Every dog has his day

 I woke up 15 minutes before the alarm. I could sense the novelty the new day had brought and moreover, a new class, in the company of my love, Riya. After so many days, I would get to see her.

Seeing me ready before time, more than anyone else, it was Mom who was very much amazed.

"I didn't know that my son would be a drastically changed boy, right from the first day of tenth std.,” said Mom. Expressing her surprise, she continued, "I have heard that students start taking up their studies seriously in tenth, but so fast, that too you, it's surprising.”

"After all, I am your son; got to prove myself this year right from the first day,” I said, with I don't know how much truth in it.

I finished my breakfast, hung my sack, took my cycle's key and went to open the lock of my cycle. Till I discovered that the rear tyre was flat. This is what really happens with me when I am in good mood. Something bad or even evil takes birth.

After fidgeting for 15 to 20 minutes with my very dear cycle together with the pump, I found that it had made all plans to ditch me for the day. It was puncture. Before much of depression ascended over me, I got an idea of going by auto-rickshaw. It was too late and only auto could take me to school in time.

I took money from Mom and without any murmur she handed me the cash. I got the auto from the next crossroad.

But when to talk to her? I was held by this question. In general, morning hours were not possible as we had to assemble for the prayers. After school, she gets entrapped by four to five girls who follow the same route. Now, the time remaining was the lunch break. After her lunch, she had the habit to prepare for the upcoming lectures. Oh! yes, that would be the perfect time to talk to her.

The rickshaw-walla abruptly applied breaks, jolting me out of my thoughts. We reached our destination- 'School', looking so very elegant as it was when I entered for the first time and would enter as a proud student of tenth, being the senior most of this school.

"25 bucks,” he quoted.

"But…but…I always pay 20,” I stammered.

"Where are you boy? Don't you know how costly the fuel is?” he said, mounting on me.

Suddenly there was assembly bell, which meant that it was time to close the school's main gate.

"Don't you understand my language, boy? If you couldn't afford the fare, you could have walked,” said the fellow, making all my six liters of blood burn to half. It did hurt me and why not, who was he to make such stinky comment, displaying the magnificence of his brain.

I forwarded 25 bucks quietly; as I knew even if I was angry with his awful dialogue, I won't be able to express my annoyance. But our dialogue maestro was still not amazed with my generosity or may be right to quote it as my inability to combat such situation. He zoomed his flying machine off still mumbling words, of course not his morning prayers, but our flying officer found his time wasted and was kind enough to let me know.

These rickshaw fellows, what the hell they think of themselves. You get a bit lax and they will climb right onto your head. But this was the case only with me as both my friends Aki and Sunny were well equipped with the talent, required to handle these people.

I hurried inside the school premises still disturbed by the words of that awful fellow. As I was sprinting towards my class, I heard a female voice calling me. Applying breaks to the world's fastest speed, I derailed the Raj Express to side of the call. It was Shikha- 6 out of 10. This was how my friends rated her. A batch-mate with the braces which had always been a subject of humor for my friends. For me she was a dedicated student and a very good friend.

"So hopeless, can't you improve on your last minute run?”

"Don't ask anything about it…It was a bad start for me, today.”

"Ok, now don't waste time. Keep your bag and come to the assembly hall, to avoid making it worse,” she said, leaving away.

After the prayers, on the way back to the classroom my friends caught me.

"So dear, may we know why we were not graced by your presence at the starting point this morning?” questioned Aki.

"Must be fed up of losing,” commented Sunny.

"There isn't anything like that.”

While I was elaborating my plight, we entered the classroom and my eyes glued, my words seized for what I saw was dream come true. It was Riya sitting on the first bench, chatting with her friend, looking as beautiful as if Oxford defined beauty admiring her. Her calm and serene look with which she was listening, struck me like lightening.

"Control yourself damn it, before the whole class starts looking at you,” whispered Sunny.

"What…but what did I do?”

"Is this the way to look at a girl? You were staring at her so badly that anyone can guess.” said Aki, crushing his teeth hard enough to deform his voice.

