BEHIND THE MIRROR

Chapter 1

AARINI ROY

I have always been my dad's princess. Ever since my birth, I have always found solace in socializing. Speaking to people gave me the enjoyment, I always seeked from life. I was a free bird, in a society that believed in the so called "decencies" a girl should maintain.
I have climbed up to the guava trees at my granny's place; I have won inter school football and basketball tournaments; I have done everything that a girl is not supposed to do.
I sang in public, tunelessly, without fearing the judgement of people that can follow my action...
I have danced and tapped my feet whenever I heard my favourite music was being played.
I resided in a Bollywood plot of Karan Johar, where I neglected all imperfections of life and concentrated on whatever made me happy.
I don't know, if I'm boasting, but it would not be wrong to compare myself, to "Rancho" of "3 Idiots" in a world full "Virus".
A new boy had joined our school recently, and my interaction with him, on the initial days, was something not very pleasurable.
I can well remember, my first day:

"Umm... Excuse me...! Is someone siting here ?", I enquired, to a boy sitting on the 4th bench, as I entered the class.
He looked up and kept staring at me, for quite some time.
"What's there to stare at me like that...? Umm... well, are new to this school...? Haven't seen you before, actually...!", I went on speaking, without pausing for a second.
"Yes... I'm new... I joined yesterday.", came the reply.
Without waiting for the reply, as to anyone was sitting on that bench or not, I kept down my heavy bag, and looked around the class once, making sure, I was in the right section.
"Ohh, hi..! I'm Aarini... Aarini Roy...! You...?", I offered a handshake.
"Hello...! I'm Ashrit Mukherjee...!", he shook hands with me, and again concentrated on his thick, fat physics book... The behaviour, somehow disgusted me.
"Who studies in school..!! He's not of my types...! I mean, he's very quiet, he is too much bookish...!! He could have introduced himself, a bit more illustratedly...! Ohh God, what's wrong with people these days...!! Why can't they be like me..?!", I thought to myself, as I faked a smile for him.
"Hey Aaru...! I missed you babes...!", my best friend hugged me from behind.
I gave a wicked smile as I replied, "Ohh! I didn't... I didn't miss you at all...!"
And then there was laughter that accompanied. After all, some lies can well be detected.
"Hey listen!", I took Suravi aside. "He joined yesterday?? Like, do you know, where is he from ? I mean, school and all...?"
"Why are you so interested...?", Suravi teased
"Say please...! Just curiosity...! Owning my heart, isn't that easy, you know that well...!", I replied
"I don't know, actually... He is very quiet... He just spoke to the teachers yesterday. All I know is that, he's a topper fellow. Dipak Sir was saying, in chemistry class.", Suravi informed.
"I see! I don't like toppers much. They don't enjoy life...! You only tell me, how can you enjoy life, without speaking, dancing around, singing songs in public, and being a free bird..!?", I made a weird face.
"Aaru, stop being judgemental, everyone is different...!", Suravi pulled my cheeks and hugged me, before leaving the class, to go to the morning assembly. I ran behind her, as she left.

The first period was Physics. Adjusting my bag on the bench, I looked at the boy. He was still busy marking some portions of his book, with a neatly sharpened pencil. I didn't feel like sitting there. I looked around, trying to find a single empty bench, where I could shift.
But there were none...
"Our teacher is absent today", our monitor, suddenly brought a good news. Sitting quietly was not in my nature, I looked at him, and somehow trying to be a bit friendly, I initiated a topic.
"Hey, umm... Where do you come from? I mean, which school...? I've been studying here since childhood. All the teachers and students and everyone knows me. I am quit famous, you know. Aarini Roy...! Naam toh sunahi hoga...!", I laughed out, after speaking my last sentence in SRK style...
He looked at me. Again, for quite some time. And then, staring right into my eyes, he questioned, "Do you speak such lot, since birth...? I mean, you ask a question, and then give unwanted information about yourself !! Atleast, wait for a reply...!"
"Unwanted...?? Sorry...? Knowing about someone, you're sharing a bench with, is unwanted to you...? Alien or what..? How can you even be alive without interacting with people?", I was disgusted.
"Look, what was your name...!? Ohh right, Aarini... Look Aarini, just because I'm not like you, it does not mean, that I don't enjoy my life... I hate socializing. I'm not like you. We just met today, and you know nothing about me! And we are quarreling! This is absurd...", he was rude enough.
"I'm really sorry that I wanted to become friends with you. An antisocial like you doesn't deserve to have friends!!", I was equally rude.
"Yes, hello...! You guys are in a classroom. Either keep quiet or I will put your names on the board...!", our "Man-eater" (monitor) threatened us.
Avinash was my childhood friend. He could somehow feel my situation and called me, "Aarini...!! There's an empty place ... You can come over here..."
The words at that moment were probably the best thing that I could have ever heard. I hurriedly packed my bag and as I was going to stand up, something held my hand... I looked beside. My watch's pin had somehow got stuck in a net like thing, in his bag. I started fidgeting to free myself. "I'm helping you...!", Ashrit spoke. Before I could reply anything, he held my hand and started his try. I don't know, but there was something different in his touch. No, I am not actually hinting anything about sexuality, but something different. His hands were ice cold and as it touched my warm skin, I somehow loved that temperature difference. I don't know why.
In the next minute, I shifted beside Avinash. Sitting there I looked at the 4th bench once. There were no reasons, but I did. Aashrit was looking back too. What was it, that made both of us, look at each other...? That difference in opinion or that quarrel or our rudeness for each other or something else...??
I didn't think about it anymore. "A boy, who was rude with me, can never even be a part of my thought !!", I spoke to myself, as the ending bell of the 1st period broke the silence, that our monitor made us prevail in the class...
Next was an English class. English literature...