Us │✔

29│So Close

Jivika~

January.

Despite being January, Mumbai can't keep the soft drizzle away. Watching those crystals kiss the green tips, not only spreads the earthy petrichor but makes me relish the moment, wholeheartedly. Had someone told me a year ago that January would bring rains in Bombay, I would've laughed it off. But what was happening in front of me was undeniable, the climate was changing and so was Mumbai. 

"Check out this meme I made about Lavanya and Rhea!" gushed Amaya, smashing her phone on our faces. Okay. This was pretty funny.

"Children, go back to class. Since it's raining you can't go to the ground," instructed our coach. Blocking his suggestion, we moaned, "Sir please!" with extreme ferocity, and he had to agree to our demands.

"Fine. But remember, children and teachers from other schools are here for the exhibition. Be on your best behavior. Don't go out in the rain. Boards are barely a month away, I don't want any complaints from your parents."

He had to be the best teacher in the whole school. The one who always sides with the students, the one who has more authority than our principal.

"Why is this place stinking of Odomos?" asked Kiara, scrunching her nose with disgust. On her comment, I noticed the foul smell lingering in the air, destroying the freshness of rain spread moments ago. The smell intensified as Shreyansh popped up in front of us, out of nowhere. Paying no heed to our refusals, he dabbed the whole tube into our hands, demanding us to apply and, proceeded to do the same with Amaan, Pranav and rest of the class.

"Later when you catch Malaria, then you'll realize its importance! Those nasty mosquitos, pah!"

Washing our hands under the nearby tap, I felt myself glancing at the demolished part of the school. The rubble lay still as the construction work was put to halt. That wing of the building was declared unsafe and it had to be broken down. I remembered how every person used to hide there for Hide-And-Seek because the seeker was always scared of strolling into a deserted building. Not to mention, the ghost of an ex-dance teacher drifting there, who died quite tragically. So tragic, that our school never appointed a dance teacher again.

Gathering a few chairs we formed a circle. We as in the girls of our class, all of us. Few curious glances and peeks from the visiting students had not gone unnoticed by us. Poor them. How would they know what was in store for them? Bored out of her wits, Kajal came up with an idea.

"Dares anyone?"

"Let the party begin!"

"One, two, three."

"Four, five."

"Six, seven, eight."

"Nine, ten, eleven."

"Twelve."

"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen."

"Sixteen, seventeen."

"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty."

"Why me? Twenty one!"

Our very first culprit: Lavanya Sinha. After our traditional group discussion, we let her out for the dare. Rhea went along with her as the witness of the event, also as someone who could make the thing go a bit easier. Seconds later they returned, giggling all the way up here.

"What did he say? What did he say?" we asked, curiosity at its peak. Rhea answered on behalf of Lavanya, who probably needed a cure for her laughter. "She talked with him for sometime. You know, where are you from, which school, hobbies etc. It was all fine till that point. But when we were returning he told his friend, 'Dekh ladkiyaan tujhse baath karne nahi, mujhse baath karne aathi hai!' "
["See! Girls don't come to talk to you, they come to talk with me!"]