ONE'S PROMISED TO RETURN BACK

A Bond Beyond Words

Recap:- As I sat there, I thought about Akshara's words: "My student is very stubborn; he won't tire of waiting so long." She was right; I was stubborn, but it was because I had been waiting for my Juliet to see her once again, and I was afraid of opening myself up to the possibility of getting attached again. For anyone, it's very difficult to wait for one person for 15 years.

Due to Akshara's words, my brain unlocked a flashback memory of my life where Isha came into my life, 15 years ago, in my school days. My school was in Kerala, and my mother tongue is Telugu. My father, a Naval commando, was settled in Kerala, and I joined Kendriya Vidyalaya at Ernakulam. I got a seat easily because my father was from the defense. At that time, I was a rebellious character who got involved in fights and maintained a gang. I was very pampered as a single child in my house. My mom scolded me a lot due to the troubles I got her into, like principal meetings, etc. Even now, she curses me, saying my kid will also play with me like how I played with her.

On the first day of 5th grade, Section D, I was a confident person, but I didn't study well. I was forcefully sent to school on the 3rd day, and I cried at home. But when I stepped into the school premises, the Don in me came out. My way of behavior changed. I still remember that day when my friend Vinay told me a new girl entered my class. All the boys stared at her, but I took it lightly because I didn't involve myself with girls. I sat in my seat in class, and suddenly, a girl in uniform entered the classroom. All the boys' attention turned towards her. She was none other than V. Isha Verma, the new girl in class.

As I looked into her eyes, I felt a spark, a connection that I couldn't ignore. It was as if time had stood still, and all that existed was her and I. I remember feeling drawn to her, wanting to know more about her, but also being afraid to approach her. I was, after all, a bit of a troublemaker due to my height of 5 ft at the age of 10. My height helped me become a troublemaker, and I didn't know if I was ready to open myself up to someone new. So, I stopped thinking about Isha. I was a boy with a mentality not to maintain any relation with any girl, so I neatly ignored her.

Isha was quite a girl, maintaining a low profile, and didn't talk much with anyone. I observed her behavior, but I was a troublemaker. However, I never insulted or teased any girls, so girls had a good impression of me. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and six months passed. I gradually became addicted to seeing Isha from afar and feeling happy. Many seniors, classmates, and even boys from parallel classes tried to approach her, hoping to become friends, but she was a strong girl and easily avoided all.

I admired her daring personality and felt happy seeing her stand up for herself. But at the same time, I felt sad because she could just as easily avoid me if I ever worked up the courage to approach her. I knew she was a strong girl, but she also needed protection, right? So, I took up the job to protect my white rabbit from the evil wolves from the shades of night. Usually, I protected her from threats like being bullied for being a North Indian, teasing, and ragging. But once in a while, I didn't attend school due to a vacation on behalf of the Navy cursie, which was held for defense families for a 5-day trip in the sea.

I came back home on Saturday night and waited to see Isha. I went to school and waited for her at the entrance for one hour, but she didn't come to school. This was repeated for three days. I didn't know what happened to Isha, so I approached Moksha, who was Isha's friend and best buddy. Due to having a good impression on me among girls, all the girls talked to me in a very friendly manner. I asked her what happened to her buddy, and she replied, "Don't you know what happened to her?" After Moksha told me what happened to Isha on Saturday. My blood boiled, and I said thank you to Moksha and ran to the seniors' block.

I searched for the person who troubled Isha in my absence and found my prey from the 8th grade, Ajith Nair, a troublemaker. He bullied Isha because she was a North Indian, ragged her because she wasn't accepted to talk to him, and forced her to accept his proposal. But she rejected him, and Ajith couldn't take it, so he threatened Isha with his words. After listening to his words and being bullied in front of many people, she got scared and had a fever. Ajith doesn't have any morals like me.