Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSZCFFpix2g
Ashuthosh ran as cold wind swept through him, sending chill till the core of his bone '.he ran passing deserted corridors, through desolate library and empty classrooms. His fast moving legs stopped abruptly right in front of the closed auditorium door ''
Balancing his palm on thick cement railing, he clicked opened the window to peek inside '.
In the middle of auditorium, He saw group of theater people busily practicing drama which they are going to present during annual day'.he looked around to get a glimpse of nidhi and at the far end he saw her ' '. Sitting and bending over the piano, her fingers swift and sure... Her eyes downcast and her face devoid of emotions, her thick dark hair gleaming under peeking sunshine'.
Suddenly aware of his presence, she looked up towards open window '.to find his smiling face, shining like morning sun '.which is warm and bright, which always light up her shadowy eyes'.just in time, extending his arm, he waved at her '' her lips fluttered and a small guarded smile appeared on her face as she looked away to hide it and disguise the sudden happiness which burst through her.
Morning bell has gone; one lanky and very low built boy entered campus '.realizing he is late for class, he made a mad rush towards his class room .he was almost inside college campus when they grabbed him and marched him, round to the back of the college 'Akash gupte ,Raghav dayal , nitin kumar and Akash verma , any one of them is bad enough .the 4 together were beyond his worst imagination 'they pinned him with his back to the wall and Aditya came close until his breath was on his face'..
"So Anil , What did you complained about us '..? To principal?"
he said nothing because he know replying will lead to worst
"I am asking you something '..!" Aditya banged his fist next to his head
He shuddered " Nothing 'noth'.nothing " Anil stuttered
" Do you know what '.?" Aditya huffed out his words
"Answer me?" he shrieked when that boy did not replied
" No 'I don't know '" Anil blabbered
" you are not only loser '.you are liar too'.." Aditya muttered
" and a puppet '.tagging behind that Ashuthosh 'bloody nerd " nitin smirked
" I dint '.said anything " He tried to justify
"Then who informed about psych building..." Aditya glared at him, when he did not responded, he reached forward and ripped opened the front breast pocket of anil's blazer '.
" I don't know '." he stuttered
Then he did the same with other pocket it hung down like dead tongue'." Its Ashu 'Ashuthoh 'he informed principal about it'.I was just present in that meeting 'I dint said anything " he blurted out '.
They wrenched him off and banged his head to side wall '." Tell this to your boss'..Ashuthosh 'to be careful...I ain't gonna leave him "patting his cheek they left him alone but with a sickening fright ''
Your silence tells me more
More than any word could impact
No response to my questions
Cuts me right through the heart
What has made you quiet?
Who suppressed your words?
Who annihilated your thoughts?
You once were so expressive
So articulate!
Why did you cease your song?
Who made you like this '..?
So quiet and like a ghost '
Where have you gone?
My dear what went wrong?
Ashuthosh sipped some hot coffee, which in turn spread warmth over inside of his cheeks, just a little sting nothing much as he scribbled '..Her gloomy eyes dangled in his mind, his brow deepens '.a little frown and shadowy expression registered on his face '..Closing his eyes, He remembered seeing her for first time 'she looked like meek shadow behind her unruly brother'meek, quiet and vulnerable'. like a lost girl swallowed up in chaos of hustle bustle of this outside world '.
He wondered, what was that? Which had drawn him to her? Is it her silence? Or the vulnerability with which she carries herself 'or is it the innocence which linger in those big beautiful eyes '.even after all these days He is still unsure'
Dubious of his thoughts, he opened his eyes, to find the warm salty buttery smell of his college canteen clinging to everything around him as his pen scurried across the paper '.
"Ashu" just then Arman came to his side
"Guess what?"
"What?" Ashu mumbled without looking up
"You rocked today '.everywhere I go, every '.everyone 'just impressed with your speech '..I am sure, we are going to make it '" slumping in nearby chair, Arman gulped down some water
"Easy Arman '..Slow down...you are going to choke to death, if you gulp down like that "Ashu growled
"Not so soon when future is looking so bright '." Arman grinned gleefully ''
"Between, what are you doing?...and ..huh ' ?" Arman tried to grab the notebook from Ashu's hand
Sensing this Ashu pushed him aside '" its personal'."
"Personal '! From when you started keeping secrets 'huh ? Common Ashu '"
"You are so nosy Arman'." Irritated Ashu snapped back '.
"Ok fine 'don't share, but aren't you thrilled '.to hear that, we will win this election"
Ashu huffed out a laugh "I will not be, till I win "
"Ashu 'campaigning is almost done.. Tomorrow, let's cover all dept once again '."
"Once again '.! We already did twice '.. '.and beside, I have to submit my project by this week'this is my chance to get access to Ph.d program 'so count me out "Ashu muttered
"You cannot dropout now 'we need your support and beside 'we are so close to victory '. one last time "Arman grumbled
" I told you so many times , not to drag me in all this'..I am not into politics 'its depressing Arman"
" Ashu 'why can't you see , you are the only one who can stand up against that verma gang'don't you want everyone to live here without any tension and fear ' and in good environment ? huh "
Ashu closed his eyes to push away his irritation '.." ok , fine '." Ashu huffed out
"I have to go now, chemistry lab is waiting for me '.." and he got up from his seat
"Tell me one thing 'Don't you get bored sitting besides those pipets and glass beakers ...and analyzing nonstop, formulizing for results which you are not going to get ..."
