AKHIL ANAND

Let me tell you something about my self my name is Akhil, Akhil Anand no family and hardly any friend .Its Just me and my little dog Kruger, we play together, eat together and talk with each other. I am 17 years old with a bit of attitude. I think I am handsome, the girls however might beg to differ, I said might and not necessarily. Well I will have to ask Alan. Who’s Alan hmm nice she is nice, beautiful actually very beautiful.

Ok to be honest to you, see I sort of like her, I wait for her everyday at my school gate it is another thing that when she enters the gate I look other ways pretending not seeing her, Ravinder knows about it, Ravinder who? Well didn’t I tell you I hardly have any friend he’s my hard friend. Nice boy! Very tough, I like him a lots .He knows about Alan and me, actually about me; about Alan even I don’t know. May be she also looks other ways when I look at her just like me?

She is Indo English if I may say so, Father Indian mother English; I am a patriot you see so India comes first. About me, my parents were Punjabi so even I am, so is Ravinder he is a Sikh boy but from Alwar in Rajasthan. He’s got his parent’s- father, mother and a young Brother too, Lucky guy. Even I am lucky, I have him as a friend.

Today is the special day everyone had been waiting for, me too more than anybody else. Ravinder even went to the saloon for a facial yesterday, he told me so. Today was the farewell party for the students of tenth and twelth; and the students of ninth and eleventh were organizing it for them. We were students of eleventh standard.

At this moment Sandeep ,as always ,was cycling through the school gate, he waved I waved back .He was putting on a new dress unlike me; I was putting on my best. Miss Chitnis the chemistry teacher passed us and smiled approvingly at my dress and did I blush man. I looked towards the gate hopefully, no sign of her yet. Ravinder patted my back, assuring me in a way.

“Good morning” Sandeep came and joined us he too was a nice guy but very silent kind and hardly spoke with anyone except the two of us.

“Good morning” We shook hands he smelled of Pears soap, Ravi and me both took a long breath together and smiled and he blushed even more than me.

“Don’t worry Ravi had been to a beauty Saloon yesterday” I told Sandeep and ducked to avoid Ravi’s mock punch.

“I believe your Good morning has not yet begun” Sandeep smiled looking at me and I smiled shaking my head in a negative.

Other people were pouring in slowly dressed in different shades and colours and most of them were unrecognizable in the different casual attires. Only the smile and joy was common on everyone’s face.

“Today is the day! So tell her,” Ravinder said squeezing my shoulders in his inimitable style. “You have to tell her one day so why not today?”

“I know yaar, but how should I? I start stammering when she comes in front of me.

“You don’t stammer in front of Shikha or Renuka, they both are crazy about you?” Ravinder said smiling.

“Nonsense they just like my poems nothing else and no need to be sarcastic” I said with a bit of frustration, knowing well that Ravi could be right.

“Lets go to the canteen”, Sandeep suggested and we move towards the canteen .The canteen is also unusually crowded in morning today. While we entered the canteen I felt I saw a girl elbowing Shika because she turned back immediately and smiled when she saw me. I smiled back and Ravi pinched my shoulders again.

It always happens guys, you run behind someone who is not yours and run from someone who could be yours. Life’s like that, I knew Shikha liked me a lots but I loved Alan and I couldn’t help it. We all like to pretend that we like truth but we generally don’t have courage to face it. Look at me; what do I have to be proud of? What do I have to offer Alan when I present my self in front of her .She is a girl who since birth has seen and lived a lifestyle which boys like me just dream of .Her dad has got a car and me, I just got a old Atlas bicycle. 

We had a Samosa’s each and Ravinder paid for it. Shikha was busy talking to the other girls .She was wearing a pretty pink top over Denims. She was not putting on her spectacles today and was looking prettier than usual days. We came out of the canteen and moved towards our classroom to checkout all who have come and that is when she entered through the gate.

She was the magic I lived to see each day, except Sunday’s; it’s a holiday guys. I love the ways her short hair move around her angelic face when she walked. She has the face you see in some English movies but with dark black hair. She had a very beautiful and neat skin .I hurriedly tried looking away but she caught my eye. But I pretended as if I was not looking towards her.

