All Of My Heart❤️💔

First Encounter!

It was mid-november, and the weather had already turned cold. I still remember how cold those day were. Maa had made me wear two sweaters so i could stay warm at collage. She was proud that I was studying in a collage affiliated to the A-level board while children of my age from my neighbourhood went to collages that were affiliated to the state boards. A week had passed at collage but no one had broken the ice and spoken to me. Perhaps the rich spoilt brats did not like to hang out with lower middle class boys like me. My classmate belonged to rich families and were driven to school in posh automobiles. I used to stare at them and their fancy cars with fascination, wondering if one day I might also own an expensive car. I had arranged an autorickshaw for my commute to school.

   One day, after I hopped out of the auto and ambled to the school entrance,

REY'S OUTFIT
  I glanced upon a group of fellow students, friends seated casually at the benches placed outside the school boundary wall, puffs of smoke blowing out of their mouths. Four boys and a girl. I wondered what made her hang out with these boys and smoke with them. Why didn't she hang out with the girls of her class? As I walked towards the gate, one of the boys from the group called out to me and asked me to stop. The blood rushed to my cheeks when i turned and saw them staring at me. The girl exhaled smoke and looked at me nonchalantly. She was beautiful. My cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.
  'Hey you! Yes, you! Come here,' one of the boy named Vicky said.
I adjusted my backpack on my shoulders, heaved a sigh and then walked towards them.
'Uh, yes?' I said in a low, hesitating voice.
'New at school, right?' the other guy Nilesh asked.
I nodded, stealing a quick glance at the girl. I wished I could observe her a bit more because her appearance seemed peculiar, quite different from the rest of the teenage girls.
   'Whoever joins mid-term has to do whatever we say,' Vicky and Nilesh declared.
'What ... do you mean?' I stammered, looking at their faces.
  'Here. Take this,' vicky said, giving me a cigarette.
I hestantly took it from him.
'What do I do with this?' I asked them, furrowing my brows.
'Well, you smoke it,' he said with a smirk.
  'What?' I asked, flabbergasted.
  'Yes. This is what you have to do. Smoke and then you pass.'
  'But ... why? I ... I don't smoke. I never have.'
  'But now you have to.'
  'I can't.'
  'Then admit you're a low-class loser and nothing else.' Nilesh said, gritting his teeth.
  'I am not!' I snapped.
  'Then prove it.'
  I asked him for the lighter and lit the cigarette. The girl looked at me with astonishment, her eyes wide open. In order to prove myself a 'decent guy' as per their standards, I was ready to do what I'd never done or tried before in my life.
   I placed the cigarette between my lips and then looked at her. This gave me an ooportunity to take a good look at her. She had almond brown eyes set in a round face; her lips were full and pink; and blackish-brown loose curls hung past her shoulders. She looked at me with an amazed expression and for a moment I imagined that she wanted me to stop. I ignored the message I thought she was sending me and took a drag. But I burst into a fit of coughs. It felt as if my lungs would explode. I felt dizzy, light-headed. My condition made the boys laugh. However, she was not amused. She caught hold of my hand, snatched the cigarette from my fingers and threw ot away.
  'Stop it, guys! Just stop it!' Taani yelled.     
( yes the girl is none other than Taani shikhawat)

TAANI'S OUTFIT
The boys stopped laughing.
Can't you see he is coughing? Just look at him!'
I managed to get my breathing under control and looked up.
  'Are you Ok?' She asked and then put a hand on my shoulder.
  'Yes, yes, I am okay. Thanks,' I whispered, shivering slightly.
   'I am sorry about my friends. The love bullying newcomers. I apologize on their behalf.'
   'Hey, Tee, what are you saying?' one of them complained.
She raised her hand, indicating that he should stop.
I looked at her and then back at the boy.
   'You may go to your class now. And please don't tell anyone about this little incident,' she said, looking at me with pleading eyes.
'Sure. Don't worry.I wasn't planning to,' I told her.
'Great. Thanks.' She smiled.
I nodded once again and then headed towards the school building. I walked away, leaving a piece of myself behind. My heart pulsated wildly, and my breath seemed to stop. What had her smile done to me?
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~