Three days after Khanak’s 17th Birthday:
His grandparents decided to take Rishav with them for the remaining two days of Holiday, saying it would be good for him, so he didn’t get chance to apologize to Khanak. Many times he thought about calling her but thought its appropriate apologize to her face to face and besides he was bonding with his grandparents.
The day school started again, Rishav waited for Khanak at her door, patiently for 15 minutes, overcompensating his stupidity. She came outside, a smile fixed on her face. From distance her smile seemed normal but Rishav knew it was a forced one which made him regret his actions in their last meeting.
“Hey!” Her tone trying to deceive what she was really feeling.
“Hey, about that,..” Rishav began to apologize but was interrupted by her
“Heard you went to Dehradun with you grandparents. Did you have a good time?”
“Yeah,..” Rishav apologized, now unsure whether she was pretending to be cheerful really was!
“We should go to bus stand, we will be late!”
Just as they reached the entry gate they saw Ankan waiting for them, and waiving at them like a lunatic.
“Hey, Bestfriend! Belated Happy Birthday!” Ankan wished Khanak with a hug, making Khanak smack his arm at Ankan’s goofiness. Because of the height difference between her and Rishav and Ankan she hardly reaches their chin. And as Rishav saw them hugging like that jealousy hit him, then he thought about the words Ankan has just said to Khanak.
For a moment his mind stopped working! When was her birthday? And then it was clear to him! S*it, how could he forget it? It was her birthday that day and like an idiot he ruined her day. Now everything makes sense, why the new suit, loose hair, and her wish to meet in noon! She has choosen to spend her day with her bestfriends instead of her mother and what did he do? Upset her on her special day!
Just as he was getting out from his shock, he remembered how she has tried to made his birthday special! So special, that she made it his best birthday ever and that kiss,.. he still blushes remembering that moment! That special moment!!
Since that day he tried to apologize many times but every time he tried, she would start rambling and he guessed that was because she felt humiliated. So not to make her relive that moment again stopped trying.
But that decision had its own repercussions, after that day the moments like one on his birthday never happened till they finished their school. After her birthday, he really saw her with her hair loose, not even on their farewell day. After that day he realised, she used to give him special treatment different from Ankan because when she stopped doing it, he really missed it! He missed how she used to plan so that Rishav and her would get to time alone without Ankan. After that day she started doing special things for Ankan, and why wouldn’t she, after all Ankan was the one to remember her birthday and Rishav was the one to treat her so badly on her birthday.
And he never could gather to get the gut to tell her that he liked her! Maybe because she started treating him as her bestfriend, and only her bestfriend or maybe because he still felt insecure about not being enough for her.
##
Khanak didn’t know what has happened to Rishav that day, on her 17th birthday. Usually Rishav is the first one wanting to get out from his home because of his relationship with his family members but that day it wasn’t like that! And her plan of confessing her feelings to him? Went down the drain.
Rishav has never talked to her like that, actually no one ever has and specially not on her birthday, so it wasn’t surprising when she felt tears filling her eyes on the verge of falling down. And at that moment she would have done anything to not let him see how much he has upset her.
She might care for someone deeply but she is no pushover.
After seeing that he has upset her, he left without apologizing.
She felt so humiliated, neither did he remember her birthday not did he complement her. She has taken so long to get ready that day and he didn’t even notice her. Heck, he didn’t even wish her.
And the only thing she could think of is that had Ankan been here, he would have made her day very special. And the guilt in her gut, for not including him in her plans, just multiplied by 100 times. She would do better by Ankan, she vowed to herself. And she did her best to just that! She never excluded him from any plans like she used to before.
After school started, Rishav tried to apologize many times but Khanak didn’t let him! She never wanted relive that humiliation. After few days he stopped.
Khanak and Rishav never discussed that day, just like their private moment on his birthday this also remained un-discussed and un-repeated. After that day Khanak never tried to impose her feelings on him. They were back to being bestfriends – just bestfriends. And her one sided crush remained only that- one sided. They remained just like that until their farewell day of school.
One a half years after they finished their school :
“Bye Mumma!” Khanak gets out from her home to go and rescue her college friend, Neha!
“Hey Khanak!” Khanak is so in hurry that she didn’t even notice her bestfriend’s car! Ankan’s grandfather gave him this car as a reward for surpassing the 95% score his grandfather expected from him. Ankan loves that car. He says it’s a proof that he can win from his grandfather now, not that Ankan ever finds need to do that since according to him, his grandfather wants what’s best for Ankan! Since Ankan got 96%, he topped in their school, and stayed in Delhi for his Bachelors. He and Rishav attend same college, not that Rishav’s 89.8% was even close to Ankan but Ankan convinced his grandfather to let him study in the same college Rishav was selected in! His grandfather after checking the list of facilities and prospects agreed but only with condition that he will go to some reputed foreign college for Masters.
Khanak as always scored lowest but enough to pursue literature in a reputed and nice college in University of Delhi.
“What are you doing here?” Khanak asks knowing very well that he wouldn’t have come here to get Rishav since Rishav stays in hostel, which he says is because his home is far from college and commuting daily is a waste of time but his family members, Khanak and Ankan know it’s because he wants to stay away from his family.
“Remember you told me last night that you have a late class today and my first class was not important so I thought I will come, we will spend some time together. But you opened the door rushed outside before I could knock” Everytime she has late class, which rarely happens, Khanak calls Ankan to talk to him and they share what had happened in their lives since the last time they have talked. Many times she tells him to disconnect the call if he has nothing class but Ankan always refuses, saying he doesn’t mind. It feels good to talk to your oldest friend and also because this is the only way she gets to know about Rishav since Rishav and Khanak don’t talk that much now but that’s the story for another day.
“oh! Sorry, Neha is in trouble and I have to ditch my date with my bed to save her”
“You are still not awake!” Ankan teases her, amused by her dramatics!
“Come I will drop you to your college!”
“so, you are bunking class! College has made you careless!” Khanak teases him as soon as he starts driving them to her college.
“Bunking one class is hardly careless” Ankan defends himself with confidence but at raised eyebrow in reply, his confidence start breaking “is it careless?”
That was all Khanak could do before she lost herself in fit of laughter!