On the same evening, Sanjana was standing beside the sofa, with her head hanging low, playing with her fingers. Pooja and her mother were sprawled on the sofa. Sanjana was taking occasional glances at her father, sitting on the other sofa, staring at the two report cards with a serious face.
After a few moments, he kept the two papers on the small glass table in front of the sofa and looked up at Sanjana.
His face was expressionless like always. Sanjana gulped in nervousness.
Dad: (low but stern voice) "Is this your 'good'?"
Sanjana: "D-dad I tried my b-best..."
Dad: (standing up and shouting) "82% IS YOUR TRYING BEST??"
Sanjana stepped back a little, surprised as well as scared by her father's sudden outburst.
Dad: "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STUDY SERIOUSLY?? 82% IS EVEN A MARKS???"
Sanjana tried to stop herself from crying but tears still formed in her eyes.
Pooja smirked at Sanjana and thought about making the matter worse.
Pooja: (faking a pity face) "Sanjana, that day at school, the teacher gave us an extra class. I told you to stay but you skipped class and went out with your friend."
Sanjana's eyes widened.
Sanjana: "When did- "
Dad: "YOU SKIPPED CLASS?? HOW DARE YOU??"
Sanjana: (defending herself) "Dad, she is lying!! I didn't miss any class!!"
Mom: (hugging Pooja) "She is your own sister! Why will she lie?"
Sanjana: (wobbly voice) "Mom, Dad, believe me! I didn't miss any class!"
Dad: "THEN WHY IS YOUR MARKS SO LOW?? "
Sanjana: (tears streamed down her cheeks) "B-but I tried my best..."
Dad: "If you had seriously tried your best, you would have done much better than this!"
He sighed in frustration.
Dad: "Just go to your room!! I'm so tired of telling you the same thing over and over again! I don't know when you will be serious about your future! JUST GO!!"
Sanjana ran upstairs to her room and closed the door behind her. She slowly walked to her bed; tears still flowing from her eyes. She plopped down and shifted backward towards the headboard. Pulling her legs towards her chest, she buried her head between her knees. The silent room filled with her loud sobs.
After some time, her phone vibrated on the bedside table.
Sniffing, she reached out her hand to take the phone. Without checking the caller ID, she picked up the call.
Sanjana: (crying voice) "H-hello?"
Karan: (worried) "S-Sanjana?"
Sanjana's eyes widened, hearing his voice. She wiped away her tears and cleared her throat.
Sanjana: "K-Karan? H-Hi!"
Karan: "Were you busy?"
Sanjana: (shaking her head) "No...no...I'm not busy at all."
Karan: "Okay..."
Silence fell between them.
Sanjana: (biting her lip) "Did you want to say something to me?"
Karan: (caught off-guard) "Huh? Ah- yes!!"
Sanjana heard Karan clearing his throat.
Karan: (hesitating)"I was asking...will you... will you go out with me tomorrow?"
Sanjana's eyes widened. Her heart started racing.
Karan: (confused, not getting an answer) "Sanjana?"
Sanjana: (excited) "Yes! Yes, I'll go out with you!"
Karan: (chuckling) "That's great! Then, tomorrow 11 AM! I'll pick you up from your house, okay?"
Sanjana: (smiling widely) "I'll be waiting!"
Karan: "Then, bye! Good night!"
Sanjana: "Good night!"
But Karan did not hang up the call. Sanjana got confused.
Sanjana: "Uhm... do you have anything else to say?"
Karan: "Hmm...I just wanted to ask you... are you okay?"
Sanjana did not expect him to ask that question. His soft and concerned voice warmed her heart, overtaking the sadness from before.
She sighed with a small smile.
Sanjana: "Yes...I'm fine now."
Karan: (happy) "Good! Take care! Bye!"
Sanjana: "You too! Bye!"
This time, Karan surely hung up the call.
Sanjana kept the phone beside her and broke down into a huge smile.
'At least there's someone out there, who cares for me. Thank you, Karan.'
In the morning, Pooja opened her window, taking in the fresh air and the bright sunlight fell on her face. She stretched her arms out and looked around from the window.
Her eyebrows crashed together, seeing a familiar figure, standing outside the entrance.
Pooja: "What is she doing there?"
Then she saw Karan walking up to Sanjana and hugging her. Her blood boiled seeing them hugging and smiling together.
Karan: (checking Sanjana from head to toe) "I think I was wrong. You look great in your normal attire."
Sanjana blushed at his compliment. Karan chuckled seeing her red face.
Karan: (taking her hand) "Shall we go?"
Sanjana nodded with a smile.
Pooja's grip on the window tightened seeing them walking away, holding hands.
Pooja: (through gritted teeth) "Sanjana, you're really testing my patience."
Sanjana and Karan were walking along the streets, their fingers intertwined with each other. They were taking occasional glances at each other simultaneously.
