the storeroom and locked himself in. It was only when Shreshtha knocked softly and asked him to come for dinner that he emerged.

"Dinner is ready . What are you doing?" she asked . "I am studying ," Yuvansh lied. All he had done was make sketches of Shreshtha's face . Nobody but Dimpy knew that he was quite the budding artist. Once done, he kept staring at the sketches until he heard the knock on the door again.

"We're wainting for you. Eat first and then study," she said.

"I'll be there in a minute," Yuvansh called from inside.

Shreshtha went away. Yuvansh, picked up the sketches and shredded them into tiny pieces so that nobody would ever know. He deposited half the paper scraps in the dustbin in his room and the other half in the kitchen bin.

When he joined his parents and Shreshtha, he sensed the tense atmosphere at the dining table.

"Did anyone from your family call you?" Yuvansh's mother asked Shreshtha.

She took the bowl from her  and said, "I did get a few messages from my brother , but I'm yet to respond . Darsh asked me to keep the phone switched off for as long as possible."

"They can track the phone , can't they?" Mrs Thakur said adding ,"I saw this on Crime patrol".

"Not the phone . The sim card can be tracked," Yuvansh volunteered.

"Even if they do so , it's all right. I've done nothing wrong. Nor has Darsh."

Nobody said a word after that.

When Yuvansh retired to his room, he sensed someone standing by the door. He turned around and a smile escaped him.

"Ranisa!" he exclaimed.

"Why did you injure that friend of yours?"

"Which friend?" he asked although he knew exactly whom she meant.

"Auntie told me. What happened?" Shreshtha stepped inside and sat on the bed. Yuvansh remained standing by his study table.

"He deserved to be injured."

"What did he do?"

Yuvansh was quiet. He looked anywhere but at her. 

"I can see that you don't want to share it with we."

"Nothing like that. He said shitty things about someone."

"About whom?"

"Someone I......I......" Yuvansh struggled for the right word.

"Love?"

For the first time, he looked at her. Those greyish-blue eyes. All his life's secrets were trapped in them. And the purpose of his life, Yuvansh felt, was to unravel them one by one.

"I don't know," he said slowly and added ,"I just can't handle it if someone talks shit about her."

"Her? Hmm, it's a girl. I guessed that," Shreshtha said, looking amused . There was a hint of a blush on Yuvansh's face.

"Anger isn't good, Yuvansh . Just take it easy. By the way, does she know that you...? " she chose her words wisely and said,"........ can't take shit about her from anyone?"

"How will she ever know?"

"Aren't you planning to tell her?"

Yuvansh shook his head and then took few seconds before he replid, "When we pray , we just know the prayer will reach God. We don't have to do anything but to pray with all our heart and soul, isn't it, Ranisa?"

"Do you realize you're a little too intense for your age? I wish your Darsh bhaiya was also like this."

Yuvansh stood there with a I-don't-know look.

"And I love it when you call me Ranisa. Nobody has ever called me that,"Shreshtha said with a smile.

"Thank you ," Yuvansh flashed an unsure smile back .

"Yuvansh!" Come out, right now!" It was Mahendra bellowing from the drawing room. It was evident that he was furious.

Shreshtha and Yuvansh had a momentary eye lock before he ran out of the room. Shreshtha followed him.