Chapter 4
Little things
"You're being a little quiet today," Sanya said, digging her stick into the sand.
I looked back at her, surprised. "I've been talking nonstop from the morning bell. I'm being courteous and letting you talk now."
"I meant, relatively," She smirked.
"Ya, relatively. Thanks."
"Then, did you like the first part of Dead Pirates?" She asked me with so much eagerness that you'd think that she penned it herself.
"Don't you talk about that stupid book in front of me!" I snapped and then laughed at her ashen expression.
"Seriously, what captured your attention in that book?"
"They're doing stuff that I can never do.Of course It'll give me a sense of satisfaction!"
"Your secret fantasy is to go on a killing rampage? I should be careful with you."
My murmur was lost in the boisterous din of our classmates' voices.
I leaned towards Sanya once again, "So when is our revision exams?"
"You didn't go through the notice board yesterday?"
"Uh,no."
"How typical of you Shyla."
"Why, thank you very much," I replied with a heavy British accent, causing Sanya to nearly grin.
"15th, not far off from now."
"I can't write these revision tests yaar," I cribbed,"Let's bunk maths and rent some CDs to watch, what say?"
"Dude, we'll be dead, I'm not sure about this."
"I've done it before. Some trust dude!"
She pulled her duffel bag into her arms, amused."I haven't, right? Okay, we'll see, we'll see."
We faced the ground once more where the inter-school match was happening.
Sanya retrieved a tiffin box from her bag."Ahem."
"Oh, chocolate digestives.Thanks." I grabbed two biscuits.
I chewed silently watching the now sweaty boys getting into a skirmish.
"That was Vijay's point! That was a ruse!" Mrunal hissed loudly and I exchanged looks with Sanya.
Vijay was somewhat of the Junior High jock and the queen bee was rumoured to be dating him.
"Mrunal foregoes all these matches. Today's the first day she's sitting here." I whispered while chewing,"Does she even know this is Basketball?"
"Love, Shyla, Pyaar. You won't understand these pure feelings."
I stifled my laugh.
It was very convenient that the match extended for the last maths hour because I don't do my homework and Smriti ma'am never left us until the last bell. I slung my bag over my shoulder after seeing the glimpse of my van and hoisted myself up before he could get a chance to stop the vehicle.
The driver got a minor heart attack when I stumbled in like a tornado, and then narrowed his gaze.
"I was going to stop only no, ma? Why this hurry?"
"Sorry uncle," I replied sweetly, not feeling sorry at all.
Students began piling in but I already won my seat near the window. I shuffled into my seat and adjusted my bag for other students to accommodate themselves.
4:15 pm. My watch stated when I climbed down from the van.
My music class was at 6 and I had ample time to go home and take a shower and change into fresh clothes.
My hair was reaching a little past my collarbone now, which was a great feat for me because my mother chopped my hair off before someone could accidentally identify me as a girl.
I brushed the wet hair off my forehead and pulled the shirt over my head.
"You're going to music class?" My father queried, peering from the newspaper.
"I didn't go for three weeks already so..."
"Then come, I'll drop you."
"Er, no it's fine. I want to walk,"I replied a little hastily.
My mother didn't have a problem with this because I was gaining a little weight and she personally thought I needed some exercise.
So I slung my guitar bag over my shoulder and rushed out of the door.
I climbed down the stairs and hurried my steps. I would reach earlier but anyway, I needed to catch up with my strumming techniques and maybe practice a little before master comes and breathes fire. And I realised that I didn't tell Kabir where we could see each other. Oh, well.
I rounded the corner of my street, observing a new sweet shop in my locality and I almost scared the life out of myself when a bike almost hit me.
My hand immediately flew to my chest and I took some steps back before focusing on the smug person riding the bike.
"Are you insane? I got a minor heart attack!"
Kabir chuckled, turning the key in the engine. "Yeah? Good. That's what you get for not meeting me all these days. Not a text, a call, nothing!"
"Weren't we both going to focus on our studies till the board exams?"
He snorted in response,"Yeah right.As if you were actually studying."
He knew me too well.
"Just tell me, you didn't miss me."He said.
"I don't need to show my affection only by talking to you, you know."
Kabir's attention perked up and I realised what I said so casually might actually mean a huge step for couples. Which I wouldn't know. Something akin to fear, nervousness and bashfulness crept into my cheeks seeing Kabir's mirthful eyes directed at me.
"Excuse me? Show your what?"
He asked and I smiled at the hint of almost childlike expectation in his face.
Then, I realised that we were simply looking at each other wordlessly: one teasingly and the other red as a tomato and my parents happened to be around the corner.
I coughed, trying to break the invisible haze in the air that was causing my heart to beat like a drum.
I brushed an imaginary speck of dust on my dress and refocused my eyes on Kabir who seemed to almost see through me at that point, and didn't mind much.
"So, let's go?" He asked and I immediately agreed. Anything to break an awkward moment.
