CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

ISHAN KABIR KHAN’S POV:

“No! move it there you idiot.”  I said to Alex, to move the small table on the stage, And turned back to see Adithyan and Jasif smiling sheepishly at me, realizing that they couldn’t do what I asked them to, properly.

“Hehe. But come on man, we did it better than last year didn’t we?” Adithyan said feeling my glare.

 They were tying ribbons and balloons on the pillars, for god’s sake! I mean, what is so hard about doing it in the nice way. They placed the balloons in disorder unlike we planned it, they flippin mixed the balloons and ribbons and misplaced it. Ugggh, what am I gonna do with these three dumb asses.

I didn’t call for their help, knowing that, they are just going to eat my head and talk among us rather than actually doing the work, but they came here without prior notice and shooed away the people who were actually working and helping me out, saying that they know how to help their bestfriend . It already 8.45, and within 45 minutes or so people are going to be flooded here. Suddenly, I remembered something and I turned to Alex who is watching his own arrangements like he has done something revolutionary.

“Alex!!” I somewhat yelled, he startled and turned back, facing me placing his hand on his chest.

“What?!?!, you are gonna give me a heart attack.” He said astonished. I just chuckled. Nuisance or not, these guys are my treasures for life.

“Did you do what I asked Friday?” I asked smiling. Hearing that, his face suddenly changed into one of a confusion. Now I know his answer. No need of verbal one.

“uuhh… I think so?” he said. Oh., I know that tone. He don’t even remember but he is trying not to make me upset. But too late for that. I am. Upset now.

By now he must’ve noticed the change in my demeanour that am irritated, he is walking towards me in a apologetic way.

“ Yoo, am sorry man, I didn’t mean to, I was just caught up with Angela’s admission to here and I wanted to surprise her. Man, I told her I got transfer to another college and I joined there.” He kept ranting. Hmf, like  he remembers everything everytime. 

 He knows that I don’t give any flips about his girlfriend or his surprises right now, but he is just trying to make amends with me.

“Do I look like I care about that right now? call them now, you fool” I commanded. Yes, I did. I always do, in situations like this. Not because I am leader of the gang, which am not. In fact, there is no leader. But they know better than to piss me off.

We are not the soft bubbly gang everytime, but we’re not rude or arrogant either. Alex can be really scary when he is angry, so is Adithyan, Jasif is more like a clown most of the time, but he can be wild at times too, where he is all serious and furious, I’ve only seen that one time, when someone talked bad about his dead mother.

And me? I do not get angry easily and acts upon it, unlike them. If I ever was mad, I’ll excuse myself and sit alone for a while. There was one more guy with us, someone who was so close to me, because we were so much alike. Calm, thinks before acting, and will do anything for our loved ones. Its been five years, since we last met. He is not dead. But he vanished like he didn’t even exist. We all were friends from 5^th standard, 5 idiots, we started being friends by sharing meals, HE will bring a whole lot of delicious food everyday, that was not Indian most of the time. I wonder he even remember us now.

“c..call who?” Alex asked. Oh My Godd.

“ALEXX!!” yeah, that was me shouting out of frustration, seriously? He can’t do one thing right.

“ call the ‘effing’ print store now! it’s been 4 days since I’ve given them the design. They told me to call them the next day. I didn’t because I couldn’t and that’s why I asked you.” I yelled at his face.

“ooofff calm down tiger. We can get it you know, there’s still time. We can go now and let them (Adithyan and Jasif) and the others handle here, okay? I mean its almost done, look.” He said trying to calm me down. He is right, almost everything is ready, the only thing left was the banner and the pillar decorations. But the banner must’ve been ready by now. it’s the most important one.

“ calm down? Alex there’s only 45 minutes left to be exact” I said as matter of fact.

“correction. There is 55 minutes before 9.45. and that’s a lot of time. We call them now, get them to make the banner ready, we ride there in 25 minutes, grab it, and 25 minutes to come back. 10 minutes max for installing the banner. Tadaaa”. He said, like a kid at the end

“it takes 30 plus minutes to get there you bloody stupid. Now move your ass to the bike. I’ll call them” I said, I called the print store and informed and instructed A & J to manage here with the others.

“A, J we’ll be back soon. And I need everything in its place when I get back, got it?” I asked Adithyan and Jasif, pointing my index finger at them. They nodded, folding their hands at their back.

“Aye, aye captain”. I shaked my head for their antics and ran outside.

There, outside, my mighty boy was struggling with his helmet, still.

“please, Alex, make it fast will you?” I said getting behind his back putting my own helmet.

He fastened his helmet clip “lets goo…”  he said and took the bike and flown to the road, getting the bike into its speed.

As it is Monday road has its own pace. And we just overtook every other vehicles, of course heard earful from the other drivers. But, do we care?, No we don’t.

Just like a good boy he is he made us land in front of the print store right own time. 9.10am

“let’s just grab it and go, alright?” he asked. And I nodded, although he was making it feel like we’re stealing from them and not giving the money. This boy!. I shake my head at his playfulness.

