Abhi-Pragya fiction: RESTLESS (Epilogue- Page 85, Dec 29) - Page 10

Chapter 4: Hold my hand

"Hold my hand and I'll take you there, somehow, someday, somewhere"

I could not test my flutters theory with Purab anymore ever since we had a conversation about our birthdays and ages. It turned out that Purab was almost a year younger than me and he decided to call me "Di" for some reason. However, the flutters with Abhi were increasing in intensity and frequency but I was suppressing them with great determination. The fact that study load increased and Abhi bunked classes half the time helped although I always wished he was around when he wasn't. But I had bonded with that gang very much. We ate together, we collected our notes together, studied together most of the times.

Two months into my new college life, we needed to do a case study as a project. While discussing the matter, I mentioned my dream of working with an eminent psychologist in a national institute in Mumbai, which seemed almost impossible given they wouldn't entertain undergraduates students in that institute. Abhi had this idea of gatecrashing at the institute and talking to the psychologist directly as our phone calls and emails to the institute went unanswered.

That day Nikki, Purab, Abhi and I decided to go to the institute and try our luck. We all reached the venue, which was in the suburbs of Mumbai but we were stopped at the gate itself and were not allowed to board the bus that took people to the institute built in a huge campus.

Disappointed, we decided to leave but Abhi suddenly had this idea of entering the campus through the back entrance and walking all the way up to the institute, and directly meeting up with the psychologist. Nikki completely disagreed with the idea and Purab was reluctant too. I was not particularly thinking the idea would work but given the psychologist was my idol, I somewhat wanted to take a chance. Nikki just wanted to leave and she convinced Purab to leave with her too. And it was Abhi and I left to do the expedition.

Abhi and I walked to the back entrance and we were pleased to see no security there. However the gate was closed and it only meant we jump the compound to gain entry. And there I wanted to give up this idea completely not wanting to jump compounds but Abhi insisted that we try. He climbed up the compound and looked around to see no one watching us and he asked me to climb too.

I didn't know what came over me but I decided to take the chance too with Abhi's extended encouragement. The compound wall was a bit high but there were steps besides due to brick arrangements. I got on and sat on the wall. Abhi jumped down and asked me to jump too.

And it was then I got scared. It was at least 5 feet down I needed to jump. I didn't think I could do it at all. I screamed that I couldn't.

"Chashmish, come on now, jump. Don't behave like a kid", Abhi got annoyed.

"I will fall down. I am really scared Abhishek", I told him.

"Scared of this much height? Uff, Chashmish, come hold my hand and jump. I promise neither you, nor your chashma will fall off", he offered his hand. I bared my nervousness again.

"Trust me Chashmish, I will hold you. I will not say this again, come on, last chance, hold my hand", he said decisively looking straight into my eyes.

I felt a decision crisis at that moment. I didn't know if going to the institute was more important or trusting him right there. The next moment I thought it was just jumping a compound and not a life decision and reached out to his hand. He firmly held it and pulled me down holding me by my waist as I came down. He let me go and I smiled to hide the flutters.

"Your leap of faith", he laughed.

We then walked to the institute, which was about a mile into the campus, following the signs. Thankfully no one stopped us as we were inside the institute and we could find the psychologist we were looking for easily.

The psychologist, Professor Sriram was a gentle and humble man and he listened to what we had to say. I explained that we needed to a project for our course study and that we are looking forward to work under him.

"Why me?", the professor asked suddenly.

I wanted to tell him about the related relevance of the project I am interested to work with him but Abhi had a different answer before me.

"Because you have made it in the field. Working with you will give us the best experience, your tag will help us get into better institutes later and find jobs", Abhi had an awkward but straight forward answer.

"I like that", the professor seemed impressed and he offered that we could join him in one of his projects from the coming week.

"I can't believe we got this", I almost jumped as we walked out of the institute.

"We? You mean I need to join him too?", Abhi seemed unsure.

"What do you mean Abhishek? Would you not want to work with him. He is the best psychologist in the country!" I asked as I was surprised that Abhi would let go of a chance like that.

"Chashmish, I just came here because you were like this is your dream to work with this bald professor. But I have a lot of other things to do yaar. Can I replace Purab or Nikki for this?", he really wasn't interested in the project.

"I don't understand why do you waste your resources. Why do you need to bunk classes and waste your parent's money paid for fees", I spoke harsh for I always was annoyed at his bunking classes.

"You are securing your baap's money by attending every single class na?" he mocked.

"Not my baap's. I don't have a baap. It's all my Maa's", the issue of my father bothered me and I looked away.

"Hey, Chashmish, it's okay! I get it yaar, you don't have a father! It's FINE", he said standing in front of me.

"It's not fine and you won't get it. Only I know what it is to live without a father. Stop mocking, Abhishek", I almost had tears in my eyes.

"I know how to live without both a mother and a father. It's still fine", he said running his hand through his hair.

I realized what he would have meant and realized it again. I felt terrible to hear he didn't have both of his parents.

"I am sorry", I looked into his eyes.

"What sorry? Leave it. My parents died in a mishap before I was five. And my granny somehow raised my sister and me. They live in Ludhiana. I just don't want to think not having parents as a problem you know", he sounded cold.

"Abhishek", I held his hand. "It's just that I felt you don't attend classes and take studies seriously. So, I crossed a line and questioned you. I am sorry about it".

"Stop with your sorry, Chashmish. If you want to know why I bunk classes, you ask me specifically, na? I will tell you. Look, I want to achieve something in my life. Something spectacular. When I am not in the classes, I go for music auditions. And in the evenings I sing in pubs, for some cash and to make contacts", he explained.

"You want to be a singer? In showbiz?" I wondered.

"Not a singer, a rockstar!" he exclaimed.

"Rockstar? Like Elvis?", I was truly confused what he meant by a rockstar.

"May be even better", he winked.

"So you want to be famous", I tried to understand.

"I will be famous. Trust me Chashmish, I know what I am doing", he was confident.

"But Abhishek.. all this showbiz and stuff...", I said feeling weird.

"There is no ifs and buts for me..I have this dream and I will achieve it, no matter what happens. You wait and see..while you achieve your dream with this baldy professor alright?", he chuckled.

I sighed deep. I had learnt so much about Abhishek in the last few moments than I had in the last two months.

"Come on, Chashmish. Let's go", he held my hand and pulled me to walk in the direction of the gate.

He had held my hand, I had held his, and he had shared so much about himself. I was struggling to process the new knowledge I had acquired of him as we walked out of the gate.

Abhi had shook me to say the least.