Those Were The Days(#Wattys2016) (completed)

Chapter 7. January And February

Everything had fallen together. Now even I had a reason for going to school with a smile rather than a frown.

Once we bunked our school to watch a movie. It was seven of us, Me, Sameer, Joyal, Sahil,Krishna, Amaya and Shivanki. Perhaps Anushka would never bunk school.

While we were entering the mall. Someone tapped me on back.

I turned around and to my surprise it was dad.

"Shall I drop you home, madam?" He said, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Hello, uncle!" Sameer suddenly exclaimed. As that was the first time dad met him so he greeted him.

"Are you out of your senses? Is this the time to greet?" Krishna annoyingly said.

He smiled in a very nervous way.

"So? What are you guys doing here? Science project?" Dad mocked.

"Haha. Funny!" Sahil said.

"Uncle, sorry. we won't do it again. Please don't tell mom about it." Joyal said.

"I won't. But if someone's parents ask me, I won't lie either. And for now if you have bunked already then enjoy but in your limits."

"You're dad is so cool." Shivanki said.

"Phewww!" Sameer took a breath of relief when dad left.

"What?" I narrowed my eyebrows looking at him.

"Ah! Nothing. I just got a little conscious." He grinned.

"A little?" Krishna laughed.

"Okay. Okay. I get scared or I don't know when I see her dad." He grinned again.

I had fallen head over heels for him. Studies became much fun, everything seemed sweet and colorful.

The way he used to hold my hand in between the crowd, I loved it.

All those love songs were my cup of tea then. Even simple food became tastier, take the example of 'that Mind-blasting Sandwich'.

I knew we were living our dream, so wild, so free. The careless way we used to lay down on the road, in the parking lot was just way too beautiful.

It was January and his birthday was in a week.

We were lying on the terrace, he was wearing a red sweatshirt and blue jeans and I was wearing my black jacket and a faded track pant.

I asked him about his birthday plans.
He said nothing much.

I decided to surprise him with a small party. I made a memory book, full
of our photographs and feelings for him written on it, gifted him a watch and bought a cake.

He had no idea about all this. I asked Sahil to bring him to the back side of our school building in break.

To his surprise he saw the cake there. That smile is unforgettable. He smiled till his ears.

"Happy Birthday!" I and Shivanki screamed.

"Thank you so much!"

"Well come on then, cut the cake. Here's the knife." I said.

He not only grabbed the knife but also my hand and we both cut the cake. I felt so very special that moment.

Not only our choices but our likes and dislikes and our lifestyles were completly different. Despite all these things we had one thing in common, that was our love for each other.

It was Valentine's Day, he called me and asked me to see him. When I went down, he gave me a ring box.

I opened it with excitement to see how the ring looked, but when I opened it was empty.

He was surprised too.

"What? There must be a ring! I hope I have not lost it" he looked around and checked his pockets.

"Don't worry, you must have left it at home." I replied.

"I don't know, shit dude!" he sighed.

And suddenly grabbed my hand, put a ring on my ring finger of right hand.

It was a beautiful surprise.

"This beautiful ring for my beautiful girl, hope you like it, Happy Valentine's Day! I love you" He said.

"Like it? I love it! Thank you so much, I love you too" I replied.

I was on cloud nine.

Now, when I look at my right hand, I can still feel his fingers and that ring against my finger. Although I lost it years ago, I'll never forget how it looked like.

An Isolated gem, reflecting the colours of his love when the sunlight used to pass through it, on a silver pure circular ring. A mark of love, maybe that mark was not forever but the mark in my heart is forever.

Not only a ring but he gifted me a locket also. A silver heart with thirteen gems on it, hanging from a thin, twisted silver chain.

Since then I never removed it from my neck until I lost it.