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Certainly I am adding more optimism into story.
Yeah! time for fun.
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Chapter-15
Teddy Bear
I dreamt of beautiful places, full of greenery, delighted and beautiful flowers surrounding me and a wood hut near the river.
When I woke in morning, I just couldn’t wipe off that image from my mind. It held appeal to me, and I wished that someday I could live in such a place but the problem was that we can’t find such an exotic place. It had turned into my dream-place.
My day started with welcoming chatter of birds and flew without any faults. It was as if dark days were far behind me and shinning sun had finally blessed me. I was unnaturally in light mood, good mood. For once I was happy and felt happy.
Visiting church as usual, I stopped at orphanage and spend some quality time with children. I just love to play with them. As Jenny was busy I decided to utilize my time and spread the cheeriness which I was feeling among unfortunate children of God.
“Di! You came. It’s sooo long.” Said Ella in her sweet childlike tone.
Ella came rushing in garden and hugged my legs. I knelt down and captured her in tight hug. I love her lot. She is most attached to me amongst all the child there.
Suddenly, she pushed me back, put her back in front of my face and folds her hand on her chest.
“I am so sorry Ella. Di was busy.” I said going around her and tugging my fingers on ears. She made face and hugged me back.
I just love child. She is so sweet and adorable.
“You are alwaysss bussy.” She accused her voice singing song as she disentangle herself from my fold.
“Di said, she is sorry.” I gave her apologetic look.
The coordinator knew me very well. When she saw Ella with her hands securely in mine, she approached and greeted me and I greeted her back. She was busy with some accounts so she left us alone.
Once when I was angry with Ma, I left home and was just wandering when I located this orphanage. It was two years back. Since then, I have been regularly paying their children visits.
We played for hours, till she was exhausted and asked me to tell her the princess story which she requested for me to narrate everytime I visit her.
When one is happy, time seems to fly away quickly.
It was 6 in evening. Soon I had to leave for my singing classes.
“Ella, di is getting late. She’ll came back soon.” I said calmly. Ella didn’t like my leaving. She always dreaded it. So did I. but I had to leave.
“Di, please be back soon.” She said in shaky voice.
I hugged her back. It always brings tears to my eyes to see the children without love and care. I silently thank God for giving me a caring and loving mother.
I my eyes were almost misted. I hugged her again so that she won’t be able to see my tears. Wiping them off with the back of my wrist, I cleared my throat, which probably was filled with lumps and said, “Ya sure, I promise, I’ll came soon again and will also bring new teddy for you”.
She kissed me on cheeks, and said “Wow Di, thank you very much. Even if you can’t bring teddy do come.” Again I felt that pinch on hearing her melodious voice. I so much wished that I could have a sister like her. Especial she would be so great. But I knew that we are not so financially stable to afford another child.
We heavy heart and pain in my chest I left her standing on entrance waving back to me.
I gave her a flying kiss and rushed before tears could spill out. I was happy for spending time with her but as well as sad for her, for all unfortunate children who lived in orphanages.
At least I had my mother…
“Heya” I walked over to where Mohit sat.
“Hey! You are early.” He grinned.
“So are you Mr.” I replied with smug look.
“Yeah, I am.” He said little sadly
“What happened? You had breakup? Should I be somewhere else?” I asked with mocked concern. Not that his break up would bother me but that means that I should be with Jenny to mend her broken heart.
“Why you are so keen on getting both of separated?” he asked
“Because, my dear Jiju, You are trying to steal my best friend from me! What else can you expect from me?”
His face was that of surprise, clearly turned into a big O.
I just shrugged reading in silence.
“Still yr, I am not that bad. I won’t steal her from you.” He said smiling brightly.
“Yeah you won’t. I wouldn’t let you. But all this is not correct.” I said making a gesture of threatening him.
“Oh my! How?”
“Because you are still underage and the fact that this is not accepted in here and that you are big jerk!” I said playfully twisting the curls within my fingers, which had fallen from the pony.
“Now guys! Why don’t we start acting instead if talking?” came the honey dripping from behind me.
I stood up instantly and said, “Mohit get to work before I give you more lecture about it.” I said mockingly.
“Yeah Bosses.” He said mocking salute towards Aarav and me.
When I turned to face Aarav he gave me a smile, instead of smiling back I said, “You know what? Let’s just try not to kill each other while this competition?”
“Hmm…sure. Okay with me.”
We spent an hour debating on which song would suit best to my voice, then all the players scribbled some notes and started playing one by one.
First Mohit played and Ofcourse, he was excellent. I wouldn’t have been able to find anyone better for the job. I smiled when he finished.
