Chemically Bonded

Chapter 1.

Word count: 1460 words

The bus stop
7.40 a.m.

"Mumma,I am serious.I don't feel okay.
Come na let's go back home.I'll go to school tomorrow na pakka." Nandini pleaded.

"Nandu.Cut this drama baby.Its the first day of your ninth standard.You're a big girl now.Stop pulling out these excuses please." Mrs. Nalini Murthy said politely,tired of explaining for the 100th time.

"Mumma you're not understanding.How will I enter that class?How will I face the new people?How will I pass my day without my friends?Friends..." Nandini felt a lump in her throat as she thought of all her memories with her old friends.

"Nandini.Its not like you're going to a new school ba-"

"Nahi maa.Its exactly like going to a new school.What dirty games is God playing with me haan?I was finally so happy.Anirudh,Zoya,Navya; they all had become a part of my life."

"But they will still be there na baaba.You can meet them in break."

"For 5 minutes?Or 10?That's it?Vaise meri qismat toh dekho aap.The school people are just shuffling sections of 5 people from each section and I am one."

"Arre it's good na.You will have 40 new people to befriend." Mrs Murthy explained.

"You don't understand this school politics maa.No parent does.Nobody in the new class will accept me.Children these days are very clever." Nandini replied.

"Yeah that toh is definitely the truth.Children these days are very clever." Mrs. Murthy teased while Nandini gave her a look and smiled.

They saw the school bus about one kilometer away.

"Accha nandini.The bus is here.Just remember.You are the best child.Me and your dad are proud of you.And be happy about the fact that your best bud,Abhimanyu is tagging along with you on your new venture.I hope you make tons of new friends" Mrs Murthy said in a breath and pecked Nandini's cheek.

"I'll miss you maa.And yes,I have no other option rather than staying with Abhi,the idiot." Nandini said as she entered the bus.

Nandini sat on her favourite place in the bus.Just two seats in front of the last seat.She had no friends in the bus so she usually sat alone.She didn't mind though as the bus ride was hardly 15 minutes.

It was her usual since so many years now.Enter the bus,occupy your seat,lean by the window pane,play beautiful songs in your head while you think about some romantic sequences and boom..You're at school.

Nandini Murthy,she was all about music,reading and stars.
She had read too many love novels and had a very idealistic view of love.

♡

The bus dropped the children at the back gate of the school.They had to walk all their way inside the building and into their classes.

It was different for Nandini today.Usually,Navya,Zoya,Anirudh and Abhimanyu waited for her at the gate.But today she felt shocked or moreover hurt to find nobody.

She checked her wrist watch.It was 8.02 a.m.

'Maybe they were getting late.Vaise bhi the first bell rings at 8.10 a.m. Maybe I'm overthinking.Maybe.' she thought.

Her class was to be on the ground floor in the same corridor as the tenth standard.She missed climbing up the stairs though.

She walked quietly to the class.She knew where it was.She had come here to visit some seniors with Zoya the last year.