FRIENDSHIP (First Step To Love)
They both were walking on the streets. She was lost in her own thoughts, suddenly she heard him calling her, Hey Aastha where are you yar? What are you thinking so deeply about? Nothing Shlok i was just...she stopped when she noticed that he was ogling at a girl who was passing on the road, she hit him hard on his head. Ouch, Aastha what are you doing yar said shlok by rubbing his head, Exactly, even iam asking you the same what are doing? Aastha you know exactly what im doing im just making a beeline towards her. Shut up shlok said aastha and he started removing his shirt, Hey what are doing asked aastha looking around. Im doing exactly what you asked me to do. You said shirt up so im doing that. Oh god i asked you to zip up your mouth stupid. Oh i see, you need to mention that clearly aastha rani. They both were now sitting on the bench outside the park, He again started to do the same thing watching the girls until they disappears. She said nothing but simply observing him. After a few minutes a beautiful lady in light green chudidhar came to where they both were seated and asked for some address by showing some piece of paper. She noticed that shlok is not showing any interest in her, infact he just told the address and send her away, a person who won't leaves a single chance to flirt with the girls who approaches him, has let her go even without knowing her name, strange she thought. she put the same doubt in front of him. She is married aastha said he. How do you know? Just watch her feet. Ya shlok her sandals are good. Arey stupid im not telling to look at her sandals just look at her feet, she is wearing "Mettulu"(toe rings). Oh this is how all men will figure out about a women martial status, whether she is married or not. Not bad aastha rani your brain is functioning. Hehe very funny. Funny toh tum ho(Funny is you).
Acha shlok i have one more doubt. What are you waiting for spit out. Suppose if a women is married and she wears shoes, can men will figure out that she is married? Ofcourse aastha they can. But how will they knows that she is married without seeing mettulu. Arey aastha they will watch "THERE" saying this he moved his hand to the place where he is indicating about. Suddenly feeling awkward aastha started to adjust her dupatta. He observed her doing that and to make the situation light he said "I mean they look at nuptial chain (mangalsutra). So you too look at the same place right? No aastha why would i look there? Acha then why did you said that? Im telling about other men aastha. How did you know about what other men do? Arey its a common thing aastha, every men will do that, even i do the same he blurted out with irritation. Oh so you do the same thing right Mr.Shlok Agnihotri. Shlok was now confused as how to cover his mistake and how to divert the topic. Actually aastha...You won't change shlok. Arey why should i change yar, im not doing any mistake, im just doing what all guys will do, especially adult guys. You know why god has given eyes? Cuz to appreciate beautiful things and beautiful ladies and im just making better use of my eyes. Oh really? Yes aastha rani every boy has right to look at girls and do you know what does it mean if any boy does'nt look at a girl, it means that the girl has some defect in her. What? Yes aastha it's a universal logic. You and your stupid logic. You won't know about that aasthu baby. But shlok its not a good thing. Oh you stop it aastha don't give advises, you are advising me as if im trying you.
Shut up shlok,. Have you lost it? Hey Aasthu easy im sorry, now please you don't get angry, i seriously don't mean it promise he said by catching the skin of his throat in between his fingers, to which she smiled as she know he sometimes blurts without thinking. Seeing her smile he got relieved, Thank god aastha you smiled. Im so sorry aastha im just kidding. You're my friend Aastha,actually my best friend with whom i can share every thing. We can't be anything but just friends. So for now you can relax. She smiled yeah you're shlok. This time i've forgive you but next time don't you dare to speak such things or else i'll doom you got it, ok meri maa i'll take care of that but will you tell me the reason which is bothering you? Actually shlok i'm thinking about exams, she started fidgeting with the end of her duppata, he observed her doing that and said "Aastha exams are going to start after a week and i don't know why you are worrying about exams from now itself, you're the topper anyways. But shlok you know how the subjects are in this semester, they are bore and dry subjects as your face and i hardly passed in the first internals you know. Ya you're right but we have ample of time to prepare. Aastha you know what when a topper of class is panicking like this then think about an average student like me? She just stared him for few seconds and started to laugh out loud, he got confused as to why she was laughing like a mad and asked her about the same, but she was laughing profusely without answering him. He got irritated and asked in a bit loud voice " aastha what's so funny why are laughing like this, listen aastha if you won't answer me then i'll inform your dad about your internal marks". Thats it she stopped laughing and he smirked at her. Now tell me why are laughing? Nothing shlok i was just thinking about our school days and i was just...Now please don't tell me that you are thinking about that incident. Yes shlok im thinking about that incident saying this she again started laughing.
