“You guys are still here?” Shree Sir asks them as all of them were laughing like maniac. In her fit of laughter name of her teacher seems funnier than it has always seemed to her “SHREE SIR”. Khanak tried to stop her laughter but still she couldn’t. Ankan hits her in rib with his elbow but does it so softly that instead of getting her it tickled her mapping her fall in fit of laughter once again.
Shree Sir shakes his head but let his lips curve into a smile. “One of you guys come here, I need some help! And gates will only remain open till 6:30 so stop your antics and leave before that” Rishav leaves to help their teacher leaving Ahana still silently laughing and Ankan trying to stop her.
“God, Ahana! Couldn’t you just keep it down?” Ankan asks still amused at her antics.
“Hey, Don’t blame me! I tried! But seriously isn’t his name funny, Shree and Sir together!” Khanak explains making herself and Ankan laugh again!
“Oh god, I am going to miss all this!” Ankan confesses.
“what? Crazy names of teacher? This stupid classroom bench in a canteen?” Khanak asks.
“No! Shree Sir always smiling, even after knowing that student make fun of his! Not this bench per say but you complaining about it every time come to this canteen! Everything” And that is why Khanak respects her best friend so much! He always see deeper than most of the people.
“so? What have you got all relaxed today?” Khanak asks remembering his carefree smile from before.
“that my dear Khanak is a very big news!” Ankan creates the suspense.
“Tell me.. Tell me” Khanak begs but all Ankan does is shake his head. Khanak thinks to leave the matter afraid of coming out as nosy but then smiles evilly and thinks when has she not been nosy! She will have to use the big gun, she thinks.
“Please Ankan tell me, na!” She begs again with a cute puppy face this time. Ankan groans and Khanak smirks knowing very well that he won’t be able to resist her request now.
“Only if you weren’t so cute”Ankan mumbles.
“Okay but this is not full proof yet so don’t go jumping around, ok?” Ankan warns to which Khanak readily nods her head.
“Okay so seeing how I was upset with illogical order of my grandfather” Khanak knows he is talking about his grandfather’s demand of sending him to abroad for higher studies “my mother set her foot down and told my grandfather that her son won’t be going anywhere her son that is I want to and you know how my grandfather is scared of only my mother so when she called him off on his stubbornness and he silently agreed” Just as Ankan finished it, Khanak throws herself on him and hugs him tightly. “I told you not to go jumping around” Ankan scolds her but reciprocates her hug.
“Yeah, what is this not about being full proof? This sounds totally solid to me!” Khanak asks recalling his statement from before.
“Yeah, well my grandfather being how he his, must have the last word so he sort of challenged that if my marks are even a point less than 95% then I should forget about staying in India for my graduation” Ankan tells her the whole deal while still holding her tightly to himself.
“oh Ankan! Don’t you worry! You will get even more than 95%! I have total faith in you!” Khanak tells him and rest her head on his shoulder, relieved that this moment where she is with both of her bestfriends isn’t last of its kind. There is still a chance of Ankan staying in India.
“I hope so!” Ankan mutters while inhaling deeply as of trying to take the essence, of the moment she was in his arms so tightly, with him.
“Hey guys!” Rishav announces loudly, a tinge of anger in his tone which he is trying to cover by being take cheerful. Khanak takes a step away from Ankan and smiles brightly at Rishav.
“Rishav, come here! You know,……” Khanak starts telling Ankan’s story, her eyes shining with happiness, for a few moment Rishav tries to hold onto his anger on seeing Khanak so close with some other guy but after listening how his best buddy won’t be leaving them and how Khanak is so happy, her can’t help but let himself relax.
“Wow bro! I am so happy” Both of the guys do a bro hug and Khanak roll her eyes at their actions.
“Come on you two love birds can totally hug closely. I won’t mind!” Khanak teases both of them, making Rishav ruffle her hair.
“let’s get out and roam around!” Ankan offers to which others readily agree.
They walk around and see few other groups hanging out in various corners of school.
“God, it feels weird and yet so exciting to end this phase of life” Rishav confesses.
“I only feel weird!”Ankan speaks making Khanak frown. Sometimes Ankan acts as if there is nothing else interesting in his life except her and Rishav and this school and it really saddens her that maybe this is the truth.
“Don’t feel bad that it ended, feel happy that it happened” Khanak repeats the statement, their principal head said today in his farewell speech, making Ankan roll his eyes at her.
“this reminds me, nice speech today, dude!” Rishav compliments Ankan on his head boy speech!
Head boy and head girl of their school have to give speech in farewell party every year, so seeing how Ankan is head boy of the school he also had to give a speech.
“You know” Just when Ankan has started the speech, Rishav, Khanak, and their other friends have hooted loudly to encourage their friend. “I don’t even need to sway anything to express what this school _ this school love has been for me! I don’t know what school was like for you guys but for my this is my school _ my friends hooting like crazy to encourage me, my bestfriend making fun of me for being a teacher’s pet and still taking blame for so many of my actions just to keep my image like that” Ankan takes a pause and look at Rishav.
“Don’t forget you haven’t yet gotten your Character certificate, head boy! Should I have a conversation with our dear Principal Sir?!” Rishav fake threatens Ankan making everyone laugh.
Ankan continues “My other bestfriend helping me with this speech for last three days, though I have already forgotten the speech we have prepared” Ankan winks at Khanak “This is school for me. Today I am not going to leave under the pretense that things aren’t going to change because of course they are and I am going to miss all this _ I guess we all are. Because memories are not just related with people, they are also related with your favorite hanging out place, with stairs, with your favorite seat” At that Ankan wiggles his eyebrows at Rishav and Khanak, making them remember their fight from years ago on favourite seat. “Everyone and everything is going to be part of my memory! So today I don’t want to bid just bye but bid a GOODBYE to this phase of our lives with a salute and promise that I am going to visit these memories often but I won’t insult those memories by staying in past and not welcoming new phase of my life with a welcoming smile.”
*******
“It was all Khanak!” Khanak bows dramatically. “Even the line where I say my other bestfriend has helped me with writing but I have totally forgotten, was her! With just few additions on my side” Ankan confesses.
“oh, I am sure giving credit to me and favorite seat were your additions” Rishav assumes and Ankan expresses his agreement by singing ‘you get me’.
“yeah, I was going to ask you both about that. What is this about you taking blame for Ankan” Khanak asks.
Rishav looks at Ankan, Khanak could swear they both were talking via telepathy, and smirked at the same time and the Rishav answers “That’s between us!”
Khanak groans in mock irritation “should I leave you two love birds alone?”
“I have trying to drop hint snce forever that you are third wheeling but you didn’t get them”, Rishav teases back.
“I am going! I know when I am not needed” Khanak fastens her pace making both guys stop her by putting one arm each on her shoulder from both sides.
“you are the glue who keeps us together, girl!”