The Healing Bond

Healing Hearts: Meeting Aditya

A new morning had arrived, heralding my first day at high school. Mixed emotions swirled within me — a blend of happiness and sadness. I felt a tinge of sorrow for not being able to attend a sports-oriented high school, a dream I held close. Yet, happiness crept in because the school I was enrolled in had a specialized basketball program, something I had researched the previous night.

As the morning unfolded, I got ready and packed my belongings, preparing for the day ahead. I made my way downstairs, luggage in tow. My father, visibly upset, was waiting. He scolded me sternly, urging me to load my luggage into the car promptly before breakfast.

After loading my bags, I returned to have my breakfast, trying to savor the last moments at home. I bid my farewells to my mother, although her indifference was evident. Soon, we set off for my new school, embarking on this significant journey.

After a few hours of travel, we arrived at the school and headed straight to the hostel area. My father instructed me to unload the luggage. I began the task, and as I was in the midst of it, he suddenly drove off without even saying goodbye. It was an abrupt departure, but strangely, it felt like a newfound freedom from the constant taunts and constraints of my family. I embraced the prospect of pursuing my passion and turning my dreams into a tangible career in this new school.

I made my way into the hostel building, eager to start this new chapter of my life. There, I had to submit my admit card to obtain the room keys. After the necessary procedures, I finally received my keys. The staff informed me that my roommate's name was Aarav Singh.

With keys in hand, I located my room, conveniently situated right beside the staircase. I couldn't help but wish the building had an elevator; hauling those massive bags up to the fourth floor was a tad suffocating and strenuous.

I inserted the keys into the door handle, unlocked it, and stepped into the room, finding it empty. Classes must have already started. Swiftly, I placed all my luggage inside and hurriedly prepared my school bag. Opting for the PCM stream, my lectures were scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., and the current time was 10 a.m. I knew I had to move fast.

I dashed to the school with the cycle provided by the school, reaching there within 30 minutes. I was surprisingly early, so I decided to explore the school on my own for a bit. After a short tour, it was time to head to my first class of the day, so I made my way directly to the classroom.

After finishing my lectures for the day, I made my way straight to the school office. There, I applied for the basketball course, and to my delight, my application was approved. What surprised me even more was that the course was set to begin that very day. The information they provided included a set of rules that we, the applicants, were expected to follow. One important rule was to attend the classes at 2:15 pm every day. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was 2:00 pm, so I hurried towards the basketball court.

As I arrived, I saw numerous enthusiastic students who shared a passion for the game. Luckily, I reached just in time. Approximately five minutes later, the coach arrived at the court and instructed us to line up according to our height and stream. The majority of us belonged to the 11th Science PCM stream.

The coach proceeded to instruct us on the fundamental rules of basketball, which I was already familiar with, so I didn't pay close attention. After a few minutes, the coach grouped students from PCM and PCB of the 11th grade together, as well as other streams from both the 11th and 12th grades. This amalgamation aimed to balance the teams equally. The coach informed us that in 15 minutes, he would conduct a test of everyone's gameplay to select team captains.

During the break, a member of my team, probably from the PCB stream, approached me. "Hey! Myself Aarav Singh! Nice to meet you! You must be a new student here, right?" When I heard his name, it triggered a memory—the staff had mentioned that my roommate's name was Aarav Singh. "Oh! Well, nice to meet you, my new roommate. Myself Aditya Sharma," I replied.