Part 1 - Friends + Enemies = Frenemies / A new start to life
Here it starts - My story with Ammy urf Armaan Malik, the brat
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Armaan - Short, stout and round; This is how he looked the first time I saw him.
I was 5 and 1/2 yrs and he was 6yrs. We studied at the same school. - in Class I
"Harr ladki ka dil ka - Armaan..Nam tho suna hoga" He introduced himself in a filmy way to the teacher and whole class.
The class bursted out laughing while the teacher fumed in anger and put him out of the class as a punishment. I wondered whether he purposely did that to skip the class.
After class, I was waiting for my parents in the school compound when a basket ball banged my head hard.
"Ouch" I cried in pain and turned to find Armaan standing there
"What a shot" He praised himself "Now pass me the ball" He ordered
"You want it then try and get it" I challenged and started playing with the ball
He tried to snatch the ball from me but I had taken basket ball for my sports activity class so I was quite well trained in the sport.
He tried and tried to get the ball.. but failed! I finally put the ball in the basket.
"What a shot! Isn't it "Loser"?" I teased him
He fumed in anger "I can beat you any day..I'm a champ basketball player!" Again the brat started praising himself
"yes I just saw that..Ammy!" I picked my bag
"Ammy? That just doesn't suit my image! CALL ME ARMAAN!"
"Image? But your parents call you Ammy" I said, confused
"They are oldies, they just don't get things right" the brat said
I dint know what to say to that "I'm Ridhima" I introduced myself
"Ridhima?" He started laughing "What a ancient time name is that"
Why was he not being his age? - and that's 6yrs old! I wondered and picked my bag and started walking away.
"Yo Basket!! See you around..hopefully not" He said
"Basket? DONT CALL ME THAT" I warned
"I WILL" He said coolly
"AMMY!!!" I said - That was the worst bad word that came to my mind
"DONT CALL ME THAT!! ITS ARMAAN!!" He corrected, irritated
"AMMY" I said it again
"BASKETTT" He yelled and took out a toy knife and poked it in my stomach
and I thought I was going to die any moment now.
"I'm going to die now!!!!!" I ran in a panic and told the teachers and principal
So, that's a glimpse of my character.. A girl who keeps switching between completely brave and completely timid!
Cutting it short let me say.. The very first day, he had made me cry and all I did was complained to the teachers then to my mom-dad and also to his mom-dad. He got a bit firing but he dint get any better. He just got worst by the day.
Always he would gang up with his gang of boys and bully me and my friends.
Sher aur Shikar - Lion and the Lamb - That was the concept of our relationship.
Obviously being so naive, I was the Lamb and He was the Lion, At least he thought himself to be one.
He would bully me as much as he wished but if anyone else would try to bully me or trouble me. He would end up fighting with them. Now that left me confused whether he was my enemy or friend? Friend + Enemy = Frenemies.. I mentally calculated and gave a name to our relation.
I remember when I was 9yrs old, on my way back from school, my leg had got into the wheel of the cycle and there was alot of bleeding. Armaan had really got scared on seeing the sight, He quickly rushed me home to my parents.
I was fine but unconscious all night. When I woke up next morning, I saw him starring at me.
Mom said, he was not willing to leave and sat near me all night.
"Hey Basket!! You are alive????? Yooo!!!!!!!" Armaan jumped up from the bed as soon as I woke up..He stood on the bed and jumped shaking the whole bed "I was so scared..you know? I dint go home all night so I could stop the man called yamraj from taking you!" He said with a big smile.
"Oh!! You are soo sweet!!!" I said with a big smile
"You are one of my best friends.. you know that?" He said, he called me his best friend for the first time
"You too!!!" I said with a bigger smile
"I mean just think what if you would die? Who would be my target? All the chicks these days are too smart for me. You are the one only dumb friend I have!" He said with a big grin.
My smile turned into a huff puff angry face
"I'm so happy you dint die last night" He said again
"You are a big time idiot!!!!!!" I threw a pillow on his face
He continued making my life hell for the next 4 years. Then his father had transferred his business base to Delhi. And so Armaan had to go along with his parents to Delhi while I peacefully lived in Mumbai. No more pranksters and bullies around.
