Chapter 5 Tears for Love

The next day I was eagerly waiting to see Jeni, every time I see her, I was in a fear of losing her friendship but then I had a confidence in me to speak with her freely. I was sitting on my bench before everyone comes to the class. A girl entered the class she was Banumathi, I hadn’t spoken with her before but that day I wished to ask her as I was over excited about Jeni.

I was familiar with the name of girls. Jeni told me not to be shy while talking with a girl on the earlier days but not in later days. I called Banu, she came to me and ask, “What’s up Nithish?”

She is dusky skin tone, with long hair and little fat. Her voice was little rough. I was afraid to speak to her. “Do know you?” I stumbled with words with this new girl, and I corrected, “Do you know her?”

“I know many, whom do you ask specifically?” she asked. I was thinking to ask about Josphine but misspelt and said, “Jeni”.

“I don’t know her much than you”, she giggled. I didn’t know how to respond to it. I just smiled and again said, “Sorry I was about to ask Josphine”.

“Why specifically her? Asking about Jeni is reasonable and asking Josphine is very odd”, she said.

“Jeni is my class mate and Josphine is also my class mate I wish to know about all”, I just managed at that time. She sat next to me and said, “Then you know about me?” she asked. I was stuck at that moment. Again I need to tackle that question. I said, “One of friends asked me to inquire about Josphine so that I asked to you”.

“You could ask this to your beloved friend and Josphine’s roll is next to Jeni”, she just stood up by saying this. I stopped her and said in a soft voice, “Jeni will tease me by saying that I have crush on Josphine that’s why am asking you”.

“What you want to know?” by saying she walked around and came opposite to me. I was not in an eagerness to know all about Josphine, I just wished to know whether Josphine had a boyfriend or not.

I asked, “Who is Josphine’s boyfriend?”

She burst into laughs and said, “She is single”. She asked, “Anymore questions?”

 I said, “No”. I leaned over the desk and closed my eyes, my heart beat jumps with the joy of happiness. I could not feel myself at that place. I felt myself standing opposite to me and seeing myself lying and Jeni was lying on the opposite side of the desk.

Someone tapped the desk and disturbed my pleasant dream, it was one of my friends, he wore specs and he was very tiny like a mouse, he is short, his head will be at the level of my chin. I always like him, he was cute little boy, everyone in the class calls him, “Rowdy Sunil”.

“Hey Rowdy”, I called out. He sat over the desk, two buttons from top were unbuttoned. He told, “We are going to play cricket this evening are you coming”. I love playing cricket, so I nodded rapidly and immediately. He shouted, “Kathir count Nithu in our team”.

I turned to Kathir, he said, “I don’t need any players give him to opponent class they told they are lagging in count”. Usually when a person was sent to other team, they are considered as the useless player in their team. I walked near Kathir, Sunil walked with me.

“Sunil I got some work on that day, just now I remembered it”, by saying it to Sunil I walked. Kathir laughed, “Fearful boys are better to stay out of the field”.

I was not the best player but, I felt cricket was my game. When he said that I don’t know to play I got tensed. I just said to Sunil, “We will play other day”.

I moved from that place and went to my place, I saw Josphine sitting there. I was shocked to see her sitting at Jeni’s place. I walked slowly and I was confused if it was my place or not. I slowly took my bag from that place and I decided to sit when Jeni comes.
            Josphine called me and asked, “Banu said me something”. “It’s nothing”, I said and tried to move from that place. But, she didn’t wanted me to move. She held me to that place by asking repeated questions. “Who is that boy?”

What could I answer for that, I managed by saying, “Don’t take it, I just asked”.

“No problem you can say that boy’s name, I won’t do anything”, she said.

“There is no one”

“I wish to see him, because I haven’t got anything like this before”

I refused for many times to spell a name. Finally, she lost hope on getting the name. While I was talking with her Jeni came into the class and saw me talking to Josphine. She came near me and asked, “Can I sit here?”

“Yeah she will leave”, I said and waved hands to Josphine. She said, “I will be waiting for your answer” and left that place.

“Oh! Answers. Did she proposed you Alas! I missed that scene”, Jeni said in an abnormal way. I liked to play with Jeni at that time. Josphine gave me a opportunity as Jeni heard, I will be waiting for your answer.

“She opened her heart and its time for me to open”, I said.

“Open it, otherwise you may miss her”

“I will not miss my love”

“She was crush till yesterday today she became love uh?” Jeni asked.

“You told that she has a boyfriend but she said that she was single”

“I thought she had a crush, some girls gossiped”

“Yeah you are right and it was me”

Ever smiling Jeni’s face was lost the smile. I didn’t liked to do that to her. I wished to say her that I love her but I need to surprise her. It was the only thing I could do and I will show her the best in world.

I talked to her the whole day about Josphine and in break Jeni told about Josphine to Susan and Madhu. Madhu got confused as I was telling him that my crush was Jeni on previous days. I built a story of lie and convinced Madhu too. He knew me well and he didn’t trusted me.

I made everyone to believe that I am in love with Josphine. I asked Jeni to accompany that weekend with me to the gift shop where Madhu bought the gifts for Susan. She agreed.

