7 Years & Waiting

Chapter - 4

As soon as I exited the house the next day, I got hit by a wave of hot air on my face. Ugghh! Stupid. Delhi . Summer. The white and blue striped shirt of my new uniform got drenched within minutes and walking such a long distance was not at all helping.

When Aunt Leena asked me to walk to and fro from school, although I was reluctant since I hate walking, I agreed. It's not that she forced me to walk or I can't ask her to get me enrolled to school bus service, but that would mean them spending more money on me than they already were.  

My father had been a service man all his life without any inheritance. Therefore, after his death there wasn't much of 'inheritance' for me as well. Whatever amount I got, I was saving them for future. A future much much later. So right now all my expenses were borne by my new guardians along with  a small amount, they provided me as pocket money. I already owed them too much to add the school bus to the mix.

I sighed. So I guess..walking it is!

In all my self-wallowing, I almost ignored a figure who stood by the lamp post of the next crossing, a small figure in tow. I lifted my head to come face-to-face to a smiling Sarthak. He was casually perched upon his green bicycle and behind him, a small boy was holding another bicycle, smaller than Sarthak's, girly with a basket and all.

As soon as he met my eyes, his smile grew and both he and the boy approached me.

"Hey! Amara.." Sarthak cheered happily as if all the previous day's debacle didn't happen at all. "This is my neighbor Tanay" he lifted his hands for a high-five with the boy, who was now staring at me with scrunched eyebrows. Kids!

I did not comment at this early morning show on the streets, so he carried on. "He helped me get your bike here. I could not have ridden two bikes" he chuckled and Tanay laughed as if Sarthak had said the funniest thing in the world. What is wrong with them!

"I told you yesterday that I.." I started relishing my anger at his over-friendliness, but he cut me off.

"Yesterday when we were walking home, I left you at this crossing. I thought to bring the bike at your place but realized this morning that I don't know where you live"  he continued not bothering to react at my confused expression. This guy do not understands 'NO'! "So I thought it's better to wait at this crossing, since you were definitely going to walk through here. Tanay helped too" he grinned at Tanay who smiled his crooked, toothless smile. 

I felt my anger subsiding but that doesn't mean I was going to endure this guy forcing his bike on me. I narrowed my eyes at him to denote my resistance, but as usual, this guy was clueless. 

"So...shall we?" he kept smiling and gestured towards the canary yellow bike, Tanay was holding. I made no move to get on the bike and kept staring at him, to convey him in anyway that I was not interested. But as I realized that he was not gonna take any cue from my behavior, I turned and started walking towards school without a backward glance.

After ten more minutes of walking, I was panting like a dog as I reached our school main-gate. My shirt was all wet now sticking to my body and I experienced an irresistible urge to shower once more. I started walking towards the building but turned in time to see Sarthak entering the premises on his bike, Tanay in tow. Tanay was not wearing our uniform, so it was clear he didn't study here. What are they doing!

As I watched, I noticed Sarthak first parking his own bike at the allotted area and locking it and then doing the same with Tanay's bike. He spoke something to the little boy who nodded and after one more high-five, ran outside the school gates. Weird!