FROM DARE TO LOVE (Editing)✔

CHAPTER 12

Year-1999,

In these nine years, Adnan and Riad have become best of friends. Their friendship had started the very day when I had introduced myself to the Ali siblings, Riad and Urooj. Leaving Urooj, who was four then, with us Riad had left to play with the boys. As expected he was bullied but Adnan came as savior and the boys bonded.

Now I and Ruchi are fifteen, the boys are sixteen and Urooj fourteen. One night, I and Ruchi are supposedly doing group studies but in reality were drooling over our seniors from the school magazine. Ruchi envies me, because of Adnan I have pleasure of seeing many seniors who come by to meet him. Whenever a senior comes I try my best to signal Ruchi to come over with pretense of group studies.

'Look at Abhay! In this pic, he looks mind blowing' I say drooling over a guy standing in the front row dressed in an orange sleeveless Tee and shorts, he is captain of basketball team. Even at the age of sixteen he has good muscles and is very tall. I keep drooling over him until Ruchi nudges me

'Dude, he is seeing that Ritu girl from IX-B' she breaks my dream.

'*****' I cursed, always all good guys are taken, which ever guy I set my eyes on he seems to be dating some non-deserving girl. I fear I will be left with that champu Riad, who clearly has a soft corner for me, why can't a handsome boy have a crush on me? Why?

I and Ruchi quickly hide the magazine and picked up our school books when we heard a knock at the door. I asked the person to come in. Adnan comes in, Ruchi blushes, she has a crush on my brother, but then she practically has crush on every good-looking boy she sees. Adnan is feeling reluctant and I noticed him blush slightly.

'Bhai, is there something going on between you and Champu' I ask and giggled. But then it was only me who found this funny, Ruchi looks at me aghast and Adnan looked shocked. I shrugged and murmured a sorry.

Adnan sits at the edge of the bed 'I need your help' He begins nervously, I look at Ruchi and ask her to leave, she pouts. I silently tell her I will tell her later. After Ruchi leaves, Adnan seemed relaxed.

I shift little and place my palm on his shoulder, he smiles slightly. He then goes on to tell me that he is in love with Urooj (it was predictable, the way he goes all starry eyed and stammers when Urooj is around made it obvious) and he asks me to help her propose Urooj tomorrow, as tomorrow is Valentine's day. I smirk and tease him until he turns into a red tomato. He seemed elated when I tell him that Urooj also has a soft corner for him

'How you know?' he asks after he was done smiling like a love stuck idiot

I smile 'I am a girl, and we girls know such things' I say and nudge his arm. I then suggested that a simple rose will convince her.

Next day, I took bath and got ready for school. Today is extra special day as its valentine's day, I and Ruchi are having competition, healthy one, who gets more roses today. Since I am in my school uniform, (white shirt and navy blue skirt and tie) I can't do much with that. So, I applied some lip gloss and black kohl. My mom eyes me suspiciously when I sit to have breakfast. My Dad is sitting at the middle seat, the head of house seat, reading his newspaper and also having his cornflakes. Adnan is sitting beside him, looking nervous. I sigh! If he gets nervous and make it so obvious then Urooj will definitely reject him and I will have to console him.

I am super excited as I climbed on the bus, I wave at Ruchi who is sitting next to the window and as always has saved a seat for me.

We started to talk about the competition and the boys we are expecting to propose us. We giggled.

'Dude, you have done your chemistry assignment' Ruchi says out of blue completely tripping off my mood.

I hurried to the chemistry lab and am relieved when I find him, the most repulsive boy on the planet, Riad Nawab Ali. I cringe as I walk towards him.

'Hey'

He fumbled with the test tubes he was working with as I startled him.

'He-Hey!' he stammers pushing his thick spectacles with his index finger. Eeee! Without wasting any time or beating around the bush I asked him if he has done the chemistry assignment. He nods his head; he unzips the bag and takes out a transparent file. I take it happily, as I go through the file I noticed Riad taking something out from his bag. I muttered an insincere thank you and turn to leave when he calls my name. I turn around forcing a fake smile.

He clears his throat and takes step forward, I frown noticing him hold something behind him. He looked nervous and trying hard to maintain eye contact with me, while I remain clueless.

I am surprised at his guts as he takes out a rose he had been hiding behind his back. I knew he had a crush on me but I didn't know he had this much audacity to actually give me a rose, that too on a valentine's day. He smiles nervously and forwards it to me

'Aleesa...will you...will you be my valentine?' he says and I look at the rose with disgust and at him. I am appalled with his gesture.

All I wanted was to take the rose, smash it, drop it on the floor and stamp on it. But on second thought, I needed as much as rose I can to win the competition with Ruchi maybe with this one rose might make me the winner.