Exclusively Mine

2. Let Me Check

Third Person

As time passed Sirisha and Kunal started talking, normally too. There were not just fights but also talks on some topics. Since Kunal was a year older than her, he helped her with maths and advised her on the school curriculum.

Karan turned out to be a good friend to Sirisha too, she realized that his personality was totally different from what she had assumed earlier.

She was a secretive person, she never used to spill the secrets her friends told her but when the bond between her and Karan strengthened she couldn't control herself from sharing whatever happened in her life with him. All the gossip from her class. All the secrets her school friends shared with him.

Everything.

• • • • •

Sirisha

"Do you get it now?" He asks.

"Explain this part to me again." I request pointing at the notebook.

I am sitting in Kunal's living room right now, on his sofa, and he answering my maths doubts. He has explained just six questions in two hours.

I don't know how he has this much patience. He is literally explaining each question no matter how many times I ask him.

A pencil strikes against my temple and I drain out of my thoughts.

"Did you just hit me?" I pout rubbing the sting.

Not so patient I guess.

"What's wrong with you? I have explained it to you for the seventh time already, you still don't get it?" He asks with a frown, scrunching his brows in annoyance.

"No, I don't! This topic is just so tough." I exclaim.

"But you understood the other six questions."

"In two hours," I mention.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that your brain is functioning fine enough to understand the other six, so why not this?" He reasons.

"Okay, I'll focus properly this time. Go on." I nod.

"That's the spirit! Cool! Let me start again. See." He starts explaining the question.

.

.

.

"I get it now," I say after he finishes the explanation.

"Are you sure?" He asks and I hum "Good, then, solve these questions for me. Let's see if you can do that." He cheers.

He circles five questions on the worksheet, hands it to me and I start doing it.

"Hey Kids! Okay, now take a break and have some Hot Chocolate." Advika aunty, Kunal's mom, says putting the tray on the table.

I smile and raise my arm forward to take the cup when Kunal pulls the tray back. I look at him frowning.

"That's mean, Kunal! Let her have it." She scolds.

"She will only get it when all the five questions assigned to her turn out to be correct." He says.

"Oh okay," I whisper.

50 minutes later, I complete all the questions and look at Kunal, he was smiling while typing something on his mobile.

Here I am, using my brain out to study whereas he is simply using his mobile, texting someone.

"I am done with the questions," I announce trying to bring his attention back to me.

"Ok wait. Just two minutes." He says still busy on his mobile.