Jivika~

January.

Despite being January, Mumbai can't keep the soft drizzle away. Watching those crystals kiss the green tips, not only spreads the earthy petrichor but makes me relish the moment, wholeheartedly. Had someone told me a year ago that January would bring rains in Bombay, I would've laughed it off. But what was happening in front of me was undeniable, the climate was changing and so was Mumbai. 

"Check out this meme I made about Lavanya and Rhea!" gushed Amaya, smashing her phone on our faces. Okay. This was pretty funny.

"Children, go back to class. Since it's raining you can't go to the ground," instructed our coach. Blocking his suggestion, we moaned, "Sir please!" with extreme ferocity, and he had to agree to our demands.

"Fine. But remember, children and teachers from other schools are here for the exhibition. Be on your best behavior. Don't go out in the rain. Boards are barely a month away, I don't want any complaints from your parents."

He had to be the best teacher in the whole school. The one who always sides with the students, the one who has more authority than our principal.

"Why is this place stinking of Odomos?" asked Kiara, scrunching her nose with disgust. On her comment, I noticed the foul smell lingering in the air, destroying the freshness of rain spread moments ago. The smell intensified as Shreyansh popped up in front of us, out of nowhere. Paying no heed to our refusals, he dabbed the whole tube into our hands, demanding us to apply and, proceeded to do the same with Amaan, Pranav and rest of the class.

"Later when you catch Malaria, then you'll realize its importance! Those nasty mosquitos, pah!"

Washing our hands under the nearby tap, I felt myself glancing at the demolished part of the school. The rubble lay still as the construction work was put to halt. That wing of the building was declared unsafe and it had to be broken down. I remembered how every person used to hide there for Hide-And-Seek because the seeker was always scared of strolling into a deserted building. Not to mention, the ghost of an ex-dance teacher drifting there, who died quite tragically. So tragic, that our school never appointed a dance teacher again.

Gathering a few chairs we formed a circle. We as in the girls of our class, all of us. Few curious glances and peeks from the visiting students had not gone unnoticed by us. Poor them. How would they know what was in store for them? Bored out of her wits, Kajal came up with an idea.

"Dares anyone?"

"Let the party begin!"

"One, two, three."

"Four, five."

"Six, seven, eight."

"Nine, ten, eleven."

"Twelve."

"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen."

"Sixteen, seventeen."

"Eighteen, nineteen, twenty."

"Why me? Twenty one!"

Our very first culprit: Lavanya Sinha. After our traditional group discussion, we let her out for the dare. Rhea went along with her as the witness of the event, also as someone who could make the thing go a bit easier. Seconds later they returned, giggling all the way up here.

"What did he say? What did he say?" we asked, curiosity at its peak. Rhea answered on behalf of Lavanya, who probably needed a cure for her laughter. "She talked with him for sometime. You know, where are you from, which school, hobbies etc. It was all fine till that point. But when we were returning he told his friend, 'Dekh ladkiyaan tujhse baath karne nahi, mujhse baath karne aathi hai!' "
["See! Girls don't come to talk to you, they come to talk with me!"]

And we all started laughing. I repeat, poor kids, they really don't know our school. Regional competitions meant only one thing, formation of tons and tons of couples for a temporary basis, who broke up the moment the competitions ended.

Continuing the game, this time the twenty-one landed on Kiara.

"Guys I have a boyfriend. Please try not to be the reason of my breakup."

Whispering the dare into her ear, I watched her get up and move towards the boys who were talking about PubG. Reaching her destination, she looked up, silently asking us to change the dare. With our collective nods of no, she decided to get done with it.

"Satya, you look better without shave," she mumbled to the recently shaved boy, who got his face turned red at the statement. People say girls blush.  I say, they haven't met the guys of our class. Laughing our asses off, we simultaneously try to calm down our worried friend, assuring her that her relationship was not going to snap.

Continuing with the unlucky twenty, this time it landed on Lavanya, yet again. Well, I won't say landed, cause all of us after intense calculation, cracked the code of making it land on her. Trying to come up with an innovative dare and finally lit with the idea, we sent Lavanya to our next mission. Now, I had this pencil pouch, sorry, a dog-pencil-pouch, shaped just like a dog.

And we seven, our own group, had decided to name the dog. And that's how our dearest artificial pet, Chameli, was brought into this world. Suffice to say, Chameli, was still with us. This particular dare involved Lavanya, Chameli and another person.

With Chameli in one hand and Laysa's hand in the other, Lavanya marched towards the person who was definitely not expecting it.

The ever sophisticated, proud, not-a-single-funny-bone, kind of an intellectual loner but with a complete flip of the whole attitude when it came to his girlfriend, Kiara. Pratik Banerjee definitely did not know what was in store for him. Our little soldier marched towards the stoic faced stone, who had just entered the ground as Sachin, the BBC broadcaster of our class, had informed him about his girlfriend's doings. Hands trembling, Lavanya slammed her hand towards his face.

Or better said, shoved Chameli's butt on his face.

One.

Two.

Three.

Laughter broke out in the air. Not only us but his friends, the rest of the guys, the students of other schools, our seniors, our juniors. Rushing, she dropped Chameli by my side and ran to the class. At first we decided to follow her, but then Maahi reminded us that Krish would be there and she won't need us at that time.

No wonder she walked away. This small damage was not enough to humiliate her. We all as a group, have done way worse.

Following our trend, the boys started their own set of dares. A huge cheer was heard from behind but we continued with our game, enjoying it to the fullest. Later, I felt I should have checked. Cause then I could have joined Lavanya and moved to our class, no matter whatever she and Krish were doing. Sensing the silence around me, I watched people move away, to make me the centre of the circle and our hero, the radius.

On his knees, in front of me, the black mop of hair came into my focus.

So close.

Lifting up a single piece of hex-nut, which he had probably stolen from that debris on which I had my eyes, I amusingly watched him leave out a shaky breath. With a new found confidence as the cheers of our class grew louder, he mumbled his dare, "Will you make me the craziest person on this cosmos by accepting my p—"

"Yes! Yes! Of course, I'll accept you!"

That could not have been me. You know why? Simple, beacause it was not me.

Snatching the hex-nut away and slapping Amaan's back, Parth gave out a cackle, quite an evil one may I add. Frustrated at the interruption, Maahi let out a low growl, contrasting her character. Kiara laughed, mumbling something about 'better luck next time'. Grinning at the turn of events, I mouthed Amaan an 'All the best!' as he tried to pacify an angry Parth. Returning a 'thank you!'  I kept wondering if Parth had actually somehow helped his friend and me as well.

Saved his friend from a rejection, and saved me from the awkward situation of giving one. Thanking my stars over and over again, I grinned with my teeth in display on watching how Amaan was having a tough time.

I looked.

He looked.

We looked away.

And we looked back again.

~