"Let's get back to the seat. It's Charlie Chaplin's lecture now,” said Sunny, pulling me to the place where we fix ourselves during the boring lectures.

Charlie Chaplin was the name we had given to our maths teacher. Unfortunately, he was our class teacher for this year.

While I was still fascinated by her thoughts, Charlie entered the class. "Good morning, Sir.”

Why we called him Charlie Chaplin was a different story .I would let you know after some time. At this juncture, my heart and mind were busy somewhere else. All the ill feelings of the morning episode vanished and I was in euphoria which was troubling my heart with the sweet pain formed by seeing her after such a very long time. The lecture and all lectures that followed, were unable to attract me. I opened a book, made my head hooked with both the hands as if looking in the book and reading it. But I was lost in my own world.

After a few lectures it was lunch break, I turned back. It was Aki on the last bench, as usual, because after lunch he never liked to trouble his brain with the lectures and preferred giving it some better treatment, by falling asleep. By adjusting my position as well as that of Sunny, who always sits next to me, to avoid getting caught. So the last two benches, further most from the teacher's desk, at all times, belonged to us. No matter, even if we were to sit for the first time in a new class.

So coming back to the point, I said to Aki, "I want to talk to her, today.”

"Great buddy, at least you are gaining some confidence,” said Aki.

"But, what should I say?”

"Ask her whether she has a match box,” commented Sunny, making his presence felt in this discussion. But at present, I was not in the mood to giggle over his stupid jokes.

"Will you ever get serious?” I said, setting the gravity back to business.

"Don't worry, I know that today you will do it, buddy. Just go initiate something and you will get the words,” said Sunny, with a sense of confidence in his face, regarding my success.

"But…” I uttered.

"Be a man buddy, enough of your 'ifs' and 'buts' now it's time for some direct action,” said Aki, patting my back.

Aki's words provoked the man inside me.

"My sixth sense says, you will make it,” motivated Sunny.

She was sitting on the front bench, as usual. She preferred being as close as possible to the teacher, so unlike us. She had already finished her lunch and was fidgeting with her desk and bag. May be, she was engaged in tracing her missing book. I headed my way towards her. It was a long voyage and I was still sailing in the ocean of my emotions, filled with all sorts of dreadful feelings, exhausting me to crumble with small steps. As I progressed closer and closer to her, my heart beat rose with every footstep. I started to shiver in summer noon. I somehow tried to convince my mind that it wasn't a bad idea and even tried to recollect what all my friends had said, while stepping further ahead .

My still-not-determined legs, took me to a place where she was just two steps away. Sweat ran through my forehead and started falling in drops on the floor. I looked back at my friends. They showed their thumbs up as if to say all the best, giving me a much needed boost. I removed the handkerchief from my pocket and wiped of all the excessive sweat and took a step closer.

I hadn't been so close to her in my entire school life. I was able to read the book which she was reading, after relocating it. This was the time for me to speak. But what it could be? Without much complexity, I made my mind to start with a simple 'Hi' and then to think of something else. May be, ask her about the book, she was reading.

I took a step further. May be, she could feel that someone was near. I couldn't afford to waste time standing there. Exerting all my efforts and with a prayer, I tried to say- 'HI'. The shortest greeting in the dictionary. Just a simple 'HI', but my tongue was not liberal enough to move for that small little word. I tried again but my trial was not adequate enough to make my voice erupt from my mouth. I made three to four attempts but words still didn't explode out of my mouth. All my efforts were getting locked somewhere. I could sense that she was about to turn back.

Before her or may be simultaneously, I turned back shouting, "Aki, I am waiting for you outside. Do come after finishing your lunch.” This time my tongue found its motion back but I knew it would behave dead again, when it comes to talking to Riya.

Saying this I walked out of the class, without even bothering to know whether she was watching me or not. I was much relieved coming out of the room. "It's impossible for me,” I said to myself.

Both of my friends did come out within a second, showing there sincerity in following my command. But how could they be so sincere to obey me completely? They brought something else along with them which I had never asked them to get and those were their wild laughs.