Just like he said, we were fast enough in grabbing and acknowledging the store owner of our presence. Alex turned to him and looked in question holding a banner on the table. And the owner just nodded his head in yes. Whoah!. That’s new to me. Do they know each other before or what. From what I know they don’t. they’re like a long-lost lovers making eye contact.

We got out, and I sat on the bike and he on the back, I turned to him and asked.

“Do you guys know each other? You didn’t talk, but just conveyed message through your eyes? What was that?”

“No, I don’t know who that guy is. Its just the natural phenomenon between two people who are busy.” He said shrugging his shoulders. “Now, take the bike will you Kabir?” he asked, calling my middle name.

“uggh don’t call me that” I  said in irritation. And he just chuckled. I just don’t like people calling me Kabir. I mean Ishan is way to go and I like it that way. My mamma used to call me Ishuu when I was a kid. And I loved to be called like that. I sigh in remembering my mamma.

Anyway, we make our way to college as fast as we can. We have 30 minutes precisely for reaching there and installing the banter on the stage.

 We reached the college within 25 minutes. Its 9. 40 already, if we don’t install it now, we’re doomed, well, I am doomed!

We ran inside the campus. Alex holding the banter and me, running behind him. It was flooded with Uni students, now making it even harder to run. The whole university students from different courses are here since we have our campuses clustered.

Alex took a hold of my hand to run really fast, he was running and I was now, somehow being dragged behind him. He over took a girl, but unfortunately for me and her, I couldn’t.

Ouch, Alex still dragging me, and I got myself stumble against the girl's shoulder. Oh My Good Lord!,

She fell down the ground because of the force. I didn’t because I was still dragged by Alex. I stopped in my tracks for a moment and tugged Alex’s hand.

I turned to her “Am so sorry about that kid, are you alright?”. I feel so bad. She is a fresher for sure. I haven’t seen her around here before.

She raised her head and looked at me and nodded her head in yes. “am sorryyyy…” I apologised again before Alex started to drag me away again.

But damn, my mind wasn’t on about the celebration anymore. Her ayes were green, and she had a charm that I have never seen in anyone before. The blue scarf draped around her head very neatly, very real face, when I mean real, I mean natural real face without the paints. She had a cute long nose and big doe eye. Wow. She was beautiful. Not that anyone else is not, but she caught my eye.

I was still in my daze that I didn’t realize I reached the stage. Alex shaked my shoulders.

“helloooo…, where the hell are you lost” he asked, he seems in  hurry.

“what?! Why are you shouting” I asked not knowing the reason for his sudden yells. He looked at me astonished.

“Am sorry, did you hit your head somewhere when I dragged you. Where has your senses has gone. We have 3 minutes to paste this shit in the banner board” he said and my mind exploded in realization.

“what on earth are you waiting for then, come on.” I said hurrying up. Oh my god how can I zone out just like that?

We installed the banner on the board and we done the finishing touches. We were standing there and observing, when he asked.

“What happened? Back then?” he asked turning to me, narrowing his eyes to me. And I just smiled because of my foolishness.

“Am just a guy!” I  shrugged my shoulders and said hiding my smile. Seeing that he smiled at me mischievously.

“why are you trying not to smile? Did you finally find a girl you like.?” He asked and my smile turned into a scowl.

“why are you so interested in getting me a girl?” they have been always like this since Reyinsha  cheated on me. No! she wasn’t my girlfriend or crush. She was betrothed to me by my mother. I never liked her and never will. But what made my friends hate her, was because she claimed once that she liked, nope strike that, loved me., but then she was caught by my friends kissing other guy when we were plus two. Eeeghww (puking)

I never had a girlfriend, I don’t want a girlfriend, I wan to get married rather than just experience the dating façade. Besides am a religious guy and am a Muslim, so, that’s that.

Now that I think about it, he asked if I found a girl I liked, I didn’t, am just mesmerised by the serenity of that girl. She looks like an angel ran away from heaven to see how people are doing. Damn that I couldn’t see her enough. But I don’t have to. Now I have enough confidence that someday I’ll find a girl like her because she, exist. I always wanted a wife who was religious, calm and innocent like me. Well, skip the innocent part for me, I may not be that innocent.

“Shahid uncle called me yesterday just to check on us. But he did mention looking a girl for you. He thinks that, since you are settled with a nice job to provide yourself and sure enough for a girl, you should get married.”  Alex said turning completely to me, mentioning my bappa.

“I know, he asked me about that today too,” I turned to him “but what about my course completion and practices? Forget that, how can I take a girl to a home where the mother will be indifferent to her, mamma doesn’t like me, so its not rocket science to guess that she won’t like the girl I marry either.” I said, explaining to him.

