Many days passed. Shreya didn’t care much about Vedant. She still didn’t see his face or meet him. In these days, she had bonded well with a lot of students. Her friend list went on increasing due to her calm, innocent and caring nature. She also focused well on her studies as from tomorrow her mock tests were going to start.
“Class!!! From tomorrow, mock tests will be started so you have to sit roll number wise. Today I will fix your seats accordingly. Don’t change it for the upcoming two weeks. Okay.” Shilpa ma’am announced.
She started with her orders and one by one the students got up and seated to their seats fixed according to roll number.
“Vedant, move to the second last bench of first row.” He changed his seat at Shilpa ma’am’s order.
“Shreya, move to the third bench of first row,”
Shreya got up from her seat and moved to the first row. As she turned toward her seat, she saw Vedant was sitting at one seat’s distance from her. This was the first time she saw him actually. After few seconds, she realized she was staring at him but then the first day memory came to her mind.
Ignoring the jealousy, she seated herself alongside Soumik who was supposed to be her seat partner according to their roll numbers.
“This will be the final seating arrangement for all the upcoming exams for this semester.” Shilpa ma’am announced as all the students got seated.
The class continued.
Today she also asked the students to bring their arts and crafts to decorate the board.
The next day Vedant brought a beautiful painting of bunch of hibiscus flowers.
“Oh wow! This is so good. Did you draw it yourself? ”Shilpa ma’am asked.
“Yes ma’am. I like painting. My father taught me.”
Hearing this, one more element of jealousy was added to Shreya’s mind. “Oh so he paints as well. No worries, I can paint too. Nah I am not jealous at all okay.”
“You surely are an all-rounder Vedant.” Shilpa ma’am said to him.
His painting was pinned to the board. All the teachers entering the class praised him.
“Can you make one for principal’s office too?” One of them asked.
“I will ma’am. But I cannot commit. Painting depends on the mood. I will paint the day I will be in the mood to draw.” Vedant replied.
“What! How could he reply like this to the teacher? Ho gya beta tumhara Ab khao daat” Shreya said to herself.
(You are done. Now get scolded.)
“As you like, beta.” The teacher replied.
“Hawwww he replied so rudely and she didn’t even scold him.” Shreya again said to herself. “Is he some president or what?”
Soumik was hearing her muttering all this. In these days Soumik and Shreya befriended each other and had fun being seat partners.
“Don’t you know? He has so much attitude. He always replies sarcastically and with no respect. Forget him, he is a headache.” Soumik said to her.
Shreya nodded and continued with her work.
Another teacher entered the class. “Class listen in coming two days, you have to submit your responses to choose any one from art, music or sports. Your activity period will start from next week.”
The class sang “yes ma’am” in unison.
Soumik explained to Shreya that in this school, you can choose only one of the three things and have to perform best in that. He also told her that he chose singing last year and asked her to join music too. But Shreya was good at arts so she made up her mind to join arts only. Hearing her, Soumik’s face fell but he agreed to her decision.
After two days, activity classes started. Students reached the art’s room. Shreya also went there with Shrida. Shrida used to sit behind Shreya and was her good friend now. Both of them were the only girls in the whole row and bonded well. Shrida also had strong friendship with Vedant. They both were in this school since 3rd. As they entered and got seated beside each other, Vedant also came and sat beside Shrida. The art’s teacher assigned work to the class. All three of them were doing their work while discussing about their paintings. They were making oil pastels painting. Shrida was half time talking with Shreya and other half with Vedant. When she used to stop talking, silence takes over three of them as Vedant and Shreya never talked to each other until now, so they didn’t discuss anything even now. Shreya was bothered by the fact that even in arts classes Vedant will take all the limelight.
“Although it’s your first day, but since Earth Day is around the corner so I want you all to make a portrait based on Earth or our country and submit it to me. Best paintings will be selected and those students will go to the inter school painting competition to be held on Earth Day.”
Shreya was really excited about this and so were Shrida and Vedant. They returned to the class and started discussing about their ideas to make the painting.