His headlights flashed and I carefully walked around the vehicle.
"Hey?"
I turned back. "What?"
"Get on. We'll be late." He said as if it was the most obvious thing that we had been doing for decades.
I was friends with Kabir for approximately 8 years but never in my life did I even have the guts to ride his fancy tricycle let alone cosying up behind him like a stereotypical lover on his sports bike.
"What? No!" I said instantly.
"Listen, my dad offered to drop me. I told him I'll walk. Now if they see me with you I'll be minced meat!"
"You're such a coward Shyla." He sighed. "And you even broke my heart."
I smiled and turned away with my guitar bag. "You'll live."
Kabir's bike was following me at snail's pace.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Nothing. Thought you might change your mind."
"Which I won't, you know," I said not facing him in case temptation takes over yours truly.
I felt a pressure on my bag and Kabir was pulling at my bag.
"At least let me take the guitar. It must be heavy."
That you can. I wriggled off the straps on my shoulder.
"Thanks."
And he sped off leaving me in smoke and I wondered if I pissed him off.
Maybe I shouldn't have been so uptight about it. Strange, if it was some years ago I would have fainted if Kabir asked me that.
I guess girls would be overjoyed to go on a joyride on Kabir's bike. After all, he was kind of popular and all.
And yes, I was right. Mr Popular- with-the-ladies was already in class and Goth Girl was nicely flirting with him.
I fixed the tuner on my guitar and pretended to not notice. Ajay was silent beside me, tapping his drumsticks on his thigh.
Kabir was talking very civilly and not like how he spoke to me a few moments ago which was consolation enough but still...
It was irritating. Yes.
I didn't even know to flirt and here was this girl. She was doing a pretty good job actually.
Time for intervention.
"Hey, do you have the chords for the fusion part?" I blabbered.
"Fusion part?" The girl's brows furrowed and Kabir faced me as well, leaning on the desk.
"The entire thing is fusion." David asserted, giving me a look.
Oh,whatever.
"I mean those notes yaar, for the um, .."
"You missed the notes for the third song. Here."
I went through the notes that Goth girl forwarded and huffed. I couldn't write all of this.
Just then Master came. He was wearing a very unusual Hawaii themed multicoloured shirt and met my questioning look.
"My mother-in-law gifted this. Not a word," He whispered.
I nodded, masking my smile.
I was an average music student and possibly the youngest in the batch,but the music master sort of softened towards me when he noticed my snail-paced attempts at getting better in my music. Sympathy is a useful device in my life.
"You all know that every year, batches of students collaborate and perform for a jury.I hope I made a good choice with the five of you for this year's Battle.The least I can expect you is for you to be a little more sincere in coming to classes."
He looked straight at me and Kabir. "Missed three classes." He said, dryly and I gave an impish look until I realized he wanted a reply.
Luckily Kabir spoke for both of us.
"Exams?" The musical maestro looked almost repulsed. "Come on, you aren't studying in the weekends, are you?"
He looked pointedly at me.
Oh, everyone knew.
"When the program nears, we will have to catch up. Five of you will have to come very often.No holidays without informing me. Tell me if you can't and you can drop out right now.I mean it."
He didn't mean it. But we maintained a respectful silence for a minute and a half.
He cleared his throat. "Anyway, let's recall what we did before."
David and Kabir started with the introductory and I waited, hands on the strings.
My strumming was almost drowned out by Nia's electric notes.
Followed by the drums.
Master took my guitar and taught me how to play for the bridge and for the next few hours I struggled to make myself heard and prevailed among the other talented people in my band until my finger swiped on a string and it produced an awkward sound.
One of the strings broke and hung limply from the board.
The others stopped playing.
I looked at my finger. A bright sheen of blood in my finger. It dripped.
Oh, right. Blood. Logical.
I stared fascinated.
The first time that I'd literally shed blood for my music.
Just then, fingers gently enveloped around mine.
I looked up to see a head full of silky hair.
"Idiot," Kabir muttered, examining my finger.
I peered over his head to see the others but no one seemed scandalised as I was by his concern, given everyone knew that we were family friends and everything.
Except for one face from the next room. Saloni.
I gulped. She looked confused.
A boy bending over a girl must look very wrong from the next room.
The next moment I was distracted when I felt something on my finger.
Kabir gently sucking my um, finger...
I felt a queer sensation sneaking in through the tips of my sky blue sneakers.
This is awkward on so many levels.
His wet, brown eyes focused on me. "Keep it still."
And he disappeared out of the room.
This boy tried to push me off a tree because I broke his toy and now he was fussing over a small cut in my finger. The world is truly fascinating.
Kabir returned like a knight-in-shining-armour with a first aid box and knelt down, handing me a little ball of cotton.Master was attending a call, so thankfully the others were distracted.
Then he carefully wrapped my finger like a mummy and tied it.
I let him. I thought it was cute.
"Thanks," I said.
He looked up and gave a lopsided smile, "Shut up."