WO/MAN (Arthanaareeshwaram)

Friend

"A friend?" Arjun asked in a daze like manner.

"Yes, a friend." Parthsarathy confirmed.

"Why do you want to be my friend? Do you even know me? Who are you? I have never seen you here before." Arjun slumped on one of the seats.

Parthsarathy sighed and settled beside him.
"My parents are police officers, so you know, they keep getting transfers. I just came here a few days back. This is my first day at school."

Arjun's cheeks felt hot. "I am sorry that you had to come across such a situation on your first day here. It is actually the first time that such an incident occurred in this school."

"I know." Arjun shot him a worried glance.

"I mean, my parents won't send me to a school having criminal history associated with it." Parthsarathy smiled.

"But if this is the first day at school, how did you ... umm ... know about my rivalry with Karan?" Arjun suddenly came up with a question.

Parthsarathy smirked. "Rumours travel faster than a forest fire."

Arjun looked confused. "So ... does it mean that you know ..."

"That you are a Gay? Yes, I know." Parthsarathy answered casually. Arjun flinched at the word. It took a while for him to speak again. "But you still want to be my friend?"

"Of course, you are a human and that is all that matters. Although I can be friends with animals and plants too." He smiled.

"But ... but ... why me? There are so many people." Arjun asked.

"You are a nice person Arjun. I never found anyone else with such a good heart here. So, from now on, your friends are my friends and your enemies are my enemies."

"But ... But ..."

"Oh, come on! I am just asking you to be my friend. Why are you behaving as if I asked you to marry me?" Though it was a joke, it made Arjun's heart skip a beat.

"But you might be in trouble." Arjun did not understand how to convince him that it was a bad idea.

"What trouble? Will you fall in love with me? I know that I am irresistible ... but you are already in love with someone else, right?"

Arjun felt like someone just dropped a boulder on his head. Parthsarathy pulled out something from his pocket and placed it in Arjun's hand. "I was there that day." He whispered and Arjun glanced towards his hand.

Instantly, his eyes reddened with anger and the idol of the blue boy crashed to the floor. Arjun stormed out of the room.

"There you go again." Parvati sighs. Shiva just smiles.