"GOOD MORNING MISS" everyone in the class wished when she entered the class room.Good morning students sit down.Miss a boy stood up and showed his little finger- shall i go to toilet Miss?Shlok it's just first period and your are asking for toilet,you came from your home right? What are doing at home? Don't you know you need to complete all your morning rituals at home in morning itself? Miss it's a nature call, i've done everything at home but,i drank lot of water before coming to school and its urgent now, please let me go to washroom. Shut up shlok, one more word from your mouth and i'll kick you out of the class.OK Students are you ready for the Test? Yes Miss said everyone in unison. Then shall we start the test? Yes miss. Note down the questions from the board and don't talk while writing the test and no cheating ok, saying this she turned towards the board to write the questions. Aastha you prepared for the test na, please show me said shlok, aastha who was busy in writing the test heard all his words but paid no heed to his words, when he got no response from her, he started calling her aastha, aastha please show me. Aastha decided to irritate him so, she started to pretend as if she had not heard him. Shlok got irritated with her behaviour and kicked her on her leg from behind. Ouch ouch said aastha with pain. Everyone started to look at aastha, Teacher came running to the place where aastha is sitting and asked what happened aastha why are crying? Miss actually i got sprain in my leg. Stand up aastha came her Miss harsh voice, aastha got panic and stood up, look aastha if you've not prepared for the test, then just tell me i'll give you a simple punishment but don't give me lame excuses got it? Yes Miss and aastha if i caught you Cheating you're going to stand outside the class room whole day, keep this in your mind saying this she turned her heel towards her desk leaving aastha in tears. Adithi who was enjoying all this, smirked at Aastha. She started cursing shlok, "cuz of him i faced all this embarrasement". She thought of taking revenge from shlok but quit her thinking when she realised that if she provoke him he would do something which leads her to face more embaraasement, putting her thoughts aside she resumed her writing. Shlok felt guilty that cuz him Miss has scold aastha, he wants to apologise, wants to say sorry to aastha infront of Miss and whole class. He watched her writing the test, she was calm and composed looking like a pure and innocent baby.
20mins left, said Miss. Aastha raised her head and watched her miss who is busy in reading some novel or magazine. Shlok has not started his test, the reason is simple he has not prepared for the test and he posses nil knowledge about the subject. He wants to ask aastha but something is stopping him from doing so. All this while aastha is thinking that why shlok is not poking her as she knew that he has not prepared for the test. She had already done with her test and was waiting to submit it. 15 more minutes, Came the voice again. Shlok was nervously glancing here and there for the source. Aastha turned her head back and found shlok peeping into a boy's answer sheet but the boy is casing his answer sheet, she felt pity for shlok so she decided to help him, shlok she whispered, shlok turned his head towards aastha and felt happy that she was talking to him, her another action made him more happy, she hold her answer sheet in such a way that he can see all the answers, he was so happy that he bend forward gave a peck on her cheek and mumbled a thanks to her. He started copying everything from her answer sheet, in his hurriedness he even copied her name and roll number. Shlok make it fast only 8mins left said aastha. 2mins aastha im almost done.
After few minutes, Teacher stood up from her seat and asked everyone to tie up their sheets as only two mins left to end the test. Everyone tied their answer sheets and was waiting for the bell to ring. The bell rang after 2mins and the teacher started to collect the answer sheets. Everyone is giving their answer sheets while shlok was still busy in writing, aastha one more blank left please answer me, she showed the answer but it was not visible to him so he asked her to say it vocally, she did as he asked her to do. Just then their teacher came towards them, shlok and aastha whats going on? Aastha began to tense, shlok observed her and said, nothing Miss i was asking for eraser. Oh i see, have you both finished you test? Yes Miss both said in unison and gave their answer sheets, she collected all the sheets and went back to her desk to evaluate them.
Exactly After half an hour she started to announce the marks. Vamshi 18 out of 25 can do better, kiran 15 very poor marks, sakshi 18, ramya 22 good, siddharth 20 good, Adithi 20 good... and aastha i got two papers by your name and i know only one aastha and that is you where is the other one? Aastha stood up at her place. Shlok realised that he not only copied answers but her name and roll no. too. shlok agnihotri can you please come here? He slowly started to move towards her desk, Aastha you too she heard her harsh voice and like a frightened kitten she moved towards her. Now they both were standing at her desk facing her. Now you both tell me who had copied? Both aastha and shlok glanced each other and the next instant aastha lowered her head, so aastha its you right? Do 100 sit ups aastha by holding your ears infront of whole class. Aastha glanced at shlok and moved towards the platform but shlok stopped her by holding her wrist. Miss its completely my fault, i've copied from aastha's sheet, astha has nothing to do with this she is innocent said shlok in one breathe. Aastha come with me said their teacher and aastha simply followed her leaving a completely confused fifth standard shlok agnihotri behind.
