Twelve thirty rolled around and I strolled up to the teacher's lounge with my new best friend Neea. I selected my friends based on how interesting the conversation between us can get, and frankly Neea was the only one with whom I had any interest in talking to far whatsoever. And so, even though she had no idea, I was ready to make her my best friend. Another added factor was that she wasn't even in the same section as me, so that meant there was no chance I was going to get bored and tired of seeing her face all the time. Neea, as intelligent as she thought she was, was clearly friends with me because I was an ex- Exarchian. I didn't care really. As long as she didn't have the same crushes as me and didn't talk bad about me, she could have any reason for tagging along and I wouldn't mind.
We stood in front of the Lounge and started talking. She didn't care about my poem and I didn't care that she didn't care. She got a call suddenly and said she had to leave. I was already aware she had some drama going on with her ex, so I didn't question her. A few seconds later I noticed angel guy was standing right opposite me and smiling. I was so startled on seeing him, I stood there standing a few seconds gawking at him before my body started functioning again. It's like every time I see him, I shut down for a few seconds and if that isn't embarrassing I don't know what is.
Okay, he was handsome as hell. Black hair, mischievous eyes, fair skin and super defined featured, he had the whole thing going on for him. And the best part about him? His smile. I was a sucker for dimples and smiles and he had them in abundance. How can someone as mortal as me resist someone as other-worldly as him? I was only a human. I had seen my share of adonis like men during my time at the Exarch, and he didn't even hold a candle to them but there was this thing. Something about him that just made him feel, I don't know, closer to me. Like we connected. I was screwed big time!
Turning scarlet, I smiled and waved hi to him walking to his side of the corridor. And sure enough, he was smirking, probably seeing my starstruck expression. "Hey there", I said stretching my hand. Gosh, eager much?
Nevertheless, he smiled, "Hey", he said shaking my hand. His voice. Lord, I was seeing love signs in my eyes after hearing his voice. It's exactly like I had always fantasized about. It wasn't super deep like a bear growling, neither did it sound like Justin Beiber's from when he was a teen. It was just the right mixture, it was perfect. It was like I was under a spell.
I had already planned our marriage, kids and imagined how we would look when we were old by the time he stopped shaking my hand. "Have you seen Mrs. Gambhir yet?" he asked. I shook out of my thoughts and shook my head, "Nope, just got here."
"Oh well, show me your poem?" he asked. I was ready to make babies with him if he asked, but suddenly like a switch had flipped back, I arched an eyebrow, "Why?" I asked. I had a reputation to maintain. And his friends, I shouldn't forget his friend's group. "Because we don't have anything better to do?" he asked. I arched my brow higher. "That is such a stupid reason", I said. I had better control over my emotions now. The fog was lifting and the spell broke. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours", he said trying to negotiate. I could tell he was curious and I would be lying if I said I wasn't dying to find out if he was any good at writing.
"Okay", I said handing over my paper and taking his. His poem was absolutely horrible. All I could make out was it was on destruction and war. He tried to bring a dark feel to it but his choice of words was absolutely wrong and there was nothing in the poem that could be understood or salvaged. It was also extremely short. Like before anyone understood what was happening, it came to an end. The only thing I managed to make out was his name in that same scratchy handwriting as before. Daksh Arya.
I looked up when he suddenly snorted. "Like I expected", he said returning my paper and taking back his. "Excuse me?" I said completely annoyed at his tone. "Your poem is exactly what I had expected it to be. About love, prince's sweeping princesses off their feet and all of that sweet and mushy stuff", he made a face as if he ate something bad.
I was going to launch into a rant to tell him how shitty his poem truly was, but then I thought better of it. I'm trying to change, aren't I? "Well I thought your poem was too short", was all I said. "Yeah well the kind of topic I selected is supposed to be short", he answered with attitude. What an asshole, if only I could tell him what exactly I thought of his poem. No babies, no marriage, his attitude is too annoying for my taste.
"You're Bengali?" he asked me suddenly. Startled yet again I nodded. "How did you know?" "It's written on top of your poem", he said grinning. Well okay then. "Are you from West Bengal too?" I asked. "Nope, but I'm fluent in Bengali. My dad and his side of the family had lived in Kolkata for a long time." "Oh", I say, "That's great."
"Are you here for the poetry?", we looked at the source to see Mrs. Gambhir standing there. We pushed off the wall immediately and answered, "Yes Mam."
"Very well, who wants to give me their sample first?" she asked. I motioned to him.
Mrs. Gambhir started reading his poem. A few seconds later she looked at him from under her glasses and said, "What is the poem about?" I could barely contain my laughter. Have you seen a balloon losing its air? That is exactly how Daksh's face was. Inflated. "About destruction mam", he said not sure of himself anymore. Mrs. Gambhir grunted, "Make the poem longer and show me again by tomorrow", she said having finished scanning his paper and turned to me. "Show me yours", she said and I handed over my paper to her. For whatever reason, Daksh stayed back and didn't leave right then even when he had every reason to.
"Hmm. You have a beautiful way of putting words and your writing is very smooth and graceful. Elegant even. I want you to take part in this competition Naina. But the topic for the competition is any current social issue. Can you manage to write something on that?" she told me. I was in seventh heaven. "Definitely mam", I said. "Good, the competition is next Monday. It'll start from about eleven even if the time on the notice says ten", she says rolling her eyes, "Be there on time and get your friends. We need an audience." She nodded at me once and then left us there.
"That turned out well", Daksh said after a few minutes. "Well I'm Daksh Arya by the way," he said. I smiled. "Naina. Naina Majumder".
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YOU ARE READING
The Right Kind Of Wrong
RomanceNaina Majumder and Daksh Arya have been best friends for almost three years now. They are each other's closest friends and life is good. Cue, tragedy. Naina's brother passes away and she packs herself into a cocoon. All she has is a set of rules a...