Then came Aarav, well I should say he isn’t that bad. He played quiet well. Okay, I am under estimating, he played really well. Better job than what I could do. Yes, even I knew how to play guitar but I just wanted to learn it out of carving. He did played well.
Enough of praising MissAahana!
I silently chided myself.
Then came flute one_ what was his name? hmm __ Namit.
He played along well. It was little rough but had immense scope of improvement.
Then we all the girls sang two-three times before we got the wording properly.
It was eight O’clock. Time to leave. I said goodbye to all and left institute for home.
“Yeah, where do you live?” Aarav come jogging behind me.
“Does it concerns you?” I said coldly.
“No, it doesn’t but I saw you today near my home, that’s why I asked.”
“I don’t know where you live, so I wasn’t bothering myself to find you.” I wonder where he had seen me. I had gone to many places since morning.
“In that orphanage.” He said in low voice.
“Oh. Yeah, I did go there. Seldomly.” I said clearly surprised, he must be living in some apartments, because near the orphanage only flats are situated, which were rather costly.
“You live in apartments?” I asked with mild curiosity.
“Yes.”
“Oh.” I said offering no other way to start conversation.
We were still walking when he suddenly came to halt. Not that we were talking or something but he still choose to walk by my side and when he stopped a wave of disappointment passed through me.
“Are you in some way connected with that little girl?” he asked from behind in smooth voice.
I too stopped walking and turned around to face him. It was dark outside. I could faintly se his face, but his eyes gleamed with amusement.
“Which girl?” I asked giving confused look. I knew he was talking about Ella but I refuse to give in.
“The little girl who couldn’t keep her hands off to herself. And the one who was clutching on you as if you are the most important person in her life.” He asked walking towards me, slowly closing the distance between us.
“El_Ella?” I whispered still in trance that he spotted me at orphanage.
“No, we are not related but I know her since she was 8.” I cleared with hesitance, backing a little.
I started walking again. I was late for home and she would get worried if I didn’t reach on time.
“Yeah, I got to go. Bye.” With that I rushed off to next turn and let myself get lost from his eyes. I don’t know why I didn’t wanted him to see my home. Getting personal with me.
“Ma! I am home.” I shouted when she didn’t answer the doorbell and knocked two three times on door, but nobody answered it.
I took out my set of keys from bag and open the door.
“Ma? Where are you?” I echoed again.
No response.
“Ni! You are home. I just went to greet Shirine.” Ma walked into the hall embracing me in teddy bear hug.
“I am hungry!” I grunted.
“Oh! My chocopie is hungry? I’ll get something right away.” she giggled.
After having dinner, I helped mom in washing the dishes and chattered about my song and how I spent my rest of the day.
“Now off to bad. You should not exert yourself.” She said while putting up my bed and tugging me under my duvet.
Again after a very long time, I slept like baby. But it’s me! I have to be bothered with everything, even if that thing is my dearly sleep!
For the rest few days, school passed in blurs. I was far more excited for my first big stage show, that school studies were neglected. I made a note of studying with more zeal after the competition.
“Hey!” Aarav stood near the entrance of Darshak. Okay, I admit, he isn’t that bad.
He had talked to me a number of times and I was really impressed with his cool nature. Normally dealing with my cascading words were not so easy but slowly, even I lost all the words of anger and we started speaking like two-about-to-be-friends people.
“Hi” I murmured smiling a little, which I did not feel towards him.
There was a long pause. Usually this would be the end of our conversation. I would not attempt to engage further and I think he feels the same, so why bother?
“Err… you went to orphanage again?” he asked with hesitation.
This time when I visited Ella, I kept my eyes open to look for someone with blue on my way. Engulf with curiosity I wanted to see in which flat did he leave. There were many. But I couldn’t see anyone at first.
When I was about to leave Ella and orphanage, I felt a presence in trees behind me, I had turned my head to see who it was but I couldn’t see anyone.
I left the matter and hugged Ella again and she cheerfully planted a kiss on my cheeks for lovely light brown teddy bear. Just as I had promised her, I had brought a teddy of the size, which my pocket could afford, for her. Yet again, my eyes were misted at the time of separation.
“So it was you behind the trees?” I accused him stabbing my finger in his structure chest.
“Yeah! don’t get annoyed! I was just_ well I wa_” before he could complete I burst out laughing. It was funny seeing him babbling with words.
“Why were you hiding?” I asked actually curious when I could control my chuckles.
“I wasn’t hiding. I was walking around in the park when I saw you there.”
“You could have come out and could have saved me from walking alone all along the way!” I said. Not that I intend to walk with him but by then, we had lost all grudges against each other.
“Oh. Next time I will. Ella really loves you.” He said smiling brightly; his eyes also shine with his lips.
“I know.” I said as a matter of fact with which my smile faded.