He was expecting some punishment from his Miss, but she took aastha to where? He don't know. Suddenly a boy from the same class came near him and said-"Arey shlok yeh tumne kya kiya(Shlok what you've done)? Miss took aastha to her room what if she beats Aastha? Hearing this shlok felt a surge of anxiety within him. No no sid that can't happen its my mistake not aastha's. I've copied from aastha's sheets not aastha, so im the one to receive the punishment she is very tiny to take beatings. Yes but you know how Miss Bhanu is, she is very aggressive, what if she... no sid don't say that, for the first time a mulish shlok agnihotri felt bad for aastha, he always enmeshed her in front of her and his parents, But that was just for fun. She always cried because of him and he liked to see her crying but today he don't want her to cry, he don't want to see her in tears atleast not for his mistake. The thought of aastha facing Miss Bhanu's irascibility making him feel restless. He was sweating very badly and to top of it he had to visit to washroom, he was holding from very long. He started to fidget with his tie while cursing his teacher for putting him in this situation.
After few hours what seemed like ages Miss Bhanu stood at the entrance of the class room along with a little aastha. Before they both would enter the class shlok ran to aastha "Aastha are you ok did she beat you said shlok by pointing his index finger to his teacher?" "shlok agnihotri" she yelled his name at top of her voice. The whole class gone to Pin-drop silence. Where are your manners? Is this the way to talk to your teacher? Miss Bhanu was shaking with anger. Shlok swallowed the phlegm and was about to speak... Aastha come here said Bhanu Miss to which aastha came and stood on the platform. Shlok was still confused as he is unable to figure out what's happening? Students, like always aastha scored highest marks in this test, she scored 24 out of 25 so give her a big hand. Expect adithi whole class started to clap for aastha. Clapping for someone won't breaks you hands Adithi said the teacher. Adithi reluctantly clapped for aastha. All the while aastha was silent. Suddenly Teacher turned to Shlok "So shlok agnihotri what should i do with you? Should i beat you or complain about your doings to principal and your parents? I'm really sorry Miss actually i was in a real hurry so i just copied aastha's roll num and her name. i assure you i won't repeat the same mistake next time. Saying that the teacher was shocked would be definitely an understatement, she was beyond shock or more than that. Shlok agnihotri you are a real spoilt brat saying this she took a long stick from her desk and hit him hard on his buttocks that's it all his constraints to hold it came to an end and he peed in his knicker there itself. You stupid fellow you're not a kid of Nursery of LKG, you are a fifth standard boy. Miss it's all your fault i've told you that... shut up you idiot, don't you have any shame, you're are arguing in this situation also, go to washroom, you've already messed whole class room with urine now get lost. Shlok looked at his friends who were laughing at him, feeling embarrassed he ran to washroom but before that he rubbed his snotty nose to his teacher's saree pallu who was oblivious to another mischief of little but not little pig-headed shlok agnihotri.
They both started laughing on remembering their childhood days, shlok you're so stupid, you used to do lot of mischevious things, everyone used to scold you. Ya ya i do mischief even now. Shlok i wonder, what if the same situation occurs now, i mean what if any of our faculty caught you cheating in exam and if they scold you infront whole class, would you pee in your pants? Hearing this question he stared her like a predator, to which she started to laugh very loud by catching her stomach, aastha ab bus bhi karo yar, arey kitna hasoge (aastha stop it yar,how much will you laugh). No shlok just answer my question said she. Arey tab mein chota bacha tha(i was a kid that time), now im a grown up man and quite matured and why would i pee infront of whole class and that too infront of girls. Acha so Mr.shlok agnihotri i think you're suffering from short term memory loss, let me remind you, that day you've peed infront of me. Ha voh baat alag hai, tum mujhe bachpan se janthi ho(it's a different thing, you know me from childhood). Toh kya mein bhi ek ladki hoon(so what even im a girl). Acha, he moved closer to her and whispered in her ear proof kya dikhav(is it what is the proof show me?) What aastha opened her mouth which is representing a complete 360 degree circle "O". Seeing her reaction, unable to control his laughter, shlok started laughing. Aastha tum bhi na, you're soo dumb seriously. She realised that he was pulling her leg. Acha shlok stop it now, you've laughed more than enough. Khun ab tak tho bada haas rahi thi ab kya hua, haaso na(why, you were laughing few minutes back, what happened now,come on laugh). Aastha rani did you got it now, how it feels when somebody laughs at you. Yeah thank you guru ji for making me understand. Tumhara kalyaan ho balika(may everything good happen to you girl) said shlok by putting his palm on her head as if giving Aashirvaad.
