High school sweethearts... (#Wattys2017)

Unpredictable Decisions

  

Chapter- 61

(Unpredictable Decisions)       

( This is chapter is dedicated to the sweet little girl Janvi, (alia_bhatt). This is just a token of my gratitude for all the love you showered on HssH J )

“95% Agarwal’s choose to be charted accountants, you don’t need to take the blame on you Aj.” John said climbing on to the 4 sided ladder column made of steel in our hide out.

Our hide out was a typical place. Probably from the age of 12, we come here to share any important news. All the good and bad decisions are made here.

Located to the extreme right side of the park there is a play area for kids. On to one corner of this, there is an antique place which has four, 4 sided steel ladder columns of 12 feet tall, these are connected on one side leaving the centre place empty. We usually climb on to one column each and sit on the top of it and feel as if we are above everyone. Sunset is real worth watching from there. But today was different nothing was interesting to me, in fact everything around me was clinching me bit by bit, even Sun set was grieving me.

Why did Nisha do this? Does she really hate me?

Choosing charted accountancy (C.A) for Engineering is a big decision.

“Nisha, we decided to get in same college in 10th standard, isn’t it? Then why did you take such big decision?”

“We both knew that everything happening around us was in god’s will, then this meeting again was also in god’s will, why do you want to change his will? Why do you want to leave me, Nisha?

“I think it’s you mama’s decision, I am sure that definitely it’s not Nisha’s decision.” Din said breaking my silent thoughts.

(Mama: Here its Nisha’s father, Mama means Uncle and usually John and Din Call him that way considering me as his son in law already. Making this relationships without any reason is quite a common thing in India, especially in south India, whenever a guy see a girl, and falls for her, then she will be “Bhabi” to his friends, Girls parents will be uncle and aunt and if unluckily the girl has brothers then they will  be “Brother in laws”. Though this situation is pathetic but it’s true.)

“ I also heart fully feel that it’s your Mama’s plot.” John strengthened Din’s words.

“Whatever it is she closed the last door sharp on my face.” I said looking at the drowning sun.

“Aj, come on! Chill bro! Nisha will surely come back for you.” John said getting down the ladder.

I looked at John with clinch of anger, while he was saying something impossible. We walked out of the park and ate some usual pani puri, but those pani puri also tasted the bitterest, but not more the bitter pain I was experiencing at that moment.

****

Tring….!!! Tring…!!! (Phone Ringing)

Time was ticking 11.30 in the night, I was sitting just beside the Telephone, but I had no interest to take the call. As I was in my own world of depression wandering deaf and dumb.

“Aj…!!! Take the call.” My mom shouted from the other room.

I took the receiver unenthusiastically.

“Hello, Aj!”

I know it was john but I kept quite.

“Hello, Aj , You there?”

“Ya………….. Say John what happened.”

 “Did you see Rocky-I ?”

“Nope.”

“Did you see Rocky-2?”

“Nope.”

“Rocky-3 ?”

“John, I will smash your face, if you don’t hang up the phone now.”

“Rocky-IV, Rocky-V, Rocky Balboa?”

“Bye…!!” I said with anger gushing out of my nose.

“Sorry, Sorry.! Bro listen, you know what Rocky say in this movie?”

“John please hang the phone, I am not ready to hear anything.” I said hanging the phone.

“Tring..Tring…” (Phone ringing)

I was determined not to take the call but as my people were sleeping I took the call again.

“It’s ain’t how hard you hit, its hard you get hit and keep moving forward, its how hard you take it and keep moving forward, that’s how winning is done.”

“John….. Stop it man.” I shouted.

“That’s what rocky said, be ready at sharp 6.00 am.” Saying John hanged up the phone.

I don’t know when I slept that night. Thinking Nisha refused to be with was adding pain to me regularly. All the promises which she made are shuttered at once.

*****

I woke up next morning with heavy honking of John’s Bike. I walked out and found John wit a basketball in his hand. I just tried to recollect what happened yesterday night and made a conclusion that John wants me to play Basketball. I was terribly shocked as we never played it before.

“Don’t even think of saying that.” I said looking at John’s evil eyes which are sparkling and saying that he will pull me and take me to Basketball court.

“Come soon Aj, we still have 2 more months of holidays, Din is already waiting in court.”

I was completely reluctant in playing as my dribbling skills are very poor and I dint even knew where to throw ball. Din understood the situation and left playing basketball after 2 days, but John pulled me every day. Though I was still stumbling in Nisha’s thoughts, playing basketball slowly brought a change in me. In first 1 week I was confident enough to dribble ball and within 25 days, my shooting also improved drastically of putting 8 out of 10 baskets from 3 pointer.

Basketball completely changed me in me, both physically and mentally. I don’t say my thoughts about Nisha have completely vanished, but I am sure that all my thoughts, pain and distress are used while playing basketball. This is what I call converting pain in to positive energy. I always pulled myself to extreme to forget the pain of Nisha and I was successful in doing that.

*****

Two months passed as quickly as I have never expected and time to join my engineering college has come. Though it’s tough for me to attend college without Nisha, I somehow made up mind and finished my admission formalities.

Unlike my Intermediate college, Engineering college was quite different in fact very different. Nice architecture with spacious class rooms impressed me. I at once felt that I was back in my school.

                                        …………To be continued.