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Chapter 15 |STOUSH|

Keya Madhavan

"More! lean on more Keya! don't be stiff, relax your body. Be comfortable!" Mrs. Bose yells instructing.

Comfortable, the only thing I'm incapable of being the whole morning. I still haven't confessed to him

which is making me restless. And to add in it he was pretending to not understand a thing and get my

signals. He pretends so well that for a moment I thought he was actually ignorant.

"Let's take a break. She seems to be taking too much at once. And no need of pushing themselves so

hard, the farewell is being postponed." Mr. Bose announced making me relax.

"No need to slow the routine pace. It has been postponed for only 2 days, that too because of Chief

Guest." Mrs. Bose added making me worked up all again.

2 days? It was just a joke because it won't make any difference. We were already lagging with

supporting characters in which the most was Yaksh the one who was playing the role of Gaston.

In beginning, yaksh was doing fine but after the fight, he was so reluctant to act with me it was hard

practicing with him a single scene the whole day.

Talking about fight, one of the things which made me fall for him. After the fight yaksh was so adamant

about quitting the drama, but to find a candidate like him in the middle of practice was hard. Because

Gaston's character wise built should be comparative with the beast. And with Adik's tall but not much

muscular built Yaksh was the perfect candidate.

In our class, the number of girls was lesser than half compared to the boys' population. And it was a

natural effect to feel attracted to the person with whom you repeatedly meet for years irrespective of

the person's character. Just the frequency of encounter and familiarity matters, which explains the

mere-exposure effect or familiarity principle.

That was the case here. I wasn't the girl with beauty rare of 100 years. If you compare me with the girls

of my class you may find me pretty but I was just the average, ordinary looks. Or should I say I never

found myself beautiful and I didn't care?

So it was the 6th day of our practice and we were having our lunch break. I knew for a very long time

that Yaksh has a crush on me but he never initiated anything, he just would stare at me like a shooting

star.

The purifier was in the opposite hallway of the school from the dance hall. While standing alone tapping

my feet on the floor, the bottle was filling under the tap nozzle. When I heard the voice

"Hey!" It was yaksh.

"Hello" I greeted him back.

"D-do you like milk chocolates?" He was stuttering. His whole being was fidgeting and conveying

nervousness.

"Huh? Ah, Yeah I do."

"Then....this is for you" he pulled out a powder pink box with a satin ribbon adorning it, from behind and

presented it in front of me with his both hands, urging me to accept.

I glanced at him then back at the box. Tips of his ears were red. All over one word for him, Cute.

"But why? What's the occasion?" I asked feeling weird accepting gift for no reason.

"Just.......please have it, I want to gift you" he was speaking like in hurry and being at peak of

nervousness.

"Would it be okay if I accept it?" I asked and he nodded frantically.

I took the box from him, I mean why not I like milk chocolates. There is nothing wrong to accept

something you like.

"Thank you" I liked the gift.

He glanced at me then gave me a warm smile.

"So how ar-" I was interrupted in between when he approached his hand towards my face and pushed

a strand of hair behind my ear.

"It was coming in between" he told without being asked, along with my smile.

In a moment a dash of wind went away in front of my face along with someone screaming

"So are you corn nuts!!"

I glanced down to see a shocked Yaksh on the floor with his hand on his cheek and the other side a

panting, fuming Adik standing with his fist ready to punch more along with veins popping out being

superficial on his neck.

I was dumbfounded, stuck in the movement. While Yaksh got up and threw his share of punches, and

that was the start of their bloody fight. They were punching, kicking, rolling on the ground, slamming

heads, attacking each other vigorously.

All the while standing there alone, watching them striking each other. The only thoughts that crossed

my mind were,

Should I stand and just watch them fighting?

Or should I cheer on either of them?

Or both of them?1

People might think I'm a crack head, but I have a secret interest and that's watching people fight live.

It's not the first time I'm witnessing a fight in school or a fight of Adik. I have tried television channels in

which people draw each other blood but being in person witness is a different feeling.

Yaksh was a heavy competitor for Adik with his well-developed muscles and not to forget Yaksh being

a Judo intermediate.

But one thing I didn't understand was why were they fighting? And in the first place why did Adik picked

a fight with Yaksh?

"Who's winning? And on whom are you betting on?" Aira questioned me, who have arrived just now

along with Saina.

"Hey chocolates! Where did you get them?" Saina asked pointing out at the box?

"Ah, this? Yaksh gave it to me" replied while unboxing the chocolates. There were chocolate balls

arranged neatly in columns.1

May and Abhi came galloping and got the hold of each arm of Adik who was straddling Yaksh and was

busy throwing punches on his bruised face.

"Adik! Stop it! It's enough! Get away!" Both were shouting and pulling on him.

"Oh, no wonder Adik is being so furious" Aira commented while having her share of chocolate.

"Huh? What does it have to do with me and chocolate?" I wasn't understanding a thing.

"Don't tell me you didn't realize that they were fighting for you?" Aira enquired me with an arched

eyebrow.

"How am I supposed to? They didn't inform me before fighting.

I thought they were having some grudge between. It's not the first time Adik is fighting for no reason at

all.

But the question is why?" I didn't understand why I was accused of the fight.1

"Better ask the one fighting for you." Saina answered dusting her hands.

"Oh look! They are done." Aira exclaimed.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Adik loudly warned pointing out at Yaksh who was wiping the blood away

from his lips.

Adik glared at me accusingly like I was caught cheating on my partner. He rushed out of there along

with May and Abhi behind him.

Yaksh got up from ground and glanced at me with teary accusing eyes like I cheated on him and got

people to beat him.

"I'm s-" before I could apologize he ran away in opposite direction.

I was feeling bad and guilty, even though they were throwing punches I was counted at fault.

"Is this what you call young blood Rascals?! Fighting like animals and hurting each other?!" Mrs. Bose

was shouting at the top of anger.

"What was the reason for your fight?" Mr. Bose asked with his usual cool temper.

Both were standing still with their hands behind, looking down with no answers.

"Who initiated the fight?" Mr. Bose asked again.

With no answers from them

"Keya!" Mrs. Bose yelled.

"Y-yes, teacher" It startled me.

"You were there right? Tell me who was the one" Mrs. Bose demanded.

Why was teacher dragging me in this? I glanced up to see both of them focus on the floor without even

flinching.

"I don't know teacher, as I reached there in the middle of their fight" I never knew I can lie so smoothly.

Why was I even concealing him?

"You both won't tell, right? Fine. You both will receive punishment then.

Go out and run 20 rounds of the football ground and then kneel down on the corridor with your fingers

pinching your ears. NOW!" Mrs. Bose roared out.