Ok stop it now, Bhanu Miss is right about you. Acha aastha i forgot to ask you, that day she took you out of the class room, where did she took you and what did she said? No it's a top secrect i won't reveal it to you shlok. Please aastha im asking you the same question for umpteenth time tell na. I can't say it shlok. Why baby? Cuz if i reveal what Bhanu Miss told me about you, then you'll hang yourself with your own pants and moreover i made a promise to Bhanu Miss that i won't say anything to you, till the perfect situation arrives. To the hell with your promise aastha. Shlok, Miss bhanu is a good teacher. Good teacher? Astha have you forget how she beat me that day in front of whole class that too infront of girls? Ya i remember shlok, how would i forget that. Aastha, now you don't start it all over again, im serious. Even im serious shlok, i've showed you my answer sheet but instead of copying only answers you've copied my name and roll no. too. Now don't think that im making fun of you, im just making you to see your mistake, it may not be a big mistake but Big or Small, Mistake is a Mistake. And Im not defending Bhanu Misss either, but you did a mistake and instead of accepting it you're creating fuss over there, you're arguing with her. She is our Miss yar, she is elder than us and we need to respect our elders, thats what we learned in school right? Yeah right. And instead of respecting her, you insulted her infront of whole class. When did i insulted her aastha? You insulted her shlok. Just think how she felt when you pointed your finger on her face in front of whole class. It was a complete silence, Few minutes later he said- You're right aastha, aastha yar "Yeh sab tune tab khun nahi bataye" (Why did you not said all this then?) arey ajeeb baat hai yar tab mein choti thi (strange im a kid then), tab mein bhi chota tha(even im a kid then). Oh god put some sense into this pig-headed man's head. 2minutes later "Aastha i made a mistake right?" She turned her head and looked into his eyes, guilt was clearly visible in his eyes, what? Why are staring me like that? She smiled and spoked ever so softly "Shlok Everyone makes mistakes, and that's why we are called as humans. And when we made any mistake we should'nt hesitate in accepting it, you know "Honesty Is The Best Policy". All the while he was staring at her-"she is so pure and innocent, so soft and kind at heart, she don't know how to manipulate others, don't know how Cruel the world is? How will she survive in this dirty world?
Oye, where are you? what are thinking? Aastha's voice brought him back to the real world. What happened shlok? Nothing aastha i was thinking that from where did you got all this gyan(knowledge)? Ha shlok woh Ma... she stopped unable to speak further. Aastha, shlok called out her whose back was now facing him. her breath got hitched in between her heart and her throat. Shlok put a hand on her shoulder and made her to look at him, his heart pained to see her in tears, he cupped her face "aastha look at me nothing happens to you, i'll stay with you" saying this he hugged her tight with all his might. She was sobbing in his arms very badly. She was hiccupping making his favourite shirt wet with her tears, but he was not bothered about that, if anything matters to him at that time, is the girl in his arms whom he claimed her as his best friend. All this while he was sushing her by rubbing her back careful enough not to touch her back bone. After few minutes she broke the hug and looked at his shirt which is messed with her tears and mascara and then looked up to his face. He smiled and cupped her face-"The only thing that matters is you and your happiness". She smiled -"im fine shlok said she. Is it, so sad aastha im thinking about taking you to a pani-puri stall if you're not fine but if you're saying that you're fine then i'll quit that plan. Shlok, she smiled which is now reaching her eyes, he again took her into a friendly hug unknown to the fact that some pair of eyes is watching the scene. For those who are unaware of their relation would definitely misunderstand that hug. But the ones who are well aware of them and their relation, will quit their thinking at the stage of friendship itself. When she was in his arms he made a silent promise to himself that he would protect her till his last breath.
(But is that possible? If so, till how long he can stand on his promise? Will they fall for each other or will they remain as friends itself? Only time can answer all these qustions)
"WHEN DESTINY FORGETS TO TIE SOME PEOPLE IN BLOOD RELATION...
IT CORRECTS ITS MISTAKE BY MAKING THEM TRUE FRIENDS..."
Edited by prince_mb - 11 years ago
