Tak..Tak...
Tak..Tak...
The sound reached Naina's ears to her great annoyance. Her hand twitched once in irritation spoiling the flow of the math problem she was solving.
Tak..Tak...
Tak..Tak...
"Really..." She thought, "The boy has no shame."
Tak..Tak...
Tak..Tak...
Naina looked to her right, towards the source of her anger, her math problem long forgotten. She would rather solve her real life problems than these stupid simultaneous equations at this point of time anyway, she thought, he did not give her any choice.
Mindful of her teacher and other students, she glared at him, "Do you seriously want to do this right now?" her eyes seemed to ask him. The adorable smile she received in return did not melt her in anyway. Before they could go on with their silent arguments, the blessed bell rang for the day and everyone started running outside the classroom as though they were released from a life sentence in the most scariest prison, not a school.
Before Naina could escape, a note fell on her.
Meet me at the library. Now. Please.
**
Naina looked around the library, searching for Sameer.
"So, you came." Sameer's triumphant voice called out to Naina, "Could not resist me, could you?"
Only her utter respect for the books stopped Naina from throwing them at his face.
"What do you want?" She scowled.
"You look cute when you are angry." Sameer smirked.
"I am leaving. I don't want to talk to you." Before she could leave, Sameer got hold of her hand.
"Okay okay. Don't leave. I am sorry sorry sorry..." Sameer held his ear from the other hand.
Over the course of their relationship in the past year, Naina very well knew how stubborn they both can be. And it was such a small thing really, which quickly got escalated. They had argued, on her birthday no less.
Naina could never fathom how Sameer can be so blase about his money. And he was never proud of it, instead he would spend lavishly on his friends. Never she thought that would apply to her as well. As usual they had met at her favorite temple early in the morning. Sameer greeted her with a huge smile and a big balloon with "Happy Birthday written on it. The problem came when he gave her a gold chain, with a locket with their photos inside. Of course Naina never could accept such an expensive gift. And what will she answer to her family if they happen to see the chain? Where will she keep it? And Sameer being Sameer, could not understand the nuances of her middle class family and upbringing.
Thus started their new fight, lasting almost a week.
"So, now you understand why I could not accept the gift?" Naina raised her eyebrows.
"Yes. I talked to Nanu and he asked me to apologize." Sameer widened his eyes with calculated innocence for extra measure.
Naina laughed outright.
"More like, you complained about me to him and he supported my side of the argument."
Sameer mumbled about his only family bring traitors and whatnot, and said "So you will forgive me now?" out loud.
"Yes. No more expensive gifts"
"Okay fine. Phew...You are scary when you are angry, do you know that?"
"But you said I look cute when I am angry." Naina's coy smile was Sameer's undoing.
"Yes. That too." Sameer stopped himself from touching her face. Holding hands will suffice now, he thought, looking at their hands still joined.
"Anyway, do not pull that stunt again in classroom. I was so busy solving that simultaneous equations which Shanti Ma'm had given. I so badly wanted to beat that Pradeep and be the first one to complete it. " Naina grumbled.
Sameer pulled Naina little closer and breathed in her ear, "Well, I thought we should solve our equation, you know simultaneously?"
The vermilion hue of the evening sun, filtering through the rickety windows and dusty books did not offer even a smidgen of competition to the color adorning Naina's face. Sameer was utterly charmed.
______ The END_____
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