Eklavya

Chapter LIII

With deflated shoulders, Anamika paddled her bicycle towards the premises of her school. With her mood completely sodden the girl wondered how she was going to endure the hours-long wait before she could ring him up again.

Parking her bicycle under the shed and ensuring that the wire lock was intact, Anamika dragged herself toward the senior building where her class was. Iqra was quick to take note of the gloominess that lingered around her otherwise cheerful friend as she looked up from her desk.

Befuddled, she sat up from her seat and met her halfway. "Why so gloomy Anamika? What happened?!" Iqra probed with concern.

Anamika shook her head in nothing before she put her bag on the empty desk beside Iqra. "Nothing. Just feeling drained since morning for some reason,"

Many students were yet to come so deeming it right Iqra started in a sad yet hushed tone, "Advay told me about Nalini grandma. She's such a sweet lady. And it feels terrible when you hear people like her suffering so bad from illness."

"I just pray that she'll gain back her health soon," Iqra sighed, her countenance dripping with heart-melting concern for the old woman.

"She's back home now. But is under heavy medication. I just hope that she gets better quickly," Anamika added hopefully.

"I too," Iqra agreed then her eyes darted towards the door from where she saw Saanvi rushing inside, towards them.

With her pert nose red and cheeks flaming pink Saanvi rushed towards Iqra before putting her frigid hands around the latter's warm neck. Iqra shrieked from the icy touch and tried to wrench her hands away.

Anamika's lips split into a small smile which later metamorphosed into soft giggles. Some things never change. And she ardently wished that the deep camaraderie they shared would remain forever the same.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Saanvi! It's freaking cold!!" Iqra yelled at her whilst Saanvi just gave her an unashamed grin.

The usual vibrancy on Saanvi's fair features was a telltale that she'd had a long conversation with Rudra last night over the phone. Curious as she was Anamika couldn't stop herself and asked Saanvi,

"Did you and Rudra talk last night?" Anamika's probing successfully stole Saanvi's attention from poor Iqra.

"We did. He was sounding so dull honestly. But I somehow managed to cheer him up by the end of the conversation," Saanvi admitted thinking back to how she coerced her emotionally torn boyfriend to not give into the hopeless situation.

"You did good. I think of the two brothers Rudra is the most sensitive one. Although I can't say anything about Eklavya." Iqra gave her two cents then added, "I sometimes feel nothing can ever faze him. Then wonder how can that be, because, in the end, he's human too."

"He gets hurt too. It's just he's learned not to be so expressive over the last few years," Anamika whispered, far deep in her thoughts.

Saanvi and Iqra looked at the brown-haired girl silently before sharing a look between themselves.

Wishing to dissipate the sudden gloom Saanvi wrapped her arm around unsuspecting Anamika as she spoke cheerfully, but her voice was low so only they could hear it, "Why fear when our Anamika is here!! If he remains under your influence like this for a long time, I bet he'll come out of his shell soon,"

Iqra giggled seeing the look of annoyance dancing on Anamika's face as Saanvi took her hands in her own and twirled her around just for plain fun.

The remaining students passed them with pretty weird looks and some laughed heartily before they started asking what got their feet moving so unexpectedly.