“So, you’re just gonna live there and do nothing? Bro, move out then if you have to. Just because she have that attitude with you doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice your things to her. I mean, what have you ever done to that women for her to hate you this much? Nothing.” He said getting little angry. But he was talking about my mother. Rude or not, she was still someone who gave birth to me by sacrificing her comfort. And I just stand here and let him talk about my mother like that? Not a chance.

“Alex,! She is my mother!” I warned him. And he just turned and shaked his head in disbelief.

 I sighed, I know my friends care about me. A lot! But that was not right either. His mother left him, with his drunkard father when he was 11, while we were 5^th standard. I know how he feels, when I talk about my mother’s indifference towards me, he hates her to the core, which is why he is acting like that and I know it.

I turned and followed him. I put my hands around his shoulders when I reached him. He gave me side glance, still angry I see.

“I’ll think about it” I said, smiling a little.

He stopped abruptly and smiled wide, eyes shining. “Really?” I know he, not just him, they wanted to see me happy, Like I wanted them to be. And they and my father knows that as long as I was there in the same roof as my mother hating me, I’ll never be happy. But then again, I tried to move out a year ago, but my father wanted someone to be there with me. Rather than my friends. I mean Alex was always free and welcomed. But my dear of a father thinks that true happiness lies in a blissful marriage. And maybe it does, like I always witnessed my parent’s love when I was a kid. But now, their actions are contradiction to his words. He doesn’t seem happy with my mother anymore.

My mother changed a lot. A lot!

“but only after my course completion” I said.

 Its not that I cannot look after or provide for my wife in between. But am afraid that when I’ll be busy with my exams and assignments, and she will feel neglected. And last thing I want, is my wife hating me. That is an area I care a lot since I was a teen. I don’t wanna end up feeling like unloved by the most important person will be for me in my life. If I were ever to get married, I wanna make sure she is getting the attention and care she deserve.

“Yeah, sure champ. 4 months down, I wanna see you with your wife” he said and I chuckled.

There is still 3 months more to end my course and house surgency, and getting my complete self-back on  to the working mode will take a month.

We make our way towards Adithyan and Jasif who were apparently seemed to be in a serious conversation.

“Oh really? I know, he can be a real bitch sometimes” Adithyan spoke

“like, seriously yo!, what was he even thinking, I swear, he can get us into trouble” this time Jasif spoke.

I know for a fact that Jasif is speaking seriously and Adithyan is half serious and half enjoying Jasif’s  foolishness. They have been always like this. talk Gossips between them like girls.

“What’s the tea today, ladies?” Alex asked teasing them using a girl term to piss Jasif off. Jasif turned to him sharply

“Alex! Don’t use that with me. Am not a girl okay?” Jasif said irritated by Alex. He chuckled.

“ What about the programme guys? All set?” Adithyan asked suddenly turning all bossy like he was incharge. Oh, how I wanna smack his face.

“You Should really shut up A. Actually, you all should on that matter, if it weren’t for our juniors, I could have effed up big time”. They all smiled sheepishly.

“come on, we just wanted to help you” Jasif said. Trying to pester me.

Suddenly an announcement was heard.

“Good morning shihinzians, it’s a pleasure to have everyone today, the freshers day party is arranged in the main stadium in the centre of the campus. All seniors and juniors are invited and requested to gather around and take seats in front of the stage. Thank you”

The whole campus started to gather around. We just stood there because of the lack of seats. There is a whole lot of people. Of course, cause it’s not just the med department gathering, but including the para meds too.

 ‘Shihinzy university of medicine, freshers party’ I read. The venue is actually not that bad. I smirked in proud. ‘pat yourself on the back lad’ I thought to myself.

The programme started on its full swing with our super juniors hosting the party. Actually, the full responsibility should’ve been taken by them. But I can’t deny my dear juniors when they were begging. So, I planned with them, taking the lead, and eventually all of this ending up in my head and they get to play the shingidi (underling) part. Also, I thought since this my last year here, why not? I mean I, truly enjoy these kind of things.

The new freshers were asked to write their name in a folded paper and deposit it in the bowl. Later, They’ll draw some names from them, and those chosen ones, will be given some tasks. These preparation is for the enjoyments of the seniors, seeing the squirming of juniors since ragging is prohibited. And this is way better than getting ragged. But, there are still some people who rags others, gotta watch that too. And there are juniors who ask for it too, with their bratty behaviours on the programme. I hope this year’s freshers are clever enough.

Minutes down a girl named Zella Hyrin was called on to the stage. To my surprise, she was the same girl I bumped into today, I smiled faintly remembering it. She is wearing a light blue checked long skirt with a white shirt and a baby blue scarf and a white shoe. Cute.

Am at the back of the venue, so, I can’t really catch her whole features, but damn she caught my eye. Cute kutty (kid). And beautiful. I shaked my head, Astagfirullah. What am I even thinking?

I scratched my forehead and smiled lightly looking down. And that’s when I felt a hand on my shoulder. “So, she is the one that had you smiling like an idiot!”

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