Modern Pigeon; Old Shit.
All children were asked to move to sit quietly for some time when the Youth parliament practice session was about to start.
Shaurya pulled Aryan and took the corner seat. He saw students come and take their seats.
Shaurya asked Aryan, “Man, I am bored already. I told you not to participate. We could have played GTA”.
Aryan replied, “Trust me, It’s fun. Too much fun. I participated last year and enjoyed it a lot”
Shaurya, “Okay Okay. Let’s see”
Shaurya gazed here and there and suddenly his eyes got fixed on a girl. He knew the girl but had never seen her so intensely. It was like his eyes got stuck on the beautiful face. He followed her, she walked in and sat a little distance facing him.
“She is Avantika, right? From 12-A? Shaurya asked Aryan.
“Yes,” Aryan replied, “What Happened?”
“No, nothing. Just realised that, what I was missing in my life.” replied Shaurya while a constant gaze at Avantika.
Aryan confusedly asked, “What?”
Shaurya replied, “Nothing.” with a broad smile on his face. “Pass me a piece of paper and a pen”
Aryan was completely confused and could not comprehend what happened to Shaurya suddenly. He tore a piece of paper and passed it to Shaurya.
Shaurya grabbed the piece of paper and wrote, “Calling attention motion. Hi. I am Shaurya. :D”. He folded the chit and asked the person next to him to pass the chit to the person next to them in order to deliver it to Avantika.
From an outsider’s perspective, the beginning of something extraordinary passed from many hands to reach a beautiful destination.
Avantika was busy talking to her friend Mudita. She suddenly felt some tap on her desk. She glanced over her shoulders and found an extended arm with a chit. She was startled and asked “what is this?” his neighbour replied, “I don’t know. Check it yourself”.
She opened the chit and read. She paused for a moment. Shaurya was looking and tracing Avantika’s expression. Suddenly he saw Avantika raise her face and their eyes met for the first time.
Shaurya felt like a magical gust of wind just pushed her back to the end of his seat. Avantika looked at him for sometime and then pulled her pen and scribbled something on it and passed it to the next person to trace back the steps to reach Shaurya.
Shaurya hurriedly grabbed the chit and opened it. “Motion granted!!!” was written on it.
Shaurya smiled and wrote, “I just realised what was missing in my life.” and passed the chit.
Avantika wrote back ” What?”
Shaurya wrote, “Avantika”.
Avantika read it and was awestruck and wrote back, “What??!! are you alright? I think you are high or gone mad bro”.
Meanwhile the Youth parliament session has just begun. Everybody was assigned their role. Shaurya was Finance minister, Aryan was sports minister, Avantika was leader of opposition, and her friend Mudita was opposition member.
Shaurya tore a new piece of paper and started writing, “ Damn the sun, the stars, nature, and the whole eternity. A piece of mine was lost, I knew about that but could not comprehend what it was. We exchanged and crossed many paths together but never ever it happened that I saw you and felt my lost part was passing by. It is but natural to have a common glance and I always saw you from that. As the philosopher’s talk about nature’s miracles, where the stars, the sun, and eternity align to help you reach your destination. I damn them because they were so late in helping me realise what I was missing. Now, when I have realised it, I couldn’t help but feel pity for why I am not sitting right by your side and talking to you like there is no tomorrow.”
Avantika read the text. She was overwhelmed and wanted to see Shaurya. Look directly inside his eyes to know the truth of his words. She gathered a little courage and calmed her unknown sensation like a child was dancing inside her.
Avantika and Shaurya’s eyes met. Avnatika instantaneously knew that every alphabet that he wrote was indeed true, very true. Shaurya’s eyes were glazing and his eyelids were on their limits.
She turned and wrote, “Sometimes, the good things in life take some time. Do not damn the poor sun, or stars, or eternity. Whatever has to happen, happens at the right time. Thank them that they helped you, what if they were late. Just think like, they waited to help you till you realise the things on your own.”
Shaurya read it and he felt like his heart was getting flooded. He felt a very calming sense, a relief, and contentment right there.
He looked up and smiled like a child. Avantika smiled back. Shaurya wanted to write something but he was just so absorbed in the moment that he couldn’t write anything more. For the rest of the moment he just watched Avantika. Followed her hairs, her eyes, her pointed noses, her quick eyes, her neck, her body posture, and everything. Finally at the end of the day when students were leaving he went to meet Avantika.
Shaurya said, “Hi” with a serene smile on his face.
Avantika replied, “Hi”.
Shaurya asked “Anybody coming to pick you up? Where do you live?”
Avantika replied, “I live nearby and yes, my uncle is coming to pick me up. And I have to leave right now. Can we talk tomorrow?”
Shaurya replied, “Yes. yes. Absolutely.”
Avantika left and after that Shaurya called aryan. Aryan asked Shaurya, “What happened to you today? And what were all those chits to Avantika and back, today?”
Shaurya grinned and narrated the whole incident.
