The Thing We Call First Love

Chapter 14 - The Smilekeeper

'ROHAN! ROHAN? YOU THERE?' was the words I spoke and everything over the phone went hazy. I couldn't hear anything. I was patient for about 10 seconds. After that I started shouting. I guess my patience level hit rock bottom that day.

I didn't even make any efforts to talk to Rohan for the past 2 days. The only reason was that I was mad at him. Thoughts came crumbling upon me. I began hating myself.

He definitely would not have forgot my birthday. He definitely would not go two days without talking to me unless he is unable to or in a grave situation or dead. Just the thought of him being dead sent chills down my spine.

It was right at that moment that the phone call disconnected. How can I take another heartbreak? He should be fine. Nothing should have happened to him. If something had happened, his mother would have definitely told me. So nothing should be wrong. I was trying to fill up my mind with every positive possible scenarios. 

Right then, I got a call from his mother's number.  My hands were trembling. Praying to God, I took the call. It was him. He was not dead. I was relieved. I heard his voice say 'YOU IDIOT. BELATED WISHES. I LEFT MY PHONE AT HOME AND DIDN'T HAVE YOUR NUMBER IN MY MOM'S PHONE.'

He was okay. I smiled for the first time that day. I asked him what had happened. He told me that his grandfather had passed away all of a sudden and since they were in a hurry, he had left his phone at home and added that he'd be back the next day.

I didn't want to tell him what had happened over the phone. So I asked him to meet me first thing in the morning the next day and disconnected the call. That night I never slept. I was thinking of how I was wrong to think that Rohan would forget my birthday. I decided to apologise to him inspite of it being not our style.

The next morning, I was early to school. I was waiting for Rohan near his classroom. That idiot didn't turn up. As always he was late for the assembly.

I saw him getting scoldings from the incharge teacher for coming late as I was heading to class after the assembly. He also saw me. I shouted 'MORNING BREAK' so that he would understand what I was meaning. He understood it and gave me a thumbs up.

I headed back to class and was impatiently waiting for the morning break. In the morning break, I went to his class but he wasn't there. I began to lose my temper. Things don't ever go as how you plan them.

While I waited, I became fed up and decided not to tell the apology I thought of telling him. That idiot didn't show up for the entire break. When the bell rang, I told his classmates to tell Rohan to meet me at lunch and began my swift journey to my class.

On my way back, I saw him. He yelled 'IDIOT. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I WAS WAITING FOR YOU NEAR YOUR CLASS.' I yelled back saying that we would meet in lunch near the tree in the ground.

I went to class and I waited for lunch. It felt like ages. After I had pictured the conversation between Rohan and me in my head for about a thousand times, finally the bell rang.

Hoping that I should finally meet him, I went to the ground as fast as I could. Rohan was already standing there. Right when I went to him, he asked me an unexpected question which messed up all the scenarios I had in my head about our conversation.

'WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND RAMYA? WHY DID YOU HIT ARJUN?' He asked.

I was perplexed. He already knew everything. I asked him 'HOW?' with a surprised face. He told me what happened.

In the morning break, while he was waiting for me near my class, he had seen Ramya.

Without knowing anything that had happened, he had approached her. He had started 'SANJAY...' and Rohan for the first time saw her tomato face.

She yelled at him. She told him that she wasn't ready to talk to anyone and asked him how he could even show his face to her after Sanjay's punch to Arjun. After Rohan had told me this, I didn't know whether to laugh or apologize. I decided to do the former though.

Seeing me giggle, Rohan began shouting at me 'IDIOT. IT WAS EMBARRASSING. I HAVE NEVER FELT SO EMBARRASSED. YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION.'

Things never go the way you hope. I told him what happened. Just like I've said before, Rohan responds in the most unexpected way and his replies never fail to put a smile on my face even when I was pissed at life like I was then.