The Superstar

16

She was almost ready when Priya, her cousin came inside holding one of Pari's kurti and asked her if she could wear it today to college. Priya was a second year arts student in a near by college. From childhood, they shared clothes with each other as both of them had similar physique. It also saved their family the money to buy for two children.

"No! Keep my kurti where it was." Pari denied Priya's request rudely. She hated to share her clothes, yet she did it on few occasions. But today, she wasn't going to allow Priya to wear her clothes.

"Pari yaar, try to understand. I really want to wear it." Priya requested.

"I said keep it where it was. You are not touching it. It is very new, I haven't wore it yet." Hearing there commotion, Pari's mom came to see what happened whereas aunty was busy preparing the breakfast.

"Priya, go wear the kurti, beta. Pari, she is your sister. What is wrong with sharing it with her?" She tried to make her daughter understand. Pari's mom was a simple naive village woman but had seen life's struggle closely. On some days, she was proud that her daughter had a voice of her own. She could stand up for her own self but on most days, she was not happy about her daughter's mean streak.

"Oh really? That day when I bought new clothes you all were angry at me. Called it 'fizool ki shopping.' (useless shopping). So, I am keeping all these useless shopping to myself." She snatched the kurti from Priya's hand and kept it in her side of the cupboard and closed it. It was still fresh in her mind, how her parents and aunt gave her a lecture for shopping so much and wasting money on clothes. She wanted to buy clothes because just on the second day in college she realised how her old clothes looked shabby whereas other students came in fashionable and new clothes. She didn't think she did anything wrong by shopping for new clothes.

"Kya hoga iss ladki ka?" Pari's mom mumbled. She looked at Priya and asked her to not feel bad. "You know Pari is. Tomorrow, she will offer you the dress herself. Common, I made your favourite breakfast. Chalo, beta." She kissed her forehead.

They both knew that if Pari behaves rudely with Priya, she also makes it up to her. They were each other's first friends and confidant. Pari anyway had less friends, she can't afford to upset Priya and make her circle smaller. Priya was used to Pari's tantrums since the teenage years. A part of her even thought Pari's reasons were valid.

All they had seen was how hard Pari's dad struggled for money. When they were younger, he even worked two jobs especially when Priya's dad was severely ill. Those were the hardest times. Both the girls didn't get new clothes or anything new during Diwali. However, monsoons were worse when there was water leaking from their roof. Pari's mom taught them that they should be thankful that they have food every night on their plate.

Pari looked at the plate and was upset it is the same rice and pickle. They didn't even have money for dal these days. All the money was going to cure her sick uncle.

Once, there were guests who came at home. She heard the elders talk and after a while, her father gave some money to the guests. It was a lot of money. At night, she went to her dad and asked why did he gave them the money. Her dad answered that they were in need of it.

"But we are also in need of money."

Her father thought for a moment and answered, "they needed it more than us. We should always share what we have."

"Even if we also need it?"

"Yes, we should help as much as we can. I didn't give them all of the money that we had. I just helped them as per my capability." He said. Her father was so pure, she thought. But he didn't get anywhere being this sweet. She had seen multiple times how her father went beyond their current circumstances and helped others. But who came to help them? Noone.
Pari concluded everyone is mean and selfish and it is better to be one. She only desired money and a better life where these problems wouldn't exist.
Unaware, that life would throw bigger problems her way and money wasn't the solution to those problems.

**

St. Fernandes was one of the good colleges in the south of the city, the college was situated in an area which was considered rich and posh. Because the college was government funded, it was affordable to a lot of students like Pari. And because of the facilities, it also had the children from well to-do families.

Pari was an average student all throughout her school life. She studied because she had to, not because she had an interest in any subject. But her family had successfully drilled one thing in her mind which was the importance of studies to be successful and Pari being Pari, related success to money. She dedicatedly studied in her 12th board and passed with 75%
She was clear that she didn't want to study in the college closest to her area, where she studied in her junior college as the students, especially boys who attended the college were not at all serious about studies. They were into all sorts of activities which were not ideal as teenagers and students. Pari had decided that she also wanted a good and reputed college. So, she put all her efforts in studying. St.Fernandes College was not the best in the city but it was so much better than her previous college. She was happy to get here. The college building was a Victorian Gothic style building. The teachers were good and the students were decent.

In her first week, she noticed how everyone wore clothes better than her and that's when she decided that the coming weekend, she will go and shop. She didn't want others to make a joke of her clothes.

Pari was the quiet one in the class. She only had one friend, Ashley and that too because they stayed near by. She was the aloof one who had trouble making friends, talking to them and especially trusting anyone. They was no past trauma. Noone had betrayed her yet she never trusted anyone. She always felt that people will take advantage of her if she was like her father, so she never got close to anyone, never showed them kindness. She was okay with the distance everyone kept with her. Infact, she liked it when everyone stayed in their boundaries. Only special people get access to her uninhibited side and only they are allowed to cross boundaries with her. The top two people in that list was obviously Priya and Kabeer.

Today, she decided to visit the college canteen for the first time with her friend, Ashley. Usually, she avoided the canteen because she knew that even if her heart desires, she can't buy any food from the canteen. But right now, she was in need of a cold drink. At least, she can buy that.

She entered the crowded canteen. The students were sitting with big groups and it was a total chaos as every group laughed loudly at their internal groups.
She was disappointed to see all the tables occupied when Ashley pointed to a table at the very corner. She asked her to block those seats before someone else occupies it as she will bring her food and cold drink for Pari.

With wide eyes, Pari was reading the menu on the big board. Some things were too expensive but she thought of saving some amount so that she could visit the canteen once or twice a month.    She saw Ashley walking to their seat, barely able to hold her order and the glass bottle of Pari's cold drink.

Pari thought of helping her. She walked midway to Ashley, who was holding the food tray in one hand and the glass bottle in other. Pari took the chilling glass bottle from her but the bottle slipped from her hand and fell on the floor causing the drink to spill and the glass to smash making a loud noise. The chatter in the canteen stopped and all eyes were on them.

"Shit." The only word that came out of Pari's mouth and the disappointment clearly on her face. Pari looked sadly at the bottle on the ground.

The chatter in the canteen again resumed but a particular pair of eyes were still stuck on Pari, unaware that it was going to be the case for a long time.

And so their tale began, with breaking of glass, spilled drinks and the chaos around but the heart never lost its focus.

______________

25/07/2023

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Important : the flashback is meant to be in the 90s. The supposedly present part of the book is not 2023. It is around 2012. That's why nowhere in the book the supposedly present is mentioned as the year 2023.

And the long awaited flashback begins