The innocence of Love-3 | Short Story

It was 20th December I remember still as it was her birthday, I always wished her the previous night, but since I hadn’t talked since many days, I thought to call her up the next day, so around 1:00 I was going to sleep. I turned my phone to silent mode and was about to land on my bed and suddenly the light from my mobile flashed on the ceiling. Then, I saw it was from Anamika’s landline. I was shocked and in that state, I picked it up.
“hello”- I said

“abhisekh, it’s my birthday and you haven’t wished me, do you actually know that?—came the voice from the other side. “oh, yes, I am sorry Anamika. I know that, but I thought to call you tomorrow morning as I thought you might be busy with your friends and Rajit and all.” you, dumbo!!!from when have you started to think this much”—she replied“we both giggled”,
“by the way Anamika, what happened, sudden call at 1:00. Is everything ok”“abhisekh, cant I call you any time, I wish?—she asked you can, I just asked Anamika.

….

For the next second, it was pin-drop of silence, and then suddenly she stated“abhisekh, you are a really good person and a good friend too” I knew something was wrong as she wouldn’t have called me at that time just to praise me. But I found that time better to hear what she say.

What happen Anamika, why are you sounding sad?—I asked. No, abhisekh, I am not, just I realized that so thought to call you.no worries will talk tomorrow and she cut the phone.

I was not in the state to call back at her home, as she didn’t have a cell. So I better slept and thought to talk in school the next day.

The next day came and passed as it never existed because she hadn’t come that day. People thought that It might because of her birthday, but I knew what was going through her. As soon as school ended, I turned my bike towards her place, and without waiting for the lift I headed with stairs and reached the 4th floor.

…

Opening the door, her reactions were shocked as I was not expected there. She made me come in and was still shocked to see me.“abhisekh, I know you might thinking about yesterdays call, I am sorry for that, I was just off mood so I called you. Really sorry for that” –she explained me entire episode in 1 statement“Anamika, you look beautiful”—all that I said to her, as I was totally lost in feeling her through my vision. She started laughing and asked for some snacks.

I nod my head and she went to bring in the kitchen. We talked while having snacks, and with my lot of pressurizing to tell me what happened the last time, She replied“I had a break up” I was stunned and was having mixed feelings all at the same time and Was sad as she was, but inside firecrackers were on a row. As we were eating, she said me the entire story of her problems of relationship and happy moments (which I was not at all interested). As I was hearing her, I don’t know why, but my urge to love her was increasing. Each word of her, each expression was indirectly making me feel for her more and more.

….

I had asked her some years back, but that was a sort of intuition, but this time it was different. I was sure of that. We were done with snacks, and I was sitting on the sofa, speechless. It was not that I didn’t have anything to ask her, but I was totally lost thinking about her so without uttering a word, I bid her goodbye and left her place.

That night I didn’t sleep, I was really feeling her along with I was feeling the sadness of her. I would have been seen her happy with Rajit too, but seeing her sad was not possible for me. So, I decided to do something and was ready to take some step the next day. I didn’t go to the school that day, and directly at noon, I went to Anamika’s place. I knew her parents would be at home, but I needed to talk to her.

“ hi auntie”- I said as her mother opened the door.“Hi, beta Ji how are you, come in she is upstairs”—she replied with her usual smile. I had met her many times in school in parents meeting, and if Anamika is to be believed she thinks that I am a very good guy and often urges Anamika to keep in touch with me.

…

I receive such good reviews very rarely so I was actually enjoying it. With some talks with her mother, I climbed the stairs, to her terrace. She was sitting on the swing in her yellow tee and a long frock sort of dress, anyhow she was looking awesome to me.“abhisekh? how come, you haven’t gone to school today?”Naah was not interested to go, and I expected from you too” yeah. I too was not interested.”—she replied. I sat on the swing, beside her, and after a long pause of 10 minutes I asked,
“Anamika, I am actually feeling for you yaar. Yes, I was sudden. I know you might take it as a joke or like that, but I am actually feeling that. I know I had asked you this year back too.

But I was not that mature enough to understand what love actually is. But at this point, I am realizing how much important you are to me, how much I love you and feel for you.”She was hearingly it with silence on her face. I knew this was not the right time to tell her, what I was telling, as she had a break up a day before, but I was not able to handle those feelings with me either.

….

“I know abhisekh, I can understand your feeling, as I actually passed through all these .”But to respond to your thing, I don’t think this is the right time to deal with all that stuff now, and I am more worried about your studies than any other thing. You are giving the least attention to your studies, which I got to know from your marks. Abhisekh please study, please give your time to that please.”—she requested.

We just have a month left for exams, and we will have a vacation. During that vacations, we are not going to talk, and you will concentrate on your future, promise me”—she said with tears in her eyes.

I was not in a position to deny her wish. So I actually agreed to what she said. Time waits for none, and it didn’t wait for me too. The reading vacation started and I was totally lost in books, which was not totally just half for that. I tried to concentrate on studies but at the end, ended up in her thoughts. Slowly I tried to concentrate on the studies more and also allotted Navin to get me the news of Anamika, as I was not allowed to talk to her. Slowly I got addicted to books too.

….

I got confidence and was getting interested in studies too. Days went and exams came. I was happier as it will make me able to see her. With full confidence, I went to school for exams, but to my fate was not able to see her; even a glimpse of her. I appeared for the exam with a dull mood. The exam went well and coming out I repeated the same thing of waiting for her at the entrance gate. She was no were still. Later I asked Navin and he informed me that she already left before everyone.

He told me that Anamika had completed her paper early and left as she was supposed to go out with her parents. The rest of all exams of mine and Anamika were in different schools so I was not that much excited to go for the exams as the first day.
………………………………………………To be continued

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