Three days passed. They had submitted their paintings. Shreya had drawn a roaring lion with the Indian flag as background representing the national emblem. She was sure of getting selected.
It happened as expected. She got selected for the competition. Vedant and some other students also got selected. Shrida was not selected and was sad to not being able to go to the competition. Shreya motivated her and praised her painting returning the smile to Shrida’s face. Such was their friendship. They both used to motivate each other to perform better but at times also pointed out each other’s mistakes to help them grow in the right way.
Days passed and it was the day of competition when all the students were standing in a queue in the ground. They were waiting for teachers to tell them to get into the bus. The excitement was clearly visible on their faces and their heartfelt commotions were echoing in the ground.
“Hey Shreya let us be partners for today’s trip.” Anya, Shreya’s friend called her from behind.
“Partners? For?”
“Arey look everyone has made pairs so they can enjoy with each other. We can enjoy together, no?”
“Oh Okay we can sit together” Shreya replied and both of them stood beside each other in the queue.
Shreya noticed Vedant standing alone while everyone else had paired up with their friends. “This is what happens when you show this much attitude.” She thought. “Standing alone must be enjoying, no?” “If Shrida would have been here, he could have someone.” Thinking this, she missed Shrida.
Next, she heard the teacher asking students to settle into the bus. The students assembled and left for the site. The drawing competition was held in a camping spot in a public forest. By the time the bus reached their, Shreya had heard a lot of stories about the forest from the students. Some horror, some about wild animals and so on. The bus reached and students got down. As soon as the view came in front of them, they felt so relaxed. The site was near a lake. There was time for the competition to start so Anya and Shrida just walked near the lake with other students. The site was filled with different colored uniforms as students from various schools were present there.
“Look, swans are also there in the water.” Anya pointed.
Shreya and Anya enjoyed for few minutes and then walked to their seats. As they got seated, Vedant came and sat beside Shreya. Seeing him settling Shreya flinched. He didn’t say anything and so did both girls. After sometime, the competition was over and now members from forest management community were telling students about the forest and its development in the past. They also talked about the future plans and endangered animals.
Half of the students were listening to them whereas other half were just chat chatting, enjoying the refreshments and waiting to leave. Anya and Shreya were also discussing something when Vedant spoke “It looks pretty nice, no? The environment here.”
Shreya turned towards him and realized he was talking to her, so she replied “yeah beautiful”. Vedant further talked about the competition, the painting he drew, the forest and the beautiful lake there. Shreya was just surprised seeing him talk so much for the first time. He only talked to Shrida this much otherwise he would be roaming in the class either ordering or scolding someone as he was the class representative. But today he was talking endlessly. Shreya was not replying much. She either hummed or nodded at his sentences in agreement. At last, she exclaimed “yaar kitna bolta hai yeh (man how much he talks!!!)” She immediately regretted thinking he would scold her too. But instead he gently hit her arms and said “Arey sunn toh pta hai…….(Ohh listen at least, you know?........)” And continued yapping. Shreya thought it must be because he doesn’t have Shrida here so he is talking to her. But she had enough of him. Seeing her expressions, Anya said “Why don’t we just swap seats? You will be free of the stupid talks.” As soon as she said this, Shreya without thinking twice got up and exchanged her seat with Anya.
Now Anya was sitting beside Vedant. But after Shreya changed her seat, Vedant went quite again. Shreya felt this strange but ignored. The forest management people had brought some domestic snakes in glass boxes to show the students. Soon the students one by one got up from their seats to touch the scaly skin of those snakes. Anya was also excited to do it so she went there but Shreya was sacred so she didn’t go. Vedant asked her “Why didn’t you go?”
“No baba…..I won’t go there” She expressed her fear.
“Seems like you are scared. Well, me too.” He shrugged.
Anya returned with a proud smile as if she had won a war. “You fearful people. What will you do?”
“Whatever, but better than you” Shreya teased Anya and pulled her to sit down. Vedant just ignored the comment.
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Hey readers!!!
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See you in the next chapter.
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