The 7 Signs

Chapter 6

Day 5 23rd April (Friday)

When I reached my bus stop, I didn't expect Charboda to come but when I saw him slowly coming towards me. I was delighted but somehow worried to see him because he was cold.

"Hi!" He said.

"Hello! How are you today?" I asked cheerfully.

"Feeling better, but still coughing! (Coughs)" he answered.

"What are we going to do today?" I asked.

He paused and Asked "Is today Computer period!"

"Fortunately, Yes!" I answered; he smiled back and asked "Found anything yesterday?"

"Yes, that the class bunkers were captured by Mukesh sir on 12th" I said.

The bus arrived and we got in. When we sat on the seat Charboda asked "Who told you!" "One of the suspects, Punnit." I said.

"Well, he can also give you wrong info!" He said.

"If he does, then we will confirm it from Mukesh sir." I said.

"You are becoming brighter day by day!" he said.

"I am working with the brightest student of this section!" We laughed. After so many days we laughed together.

I was hiding the secret about Ankita and me. I wanted to hide it inside me forever.

When we reached school Charboda and I went down the bus and kept talking.

When we reached the classroom the first person I saw was Ankita talking with her friend kept watching me. I felt a sudden shock and tried ignored her.

The computer period was in the 5th period and we were 4 periods away.

Then we talking then I peeped to see if she was watching me or not. To my surprise she wasn't but then she looked at me and smiled.

I turned my face away. "Where are you looking Aditya?" Charboda asked me.

"Nowhere Just eyeing the suspects." I said.

I ignored Charboda and kept playing the small game between me and Ankita. Well, she was kind of cute and I somehow started to like her.

I wanted to talk to her but then my dreams were crushed by Charboda. "Focus what we are doing here Aditya, It's important."

"Yes!" I said and thought 'first case and then the girl'. We discussed about the case.

"I am suspicious about you!" Charboda mocked.

"Bout me, why?" I asked

"Are you in love with someone?" He mocked again.

"NO! No! Nobody, i told you eyeing the suspects..." I said casually.

He eyed me for sometime then, we discussed the case.

"How can we meet Mukesh sir?" I asked.

"Mmm, I was thinking about that too!" Charboda replied.

Then somebody herd our talk and I saw someone tapping on Charboda's shoulder. She was none other than Ankita.

My heart stopped, I was frozen like stone, How did she managed to change her place behind me!

"Mmm, why you two want to meet Mukesh sir?" She asked.

"Why do you want to know that?" Charboda asked her.

"Well, I'm her daughter!" She replied.

A second bomb dropped on me! My grey cells were getting out of control...I thought how would I be able to propose her if her father is my school teacher.

I looked at Charboda and he looked at me, only he  smiled.

"We want the names of all the class bunkers of this class on 12th does he have their names?" Charboda asked.

"Well, I saw once my dad talking about those bitches at home, he might have their names!" She said thoughtfully.

The word 'bitches' wouldn't neither go inside my brain nor in my heart. I looked at Charboda and he looked at me, Charboda smiled again.

"Why, are you two smiling!" she asked.

"Aah! No.... I mean nothing, just don't mind the conversation!" I broke my silence.

She looked at me and smiled 'Conversation?' and said "I will ask him today and give it to you on Monday!"

"Can't we get our information by faster means?" Charboda asked.

"Uhh, No I can't I don't use phones!" She laughs and turns away.

'She is smart' I thought. I had thought that she was easy to set up with but now I think I have to change my decision.

As the second period ended and third period started our anxiety increased. Some times Charboda turned back to ask her questions but I didn't. I was scared of her, but then I thought.

She is not a witch or a ghost who would eat me up, she is just a girl of my age who has started to like me and I the weakest person in the world who doesn't have that much guts to talk to a girl.

I prepared myself and turned back and asked her question related to study and then I turned to front and congratulated myself like I have won an Olympic gold.

As the fourth period started the computer teacher came in and we went towards the lab.

Charboda and I sat together with a small paper in which the signs were there

We started finding the exact pattern in the word processor. 1 gone, 2 gone, 3 gone, 4 gone we didn't find anything matching to that.

Half period elapsed on that, we tried our best. Charboda felt tired and he sank back.

Then came the fonts of Hindi we skipped that. Then our eyes turned towards the 'm' section where there was written 'MT Extra' and at last some signs matching the text.

"Got it!" I said.

"What?" Charboda asked.

"The font!" I said.

Then we wrote all the matching fonts on to it and got the text of main English letters. For my readers convenience it was like this:

s a t u k r h

"Puzzle inside a puzzle!" I said.

"Yes, I guess you are right!" Charboda mocked.

"We will solve it tomorrow!" said.

"Sat and Sun!" Charboda said.

Then the bell rang and we went out. As the fifth period ended break time took its cover.

The period was awesome! I was talking to Ankita even if talking to a girl that time was impossible. Well, I think......I had made another friend by the end of the break.

The four periods after break weren't much of a show but for information. Me and Ankita were chatting and Charboda was trying to solve the puzzle.

I thought Charboda would be feeling better now after getting the puzzle.

When we were returning towards home Charboda told me to come to his home but I refused and told him to come to my home. He agreed, telling me to serve me well..

He laughed and I laughed...

......