Sanjana: (looking around, confused) "Are we going somewhere?"
Karan: (shaking his head) "No, I didn't make any plans for today. "
Sanjana looked down, hiding her red face.
Karan: "If you have someplace on your mind, you can say it."
Sanjana: "Me?"
Karan: "Do you want to do something in particular?"
Sanjana: (thinking) "Then...I..."
Sanjana looked at Karan, biting her lower lip.
Sanjana: (excited) "I want... ice cream..."
Karan: (chuckling) "Ice cream?"
Sanjana nodded her head with a bright smile.
Sanjana was sitting at one of the tables outside a grocery store, waiting for Karan. After some time, Karan pulled the chair in front of her and sat down.
Karan: (giving her the ice cream) "Here's your chocolate ice cream!"
He emphasized the flavor to tease her. Sanjana giggled and took the ice cream with a big smile on her lips.
Karan: (casual tone) "I never asked you this. What is your ideal type of date?"
Sanjana smiled shyly hearing his question.
Sanjana: (thinking) "Nothing special...just walking around holding hands...maybe a movie night at home...horror movie..."
Sanjana laughed at her own childish thoughts.
Sanjana: (embarrassed) "I sound childish, I know."
Karan: (shaking his head) "No, you don't. Let's watch a horror movie at my house next time."
Sanjana was surprised to hear that. She was getting a tingling sensation in her stomach, her face was turning red.
Without noticing, Sanjana brought the ice cream close to her mouth. She took a bite, thinking the coldness would help the burning cheeks. But, by mistake, she got the cream on the tip of her nose.
Karan chuckled at her mistake. He took the tissue paper from the box and extended his hand towards her face. Sanjana was taken aback by his gesture.
Karan: (cleaning the cream) "Why are you so cute?"
Sanjana's face turned red like a tomato.
??: "Hello love-birds!"
Karan and Sanjana turned towards the voice, only to find Rahul and Suresh walking towards them.
Sanjana turned her face away, hiding her red face.
Rahul: (smirking) "Are you two out on a date?"
Karan: (scoffed) "None of your business. What are you two doing here?"
Rahul: "Well...we were getting bored...but not now."
Rahul pulled another chair beside Sanjana and plopped down beside her. Sanjana was confused.
Rahul: (draping his arm around her shoulder) "Sanjana, do you want to go out with me? Karan is boring. You'll have fun with me."
Rahul gave a cheeky smile towards her.
Karan: (poking his inner cheek, glaring at Rahul) "Hey, Rahul! Keep your hands to yourself!"
Rahul: (smirking) "Why? Are you jealous?"
Karan scoffed and looked away.
Rahul: (turning his face towards Sanjana) "What do you think?"
Sanjana looked at Karan who was facing the other way.
Sanjana: (smiling) "I think that's a great idea."
Rahul: (excited) "Yes! That's- "
Sanjana: "Let's all go out together. More the merrier!"
Karan smirked at Rahul who looked like someone pulled away his soul from his body.
All of them were walking down the streets. Sanjana was walking between Karan and Rahul. Sanjana felt Karan holding her hand. She blushed hard and looked down.
Sanjana turned her face to see Rahul walking with his hands in his pocket, his face looked sullen.
Sanjana: (worried) "Rahul, are you upset?"
Rahul: (sighing) "Someone ditched me."
Karan: (narrowing his eyes) "Hey, aren't you overreacting?"
Rahul: (dramatically) "You will not understand, my friend..."
Sanjana: (sad face) "Is it because of me?"
Rahul looked at Sanjana, who was pouting and looking down.
Rahul: "Sanjana, why are you so innocent? I was just joking. I'm not upset at you."
Sanjana: (cutely smiling) "Really? If you want, I can go out with you someday."
Rahul's face brightened up hearing that. He tried to hug Sanjana, but Karan put a hand on his chest and pushed him away.
Rahul: (offended) "This boy!"
Sanjana giggled at their bickering.
After a few moments of walking...
All four of them were looking up at the mall in front of them.
Sanjana and Karan were confused whereas Rahul was smiling widely.
Karan: "Mall? Did you bring us here to buy us clothes?"
Rahul: (smirked) "No, they opened a new horror house here."
Sanjana's eyes widened hearing the word 'horror house'.
Karan: (uninterested) "Seriously?"
Rahul: (making a horrifying face) "Sanjana...aren't you scared...there might be a scary woman wearing white clothes walking around..."
Sanjana gulped a lump in her throat in nervousness.
Karan: (smacking his head) "Stop with all this nonsense!"
Rahul: (rubbing the back of his head) "You are no fun Karan. Sanjana let's go!"
Rahul held Sanjana's hand and dragged her inside. Suresh followed them. Karan sighed and followed them too.
Suresh and Sanjana were standing outside the room named 'Horror House', waiting for Karan and Rahul who went to buy tickets.
