Fucking sons of bitches.
I switch off the television, which had the news channel on with the same news as the past few weeks.
'TENTH GRADE BOARD EXAMS: RESULTS TODAY?'
Seriously, why can't they confirm about it before announcing this news because this just taunts the students rather than giving them an actual fact about whether or not they'll get their results.
Feeling bored to death—like I had in these past days after the end of the board-slash-final exams—I switch on the television again, but am about to switch to SUPERNATURAL when a news with some websites' URL's pop up with the obnoxiously loud, dramatic 'breaking news' music.
I squint at it only to find that the tenth grade board exams' results were indeed today and that the students can look it up in the listed websites or apps.
I shout out for my mom and she comes to me frantically.
"Results are getting announced today!" I exclaim with a grin, gesturing to the television.
No, I'm not grim. Hell, the only reason I'm grim about is the fact that it took so long to finally decide a date to give out our results.
I'm as excited as Jack when he knew that he was given a chance to impress Dean.
And that's a hell lotta excitement if I say so myself.
I immediately go to my room and fire up my PC.
Quickly unlocking it, I open the browser and type all the URL's stated in the news in different tabs.
Dude, could you be any more desperate?
Dude, could you be more gay?
That was totally unrelated.
Yeah, but its SUPERNATURAL.
While my brain internally sighs in exasperation, I enter my enrollment number and all other details that were asked for logging-in to view my result.
After entering and submitting them, the screen turns blank white and a blue circle rotates as the page loads.
Then I wait.
I wait.
And oh, I wait.
Heaving an impatient sigh I pull my hair into a bun—the only thing I know to do with my hair.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?!" She starts.
Like I said, starts. She goes on and on about how I was ruining my hair—which she had taken care of and nourished all these years despite me being uncooperative all the times—while I...
Yeah, you got that right.
I wait.
***
I fiddle my nails as I sit in front of the ever-loading PC screen in my room.
"Ma! Are you using the Wi-Fi or something?" I scream in frustration.
No, my mom isn't in the living room. In fact she's right beside me along with Ajay, Shravan, Auntie Rema, Paps and my grandparents who had come to my house once they knew that the results were being announced today, waiting for the page to load.
"I'm right here, you don't have to shout." She smacks the back of my head.
My head falls forward and I don't even blink due to that action, afraid that if I did so, the server connection will probably go down for the millionth time today.
It's evening now and because of the shitty servers, I had to sit in front of my PC through my lunch.
My desperation must be crystal clear with how I had neglected food.
I change between different tabs that I had opened in the browser and also check the ones that I had opened in my mom's phone and mine.
"Hey, why don't you check it out too, Jay?" I suggest to Ajay who just looks at me impassively while shaking his head 'no'.
I discreetly show him the finger, making sure our family doesn't notice our exchange.
He nods with a mischievous grin and mouths 'Rita'.
I scrunch my face in confusion, not understanding what he was insinuating.
And then it hits.
I understand, alright.
I scrunch my face, this time in disgust.
Seriously, he gotta keep his sex life to himself.
Ajay simply shrugs and whispers, "Not yet though. But she will, eventually, after I tell her how much I love her and marry her!"
"Dude, keep your sex life to yourself." Shravan joins in on our whisper-fest.
"Exactly!" I affirm before continuing, "Doesn't she know that you love her already?"
"Nope. God, I hope not. Or I hope she does and reciprocates my feelings. Yikes, I'm a mess." He states with wide eyes.
"Hey, don't worry. Besides, like Shrav had said, you guys have our blessings." I tell him with a smile.
Shravan nods frantically in agreement, earning a whack from Ajay.
"She was the one who said it! Hit her." Shravan whines while rubbing the spot where Ajay had whacked him.
"Oh hells yeah I will." He murmured before whacking me too.
"Hey! I was the one who brought you two close," I bring my palms together and intertwine the fingers tightly before continuing, "Like, this close. And Shrav was the one who even started the concept of blessing you guys."
"Don't turn this around!!" Shravan whisper-yells.
"I never turned anything around." I attempt.
Ajay and Shravan look at me with the most bored expression and they glance at each other with a lazy twist of their necks before turning just as lazily back to me and chorus, "Lame."
Well, you tried.
I shrug and go back to the loading website screens.
"Ugh stupid crappy servers!" I mumble while the page still shows the small circle of life still rotating on a blank white screen.
Circle of life? Really?
Okay, but still. My results are in its hands—
The circle of life disappears and the website opens; my name appears with all my examination details like my grade, enrolment number, and parents' details.
Who even asked for these shit?
I scroll down as my mark-sheet gets displayed; my family's screams and nudges drowning away as my eyes focused on the screen.
481/500
"I did it. I got above 90%." I whisper, more like, to myself.
"You got 96.2 fucking percentage!" Shravan shakes me vigorously as a smile slowly spreads on my face.