Ashu chuckled ..." no...This is not for me, I am just helping one of my junior '.professor think that this projects will look good in my profile'"
"Whatever "Arman grumbled.
Nidhi looked at door for the 4th time to check whether Ashuthosh came in'.A muffled sigh escaped her lips when he did not turned up, slumping in a plastic chair, she opened her book to review the details of their project 'Sitting there She remembered meeting him for the first time, when her professor assigned her to a project along with ashuthosh '.at first she hated the thought of standing next to someone'.with bowing head, trembling hand and fumbling words '..As their questioning glance dart through her for every two minute..., she was not like that before, never was...Not when her sister was around '.
But then everything changed'Something broke inside her' may be her heart? Something stuffed inside her..Heavy on chest, suffocating her every time she breathed 'What is it ? is it her grief ? ..Something taken a root deep inside her, what is it ? is it her suppressed aggression 'her fear? How can she tell anyone what happened that night? What she heard what she saw? And who will believe her? '.she tried , hustled to tell about that god forbidden night where everything ended , but what happened ?...she felt like all her words got muffled inside her skull , below her tongue until she felt like underwater 'gurgling ,suffocating '. blocking her vocal chords , freezing her tongue '.untamed fear rose up , surrounded her 'whenever someone looked at her '.into her eyes , into her heart '.she had to look down to hide her darkest nights' ' rubbing her trembling hands to breath in '.she has to get away from them ..From maddening crowd, away from people who look at her with concern, question and sometime with frown '. '.she has to get back to her cocoon, into her head, wrapping into her silence 'snuggling close near her baba , clinging to his frail body 'into his arms'.where she can be herself , where she can let down her guard ..Where she does not has to hassle to speak, to express '..And where she can be safe.
She remembered the way he looked at her for the first time as she trembled under his gaze...and his hands gripped firmly on her trembling fingers '.She did not knew that single touch can evoke such a relief and shook off her fear '.She thought it happens only in fairy tales which her sister used to tell her when she was a kid '.of people who have healing touch. At first when they came together to work on this project, He did the most of the talking somewhere on the way she made an effort instead of passively agreeing everything with him '..once or twice she discovered she was talking the way thought had come to her excited , animated , ideas slip-sliding over one another , when that happened she became self conscience and stopped fearing that she is giving out so many things for him to judge her '.so many things that he can look into darkest corner of her heart
But every time she stopped, he approached her with a smile...when that happened , she had this urge to throw away every bit of caution 'to open up to him, tearing off the mask and to tell him everything ''.but she couldn't ' she just couldn't
"So whose composition was that '?? Beethoven sab or Mozart bhai '." She was jerked out to reality as he rushed past her and sank in next chair...lowering her eyes...she kept her mum
"You know my baba always tell that '.music is language of memory and an art of thinking with sounds" grinningly Ashu told her
She smiled at him '." Your 'hmm..baba 'does he '?" after a brief pause nidhi mumbled meekly
Ashu laughed '" Baba'.No, thank god! '.he tried his hand to play violin '.but guess what? Mom 'threatened to divorce him if he continues '..It was a total disaster" he replied '.
She let out a laugh and then she put a hand over her mouth like she was angry at herself for forgetting her sadness '.
Condensing his eyes, he fixed his gaze on her; he saw that sudden redness of happiness vanished just in second to replace with bleak expression'.
" so when you learnt '.to...plays it so beautifully ...?" he asked her to establish a conversation
"Baba '...he loved to play it to me 'he taught me " came her reply
"Doesn't he play now '..?"
She shook her head ''after a brief pause, she mumbled "he cannot move ..his left side 'like before '..He had paralysis stroke"
' oh'.I am sorry '.I dint knew that "
" no'..that's, ok '"
" it must be really 'hard for you '" he looked at her face .
" yes ..it is sometime '.but he is doing much better now 'comparatively " she smiled
" that's good '.." he smiled back
"Ok then'Did you share our reports with professor '?" He asked
"Yes ''.'.he thinks that eugenol has one or more carbon double bonds to react with bromine '." She muttered as he looked down towards their project papers to figure out..
After a brief pause she continued " I think '.we have to add bromine to isomer of 1,2 'diphenylethene'"
"What made you think so '? "he asked her suddenly looking up
"Because nucleophilic double bond undergoes an electrophilic addition reaction by bromine regent 'and result is Trans dibromide and here is the equation "pushing her notebook, she explained the formula which she worked out so far '.
" you know '.you are good, really good at this'.." he replied brightly
"so shall we start the procedure based on this '.professor need this result to be published in 2 days 'I hope we manage to submit with good results " he mumbled ,extending his arm to start the procedure '
Nodding her head, she too joined'.