It was evening, all are planned to meet at Gift shop. I waited for Jeni along with Madhu, Madhu and Susan had a plan and I didn’t knew it. I was very clear in choosing the gift and I wished to show Jeni the gift. Later, I would present it to her and surprise her. Madhu stood next to me. He was looking time often while waiting for Susan and Jeni.   

I walked near that big teddy bear man who was welcoming at the entrance. He gave a hand shake to me and welcomed me. I turned to Madhu, he was still looking over the watch and not even seeing me.

“They will be coming don’t keep looking on watch”, I said. My voice didn’t reached his ears. While I was talking, he suddenly turns to me and said, “They are here”.

“How you say?” I asked. He showed his glowing watch. “We planned to test this watch so that I asked her to come today”, Madhu said. Then I realized he hadn’t come for choosing the gift for me.

“Help me in searching gift, the gift will be”, while I was speaking he interrupted, “I chose the gift for my girl and you choose for yours, it would be good if you search alone and not even Jeni”.

“What if I choose the gift with my loved one for her?” I asked in a low tone. “You got Josphine here?” he opened his mouth with astonishment. I husked, “Its Jeni man”. “What? You had crush on Jeni but now you told it was Josphine right?” He was in a confused state.

“It was Jeni and she will be always”, I said with a smile. He understood what I tried to mean and he blackmailed me that he would say that to Jeni. By the time, Jeni and Susan came there.

Everyone greeted each other. “Sue It’s working”, Madhu said by holding Susan’s watch near his watch. I walked slowly near Jeni and stood right to her, on her left was Susan and to Susan’s left was Madhu. Madhu and Susan had their discussion over their watch.

“So, have you selected?” Jeni asked me. I replied, “No”.

“Are those idiots coming with us?” Jeni asked. I knew that they will not be coming. “Madhu will you come with us?” Jeni asked.

“Susan is on squad to hunt”, Susan said herself. Madhu, “Sorry Jeni and Nithish we have some conversation to complete we will wait at the Panni Poori stall”. He held Susan’s hand and shook his head very mild to signify not to go. Jeni and I noticed it.

“Ok bye, come soon”, Susan said and Madhu left with her. I walked with Jeni to the gift shop. I entered the shop the huge teddy greeted me again. That teddy was bending its hip and dancing in a funny manner. Jeni stood next to it and tried to imitate it. The teddy caught Jeni’s imitation, it started to play with her. It raised its arms made it to swing in all directions. Jeni repeated. It shook its head in all directions, Jeni shook her head not such rapidly but little faster.

During head movement, her hair fall over her face and she combed back with her fingers. Teddy jumped, Jeni jumped little height only. I wanted her to move from that place and need to search that gift first. I was in a little fear that anyone may have bought it and it would not be available for me.

When I walked near her and I stretched my hand to call her. Meanwhile, the teddy started to spin and Jeni tried to repeat it. I stood there as a hindrance for her spinning movement. She dashed over me with her right shoulder. I stumbled a little and took a feet back for balance. She got slipped and fall over me. I was well balanced to bear her over me. I held her shoulders and made her to keep a distance. But, her cheeks scratched over my cheeks and her few hairs spread over my face and some stuck with between my lips. It was the unexpected moment for both of us.

She stood and I freed her shoulders. I stood a feet away from her. “Are you okay?” I asked with a pounding heart. “Yeah”, she said with a heavy breath. Touching her hand would make me feel like sinking under river of love, that day I felt like sinking under the ocean of love and wished to sink forever under it. I took a deep breath to swim over that ocean.

We reacted exactly like that nothing had happened at that time. She said bye to Teddy and I wished to hug Teddy and say Thank you, but I followed her steps. Jeni entered the shop. While entering, I send her to greeting section, “Select the best greeting that a girl would fall for it”.

“You want her to fall down”, she tried a bad joke, but I want it to be romantic so I added, “Yeah, I will grab her when she falls”. Suddenly the moment Jeni fell over me came in mind and I struck with words. Jeni brought me back with her smile.

I asked her to search and made my steps faster to the exact place where I saw that crystal globe. I entered that place there were many people choosing gifts. I wanted to search among that crowd. I jostled the crowed and reached the location of the place where I saw the globe. I saw the globe at that exact place. My eyes are cherished to take in my hands, I stretched my hand to pick it suddenly I realized it was the globe that I wasn’t selected. There was a Taj Mahal inside the globe. I didn’t wanted to give Taj but I wanted that couple.  

I found a man standing idle and he looked like a staff of that shop. I called him, “Sir, I need a help”.

“What can I do for you sir?” he asked.

“I visited this shop a week before, I saw a beautiful globe with couples standing inside it, but now there is Taj Mahal inside it. Can you help me in finding that couples globe?”

“Sir, actually we will be swapping the globes over there and if you are interested in seeing globe based gifts I will take you to that section where you can find it”, he said and lead me to that section.

I entered that bay, it was full of globes arranged on either sides, “Please help him in finding the gift he asked to”, the man said to a woman standing there. She was tall and thin, she looked like a 20 year old girl. She asked me, “Take what you like and if you want me to search I will help you”.

