I am back with another OS. Swayam in this part, especially in the classroom represents a friend of mine who had entertained my class in a class test with his antics. So here it goes
The return gift
"Shaaaronnn" Swayam called her for the fourth time, this timing stretching her name in the weirdest way possible, hissing a bit although.
"What?" She replied gritting her teeth.
"Question no 3 part a, please" he signaled making hand movements in a whimsical way and in the end joined both his hands begging her.
"Swayam Shekhawat wants to copy?" she lip-synced raising her eyebrow.
He gave her a sheepish smile and nodded hurriedly.
"No" she mumbled in a low but firm voice.
By the time he could make another plea, the supervisor gave Swayam one deathly glare getting him back to his a bit crumbled paper and a pen without its cap. He had crumbled his paper slightly to vent out his desperateness and had thrown away the pen cap in her direction in an attempt to copy from her.
"He doesn't leave even a single chance to trouble me. Economics is his favorite subject and he knows it better than me but look at his nerves. He didn't wish me at midnight on my birthday and expects that I will talk to him. Hell no ways. I know he was studying for the test that's why he forgot to wish me. Fine then write the test now. You are so gone Swayam" Sharon thought and narrowed her eyes.
"Ah wish I could study yesterday, I am sure going to flunk the test. Sure very very sure." He thought and closed his eyes.
Although Sharon was writing her paper her eyes were in turns stealing glances at him. When she refused to help him, he then moved to ask Vicky who was sitting right in front of him. They managed to have a silent talk amidst the curfew set up by the supervisor. He then was writing from Vicky's paper but in the next moment he started kicking Vicky's leg from back-side. Vicky widened his eyes and covered his mouth by his hands to avoid screaming in the exam-hall. The supervisor was busy giving supplement to one of their classmates and taking the advantage of the situation Swayam hissed in Vicky's ears "You dumb you are writing the wrong answer for that question, the answer is of Q.4 b and not Q.3 a" Sharon was witnessing all of this and couldn't suppress her laughter on seeing him doing those antics. No matter how angry she was with him, but his cute and oh-so-adorable childish acts made her smile. She nodded her head mouthing under her breathe "Ah he never ceases to make me smile." And she continued her paper drawing some diagrams.
In the next hour she saw Swayam constantly looking towards the girl besides her. "Amelia, the economics topper, arghh why is Swayam looking at her?" Amelia and Swayam took turns to top each and every economics class test. But they shared an amicable rapport, no grudges and would often share their knowledge on the subject. Sharon hated it whenever Amelia would hop in to ask doubts, breaking their chain of some romantic moments if at all they get any!!!
Sharon turned full 90 degrees and warned him through her eyes not to ask Amelia a single thing. He gave him a confused look and as a matter of fact stated that if she couldn't help him then he had other means to get the answer. She shoved away the pen and pencil from her paper and gave Swayam a full view of the answer sheet. To read one page answer it took Swayam only few seconds to go through it and making a face of utmost gratitude resumed to his paper, it was as if he was searching for few keywords in those answers. He then gave her a flying kiss giving rise to her crimson red cheek.
The last bell rung and the ferocious looking supervisor snatched the papers away from the students. But as if some miracle happened, Swayam was writing answers in his paper. At the eleventh hour God had listened to him and he could suddenly remember what all he had done in the semester. He was sitting idle in the first hour and now on the last hour was battling a war with time. He was looking extremely adorable with his one eye constantly keeping record of, in which row the supervisor was collecting the paper. When his turn came he was about to fall down from the bench in an attempt to get that Hitler away from his beloved crumbled paper. Economics was his favorite subject and there was no way he could leave it without answering whatever he knew. The supervisor then grabbed his paper and snatched it away from him and moved out of the class. Swayam too followed him and pleaded him to give him the answer sheet but his efforts went futile and he returned to the class.
After the grueling session of mental harassment was over, people deserted from that place leaving Nilesh, Sharon and Swayam in the room.
She heard Swayam nodding his head negatively muttering something to Nil that she barely understood.
With that Swayam left the room surprising her. She moved towards Nil and asked "How was the test Nil?"
"Not good. I mean Swayam was a bit sad after the test"
"Huh?"
"I know you were asking about him. Economics champ was a bit disheartened today."
"Oh good Lords, it means he didn't study. I hope everything is fine." Thinking this she followed him.
Soon as she came out of the class she headed towards the boy's locker room. She stopped midway and thought maybe he will be in the abandoned staircase. Completely forgetting the fact that Swayam had not yet wished her on her birthday she pushed away those thoughts and now was worried about him. But when she reached that dingy area he was not there. She climbed the steps and step forward to open the door but got bumped into a sturdy chest. Almost immediately he circled her waist and pulled her in a hug. For a split second she thought that he might get a bit cranky for his performance in test and so rubbed his back to soothe him. "It's okay Swayam, this was just a practice test, and finals are still there" she said ruffling his hair. He broke the hug, winking and grinning he shamelessly said "I know and that's why I didn't study that much?" She smacked his arms and pulled them away from her waist said "What!! Then what the hell were you doing last night?" stressing the last word in a hope that it will ring a bell. After all it was her birthday and the love of her life had still not wished her.
"Sleeping" he added inviting more trouble.
"Ah sleeping right."
"Leave that what are you doing here Sharon?"
She was now about to pounce on him and not knowing what made her say that, she answered "Actually Swayam I came here to get this mop, you see I want to dust away some things so that people will get to know what lies beneath the dust. " And she waved the mop in air.
He knew what she meant by that and decided to spill the beans "I was making arrangements for your birthday" he said with such an innocence that melted her heart.
"Umm ah Swayam but" She stammered.
"I wanted to make you feel special today" He added.
"But why didn't you wish me at night that would have more than enough Swayam" She said putting her hands on her waist.
"I wanted to be the last to wish you Sharon"
She knew what he meant by that, considering how philosophical he goes sometimes.
"No matter how beautiful your day goes I want you to cherish the last bits of you birthday the most"
He was about to say more but she placed her lips on his and gave him a short and sweet but lingering kiss long enough to stupefy him.
"So how do you find this return gift?" She said with a coy smile and caressed his cheek.
"Thanks a ton Sharon for showing me the answer, you saved me from flunking the test" He said giving a mighty chortle.
After receiving a poke at his chest, he said "I better get going, need to prepare for your surprise which is not a surprise anymore"
He frowned scratching his head and left the room.
Sharon was excited for the evening that she was going to spend with Swayam, but it struck her immediately "What the hell Swayam has not wished me yet!!!"
And with a jerk she opened the door and yelled at his figure "Swayam why aren't you wishing me yet?"
He replied with a fading voice "I am going to wish you at 11.59 today sweets." Leaving the poor birthday girl whining behind.
Mangal Lakshmi
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