When they were done with the day and just when they were going out '..Ashu stopped right in front of her'.. "Can I tell you something?"
Suddenly aware of his intense gaze she looked down '.the same uncomfortable feeling rose in her whenever someone look into her eyes 'to get away from his intense gaze she looked down and nodded her head '.
"'.playing music ...Don't stop it 'You know '.My Baba tells that music always heal us '.no matter how badly bruised we are, it heal us '. "He mumbled staring at her '
Startled she looked up'..What made him say something what he just said? What does he know '..?What does he know about her bruises and her untamed fears '..?He doesn't know! No one knows '.no one should know!
When she did not responded, he continued ''
"So 'do you mind ...Did you mind '..?Me coming to see you playing...your music'?." Unaware of her inner hustle, Ashu asked her '..
Staggering back to reality '.she found herself shaking her head as in "No" '."So you don't mind ..." he replied brightly as he picked his books to make his way out of chem. Lab'..
" I will come'..then tomorrow again to 'see you 'huh' I mean to watch you play , your music " he smiled '..
She felt sudden rush of emotions 'they plunged at her raw and alive '.she wondered, What is it with him '.what is with his words 'that it forcing her break her silence 'how's is it possible that he know perfect words to tell 'when all she feel like battling around'.and here she is looking at him as if he is some miracle in her battered life '..like bright sunshine in her gloomy life 'like sparkle in between chaos of her darkness '.like a voice to her silence...
In a way, May be he is '.!
Later in the evening, when Ashu was sitting with arman, discussing about election which is due in 2 days'.They were interrupted with loud bang just near to where they are sitting; whole college was deserted with few students scurrying here and there '..they looked around when they spotted Aditya , hitting one junior student mercilessly, shooting up from the seat Ashu tried to move but arman stopped him'.that boy moaned and made a squeaking sound as he get hit near his knee '" please don't '." He mumbled collapsing on hard floor 'Ashu was quick to react" Ashu'No'. don't get into all this " Arman's concern went unanswered as he moved ahead towards the pale looking boy '.
His face was ghastly and he dropped to the floor like he was half kneeling and half sitting ' "Stop it '" Ashu closed in on Aditya
" what are you '?...Huh ..don't poke your nose in my business " Aditya roared pushing ashu aside '.
Ignored him altogether, Ashu knelt beside the boy, helping him to stand back '.
"This is not a way 'you cannot hit someone like this." ashu tried to explain '..
Disregarding his words, He smacked ashu back against the ground and swinging right hook into his nose...he exclaimed in triumph hoping that it hurt his nose more than it is hurting his knuckles '..
Aditya's triumphant smile turned into yelp of pain as Ashu twisted his arms from behind 'and griped them with strength strong enough to bend steel '." I said, don't '.." Ashu hissed and slowly loosened his arm
There was an electric rage as he stared back at Ashu , even before he could swing his arm again towards Ashu someone pulled him from behind '" Bhai 'no , stop it ..Control your anger'.atleast till election is over " if not once 'atleast it made him stop
Closing his eyes tight shut, huffing out '..Aditya spat on ground as if he spitting his rage out of his system '.Glancing one last time at Ashu , he pushed everyone aside and left in a huff'.
"Are you fine '." Arman asked him later as ashu slumped back in chair trying to block out little bleeding from his nose '..
" ohh ..yeah fine '.what about that boy ?" Ashu enquired
" he is fine '.he couldn't walk so amit dropped him back home '." Arman replied.
" ok '.." Ashu mumbled " can you get some chai for me '." He enquired'
" I will ..but tell me one thing ...what you were trying to do there 'huh ?" Arman raged '
" what ?...he was hitting someone '...I went to help that boy "Annoyingly Ashu snapped back
" So what happened '..you also ended up fighting just like him '..what is the difference " Arman stared at him
" I didn't fought 'I tried to explain " Ashu mumbled trying to justify his actions
"And did you really think '.he will listen to you '..Especially you?" Arman asked
"Why not '."
"Unbelievable'.. If you don't know, he kicked and beaten people, this is not the first time '' he is like this, always been '."
"So, are you letting him , be like this 'and you are not going to stop him '."
"It's not our problem '.. Trying to mend someone's attitude '..I am telling you, don't get into all these fights 'its messy and ugly and it's not good for you '.any of us "Arman warned him.
Ashu did not replied for a while, blocking his nose which is slightly bleeding, he uttered "you are just scared ..Scared of him '.you just couldn't stand up for that one person who needed your help '.that's why you are telling these things to me , to cover up your inability '" Ashu spat back
" but don't expect the same from me ''I am not going sit back and watch someone getting beaten to dust " Ashu hissed
Even before Arman could stop him, Ashu left his side '." I am going home '.Baba is coming early from hospital and '.I have some work also '" picking his books Ashu walked away '.
I hope you liked the first part and Please do comment ...
PS:- this is very filmy OS ...you will understand why i said this when you read further chapters 😆...let me know if you want me to continue .
Anupamaa