Wrong choice of words though, Shrav.
My family slowly turns towards Shravan and he plays it off by telling he was going to go and pee.
"You did it. Your Dad would be so proud of you. You know what? I know that he's proud of you." My mom comes to me and hugs me tightly.
"Yeah Ma. Thanks!" I grin.
"Take-out dinner tonight?" Paps interrupts cheerfully for which my grandpa alone wrinkles his nose slightly—probably thinking of how unhealthy it's gonna be and how we're spending money instead of preparing food at home—but the others agree on it.
Letting me go after a kiss on my forehead, my mom goes to my grandparents' and I tell her that I'd join them shortly.
I need some me-time. Or more like friends-time.
Once it's just me in my home, I immediately open the group chat consisting of Mia, the HD twins, Ved and I.
The twins had gotten their marks earlier; both of them got good scores.
I see a message from Mia mere minutes ago, telling us her marks.
She had scored above 90%, just like the rest of us.
I text my marks and after some time Ved's text with a lot of confetti-emojis come in, congratulating all of us for our marks.
I almost type Nikhil's number that still hasn't gone from my brain to ask him his marks and then I remember.
He isn't my anything now.
I've distracted myself from what happened to us by putting everything I had into my academics.
I studied hard, hung out with the gang, helped my mom whenever I was idle in my house and I made sure my free time was minimized to avoid myself from dwelling on Nikhil and me.
The McD day-out that we had planned got cancelled but instead Mia came over my house for studying and, by what Mia had said, the boys went over Nikhil's.
It basically turned into a study date.
I had not yet told anyone the true reason behind our breakup but I know that everyone suspected that it was something fishy.
But still, no one knows.
Except for DQ, of course.
As for her, we never converse except for when forced to do so when her parents come over rarely and the loan is still on, which means, she actually kept to her words.
Every time I think about Nikhil, how we were and how we planned our future to be, I feel a pang of hurt but I don't show it out.
I don't want any hugs and kisses or consolations; that's not how I roll.
Nor do I want anyone asking me if I am okay anymore because, obviously, I'm not.
It doesn't take rocket science to know that a person who had just broken up with her boyfriend—who was the best best friend—and had cut off all direct ties with him is not okay.
And people asking that again and again only infuriates me.
I don't want their pity or their sorrowful smiles or 'it's okay's.
All I want is for whatever I did to pay off.
And it did, at least for now.
I had successfully avoided seeing Nikhil too, since our examination venues were different according to our enrollment number, but I hadn't seen anyone else either because, well, my name starts with an 'R' and its far away from 'H' or 'D' or 'M'—or even 'N'.
Though Mia and Nikhil might have been in the same examination venue, Mia never talked about him to me, but I knew that all of them—Mia, Harsh, Darsh and Ved—do stay in touch with Nikki— I mean, Nikhil.
That is, everyone except me.
I almost lock my phone but I get a personal message from Mia.
456/500.
I look at it confusingly because she sent her marks and this was not it.
But before I could text her back asking about it, I get another message from her.
Nikhil.
It hurts to hear about him, yeah, but despite that a sad smile grows on my face.
I feel so proud, so very proud that he had scored above 90% without any tutoring from external sources.
He did it on his own and even though it hurts that I can't congratulate him or see that big grin on his face while he fist-pumps the air and shouts 'I FUCKING DID IT!', I'm happy.
I can imagine how he would have pointed at his score and said how it had consecutive numbers—4, 5 and 6—while wiggling his eyebrows. If he was even here, that is.
I'm happy that I hadn't affected his academics; happy that he definitely must've moved on considering his awesome score; happy that he won't be hurting too much.
And I'm also happy because what I did had really paid-off.
Huh, funny how you think he must've moved on after getting 90.2% but you know you haven't moved on even after scoring 96.2%.
Seriously though, he'd have moved on. I mean, I'm partially scared that he might've let me go with some intentions but he's not that a-bit-dumb kid who was in the middle of the process of getting fit during the beginning of 8th grade.
He is grown up, has a good personality and good-looking too.
He's the same age as you.
Yeah, but I'm basically childish, partially selfish at times and not exactly good-looking—you were the one who told me to workout.
I told you to workout. I never said you were ugly.
Neither did I. I ain't ugly, you bitchy brain. I'm just not good-looking.
Whatever. At least you've started regular workout now.
I internally smirk at my brain before I think and text Mia back.
Wow, im really proud of him :)))
I get a text from Mia again.
Hmm, ik that u are.
With that, I join my family in my grandparents' house.
My phone buzzes in between on my way there and what I see gets me conflicted on whether I should frown or smile.
Mia:
And so does he.
A/N: It's an early update 'coz I dunno if I will be able to upload tomorrow, so, enjoy!
Thoughts? Vote and comment, please and thank you!