Aryan was like “WTF Bro!!!”
Shaurya replied, “I don’t know. I was not in control. The angel sitting on my shoulder asked what to do and I just followed.”
Aryan replied, “You have gone mad”
Shaurya reached his home physically but was stuck in that moment with Avantika. He just couldn’t help himself. He could think only and only about Avantika. How much he tried, he failed.
Next day, Shaurya reached school and was eagerly searching for Avantika. He passed various times outside Avantika’s classroom. She was nowhere to be found. In recess, he asked Mudita, Avantika’s best friend, “Where is she?”
Mudita replied, “why are you asking?”
Shaurya replied, “I will tell you but first tell me, where is she?”
Mudita replied, “She left for Ottawa, Yesterday. Her big brother was there. He met an accident over there and he is in very critical condition.”
Shaurya replied, “What??” “Do you have her contact number?”
Mudita replied, “I have. But why are you asking, tell me first.”
Aryan was standing behind and after listening he started laughing horribly and told everything to Mudita.
Mudita listened to Aryan and then looked at Shaurya and said, “Oh. Yes Yes, Avanitika yesterday told me that she wanted to share something with me. I think she was talking about it.” Mudita then turned to Aryan and said “Stop laughing, you Baboon. Someone’s brother is injured and critical”.
Aryan stopped laughing and shied away to Shaurya’s back.
Shaurya asked Mudita, “Yo had her contact no, right!. Give it to me.”
Mudita replied, “I had her landline number and I think that’s of no use at this point. But I think she is on Facebook. I will share the details so you can try to contact her there.”
Shaurya replied, “Okay.”
Shaurya searched Facebook and found her profile. He sent her a friend request and wrote a message, “Hi, Shaurya this side”.
Now, he had to wait. He felt like time just got slow and each second was very brutal. Aryan tried to cheer him up but it was of no avail. Slowly and steadily, school time was over. He went to attend YouTh Parliament.
He was sitting damply on his seat, staring at Avantika’s empty seat. He was reliving all the moments that he shared with avantika. He was constantly checking his phone but there was nothing from Avantika’s side.
After school he reached home and was very restless. He waited the whole day. In the night, he had dinner and somehow he went to sleep.
Next day, he woke up, he hurriedly checked his phone and it was still nothing. He followed the same routine for the whole day and again in the night he was very sad. He was getting psychotic and was checking his phone again and again. But, he could not do anything.
He wondered how 2 days ago, he was completely different. And just in 2 days his whole life got upside down. Then he remembered what Avantika told her earlier. “Whatever happens, happens for a good reason”. He suddenly felt some calmness and contentment inside his heart. Then he slept.
Next morning, he woke up and found a notification and a message on his phone. Avantika has accepted her request and replied back. She wrote, “I could not stop thinking about you. I wanted to tell you this that day but had to leave. Now, fate has dealt us some cards. By the way, My brother is fine. We will return back in 3 days. I wish to see you right now. But I couldn’t. No issues. Take care of yourself. Bye.”
Shaurya read the message and was smiling very pleasantly. He felt that all the pressure, anxiety, and sadness left her body instantaneously.
Shaurya texted back to Avantika, “I will wait for you. Do not worry about me. I am fine. Will come to see you when you are back”
Shaurya somehow managed to clear 3 days without any anxiety or sadness. He was very excited to see Avantika. It was Saturday and he was planning to go to Avantika’s house with Mudita and Aryan after school.
When the school’s final bell rang, all three rushed to Avantika’s house. Before they could leave school premises. Shaurya found that Avantika was standing at the school gate. He ran towards her. He could not hide his happiness. He wanted to hug Avantika then and there, but couldn’t.
He pulled her and rushed towards the classroom. Aryan and Mudita followed them. Shaurya and Avantika were alone inside the classroom. Shaurya closed the classroom gate and Aryan and Mudita were standing guard.
Shaurya was calm from inside but his guts were trembling. Avantika’s breath was breathing deep as her heart beats rushed. Shaurya moved towards Avantika. He slowly touched her fingers and in a cosmic entwined act he crossed her fingers in his. They were holding hands. Shaurya smellend an exotic but mind-numbing fragrance, he felt like his brain had stopped working. He pulled Avantika close and looked straight into her eyes and spoke,
“Damn the sun, the stars, nature, and the whole eternity. A piece of mine was lost, I knew about that but could not comprehend what it was. I got to know about it exactly 6 days ago. I neither want to know about my fate nor about tomorrow. I just know this, the moment in which I am right now with you is the most beautiful moment of my life. And I also know that every moment that I will spend with you will be my most beautiful moment. To sum up, I just want to tell you that. In the last 6 days I have realised how much I love you. I want damn this sun, these stars, and this eternity, but with you by my side. I love you.”
Avantika smiled with a glaze in her eyes and replied, “ I will not damn the sun, the stars, or the eternity. But I can say that I will be there by your side, holding you hand, to witness it till our mortal limits. I love you too.”