The Reunion - 7 - The Secret

Okay, that was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. Sagarika and Anjali were busy hanging out with Nikita and I was left with Aarkruti. And guess what! I did feel like a side kick. People who didn’t even know her were talking to her and I was just sitting there, trying to carry on a conversation with the least popular girl in class, Vishaka. She looked at me hopefully through her chunky glasses and I was thinking, god, I hope no one sees us talking!

Anyway, Aryan didn’t drop us, we had to take a bus!! And while coming back, my dad’s picking us up. I don’t know what prompted the change of plans. We are waiting for him now. Aakruti is sitting silently next to me. I bet she thinks I’m boring and why she got stuck with me..

There’s the car now. Thank god the day is over! 

1^st October 2000

I’m writing only because I’m so terribly bored! Sagarika and Anjali have both, very conveniently fallen sick, so for today, I’m sitting with (no prizes for guessing) Aakruti and Nikita.

And, Aakruti is back to her being her chatty self. Nikita is bursting with some news. I know she wants to tell someone, but will she tell me?

So, I am now one of the ten people who know Nikita’s secret!!! She has a super big crush on this guy called Priyank. I wonder who is. He is from the other section, have never seen him. He was at the birthday party apparently. How could I have missed that!

I saw him!! He’s okay, nothing great. He has a great smile though. And Nikita can’t stop talking about him. He’s apparently a teacher’s pet, the sports captain of the school and the best dancer in the school! Tomorrow, Nikita is going to call him for the very first time.

Vishaka keeps coming up to me for no reason. I hope she doesn’t think we’re friends or anything. People avoid her like plague! Sometimes, I feel bad for her, but I have my own problems to worry about.

2^nd October 2000

Holiiiiiiiiday!! La la la! You won’t believe what a marvelous day I had today! Well for starters, I didn’t have to hang out with Aakruti! She went out with her family somewhere, so I had the whole day to be all by myself. I went exploring around the colony today. Its pretty neat! Its huge and has all these parks and courts. Annndd! I found a puppy! Abandoned, the poor thing was. I picked it up and got it home but mum didn’t let me keep it. She said a flat “NO” , and then when I went to ask dad, he said “Ask your mum!”.

Sometimes, I wish dad would stand up and take my side for a change.

Anyway, so, I took the puppy out of the house and made a comfortable little shelter for it near our garage. Its at the far end of our garage, hopefully mum and dad will not realize it. So, then, I went to buy some dog biscuits. I didn’t take my cycle, I didn’t want mum to wonder where I was going. And I walked all the way to a departmental shop where they didn’t know my mother. And then, on my way back, I heard someone call out for me.

“Hey, Kid.. Get in the car..” for a moment I was petrified, and then I realized it was Aryan! I almost fainted with delight..

And once I got inside the car, he seemed very uncomfortable. “You are Aakruti’s friend right?” He had asked. As if he didn’t remember me!

I was so mesmerized by him, I didn’t utter a single word! I must have seemed so foolish clutching the dog food. As I was stepping out of the car, he handed me a slip of paper, “Aakruti doesn’t have access to a phone and I’m going away for a couple of months. If you think she ever needs me, call me on this number?”

He was going away, that made me sad, but! HE GAVE ME HIS PHONE NUMBER!

And then, as I took the number from him, he had smiled at me and said “Thanks Ramya.”

HE KNEW MY NAME!