But short lived my peace...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
4 years later - I got admission in St Xavier's University, Delhi
Out of all the places.. Why Delhi?
I was excited yet nervous at the same time.
Excited because I've never lived away from home on my own, never experienced total freedom so this was one good chance.
Nervous because I didn't know what was in store, how would the people in Delhi be? How will my college be? How will I be able to live away from home for such a long time? And so many things and questions rotated in my mind.
Here begin the only part of my life in which my parents and Rhea were not a part of.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Flight from Mumbai to Delhi AI 508 to take off. Passengers are requested to please proceed for boarding."
Said the Announcement at Mumbai Airport
I took my seat in the flight. A man sat beside me who touched his elbow creepily to my arm. I moved. He came further leaning and his creepiness increased.
"Please, can you be seated on your seat!" I request politely yet sternly
"Yes Mam! Your name?" He asked shamelessly
"Ridhima" I said hesitantly, insulting anyone on their face was just impossible thing for me to do
"Going to Delhi for work?" He tried to carry on the conversation
"Studies!" arg I just cut short my answer
"Here is my card. If you need any help, contact me. Like Accommodation. I've a 1BHK but I'll manage in the hall and you can take the bedroom. I charge you around 5k monthly..only for you" He said flirtatiously
A 45+ man old trying to flirt with a 17yr old. How shameless can some men's be? I wondered to myself and just forced a smile..took his card and crumbled it in my palm and threw it away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Madam ji! Aap new hai na..Kaha se aai ho?" A taxi wala asked me outside Delhi airport
''Mumbai se! Kitne lenge aap St Xavier's University thak?'' I enquired
''Bass 300 de dejye..apke liye 295'' He said as if by cutting 5rs he did a great job
"295???? Itna?? University sirf yaha se 20mins door hai. Dekhiye main yaha nayi ho lekin aap aise ullu nahi bana sakhte'' I said sternly
"yehi yaha ka rate hai madam" He insisted
I was so tired already. Didn't want to argue any further so I agreed to his fictional rate. "Thek hai"
"Advance loonga" He said
Again took me by shock "kya bhakwas hai yeh?" I yelled at him
"Madam yaha ka yehi system hai..Chalna hai tho chalo..nahi tho aur bhi gerayak log hai" He said rudely
"Ok fine!" I took out 300rs and gave him.
He happily put my bags on top of the maruti car which didn't look like a taxi. As I was about to sit, He started the car and zoomed away, and I was left behind, shocked yet again.
"WHAT THE HELL?"
I ran behind the car but couldn't catch up with it.
My bags and all my important stuff and the address of my chacha ji where I would be staying and mainly my cell phone had gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It all had just been robbed.. front of my eyes! And I couldn't do anything!!!!!!!!!
The taxi wala was not a taxi wala..He was a robber? Was it? What do I do now?
"Damn!!!!!!!" I kicked a wall hardly and helplessly "Ouch" and in returned happen to hurt myself.
I went to the PCO and tried calling home but no one picked up. I was damn upset and totally lost.
Finally I got a good and real taxi wala who took me to my destination in just 90rs
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ St Xavier's University ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My mood lightened up seeing the exteriors of my new college.
It looked to be real huge and it had classy neat exteriors.
"Wow! Something good in Delhi.. Finally!" I said to myself "Mom says before a good start..Always something bad happens..That's a good sign. So after the creepy man on the flight and Chor So Called Taxi Wala..Nothing is going to go wrong with me!" I just wished and assured myself
BUT there I tripped into shit! Shit as in kichad! I realised that I had not tripped but someone had put their leg in between making me trip. I turned and found a girl grinning at me.
"Sorry babes! Mom says before a good start..Always something bad happens..That's a good sign." She repeated my words in a mockery tone "Don't take to heart! It's just a prank.. That we Seniors play on you fresheners" She grinned more brightly
I stood up and looked at my clothes, all drained in shit..including my face. I looked up at her irritated.
"So Welcome to Xavier's!" she said and winked
I smiled and gave her a light hug, in process transferring some of the shit from my clothes to her clothes and hair.
