When the engine of the bus started with a loud rumble, the students pattering, standing next to the bus, ascended on to the bus.

This was the only school of the town, which had their own bus, even if it was jalopy, it was alright. The rest of the schools didn't own a bus. Students used to travel, by their own bicycles or rickshaws.

Shravya also sat on a back seat. It was the regular route, the bus would reach at Shravya's stop after revolving through all the narrow streets and wide roads of the town. Her stop was the last. The bus was moving forward, by tearing the dusty path.

Moreover, if she wanted, she could have reached home in only five minutes by bicycle but, no. She was enjoying the Bus's journey.

This twenty to twenty-five minutes long way from school to home, was fixed for her dreams. Dreams!....The dreams, which she used to see with awakened eyes and never shared with anyone.

Shravya was sitting by resting her head on the window, looking outside. She was lost in her daydreams when, she heard the conductor's voice.

"Shravya! Get down, your stop came."

Shravya got up from the seat, hanged her bag on her shoulder and carelessly humming a song, she got down from the bus.

She just stepped down from the bus, when her eyes fell on a bicycle. Standing, taking support of the electric pole.

"Red Bicycle!"

She started sweating. Her body was shivering lightly. Her hands became cold. She fisted her sweaty hands.

She didn't look at the one, who was sitting on the bicycle. She didn't even raise her head. She tightened her hold on her bag's handle, turned around and started running.

She was running impetuously, through the narrow streets of the town, between the crowd of the people, making her way. She was looking straight at her house, which was situated at the end of the street. She kept elbowing everyone, who's coming on her way.

Her long hair and the chiffon sky blue scarf, which was girded around her neck, were floating in the air. The scarf slipped away from her neck, due to a swift blow of wind but, she didn't care for anything, didn't look behind.

She opened the main gate, crossed the little garden of the house then, pushed the wooden door of the house and ran towards her room. Entering in her room, she closed the door behind her.

She rested her head on the backside of the door, closed her eyes and started waiting for her heartbeats, to slow down. She was breathing heavily. Soon, her lips curved into a smile, a shy smile.

'Uff! This stupid heart....how does it started making a loid noise!? Like, it's conspiring to take the veil off, from every secret!!'

From the eternal age in India, the first love of the girls, crossed sixteen years, is just like this. Cheeks turning red by just seeing someone, bouncing of the heart just like a ball and then, handling yourself and hiding from the world.

Today, she saw Pranay, at the nook of her street.

'Means, she was being stalked!
Yes.... Stalking!!!!'

She could say with full conviction. She knew it very well that, Pranay don't live here. He lives somewhere in the civil lines, on the other side of the city.

"So now, will he make me scolded by Babuji!?
What happens in the school, Babuji will not get to know about it but now, he reached to my house!!"

Shravya started to wipe the sweat beads, forming on her forehead. At that time, someone knocked at the door.

"Who's this?....
Coming."

She yelled. Someone's voice came from outside, in the same manner.

"Come outside quickly, Buaa is calling."

"Arghh!!"

Shravya sat on the ground, by keeping her head on the door.

"She also had to come now itself?"

Shravya's Buaa must have been the 'Sarpanch' of a village, in her previous birth. Whenever she comes, she summons the whole family and starts her 'Panchayat'.

"Why is it so important for her to know, what is going on in someone's life?"

Theretofore, Shravya was feeling the sweetness of first love but now, her mouth's taste was bitter. Her mood turned off. Now, she has to listen Buaa's 'Pravachan'.

"Girl, why you keep your room's door always locked up?
And listen....put some oil on your head or else, your hair will become white from now itself.
And don't keep painting up your nails all the time, let them also breath."

And everything else.

She cares for Shravya, more than her own parents.

Shravya changed her school uniform and wore a comfortable salwar and kurti. She looked at her reflection in the mirror to confirm that, there was no such mark which can shout about her heart's condition to the world.

She touched her cheeks, they were warm, because she came running. She took the water bottle, sprinkled some water on her face and wiped her face. She let her fingers ran through her hair untangling some small hair knots and pinned her dupatta properly, on the fabric of her shoulder.

She came outside and sat near her Aunt. The whole family was gathered there and the conversation was going on. No-one even noticed her arrival.

Buaa was sitting near Babuji, attaching her head to him head and was whispering something in his ear.

Shravya overheard their conversation. Buaa's voice was pouring into her ears just like hail storm on corp.

"Bhaiya, the girl has become eighteen year old.
Now, start finding groom.
Then only, you'll be able to arrange her marriage till twenty-one."

Shravya felt something shattered inside her.

'Marriage!!'

'My marriage!!'

'If she loves to sing and dance at someone's marriage, then why doesn't she joins a drama company?
Always revolves around, finding grooms and brides for all the boys and girls of the relatives and neighborhoods.'

Shravya was thinking in her mind. She thought to go away from there.

But she knows very well that, it doesn't matter that, no-one noticed her coming there but now, if she'll try to move even a little from her place, definitely Buaaji or Babuji will interrupt her.

They'll ask her questions, like police inspector.

'Where are you going?
Arey....if you'll not sit here, will not talk with everyone, will not spend some time with anyone then, how will you manage in your in-laws house?'

Shravya didn't have any problem in sitting with everyone. Infact, she used to enjoy their spicy conversations. She has seen her big family from her childhood and she was habituated of it. Buaa, Maan, Bhai-Bahan....a complete family.

But now, the matter was something different.

The knock of the new blooming love had closed the all other doors of her heart for anything else.

She was compelled to sit there, between everyone but, she kept writing Pranay and her's love-story in her mind.

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Meaning of Hindi words, used in the chapter;

Babuji-Dad.
Buaa-Auntie (Dad's sister).
Sarpanch-An elected head of a village.
Panchayat- The five jury members of a village assembly, including the village head (I'm not sure).
Pravachan-Sermon or a recitation of a religious book.
Bhai bahan-Brother and sister.

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How's it!?

Well! It's a short story, probably of seven-eight chapters.

Maybe....eight chapters, as eight is my favourite digit. ;-)

Thank You for the votes and comments. :-)

♡ Love Shifa ♡