Monday morning rolled out and all the students reluctantly made their way out of bed, barely having gotten a few winks of sleep. The ones participating in the skit groaned as they remembered that they had set three days a week for practice, and today was one of them. Indu gulped down some Horlicks and rushed out the door, already late for the bus. As she got onto the bus, panting, she looked at Sameera, her lips not curving into her usual frown. She sat at the front and opened her book.
Sameera glared at the back of Indu's head. As long as Raghav was hell-bent on dating that low-life, she could never look at her in a friendly way.
'I wish I could though...' one part of her softly whispered. Ignoring the voice in her head, Sameera brought her attention back to the Computer homework she had not been able to finish during the weekend.
At the assembly, she looked over to the boys' lines - the fact that Raghav hadn't spoken to her since Friday evening hit her for the nth time that morning. Nur bounded over to him once they were allowed to disperse, and Sameera's heart burned with jealousy. She walked cautiously towards them, but the two turned and walked away swiftly before she could even approach them. When she reached class, an even greater horror awaited - some random kid in the class had occupied her seat and was showing no signs of moving.
"Dude, that's my place, could you move?" she snapped. The guy looked at her, confused. Raghav pointedly looked away from her, avoiding any eye contact. Sameera felt her cheeks burning up.
"Could you maybe sit somewhere else today Sam?" Nur asked, her eyes sympathetic, but firm. She gestured to Sam to bend down.
"I don't think this will be permanent, babe. Give him some time, okay?" she whispered into her ear, and Raghav shot her a dirty look. Biting the inside of her cheeks, Sameera managed a small nod.
She scanned the class for a seat and found one right next to the door. Having no other option, she sat down and pulled her notebooks out. As she lay her head on the table, she saw Indu right in front of her.
As Indu entered the class, she saw Sameera with her head on the very first table. She looked over to Sameera's usual seat and saw someone else occupying it.
She understood immediately.
Indu didn't realise how long she had stood there. Just as she was about to go to her seat, Sameera looked up, glaring at her. Indu was surprised. Sameera's features were contorted in rage, and her eyes were slowly turning red. Indu looked down and scurried to her chair, utterly confused. Even if Sameera and Raghav were having a fallout, why was Sameera directing that anger at her?
Before she had the chance to mull properly over this, their Maths teacher walked in, along with the Commerce and Humanities students who had Maths as their elective. One sat near Indu, and the class went on as scheduled. Everyone was completely swamped with their work until the end of the day, with even the short and lunch breaks being taken up to hastily complete assignments and study for class tests. Before they had a chance to breathe, the final bell rang, bringing with it an eruption of joyful noises.
The Monday exhaustion was evident in the practice room that day. Everybody was lying on the floor when Indu walked in, and she threw her body on the floor, using her filled bag as a pillow. Swara, who was near her, smiled.
"Long day for you too, huh?" she asked softly. Indu nodded. She looked the other way and saw that Sameera had completely fallen asleep due to sheer exhaustion. Indu frowned, the glare from the morning resurfacing in her mind. She turned back and closed her eyes momentarily. She heard Siddhu doling head-pats out to both Swara and Mirzab. Siddhu came to her too - "Want some head-pats, Indu?" he asked, his wide smile heard clearly in his voice.
"Nope." Indu shut him down. "Sorry..." she added as an afterthought, two seconds later.
Siddhu simply smiled again and moved on to Sameera. Sameera's light snores were stopped immediately when Siddhu lightly patted her. She jumped up and stared wide-eyed at Siddhu, as if at an alien. She calmed herself down, rubbed her eyes and stood up. Siddhu was still on his knees. "So-sorry!!"
"Ya, don't ever do that again," said Sameera, still in a bit of a daze after her nap.
Mirzab glanced at his watch and immediately asked them all to get up and start practising. "People!! It's already late!!" Sameera rolled her eyes and threw another vicious look at Indu.
"Shall we practice the jatre scene again once?"
Indu nodded. She wasn't satisfied with what they had achieved in the previous practice session.
"The Goddess shall have no option but to be pleased with her children when she sees beauties like you amongst us" Indu rambled on, in the typical over-the-top language that plays used. Sameera looked into those gorgeous round eyes she hated with all her soul, momentarily stunned by them just then. Gathering her wits, she continued with her line, "Good sir, I know She will be happy to see that her people never hold back on being kind to one another." She smiled a small smile. "What is your name?" she asked. And the scene continued, with the two finding out that they were from vastly different castes.
As the scene ended, Siddhu clapped loudly for them. "That was so much better than before!!" He practically squealed. The joy in his face was contagious. As they continued practising, Sameera felt sharply the difference between the world outside the practice room doors, and the one inside. Here, she could forget about her worries, school work, Raghav, etc. She looked over at Indu, practising a scene with Mirzab. Her eyes teared up, remembering the events of the morning. Nur had tried softening the blow for her, but there was no way it could hurt less.
