First love

Weekends were awesome for us in navodaya. It was our Sunday routine to go to nearby ground early morning and play cricket. Head of our gang was a 8^th class guy, Romariyo. Actually we had no permission to go to that ground on Sundays and only because we had a senior with us we were permitted. Our warden was not that rude but as it’s a matter of god damn rules of navodaya he was supposed to follow. Our warden was a lady teacher, Greeshma and her husband, Dinesh was also a faculty who was our nightmare all night making all of us jump out of the bed. It was not his fault really. Having beard and starring eye for a man was enough for a 6^th class student to have a minor heart attack.

                          One Sunday as usual we guys went to the ground and unusually she didn’t give us the permission for some reason. We planned to get back but our mind didn’t allow us to go that far. We decided to play as it was our only day in a weak. We were about 12 of us including Aswin, Noble, Romariyo, Aravind, surjith, Joseph. We didn’t worry much as we were in the trill of the cricket. After sometime I heard a sound of someone shouting at somebody. I was standing at the corner of the ground and was not able to see anything there. I dragged myself a bit to that side so that the shouting guy wouldn’t see me and I could see him. I saw the bearded man.  I saw everyone getting freeze in their positions where they were aligned previously; even I stood still for a while. Noble was the one with bat and he knew what will happen if that bearded man saw him with a bat in his hand. He dropped the bat by the time sir arrived. I was standing at a distance so I hardly heard anything. When I saw everyone running I too ran for life leaving bat and ball there itself. That was our last cricket match in that ground.

                               Even though I was friendly with all them in my class I was a bit stranger for  other students from other divisions of 6^th  When I and Aravind were standing in front of the principal’s room for the coin box . Three girls came there. We were in a queue and it was his turn to make call. When he took the receiver one of the three girls came to him. She was at an edge of crying. She asked him

“Can I make a call? My classes will start now can I make it before that? Please.”

I don’t know from where he got the mind to reject. I felt bad. When he starts dialing his number in the phone she walks back with her face down. She was crying. I almost lost my mood to call home. I didn’t understand why I felt like that. All I was begging god was to make his call end and so that I can hand over the phone to her. He called for two minutes but I felt like half an hour. I called her when I got the phone. She looked at me sweeping her tears off. Everyone was looking at me as I done something wrong. It was because my face was filled with smile more than who received that phone. After she ended up her call, she looked at me smiling. I don’t know how much time I looked at her face. She was beautiful.

                                                       Usually I had water from the ground floor tap but on that day I found a new tap in 1st floor. I saw her coming out of the class. I asked my friend.

“Hey, who’s that girl?”

“Anjana”

I didn’t ask for anything after that. I stood there till she went back to her class. She didn’t see me for sure. Next day also I went there for her. I went mad as she was not looking my side.

“If she is going to turn round this side when going back to class then surely she will see me”

I was sure about that. I waited till she turns. At last she saw me.

To be continued …………………….