Chapter 15

It hurts to see you wrap yourself around me. It's a tempting way to die; better than betrayal and cries.

Vee

25th April 2019, Thursday
13:05

The sound of the whistle went unheard and I did not realize it was my turn. I was rather preoccupied with the trickling sound of water from that night. She had been lying in the bathroom, her body limp with dead disappointment. Or maybe it was peace that she always wanted. I had not even bothered to ask her which one it would be, just like she never bothered to listen to me. Nightmares, freaking nightmares that whispered sweet dreams in my ear.

"Vicky," Hardik nudged me. I blinked at his hand which held the red flag. Nodding, I grabbed it to began my run around the ground.

Everyone cheered for their houses. I could hear my name being screamed. After a round, the teacher patted us, cheering along with the students. Hardik stood in a corner with his hands on his waist, panting but rooting for me. I dared to turn back and almost saw Ashiamma smiling and waving. We were never in the same house, mine was red and she belonged to yellow but she cheered for me. The only time all the sections got together was Sports period. She would have been here if I had been a little careful but I had to get fancy with my ideas. I did not bother running fast. My feet wobbled as we neared the end of the second round. My arms were pushing against the limp body but I knew I was done. Two people crossed me simultaneously. Another one was on the brink. I would come down by three spots.

I had been pushed down by three people.

Hardik took the flag from me and gave it to the next person in the race. With heavy breaths, I walked through the crowd and sat down on the ground at the last of our house.

"Are you okay?" Hardik asked.

I nodded and grabbed my ID card from him, hanging it back around my neck.

"I told you I should go at the second number. That way you would have taken only one round," he said.

I ignored him and looked at the racers that were running around us. Red House was two spots up.

"Vicky," he started again.

"Shut up, man," I muttered and wiped my face with my hand. "It is one in the afternoon. The temperature is well above 35 degrees. I am soaking wet. Don't 'Vicky' me. Besides, third rank isn't that bad."

He shook his head. "It is not about rank."

I stopped plucking the grass and looked up at his figure. Gesturing towards the ground, I motioned him to sit down. Staring at him directed the sunlight to my eyes. The black leather shoes were already burning my feet.

"There's something I have been thinking," he said.

I looked behind him at Mehak who was keenly looking back at Hardik. She caught my gaze and turned back, tapping her friend on the shoulder and whispering something. Her grim look had returned. I did not understand the problem she had with me. Okay, maybe I did understand. But could this girl drop her grudges for once? She won. Ashiamma was dead.

"It is not about Mehak," he said, grabbing my face and making me look at him. "We haven't really talked. After visiting you, I debated about going to Ash's house. Mehak was calling me constantly but I told her we would talk later."

More things to blame me for. "And that 'later' never came," I guessed.

He sighed. "I'll look into that after school."

I dropped my handkerchief and asked, "Why not now? Do you realize you've been playing with two girls?"

He snorted. "Hardly. First of all, you set me up. Second, I was never 'playing' with Mehak. She knew everything."

I scowled and pretended to be interested in the race. I had set him up. I had known what they were doing. I had not said anything.

"Sameer knows," he said.

I frowned. "What?"

"When I went to her house, it was an awkward situation. I didn't know what to say. She was my girlfriend and her parents did not even know that. I just pretended to be her classmate and I had just found out. Her mother was quiet the whole time, only speaking to offer me drinks or snacks. Her grandmother gave me strange glances. Sameer escorted me to the door and when I said I was sorry, he simply replied, 'I know who you are. Better hope you treated her well.'."

I let out a dry laugh. "Big brother's warning scared you?"

He gave me a flat look. "He knew I was her boyfriend."

I paused and averted my gaze. It did not surprise me that he knew. What were the odds of Rishab spilling it out?

"The entire school knew. Maybe he found out from someone," I replied.

Hardik shook his heads. "He studies in a university that's in the south of the country. He rarely comes here and you think he'd waste his time talking to Ash's classmates? Besides, if he already knew, why did he not confront her? We both know how he was always checking her phone."

I stayed quiet, listening to his voice getting mixed with the roars of the crowd.

"Did you read the suicide note?" he asked timidly.

"No." I made sure he got the hint of sarcasm. "I was sleeping in the class when Roy came today."

He sighed. "You obviously read it. Sameer mentioned it a bit. Ash had mentioned Rishab, Shay, Kiara and you but she did not mention me or Mehak, at least not explicitly. She didn't mention the two people who were her only friends in her class. Do you not find that weird?"

I frowned. "I don't understand what you're implying."

"Don't you think it is incomplete? There's more of the note. It included only half the things. And the ending. What five?"

I got up and dusted off my trousers. "Are you saying there's more?"

He shrugged.

I narrowed my eyes at him. I had my doubts about the whole 'five' thing. It could be a reference to Kiara but I did not support the idea much.

"Form a line," coach shouted.

Hardik got up and jogged to the rest of the class. I stared at his back and shook my head. There wasn't supposed to be a suicide note in the first place. I felt like a thirteen year old boy who had discovered a bottle of whiskey while trying to hide the bottle of champagne. I looked around the ground and saw Mehak staring at me.

"Move!" The teacher hollered.

I was pushed by another teacher towards the boys who were walking back to the class. Grunting, I moved along with the others. Someone shouted and another bumped into me on the ramp. Coach his whistle, passing comments on our sensibilities. We were stinking, sweating mess. After another period, the day would finally be over.

