7 years ago

It was my last day at school, and I was feeling both happy and sad. Finally, I would be able to go to a new place and away from my life's biggest problem Ved and make new friends, but my mood was dampened because I wouldn't be able to torture him; moreover, Ayush was still not talking to me.

After his birthday incident, he didn't attend school for whole four months. And he wasn't the only one who had taken such a long leave; Ved was also absent for quite a good amount of time before he returned back for studies.

I queried about both of them with my classroom teacher, but she always told me to have patience and stop mentioning about them all the time. I knew she was hiding something because she did have information but was afraid to reveal it.

So, I let the matter go and doubted if Ayush finally got fed up of me and decided to change schools. But when he returned, I ran to hug him and started asking him where he was all these days. I wouldn't have minded if he would have just yelled at me or something, but he acted like he didn't know me at all.

Even though I didn't want to apologise for something I didn't do, I still said sorry to him countless times; he never bothered to even spare a glance though. At the end of the fifth grade, he got his section transferred and gave me a note telling me to stay away from him.

Ved was always around him and glaring at everyone who came to ask Ayush about why he was absent from school. Ayush would just zone out and start crying without any reason. A few times, I tried to approach my best friend but would drop my plan after seeing Ved sporting an enraged expression. I talked about it with my parents and they told me not to worry and have patience - which I had great difficulty doing.

Thus, on the day of my farewell which was also on the final Parents Teacher meeting of our fifth grade, I gave a small speech in front of my classroom and decided to leave on a good note, but Ved stormed off after hearing that I was leaving and Ayush was just staring at me blankly like a robot.

Ved's stepmom went in search of him and when I felt that something bad might happen, I followed her after greeting some teachers. About five minutes later, I reached my school's senior section and noticed Ved sitting on a corridor wall while his mom tried to take him back to the class.

"How many times do I have to repeat that you are not my mom?!" Ved yelled.

"Please, beta, don't be so angry. I know I will never be able to take your mom's place, but you can give me a chance at least. Please, Ved," his stepmom begged.

"When you already know that, then why do you keep bugging me? My mom is dead, okay? She left me without telling me! Dad has married you, but you will always remain a stranger to me. Remember that!"

"Ved..."

"That dumbo is leaving too... Why does everyone leave me?" Ved mumbled and jumped off the wall.

He ran off after throwing a glare at his mom, who slumped down on the floor with her face in her hands. She kept sobbing incessantly and moved to the pavement. She wiped her eyes and mumbled some incoherent words to herself as I headed towards her.

"Are you okay, Aunty?" I asked.

She looked up at me and gave me a sad smile. "Yes, I am."

"No, you are not. Ved hurt you again, didn't he?"

"It isn't his fault; I am the one who arrived in his life unannounced. I don't know why everything I do turns out bad - I have been trying so hard, but nothing is working out."

"Maybe you are trying too hard," I stated.

"What?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Um... I don't know if it will make sense or not, but I feel it might help you. Ved is not my friend, but he lost his mother and it would be really bad of me if I didn't help when I could. If I was in his place, I don't know what I would have done. We are always fighting, but since it is my last day, I want to leave on a good note.

"I know that idiot and Ayush won't forgive me for ruining Ayush's birthday, but I wish they will get over it and forget about it since I won't be here to remind them of it every day." I smiled.

When Ved's mom had calmed down a little, I started my short story session and began a small ballet performance to entertain her and lift up her mood.

"When I was eight years old, I requested Mom to buy me a puppy, but she refused. So, I begged Dad to get me one and he agreed. Next day, we went to a pet shop, but all of the puppies were already sold. We went there for a whole one week, but we got no puppies.

"Dad told me that he would ask his friends, but he got busy in his work and the topic of getting me a dog was soon dismissed. I also forgot about it when my exams came up, but one day, Mom surprised me with a brown puppy she got from a friend of hers who lived in another colony.

"I named him Brownie and played with him all day; I even used to sleep while hugging him. We took good care of him and he was growing up fast too, but unfortunately, he fell sick one day. When we took him to an animal's doctor, he was diagnosed with a light fever. After receiving some medicines, we went back home, and I used to spend a lot of time with him only.