“She showed me the teddy bear which you gave her and was not willing to part with it.” He said sensing my aloofness.
“She did?”
“Yes.”
“You know her?” I asked a little curious.
“Yeah, my father gives donation in that orphanage and since we live nearby, I often go for a walk there when I get messed up.” He said grinning.
“Ohhh…. so you were messed up?” I teased him to hide my pain on hearing word father.
He remained silent. I did not force him either.
“Come on guys we’ll get late.” Shouted Mohit from the window of Darshak’s room.
“Coming!” both of us said at the same time. Giggling we went to our class.
Our rigorous practice, class finished and we went to our respective places.
Aarav still annoyed me sometimes; after all he was just another boy. Now boys cannot let go their nasty streak, can they?
I maintained my distance. The other day, I had seen him in ice-cream parlor when Jenny and me had went to get relief from the humid weather. Accidentally, Mohit and Aarav had same thoughts, but why I think that Jenny had told Mohit about our visit?
Anyways, all four sat there, on the same table, licking our ice-creams. I sat there in utter silence where Mohit and Jen couldn’t keep their hands to themselves and Aarav would provide some comments in their conversation occasionally.
I caught him two or three times groaning inwardly on seeing Mohit and Jen but made no comment, after all even I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the arrangement.
Aarav’s blue oceanic eyes would often flicker from ice-cream to me and would fall down with same speed.
Now, is he checking me out?
The pit of my stomach really had some issue, since last few days, it would start acting weirdly and I could feel butterflies in it. I felt little sick.
“Sorry guys, but I got to go. See ya later.” As I said, removing myself from stool and standing to leave.
“Ni! You could stay a little longer. What’s so urgent that needs your attention?” Jen grumbled. Now as if she was so intently listening to me when I wasn’t even present there for her!
I gave her a scathing look for calling me Ni in front of others.
“As if you’ll miss me whilst your boyfriend sitting next to you.” I taunted her and left.
I hadn’t walked much distance, when I heard someone calling my name.
I turned back to look for source and there walked Mr.Aarav, showing off his muscles to all the girls walking past him.
I chided myself silently for thinking like that. Now how does it matter to me whatever he does. I turned back to my way and slowed down my pace for him to catch up.
“Nice way to avoid them.” He said grinning in a hoarse voice.
“Thanks, if that was complement but I am really needed somewhere urgently.” I said not wanting him to know about butterflies.
“Oh.” Was all he responded.
After, remaining silent for some moment, he opened his mouth again, but just to utter uselessly. “Meeting someone special??” he asked, his face expressionless.
“Like?” I asked not getting meaning, I thought he was talking about Ella.
“Hmm_ Boyfriend?”
The only word that could leave me fuming, even in my dreams.
“What?” I asked disbelievingly, as if I heard wrongly.
“Oh come on. Don’t act so innocently.” Came replied.
By then I was fuming in rage.
“Now, how does it concern you? I guess whomever I am meeting in none of your business!” I spat.
Blood hell! Boys will always remain J-E-R-K-S.
He was taken back with my fierce response. He stepped back as if I would pounce on him in the middle of the road.
I would not disgrace my mother’s value in streets, for God’s sake!
“Umm_” not letting him complete, I poured some more wounded words, “By the way! Just let me know, do you always act so brutally, or I am someone special for whom you leave aside your cunning comments.”
“Aahanaaa, I am sor_” he tried to say, “Don’t you dare! You don’t even know its meaning.” I interrupted.
I ran before he could speak more, leaving him standing behind dumbfounded.
Who the hell cares?
I wanted to curse him, but as ever, not a single harsh curse came to my mind.
Dart! Fool.
After rushing for five minutes, I sat there in garden of orphanage; I had not yet met Ella. First I wanted to cool down.
Frankly speaking, I didn’t wanted to go home in such a foul mood and didn’t have any other place to go. So orphanage was the best place, which crossed my mind. I didn’t wanted to go to beach, it was Saturday and Beach would have been filled with couples and families, which I purposefully avoided.
The butterflies were long forgotten, only upper anger had left. I knew I had over reacted. But it was how I am. Can’t change!
“Aahana! You are such an idiot.” I murmured to myself.
My anger had subsided. Actually, it never real reached the zenith I displayed, but I couldn’t help show him hurt which his words caused.
Now do I look like someone to have affair? I wondered.
Sighing softly, I left the bench and went in search of Ella. I was to leave in two days. I wanted to say goodbye and well_ get some encouragement too. I knew I was being selfish, but being with Ella and other kids always lifted my spirits.
“Di!” I turned around to see the ever-smiling sweet face with honey dripping voice.
So?
How was this one?
Surely Ella holds dearly place in both of their hearts.
Ahh… atleast they have something in common.
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