She walked towards the classroom and we all froze like statues and my mind was playing her walk through the gate in slow motions .She was putting on a very light blue colored Denim jeans with a Blue Top .We got the whiff of a very light and expensive perfume when she crossed us chin up. She always walked straight and erect taking full advantage of her height .I had never seen her slouched or walk lethargically; She had that elegance in her walk, which is rare amongst most of the girls. All three of us took a very long breath again and followed her at a very safe distance towards the classroom. 

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The Auditorium was buzzing with colorful excitement, everyone was excited. People were shaking hands hugging each other; the MC was on the microphone yelling this and that’s. Outgoing students were being invited one by one to tell their experiences .A few of them wept onstage and a few cheered the school. Farewell mementoes were being presented to the outgoing students.

I noticed Alan was sitting along with Shikha or was it the vice versa .I was wondering what Shikha was mumbling to her despite the loud noise of the loudspeaker.

 “What is Shikha doing with Alan?” Ravi whispered to me when hall was silent for a moment.

“Even I was wondering” I replied .It was true, as never before I had seen them together.

“When are you going to read out the Poem?” Ravi asked me.

“In the end may be” I replied rubbing my sweaty palms on my trousers.

“Look at George” Ravi pointed out to me. George was standing near Alan’s chair and was talking to her .He, like many boys, was also in love with Alan. Incidentally he thought too highly of himself, and why not he had a rich dad .He has this habit of forcing himself on other weather people like him or not .I didn’t like him for obvious reasons but was on talking terms with him.

Alan was smiling at whatever he was telling her and Shikha turned around and saw me looking and smiled. I waved back slightly embarrassed at being caught spying. Ravi was busy talking to some guy on his adjacent seat and I was feeling so lonely sitting amidst the crowd. Everyone had some or other thing to talk about and laugh about and I had nothing and almost no one to talk to. I felt so depressed that I felt like leaving the place but some hope kept me back.

They were shifting the chairs from the center to the sides of the Auditorium. I knew what it was all about; it was the only day dancing was officially permitted in the school. Dancing, boys and girls danced after choosing their partners like ballroom dancing. The music started to play and boys and some of the girls reluctantly took over the dance floor. It was always a boy inviting a girl to dance and never the opposite.

Ravi who had vanished somewhere suddenly came and sat down next to me .He smiled meaning fully “Won’t you dance?” he almost shouted over the loud sound of the music.

“With whom, you?” I asked teasingly.

“With her”, he thumbed towards Alan who was standing in the corner along with a few girls and clapping to cheer the dancing girls and boys.

I saw George dancing with Shikha and surprisingly felt anger rising in me, but then I didn’t have any reason to feel so. I started looking other ways and noticed Sandeep standing in a corner serious as always, he was more or less like me non-dancing type, I smiled at him and called him with a wave of my hand. He came gladly to be noticed in that crowd.

“No its not that, Just to be able to speak to her once     will be a dance for me.” I Replied.

“Then go and talk to her, ask her for a dance”, Ravi encouraged me from the other side.

“Are you crazy? Do you really think she will dance with me when she is not dancing with anyone?” I whispered to him in an irritated tone afraid of getting overheard.

“Hey see Shikha is calling you”, Sandeep tapped my shoulder and he pointed out towards where she was standing now with Alan .It was time to get nervous so I nervously moved towards them and I heard Ravi encouraging me again.

“Akhil you were supposed to read a poem, were you not?” Shikha asked me while Alan looked at me and saw her I first time so closely .She was so beautiful that I had never seen anyone like her, the big eyes were staring at my face and it was time to stammer.

“Yes, yes in the end after the dance”, that’s all I could stammer out nervously.

“Are you not dancing?”

“With Whom?”

“With Anyone with Alan” Shikha teased and I saw Alans stirred for a moment.

“Shall we?” I don’t know what overcame me and I suddenly without thinking for a moment pooped the question to Alan.

She seemed shocked for a moment and was looking at Shika and then at me, “excuse me?” She pressed.

“Alan will you dance with me?” I repeated with little courage, I found nothing wrong in asking it was the farewell party and so many boys and girls were dancing with each other.

“How dare you Alan? That was rather rude; it is most impolite and indecent thing to say” Shikha was almost shivering with rage now.