"I would take him to play out even when he wasn't willing and would just want to lay down all day. According to me, he was just being lazy or not wanting to spend some time with me, so I forced him to eat and sleep when he didn't wanted to. He kept getting sicker and one day, he died beside me while I was asleep."

"I am really sorry for your loss," Ved's mom sympathized.

"Thank you, Aunty. As for Brownie, I blamed myself for his death and thought that he died because I didn't look after him. But Mom and Dad assured me that my puppy had a disease which we couldn't identify at that time. We burried Brownie in a nearby ground and Mom told me that I was a good older sister to him.

"But after his death, I realised that I was only focusing on what I wanted to do with him instead of knowing his needs and following his routine which he preferred. Even though he was a dog, he had a mind of his own and just because he couldn't speak, I forced him to act according to me.

"That's why, if you want to help Ved, then just be there for him and let him open up to you himself. I know he is stubborn and won't say what is on his mind, but you can keep an eye on his actions and moods. I am sure, you can do it - you are a good parent," I said and did a pirouette.

Ved's mom cracked a smile and clapped for my performance. "How old are you exactly?"

"Ten years old," I replied and bowed in front of her.

"Are you sure about that?" she teased.

"Yup," I replied, and we began giggling.

"Let's go. Your parents must be searching for you," she suggested.

I nodded, and we walked toward my classroom while chatting like old friends. She was older than me, but I didn't feel like that; it felt really nice talking to her. After half an hour, I took my leave and my parents carried my certificates and other documents along with them.

It was rainy season, so we dashed toward the parking lot and began wearing our raincoats. I took my pink coloured umbrella out of the dickey while Mom put our belongings in it. I was done dressing myself up in my Pikachu themed rainwear, but suddenly, I remembered that I didn't say a 'proper' goodbye to my arch-nemesis.

"I will be back in a flash," I told Mom and zoomed off without hearing their response.

Where is that jerk? Why do I feel he must be crying right now? Why can't he let his stepmother take care of him?

I searched for him for about ten minutes and decided to leave, but I spotted his silhouette under a Peepal tree (Sacred fig) behind the second grade's hallway. His shoulders were slumped and he was staring in the distance with a sad expression on his face.

Within seconds, it started pouring heavily and Ved got completely drenched, but still he didn't move and kept sitting on the same spot.

Did he turn into a statue?

I waited for him to move, but when he didn't, I took my umbrella and moved towards him. I stood in front of him and flicked him on the forehead.

"Ouch!"

"Are you planning on getting sick, you idiot? You are not that strong, you know," I taunted.

"Why haven't you left yet?!" he yelled and narrowed his eyes at me.

What the hell is his problem? He is angry even when I am leaving? Why can't he just talk normally to me for even a second?

"Don't worry. I am leaving today, so you and your best friend can enjoy all you want." I rolled my eyes.

He stared at me for some time and ducked his head. I moved my umbrella in front of his face, and he swatted it away.

"Take it," I ordered.

"It's pink!" he retorted.

"So what? You can wear a pink dress, but you are ashamed of a pink umbrella, Princess?" I mocked.

He let out a huge breath and crossed his arms across his chest. He didn't accept the umbrella even after I poked him with its pointed tip multiple times and kept calling him by his nicknames.

"Sandhya!" Mom called for me.

I glanced in her direction and motioned for her to give me five more minutes, but she shouted that we would get late for our train if we didn't reach home on time. I sighed and glanced at Ved who was looking at me like Brownie when I used to go to school and leave him behind.

"Actually, I came to say bye. So... Bye, Ved. Hope we never meet again," I stated.

I put my umbrella beside him after hitting him on the head with it and ran towards Mom who was waiting for me. I took her hand and waved at Ved who was looking at me with a foreign expression. When we rounded the corner, I looked over my shoulder for the last time.

I shook my head when I saw Ved holding the pink coloured umbrella over his head and rotating it and smiling at the small water droplets which were flying out due to the momentum.

He is really weird.

Once we reached Dad's scooter, he picked me up and put me on the pillion seat, between him and Mom.

"Ready for the flight, Princess?" Dad asked.

"Off we go!" I giggled.

"Leaving the airway," Mom completed our procedure.

Dad smiled and drove his scooter out of the school. Mom and I began laughing when he started bragging about his school days and how my grandfather used to take him to his school on his bicycle.

Good old days~