Just another Love Story

-Chapter 2-

Hey there! I realised that the story was getting a bit confusing, as I am actually portraying different time frames randomly. So I added a reference, at the beginning of wherever I timeskip!

***

2008

'Goddamn you, Alarm clock! Goddamn you!' Raj woke up with a start. He hated waking up.

Sleep was so much better...

'Don't you have to give an exam today, Raj?' his mother pulled the blanket away from him.

'Huh? Yeah...' he recalled. He had his physics exam today. Man! He hated physics. Why Physics? Why!

He never really understood why he hated that subject. It wasn't particularly hate, either. It was more of lack-of-interest reluctance. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't study that subject without feeling sleepy every half-an-hour or so.

Average concentration capacity of a human brain is about forty minutes.

Bleh. Physics ruins all.

Raj summoned all his courage and sat up on his bed. Then he gently placed his feet on the cold floor. A tingling sensation coursed through him, and then everything was normal. He pulled open his wardrobe, grabbed his towel and walked into the bathroom.

***

'Simmi! Wake up already!' Mrs. Dua cried from the kitchen.

'Yes mom...' came a murmuring sound as a reply from the nearby room.

She still hasn't got up, and it's already 7. She is going to miss the school bus again this way...

'SIMRAN! WAKE UP!' Mrs. Dua banged into her room.

There was a movement under the blankets and a moment later head popped out. Simran's hair was a mess, and so was her mood. She had Chemistry today. She hated chemistry.

Like seriously. Anything and everything would happen in that subject, of which she could make neither a head nor a tail. Anything would react with just about anything and give lots of different things...It was all so confusing!

But she somehow managed to get up, and started to get ready.

***

'Okay children. Time's up. Now I will collect your answer scripts!' Mr. Singh announced.

Raj was still writing. He had this habit of writing till the very end, until the invigilator didn't approach to take his answer sheet. But once he did get to him, he will give in.

'It's okay bro. You are gonna top this time around as well! Now for god's sake, stop writing!' someone said from behind him,

Although he was used to all this by now, yet it irritated him. Nobody, NOBODY understood what he worked for, and that it didn't matter to him who was ahead of him or not.

It only mattered to him how he had performed. It didn't affect him if he had given his hundred percent but couldn't score well; it only affected him if he messed up at places he shouldn't have. But he was so tired of explaining it by now that he didn't even try. To hell with all these fellas!

'Raj, your answer sheet please?' Mr. Singh extended his hand.

'Here, sir.'

He took hold of the sheet and placed it with others.

***

Fifteen minutes were still left when Simran had completed her test. She just sat there now, and waited for it to get over. The earlier this answer-script left her sight, the better. She wanted the least connections with Chemistry.

'How did it go, Sim?' Annu asked as she sat beside her.

'Fine,' she replied, 'Yours?'

'Good. So....you are leaving after this term ends, huh?'

Simran looked down. Even thinking about it made her sad. She was shifting to Delhi in two months...leaving what had been her home for seven years....

***

2009

Raj peeped through his blankets at the alarm clock and an arm came out to shut it off. He went back to sleep again. He had school, but it didn't matter. Nothing seemed to matter, after what happened the day before yesterday...

'I am so sorry Raj....I....I just....I am so sorry. You are an amazing person Raj, but...I....'

NO!! Don't say it....don't say it....DON'T!

'It's not working out, Raj. It's better if we just break up.'

It felt as if his mouth was filled with sand. His tongue became heavy as metal, 'Huh? That's it? You gave me the freaks Sim! They way you said, "I have something important to talk to you,"....gosh! It's fine! Obviously! Not everyone is meant for everyone else!' He chuckled. His hand which hid behind his back clenched into a fist.

'A...Are you sure Raj? Are you okay?' Simran put a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes showed concern.

But not love.

'Yes of course! It's perfectly alright Sim!' He smiled at her.

'Thank you....Raj....you....I am so sorry....'

'How many times do I have to tell you, Sim? I hate both thankyou and sorry! Now go! Noor is calling you...' he pointed over her shoulder, where Noor stood beside the buses. Simran turned around and walked away.
Maybe she turned back to look at him, but he didn't notice.

As she walked further away, he started to go numb. His hands started to shake...

Wiping all these memories away, he woke up with a start.
For the third time, his mother asked, 'What's up with you son? You seem a little off...'

'I told you mom. It's nothing! You are just imagining it.' He smiled at her. She got back to her work at the kitchen, as he somehow managed to drag himself towards the bathroom.

***

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