Mirzab finished his scene and sat near Sameera, maintaining a healthy distance. He wasn't one to forgive easily, and Sameera had hurt everyone the other day. As he glanced at her, she had drawn her knees up to her chin, and a glistening tear was visible on her waterline. Mirzab immediately straightened himself and looked down, not knowing what he could do. When he looked back up, Sameera seemed to have calmed herself down. Mirzab moved a little closer and flashed her a small smile. Sameera smiled back - it was a smile of courtesy.
Indu glanced at her watch and realised that most of the time had already passed. She turned to Swara, who was by her side and asked, "All of us are tired today, shall we just go? Buses will come in 10 minutes" Swara nodded in the affirmative. Both of them got up, and Swara let Mirzab and Siddhu know that she was leaving.
"Oh! By the way, Mirzab - did you get that book you said you had?" Swara added.
"Which one? The Agatha Christie one? Poirot's Christmas one?"
"Ya, ya, that one..."
"Ayyo, I forgot to get it... Text me today night and remind me" Mirzab said, and Siddhu looked at Mirzab and Swara, and then Mirzab again. A small smirk formed on his lips. Swara saw it and turned away before her face turned beetroot red.
Indu followed her, opening her book as she walked. Swara glanced at the book in her hand, then did a double-take.
"Dude!!!! I've read that book! I had like a whole Jane Austen phase in 10th grade" she laughed. She regretted it immediately. 'Shit, she doesn't like being talked to, does she? Swara, you absolute asshole - how many times do I have to remind you to keep that mouth shut?!'
Indu's eyes however widened. "Please don't give any spoilers!" She almost shrieked. "I've been reading this for so long, and like, I know who's going to end up with who and stuff, but I wanna find out how by myself! I've been loving it, but it's taking so long to finish.." She rambled on in a single breath. Swara felt shocked.
"I think that's the longest I've ever heard you speak!" Swara guffawed. "You should do it more you know? It was so cute. Don't worry, I won't give out any spoilers, but I will tell you...-"
"Nope. Please stop there." Indu now covered her face with her hand, embarrassed about her outburst.
Swara smiled. Her worries had calmed down, so she asked, "Have you read any other ones? I loved Emma the most to be honest. But Pride and Prejudice will always have that special place. I will never get enough of Lizzy!"
"Nope - Sense and Sensibility is the first one I've read of Jane Austen's. But I do have Pride and Prejudice on my to-be-read list..." Indu murmured, feeling incredibly awkward. This felt incredibly new to her. Well, it was.
Finally home, Indu was smiling throughout her bath, and even while having her snacks. At around 6, she glanced at her phone, due to its incessant pings.
Siddhu: Guys, shall we hang out outside school tmrw? Just at any mall?
Mirzab: I don't wanna go to malls -_-
Too boring if you don't choose the correct one. Plus, I'm the only one who lives farther from all you rest :')
Siddhu: Where else do we hang out then?
Swara: We could just go to Corner House and have some ice cream and chat no?
Mirzab: Which one?
Swara: There's one a little ways from my house
Mirzab: Babe, are you gonna pick me up from my house or something? I live far, far away from y'all. XD
Siddhu: You do remember we have school tomorrow right?
Mirzab: Ya, so?
Siddhu: IDIOT, GET OFF AT SWARA'S STOP!
Mirzab: Oh. Yeah... forgot that was an option XD
Sameera too was watching the conversation, a slight smile on her lips. She wouldn't go, and she knew they'd not want her either.
Mirzab: So, what abt our leads? Are our ✨Highnesses coming?
: I love that I ask that as if you two have an option, but yeah, feel free to try to refuse
Indu stared at the screen. 'Meh. I can just stay silent the whole time. Plus, those three crack nice jokes'
Indu: Yeah, sure. Swara, where do you stay though? Is it close to any metro station?
Swara: ya - it's a 15 min walk from Banashankari Station
Siddhu: Sameera! Reply maDamma*
A/n - maDamma is a combination of the Kannada words madu, which means 'do' and amma, which directly translates to 'mother', but is used to exasperatedly call out to a woman.
Sameera was slightly surprised that she was being asked. She thought that they hated her.
Sameera: I'm sorry guys, I don't think my parents will be fine with it... There are two boys here, after all.
Mirzab : But Indu, Swara are there, na? Just tell them it's only the three of you. Anyway, it's not like anyone here is in a relationship with each other right?
Siddhu smirked at the screen when this message popped up. 'Wait, just wait....'
Sameera: If they find out it'll be a huge deal...
Mirzab: But they won't! Bro, nothing will happen, come. Maybe you'll even get a chance to apologise to us and set your records straight XD XD.
Sameera: ok ok, I'll see what I can do.
Mirzab: Nothing seeing. You're coming matlab you're coming. That's all
A/n - 'matlab' is a Hindi word which denotes meaning.
Sameera felt confused. Mirzab had refused to speak one word with her, unlike his friends, who at least maintained courtesies with her. Well, this was very uncharacteristic for him. However, the only one with this turmoil was Sameera. The others went about their evenings with a spring in their steps and for once, looking forward to the night sky turning into day.
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