TERA BHI KATEGA/ YOU TOO WILL GET DUMPED (FLASH FICTIONS)

ANKIT LOVES MATHEMATICS

"He is always touchy towards me," Ankit said to his best friend Swastik.

"May be he just teases you," Swastik suggested.

"May be, but I feel like there is something more," Ankit said.

"Does he do those only to you?" asked Swastik.

"Yes, he does this only to me. He touches me whenever he gets the chance. When I walk on the road, he rides his cycle beside me even when the whole road remains empty. The air ruffles my hair and it feels like he is touching me. I can even hear his breathing when he passes by me." Ankit described his everyday suffering to his one and only best friend.

"I think you should ignore these things. If he likes you, he should tell you that," Swastik suggested.

"But I can't. He has been appearing in my dreams too." Ankit felt miserable. He knew that Swastik could not do anything to help him but sharing his own problems to him was his only resort.

Ankit and Swastik went to the same school. They were students of class eighth. Himadri went to the same school too. He was also a student of class eighth but he was in a different section. Himadri joined the coaching center in class eighth which Ankit had been attending from class seventh.

The coaching center was near Ankit's home, he was walking to there as usual. Himadri was on his cycle with his close friends. As soon as Himadri reached near Ankit he started behaving differently. He left his friends and went close to Ankit. He kept cycling in rounds beside Ankit until they reach their coaching center.

Ankit entered the gate. Suddenly he felt tickle on his abdomen. He halted in shock. Himadri overtook him as nothing happened. Ankit knew that Himadri tickled him intentionally. What did he want?

There were not many free seats in the classroom. With hope in heart Ankit sat beside Himadri. He wanted to talk to him. But before he could say anything Himadri took his chair and sat beside Neeraj. Ankit looked towards them and found that Himadri and his friend Niladri were sitting on both side of Neeraj. All three heads were close and they were gossiping together. Ankit became so angry that he wanted to lift a chair and hit Himadri's head with it.

"Why did you not complete your Mathematics work?" Mr. Prakash asked Himadri.

Himadri did not reply.

"Take Ankit's copy. His copy is well arranged," Mr. Prakash said again.

Himadri looked towards Ankit, who said, "Take it home after today's class."

Himadri nodded and tried to concentrate in class. Ankit went to the last page of his copy and left a note for Himadri.

"Do you like me?" the note said.

Himadri's hand touched his when he handed over the copy. Ankit felt like a wave of electricity ran through his body. That night was long and lonely for Ankit. He could not sleep for a moment. His heart was full of hope but Swastik's words were ringing in his ears time to time. "May be he just teases you."

When he went to school walking, Himadri behaved like other days. The hope increased in Ankit's heart. He shared the incident to his best friend. Swastik congratulate him for his bravery.

In afternoon Ankit went to the coaching center earlier. He was embarrassed about the note and wanted to avoid Himadri on road. But what he witnessed was not in his scariest nightmares. There were only two cycles in the parking area; teacher's bike was also not present there. Driven by curiosity he went towards that area. No one was there. But there was a faint sound coming from the other side of the wall.

Ankit walked towards that sound quietly.

He saw Himadri's back. He had pinned Neeraj to a wall and talking to him teasingly. Ankit could not hear anything. He did not dare to stay there any longer. He ran towards the main gate and waited for other students. Himadri came out from that corner after a while.

"Ankit," he said, "thanks for your copy."

"You are welcome," replied Ankit.

Himadri took out the copy and returned it to Ankit.

"There was a question on the last page. Whom did you ask that?" Himadri asked.

"I asked that to the subject Mathematics. I love Mathematics. It should love me back too. Shouldn't it?" Ankit lied between his teeth.

"It should. And it would be good for you. You are the star of our coaching center. Mr. Prakash has high hopes on you." Himadri said and went inside.

Ankit stood there for an eternity and entered the classroom only when he saw Mr. Prakash on his bike.

Swastik tried to control his laughter when Ankit described to him everything in detail next morning.

"Laugh as much as you want," Ankit said angrily. "But remember, you too would be in my position some day. Tera bhi katega ek din."