"You all go straight to the class, no stopping at the washroom," one of the teachers said. All others were standing in front of each class with grim looks. I stepped inside and opened my bottle. Hardik was nowhere in sight.

"Rishab," I called him when he was talking to a student near the door.

He looked up.

"Good Afternoon," the teacher announced and my view got blocked.

Everyone got up and I got to my seat. Before I could say anything, Rishab had already gone. Few boys entered with their shirts tucked out of their trousers. Five minutes of the period were spared on their endearing looks which the teacher loved. Hardik entered while the drama was going on. I opened my mouth to speak but he shook his head.

"Later," he said and dug into his notebook.

I raised an eyebrow and shut the notebook. He gave me a bewildered look and tried to snatch the notebook back. I held it tightly, challenging him with equal force. He gave up and for a moment I thought I had won. But he gave up to grab another notebook from his bag.

"Idiot," he muttered.

Throughout the period, I received a cold shoulder from him.

The bell rang and the commotion began in the class. Hardik jumped out of his seat before I could stop him and excused himself. I packed my bag and made my way outside the class to Rishab.

He nodded at me.

"How's he doing?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Fine."

I placed a hand on his bench. "Hardik and I talked about the note."

Rishab stopped and looked around, silently urging me to lower my tone.

"He thinks it is incomplete. Sameer should check in her room if he could find another piece," I said.

"Excuse me?" He said in a baffled tone. "He was crying yesterday. I am not going to tell him to go into his dead sister's room."

I gave him an appraising look. He had asked me to stay as quiet as possible but someone was getting too loud for my ears.

"You'll do it," I said.

He shook his head as his pen dropped. "Get lost, Vicky. I won't."

I grabbed his hand and put his pen back into it. "You will. Remember Rishab, I'm not Ashiamma. Sameer is not my brother and I most definitely don't give a damn about your sexu-"

"Piss off," he muttered and pushed me aside.

I shrugged. That left only one way, then.

17:00

"Is this all?"

I nodded at Raj and opened the car door.

"Oh, and don't forget to call Papa to tell him I came to the police station," I said, getting back into the car. "But mention it to him that I came here and was not brought here."

I gave him a sardonic smile and pointed at his phone that was already halfway to his ear. He pushed it back into the dashboard and I shook my head. If he didn't tell him, I would do it myself.

The police station was not far from school. In fact it was on my way to home and meeting Roy now was the perfect moment. Hardik refused to speak anything and I'd rather not talk about Rishab. I went inside and paused at the scene. A police officer stared at me.

"What are you doing here, kid?" he asked.

"I want to meet Roy," I said. He did not look convinced. "It is about Ashiamma Apte."

He analysed me from head to toe before disappearing behind closed doors.

Ashiamma Apte was a name not taken often in the city. Our school was not as popular as many others but it held its prestige which her death ruined. They asked us to mourn in the form of two minutes of silence but nothing more. She became yet another case that might never be solved. Maybe I was fine with that but the sudden revelation of a suicide note was ruining all that I had thought of. Suicide notes came only when there wa-

"You can come in," the police officer said, returning. "He says he was looking forward to your visit."

I nodded and followed him in.

"I'll take it from here," Roy said. Once we were alone, he said, "Well, I did not expect you of all the people but come on."

"Who were you expecting, then? Kiara?"

His eyes flicked up before he shook his head. "Does it matter? I got more than what I bargained for."

"How about you lower down your cherry facade?" I suggested.

He grinned. "That would not make this half as much fun as it is."

I begged to differ. "I'm sure there are better people who'll entertain you."

"Nobody is as honest as a drunk teen dwelling in sorrow."

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "Sorrow?"

He looked into my eyes and tilted his face. "Guilt, maybe. You tell me."

I nodded. "I'll tell you. Ashiamma's suicide note is incomplete, or so I believe."

His smug expression vanished and plain curiosity made its way.

"Do you know Hardik?" he asked.

I frowned at his question. "He is my friend."

He gave me a pointed look.

I sighed. "And her boyfriend. He thinks so too."

"I think we're both on the same page. I haven't talked to him yet but isn't it weird Ashiamma acknowledges her ex-boyfriend but not him? And that end was certainly abrupt."

He knew.

"I just wasted my time by coming here," I said.

"Where could it be?" he asked, disregarding my words. "There is more of this and it is certainly not in her room."

I licked my lips and stared at the piece of paper he was holding. "A girl full of sorrow had time to type a note instead of simply penning it and break it into pieces for us to figure out."

He shook his head. "Maybe she was not full of sorrow bu-"

I cut him. "She was not the vengeful type." I shook my head. Ashiamma was not the vengeful type.

He said nothing but smiled at the paper. I shook my head at his unbelievable thoughts that seemed to have no limits and turned to leave. The door opened at the same time I went for it. A stumbling body fell down along with crutches. I picked them up and handed it to the girl.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded and looked up. My eyes widened and I took a step back.

"Shay," Roy said, rushing towards us. "Come in, come in. Are you okay? Wal-"

I stared at her bruises.

"I hate her, Vicky. I hate her!"

Looking at Shay, all I saw was Ashiamma's frightful face. I felt the betrayal she had vividly described.

"Vicky, could you help m-" Roy said.

I brushed past them both, leaving a very astonished Roy inside. Then, I stopped and faced them.

"Shay," I called. "Post a story about it. I'm sure there will be people who would come and help you. It's not like they're capable of passing only crude comments."