Sanjana: (looking at Suresh) "You don't talk much. You're like the silent guy type."
Sanjana giggled.
Suresh chuckled at her statement.
Suresh: "Yes, you can say that. They are my only friends so I love seeing those two bickering all the time."
Sanjana looked at Rahul and Karan, who looked like two brothers fighting with each other over a lollipop.
Rahul: (whispering) "Listen, Suresh and I am going to scare Sanjana. And you're going to help us."
Karan: (scoffing) "Huh? I'm not interested in these childish kinds of stuff."
Rahul: (disappointed in him) "You are really no fun. You'll be a boring boyfriend to Sanjana."
Rahul went away from there.
Rahul: (creepy voice) "Sanjana...are you ready to go inside..."
Sanjana: (scared) "I-I think s-so..."
Karan: (coming to them) "Here are the tickets...let's go!"
They went inside the room.
It was dark everywhere. There were some horrifying noises coming from somewhere.
Sanjana: (holding Karan's hand) "What are those noises?"
Karan: (intertwining their fingers) "Don't worry they are just playing those sounds to create a scary atmosphere."
Sanjana: "They are scary..."
Sanjana was looking around. Then she realized something.
Sanjana: "Where are Suresh and Rahul?"
Karan took out his phone to call Rahul. Sanjana took her hand out of Karan's grip and switched on her phone's flashlight to see around.
Suddenly, someone placed his hand on her shoulder. Sanjana's movement stopped and her breath hitched in her throat. She slowly turned around to see a woman with long curly hair falling on her face. Her white pale face matched with her long white dress which had blood stains all over it.
Sanjana: (shouting) "KARAN!!!!!!"
Karan was standing at a distance, trying to call Rahul and Suresh. Suddenly, he heard Sanjana's scream. He ran towards the noise and found Sanjana sitting on the floor, crawling back.
Karan: (widened eyes) "Sanjana?"
Sanjana looked at Karan with fear-stricken eyes.
Karan looked in the front to see the scary woman approaching her. Then his eyes fell on the red boots sticking out from under the white dress.
Sanjana: (on the verge of tears) "No...p-please d-don't come n-near m-me..."
As Sanjana crawled backward, the woman took one step forward.
Suddenly, Karan head-locked the woman from behind. She struggled under his grip. Sanjana stood up supporting her wobbly legs.
Woman: (manly voice) "Let go!"
Karan grabbed her hair from the top and pulled the clothed mask out of his head. Sanjana's eyes widened seeing Rahul, stumbling forward as Karan freed him from his grip.
Sanjana: (surprised) "R-Rahul?"
Rahul got out of that long white dress and smiled at her proudly. Suresh appeared from behind Karan.
Karan: (throwing the mask away) "I knew it was you!"
Rahul: (bursting out laughing) "But, she was so scared!! The way she screamed and fell on the ground."
Rahul was holding his stomach and laughing. Sanjana looked down in embarrassment. A small sob escaped from her mouth but it was heard in the silent room.
Rahul stopped laughing and all of them looked at Sanjana.
Rahul approached Sanjana, worriedly.
Rahul: (placing a hand on her shoulder) "Sanjana, are you crying?"
Suddenly Sanjana pulled both her hands up and started beating Rahul on her shoulders.
Rahul: (trying to escape from her) "Ow...ow...it hurts..."
Sanjana: (beating continuously) "How dare you scare me like that??"
Karan and Suresh chuckled seeing them like that. Rahul escaped from her and ran behind Karan.
Rahul: (peeking out from behind Karan) "Karan, protect me from her..."
Karan: (scoffed) "Seriously? I told you not to pull this prank on her."
Sanjana: (standing in front of Karan) "Rahul, come out from behind him!!"
Rahul: "No way!! Your small hands are so strong. I'll not come out."
Sanjana: (stomping her foot in anger) "Hey! How dare you call my hands small??"
Rahul: (holding her ears, pouting) "Sorry!! Your hands are perfect!"
Sanjana: (angrily) "Come out! I'll not spare you!"
Karan and Suresh stood there and laughed at them bickering.
It was almost dark. All four of them were walking Sanjana home.
Suresh and Rahul were walking in the front and Sanjana and Karan in the back, holding hands.
Karan: (gentle smile) "Did you have fun today?"
Sanjana: "Yes, of course! I'll remember this day forever. Thank you."
Sanjana smiled widely at Karan. Karan chuckled and nodded in response.
Rahul: (rubbing his shoulders) "Her hands are so small, but they have so much strength in them. I don't think I'll be able to move my shoulders for some days."
Suresh scoffed and looked ahead.
Suresh: "Well, I think you deserved it after scaring her like that."
Rahul glared at Suresh. He looked back and saw Sanjana smiling at Karan.
Rahul: (surprised) "Wow! Look how she is smiling. She looked so scary while beating me. She was scarier than the ghost."