|Checkmate|- SS of The Week...Week 1! - Page 5

"So tell us how difficult has the journey been for you, especially after the dark past. How long did it take you to catch up with the pace of the scientific world. We all know you never attended a regular school and were just enrolled for the sake of boards, where you scored a perfect ninety eight percent. Whom would you acknowledge for your success?"

"It's been five years now that I have recovered from my illness. When doctors in Mangalore had given up hopes, my sister brought me to Mumbai and since then she has been my ultimate support, my father, my mother, my friend, she has been the biggest reason that today I am sitting here, like any normal twenty year old boy. My father as she always has talked about in her interviews, is our greatest inspiration and we have inherited our intelligence and interest in the subject from him. Other than my family, Friction has been with me, always. Be it one at night or four in the morning, they have always been there for me and my sister. They taught us to dream.We never felt the void of not having our family with us. They helped us find Mangalore in Mumbai.I only have one unfulfilled desire which is to get our mother here so that she can stay with us , but she prefers to stay in our ancestral house, teaching dance young girls. Finally if I am to name that one person who helped me catch up with the world's fast pace, it would be Dhruv. He had been suffering from the same disease as I was , although we were affected in different manners. It wasn't a disease though, but I don't know any other word for it. I was mute for nine long years till my sister made enough money to initiate my treatment and later Friction helped her tremendously. Its only after the treatment that I could be comfortable with Dhruv as he and me have a common past, which wasn't known to us previously. I think Harshad has helped me too, he has been a caring brother. Manik has been one boy whom I have seen transform over the years to an impeccable human being. He inspires me the most and inspires me much. He has proved the quote, 'Where there is a will there is a way'. So I think that is what makes me the person I am."

"Do you think your sister deserves more that was she has achieved?"

"Let me be honest enough. I am extremely proud of my sister. I mean I have seen her grow, seen her struggle, seen her live, seen her give up and the very next moment seen her encourage herself to anticipate for a better tomorrow. From college for studying to hospital for my life, she has done everything herself. Fab 5 back then, was the reason for half of her problems, but she still fought them all and now we see the results, don't we? "

"We absolutely do. In fact the way Nandini has excelled in the fields of both Science-Technology and Music is commendable. We all see how well she is managing to get both the bands, NH3 and Friction into the limelight. Although Friction has achieved much more fame, NH3 cant be overlooked too. When she is interviewed, she tends to speak more about you and her two bands but not herself. We would like to know more about her from you.How good was she in music in her early childhood?"

"Well I heard my father say that she had a sweet voice and why she should learn Carnatica music but my mother wanted her to concentrate on Bharatnatyam. She would avoid both and instead visit library to search for books and say she would make father proud one day. She and music were miles apart. She called her a girl of technology not tune."

"Would you share something more about her?"

"What exactly would you want to know?"

"Well the reaction of Manik after yesterday's question has flared up rapidly. So we want to know what exactly make Fab 5 change its name to Friction and how Nandini was involved in the scenario which made Dhruv mum Manik in the National Television."

"This might be associated with my sister, but I have given her enough space and never asked her anything of this sort. I don't think this is anyway related to me or my discovery, is it?"

Picking up the remote from the table, he clicked the red button, shutting the television and switching the main power off, while Nandini rested on the couch, cuddling the pillow and facing towards the LCD screen. Dhruv went to sit near her, dropping the remote on the couch and looked at her, his intense eyes adorning her serene face, and her loosely tied hair. In his husky voice he asked, "So?"

"So?"

"How many times does Rishab's sister plan to rewind and play her brother's interview?"

"Why do you pause at the most crucial moment every time. It has created so much trouble to us Friction and you seem so calm. How can you not think of yourself? It would be you who will be involved in a controversy soon and so will be us. It will mean our downfall. Why don't you think of the consequences and plan to joke around? Why are you this way?"

"I am what I am because one day a girl told me to always be optimistic and think of pleasant things as thinking of the reality would break us, shatter us, remember?"

"You remember everything about me don't you?"

"Why shouldn't I? It has merely been seven years"

"You are impossible Dhruv. Just impossible to believe. Sometimes I am scared to sleep, thinking this to be a dream, you and me to be part of this beautiful dream which break if I closed my eyes."

He stared at her, as she looked down, "You need to stop staring at that way. I forget to breathe for a moment at that intensity."

"Ah! That was a joke, wasn't it?" saying so he stared at her, more intensely, making her heart flutter.