Broken Strings...

Chapter 10.

( May 2003 , Jammu )

       It was the time for the results of our 12th class Board examinations. Radhika had got 86 % and I had 91%. I had aced my entrance exams too and was sure of cracking it.

      I and Radhika got down from the fact that our roads were going to be different. Everything was going to end with the end of our school. But our sadness didn’t last much time.

       The thing I had dreamt of each day from two years happened and I got an admission in IIT Delhi in the computer science branch. Radhika took MBT College of Sciences in Delhi. We got the colleges that we wanted and that too in the same city. . We both had to leave for Delhi after one month. Nothing could be better.

       One morning, Ammi woke me up. I was sleeping late till 1 pm as I always had been a nocturnal creature. I tried to keep my eyes closed in the hope that I could fall asleep again. But i couldn't.

       "Adi wake up, there's someone here to meet you." Ammi told me, pointing her palm towards the door.

       Through my puffed eyes, I saw 2 glasses shinning at the door. I rubbed my eyes to realize that the eyes behind those glasses were of Aakriti.

       "Uth uth, Dekh to sahi. Akku aayi hai." Ammi said.

       Aakriti and I used to be really good friends back then. She was the daughter of one of the friends of Ammi. Seeing her in my home for one more time, made me recall the old times.

       Ammi left us for bringing snacks and tea. I sat on the bed and smiled at Aakriti, who was still standing at the door holding a box wrapped up in gift paper and ribbons.

       "Hey, come inside" I smirked at her. She came in and sat on the side of my bed.

       She congratulated me on getting the college with a half-smile showing her colored bracels.

       "So, when are you leaving?" She asked looking at me with those giant eyes.

       "Probably, in two weeks." I told her.

       "Oh..." She sighed, looking down.

       "Is that for me?" I asked her, pointing at the box that she held with both of her hands.

       "Yes, it’s a biding gift I guess." She frowned.

       "Oh, That's so sweet of you Aakriti , Should I open it ?"

       "Of course"

       I untied the red ribbons on the box and peeled off the gift paper from it. I opened the box to find an A3 sized Diary lying in it. The diary had a white cover and rounded edges.

       "Wow! Its-Its really good..I mean. Thanks a ton yaar." I said, feeling nothing to be excited about being gifted a silly diary.

       "I saw you that day, you were hiding away your wet eyes from everyone." She said, referring to that day at school when I was degraded by my parents.

       "You know, I never had any friends. So, I had no one to share my feelings with. At the times of need, I used to write whatever I was feeling in a diary. It takes the burden off the heart when you do it." Aakriti said. "A diary is the most loyal and caring friend Adheer, which would never refuse to hear about your problems."

       "Now that you are going away, I want you to take this with you. I don’t know what has been making you upset, I just want you happy always. You have million dollar smile Adheer, my mother used to say that......So, I want you to write your heart out on these blank pages whenever you have nobody to share your pain with." Aakriti told me in one go.

       I kept looking at the diary in my hands, not being able to utter a word as I was astonished at her unconditional care for me. I felt a strong sense of guilt for quitting on her when I found other friends at the school and for not standing up for her whenever she was made fun of at school.

       "You're going away and maybe we would never meet again. Yes, I'm happy for you but... it was so good to see you every day at the school, seeing you smiling at me, everyday.." Aakriti said as I noticed a stream of tears coming out from those glasses to her freckled cheeks.

       I tried to remove her glasses but she hugged me instead with her arms wrapping my head like a rope. I couldn't think of something else but to hug her back. Perhaps, I had found an old friend and Aakriti lost someone much more that day.....