THREE SHADES OF LOVE

Three Shades of love
Chapter - 5

The next day on the way to school, Mriganka, just like Saranya's expectations, was present at the park they had visited before. Upon reaching the park, he saw Saranya waiting for him.
Seeing Mriganka she greeted, "Happy birthday."
Mriganka smiled and replied, "Thank you."
Mriganka asked, "Then let’s go to school?"
Saranya said, "no, wait."
Mriganka asked, "why?  What happen?"
Saranya sighed and said, "Oh! Here your surprise!"
Mriganka asked, "Surprise?"
Saranya said, "Yes. you thought I'd come to this park just to wish you, crazy!”
Mriganka laughed.

Saranya took a small box of cake from her bag, adorned with a tiny candle, and said, "Here, this time, blow this."
Mriganka questioned, "Again, why all this?"
Saranya replied, "I needed you to blow it quickly."
She blew the candle and Mriganka took a piece of cake and fed it to Saranya. She also shared the cake with him.
Then Saranya took out a pen, approached Mriganka and said, "This is for you."
Mriganka looking at the gift and asked, "Where did you get so much money?"
Saranya replied, "From where else; from dad. I saved what my dad gave me as pocket money."
Mriganka said, "Why do you do all this? Why spend so much money? A simple wish from you is enough for me."
Saranya said, "I know. But if I ever manage to work myself one day, mark my words, I will celebrate your birthday grandly."
Mriganka smiled and said, "And this is simple? Whether the gift is cheap or expensive, the value of a gift should not be judged. Even if it seems less valuable to you, for me, the value of this gift is immense. Understand, crazy?"
Saranya replied, "What did you say to me? Crazy?"
Mriganka teased, "Yes, exactly, I called you crazy."
Saranya said, "Again with that..."

While heading to school Samprikta passed by a park. While passed a park she looked through the car window and saw a girl standing in the park, holding a cake in her hand. The cake was being cut by a boy. The boy's face looked very familiar. He carefully observed and noticed Mriganka cutting a cake with a girl. Recognizing the girl, he told the driver, "Uncle, stop the car for a moment."
The driver stopped the car as per her instructions. Samprikta observed the scene through the car window. She carefully noticed and realized that it was the same girl with whom Mriganka was talking on the school balcony that day.
She thought, "Why is Mriganka cutting the cake?
Is.. it his birthday.. today?"
Samprikta said to her driver, "Driver uncle please took me to the shopping mall in that direction."
Driver replied,” Ok.”

Entering the classroom, Mriganka noticed Samprikta hadn't arrived yet. He went to his own desk and sat down. On seeing him, Onima and Surya approached, extending birthday wishes. Shortly after, Samprikta entered the class. After the class ended, Mriganka went to the library. Samprikta followed him and sitting beside him.

Mriganka looked at her and asked, "Why are you here?"
Samprikta replied, "Why can't I be here? Moreover, as far as I know anyone can sit anywhere here, so why can't I?"
Hearing her words Mriganka got a bit annoyed.
Then he said, "W..w..with so much space available, why are you sitting here?"
Samprikta responded, "Why, is this your place? This is a school. Anyone can sit wherever they want here."
Upon hearing this, Mriganka’s face turned red with anger.
When Mriganka leave his chair , she hurriedly say, “ I heard that you are very cool but I don’t know why you always got angry when you see me?”
After listened her he didn’t know what he answered.
He thought, ”Seriously why did I so angry when I see her? I haven't interacted with anyone so badly, so why with her?'"
Suddenly, Samprikta presented a colorful paper-wrapped gift, sweetly saying, "Happy Birthday, Mriganka."
Mriganka was somewhat surprised and asked, "What is this?"
Samprikta replied, "A gift."
Mriganka said, "A gift? Why should I accept a gift from you? Also, do you even know when my birthday is?"
Samprikta said, "On my way to school, I saw you with a girl... sorry! With your friend, the one you meet every day during the lunch break and cut cakes with in the park. Seeing that, I thought today might be your birthday, so I brought this small gift for you. And also sorry if I am mistaken!"