"Ehwww" She pushed me away
"Arre, thek se welcome karni nai aati..tum Delhites and Seniors ko? This is not probably a right way that we fresheners should behave with you Oldies or Seniors but I'm not the type to take shit.. shit beyond a point" I winked back at her and laughed to irritate her
She just stared at her dirty clothes and then at me. She looked as if she was going to murder me but then she gave a bright smile again.
"That was cool haan! Tit for Tat! You have some substance in you and I like it! I'm Natasha..Call me Nuts" She extended a friendship hand
Natasha urf Nuts - She was wearing a short denim pant with a Tee. She looked to be a girl who held her head high, full of confidence. Yet friendly.
I thought for a moment then smiled and shook her hand "Hi! I'm Ridhima."
"Ridzy!! That's what I will call you.. Cool?"
"Offcourse" I smiled
"Come, Let me show you around..My college as in Our College" She said
She took me for a college tour from the canteen to the classes to the playgrounds. We visited it all. We also had little conservations about general things about me and her.
"This is beautiful! It's like a dream college" I said with excitement
"Hey chill ok..you still gotta met the people of this college" she said in a warning tone
"College itna acha hai tho people bhi ache hi hoge" I said with confidence
"U bet" she laughed "So, where are you going to stay? Any relatives in Delhi?"
"No" I made a sad face and explained her the bag-rob-fake-taxi-man story
"That's sad!" she said pouting her lips. "Hey!!!! Why don't you stay with me for today until you get in touch with your family?" She suggested
"No" I refused at once. I knew this girl from just last 1hr, though we had become quite comfy with each other and she seemed like a good girl but still mom says 'kise stranger pe trust nahi karna - stranger is danger' strict instructions from mom which I couldn't refuse "Can u give me your cell.. I want to try my home once again?" I requested
"Sure" She gave me her cell
I called home, again no one picked up.. why?? What's wrong? Is everything OK at home? I got a bit tensed now.
"Nothing doing! You are staying with me..I don't take every friend home. Come na, My mom will really be happy seeing you" Nuts insisted
Sleeping on the platform or sleeping at a somewhat friend cum strangers place! What was better? I went with the second option for today.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I went with Nuts to her home - Her grandmom who she called BG opened the door, her mom was cooking in the kitchen, dad was on the laptop and her younger brother was running all over the house - Now This felt like HOME away from home!
We went to her room which was pretty neat and tidy but Nuts managed to mess it up in just 5mins.
"What are you wearing tonight" She asked me, opening her cupboard
"All my clothes have been robbed so can you spare me some night wear.. if you don't mind?" I requested, and looked at my clothes which was still drained in shit and I smelled like a..you guess!
"Night wear? For fresheners party? Not that I mind but thoda awkward nahi lagega?" She chuckled
"Fresheners party? Tonight?" I asked confused
"Oh yeah!" She said throwing a few party dresses on the bed "Pick up one of these and get ready." She said and went for a shower
I looked at the dresses - one was backless then the other was strapless then the other was short. Nothing of my choice here.
But wearing a dress covered with shit or wearing one of these dresses? What was better?
I again went with the second option and settled with the knee length bright yellow dress.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"On our way to the party..We will register a complaint at the police station. May be they will trace the robbers and help you find your bags?" Nuts suggested while applying blush on
"Thanks alot! You are doing alot for me" I said with a faint smile, really gratefully
"What did you just say?" She snapped at me
"Sorry..Did I say anything wrong?" I asked confused
"No Babes but this sorry thanks and stuff like that..You save it for strangers. We are friends now..aren't we?" She asked sternly
"Off course" I said with a bright smile
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We registered a complaint at the police station
and then reached the party venue.
It was a pool side party - lots of boys and girls - some were dancing on the floor, some were at the bar, some were in the pool while rest were just roaming around
Loud Music, Drinks, Fun - there was a lot happening here.
I had never been to a party like this..so far!
Nuts had left me in between all this and disappeared. Where did she go? I tried to search for her.
Just then I heard some girls screaming "ARMAAN!!!!!!"
Did I hear..What I just heard..Armaan?
Part 1 ends here.. Will post the next part soon 😉
Please leave your comments 😳
Edited by Ms.Goody - 13 years ago
Cricket
Seher Hone Ko Hai
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