Mriganka opened the gift and found an expensive smartwatch inside. He immediately rejected the gift, saying, "This is a smartwatch! It must be quite expensive."
Samprikta replied, "Yes. What's wrong with that? I bought it for you because I like it. You know, I have never bought a gift for anyone in my life. This is the first time I've bought something for someone."
Mriganka, looking intensely at Samprikta, said, "But please forgive me; I cannot accept this gift."
Samprikta asked, "Why? Don't you like it?"
Mriganka responded, "It's not about liking or disliking. This gift is too expensive. As someone who has grown up amidst poverty, I know the value of money. I don't see the need to spend so much money on someone like me. Moreover, anyone flaunting such a costly watch will attract attention, and people will talk. So please, excuse me from accepting this."
After saying this, he left the library. Samprikta went with him to the school gate.
Mrigank requested, "Please stop following me; I don't like it."
Samprikta replied, "If you don't take this gift, I will stay here."
Mriganka said, "It's your wish. I won't take any gift from you."

During the school break, heavy rain started, accompanied by a thunderstorm. Seeing Mriganka, Sarnaya asked, "Are you going home now?"
Mriganka replied, "How can I? But with this heavy rain, what else can we do?"
Sarnaya said, "True. Today, we need to find a way to get everything dry, or else everything will get wet."
Mriganka added, "I am in the same situation."
Meanwhile, a friend of Sarnaya approached and said, "Sarnaya, Sarnaya, our unit test papers have been distributed. The teacher is calling you."
Sarnaya said to Mriganka, "I'll be right back; don't go anywhere."
Mriganka replied, "Alright."

After saying this, he left the library. Samprikta went with him to the school gate. Mrigank requested, "Please stop following me; I don't like it." Samprikta replied, "If you don't take this gift, I will stay here."
Mrigank said, "It's your wish. I won't take any gift from you."
During the school break, heavy rain started, accompanied by a thunderstorm. Seeing Mrigank, Sarnaya asked, "Are you going home now?" Mrigank replied, "How can I? But with this heavy rain, what else can we do?" Sarnaya said, "True. Today, we need to find a way to get everything dry, or else everything will get wet."
Mriganka added, "I am in the same situation." Meanwhile, a friend of Sarnaya approached and said, "Sarnaya, Sarnaya, our unit test papers have been distributed. The teacher is calling you."

Mriganka waiting for Sarnaya in front of the school gate, heard the crying of a girl at the same moment. He looked down and saw a girl standing in the rain, crying. The girl's face was very familiar to him.
Mriganka said, "Samprikta!"
The girl continued crying without paying attention to Mriganka's call.
Mriganka called again, "Samprikta!"
But Samprikta didn't respond.
Mriganka noticed that Samprikta was still holding the gift he had brought for her.
Samprikta crying and said, "What have I done to you? Why do you always treat me like this? Why do you express annoyance every time you see me? You don't behave like this with others. Why with me?"
Mriganka couldn't figure out the right response to her questions because he didn't have answers to his own questions.
Seeing Samprikta crying without responding to his words, Mriganka opened his umbrella and held it over Samprikta's head, saying, "What happened to you? Standing in the rain like this. Look you're completely soaked."
Mriganka noticed the gift still in Samprikta's hand.
Samprikta wiping her tears and said, "I bought this gift for you with my hard-earned money, but you rejected it."
Mriganka looked towards Samprikta's car, which had arrived.
He said, "Your car has come. Come, I will escort you to the car."
Samprikta wiping her tears with determination and said, "There's no need. I can go alone. If you want, take the gift or throw it away. I don't care."
She left the gift on the ground and quickly got into the car, leaving .
Mriganka standing there holding the umbrella over the abandoned gift.

To be continued.......