I didn’t want her to search over that gift, because I wanted to search for my own self to gift Jeni, “Thank you, but I am searching it for my girl so I will search on my own”.

“Love?” she asked. I nodded. She understood me and gave me space for searching. She stood aside and she continued to arrange some gifts in order. I stood at the center of that section and looked from starting point to the end. I felt myself entering into a wizardry shop. It was exactly like the place I saw in Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix movie. I wished to have a wand and say a spell to bring that globe on my arms.

Fantasy never works in life, I started to search row by row and walked all along the rack from left to right. I could not find anything. Most of the globes have Taj Mahal in different sizes and some have mini fish dolls floating inside. When I searched for couples together, I saw a man kissing a woman and mostly those type of globes signify the closest relation between couples. I was expecting for a proposal gift. I could not find the exact gift.

I checked once again so that I might have missed that proposal globe. I could not find it, I didn’t left my hope. I searched one more time. I failed again.

I called that woman on that section, “Sister can you help me in finding a gift”. She replied me with a smile, “Of course, I am pleasured to help you sir”.

“I came a week before I saw a globe within that a boy will be proposing a girl, have you saw that gift, a boy with a rose on hand, half kneelt, wore a blue pants and yellow t-shirt and that girl will be wearing a dress that comes in the Cinderella movie”, I keep on saying about its description to her without giving any pause.

“Hold on. I can’t get what you are saying. There are some globes, I will show them”, she said.

“Yeah”, I said and waited for her to come, mean time I took some steps to look over Jeni. She was holding some cards on her hand she was still selecting some cards. I giggled.

“Sir”, the lady had a box on her hand and she showed placed it over the table. The globes were arranged in an order one over the other. She took one by one and placed on the table. I was seeing one by one, every globe she kept outside was not the one I expected.

After seven globes she took a globe it caught my eye, it glowed and shinned. I forced my eyes to look into the globe and identified the boy on yellow T-shirt half kneelt. My eyes finally got it. That lady disappointed me, the flower in the hand was broken and it was empty hand. It almost look like that boy was going to punch that girl.

I saw other globe nearby, I just chose it. In that globe the man was holding his girl at hip and lifting her and made her to float in air.

I took that in my hand and lifted it above and saw the lamp above through the globe. The boy and the girl inside the globe shined. It looked perfect but it haven’t satisfied me.

“Nithish”, I heard a call from back, I turned back and say it was Jeni. She stood with both hands holding the cards. I showed the globe to her and asked, “How’s it?”

She took it from my hand and turned it all around and raised the globe to top as exactly I did. I astonished on seeing the similar action from her. “Nithu, I wish to show you something come with me”. By saying she started to walk to the greeting section. I walked behind her, she dodged and stretched her hand in a rack, her hand came out with a globe, I could not see it first, and I made my steps closer to have a perfect look.

It was the yellow boy and the Cinderella Costumed girl. I was speechless on seeing it. It had been the exact thing I wanted. I fall down on my knees and held the globe from her hand. She smiled and asked, “Do you like it?”

Jeni was holding the globe at bottom and I touched all the sides of the globe and rotating it and checking if it was perfect or broken. It was perfect. I almost had tears and water ledged my eyelids. “Is it Okie?” she asked again. I nodded slowly, I could not control my feelings for her. I had a mindset, Jeni was caring, naughty and beautiful .Then at that moment I realized she was the one who will be perfect for me.

I could not answer her question because her selection was beyond the perfect. Without my knowledge the tears slipped from eyelid. Jeni shocked on seeing my tears. She raised her hands to wipe my tears. I turned my head and wiped my tear. I was not much emotional at that time but I felt it was the tear from heart.

I don’t know how to manage the situation. I managed it by putting a smile to her. She gave that gift to me and said, “I could understand how serious you are with Josphine”.  I took that gift and walked to the counter for billing. “Cards?” Jeni made a little louder voice to remind me for selecting cards.

I thought cards won’t play a much role when that gift plays the main role. I said, “I don’t have much amount let’s go”. “I have enough money I will pay for it”, she said.

“It’s not about money, you have selected a best gift”, I said and made her to leave the cards there and moved to the counter. I paid for it and we walked to the stall where Madhu and Susan were waiting. Jeni was not in good mood, I don’t know whether she was sad as I said her that I love Josphine. I was in a confused state, when to say her that she is the one whom I love.

I was walking with this confused thought and she was walking silently. We hadn’t walked silently but that night we both are walking slowly without sharing words and smiles. When we reached stall, Susan and Madhu were talking and they are filled with laughter.

When we were in sight, Madhu insisted Susan by tapping her shoulders then pointed us. Susan turned to me and moved her eyes rapidly from my position and to Jeni. She was teasing, I assumed myself that Madhu would have told Susan that my crush was Jeni. Jeni haven’t noticed her. When we reached them, Susan said in a low tone, “Madhu told me about your love”. I knew it already by the way she teased me with her eyes. I smiled and said, “Shu”. She giggled.

“So Jeni what you think about Nithish and Josphine’s combo?” Susan asked. By asking she moved near me and focused her hand like a frame towards my face like a film director. “I don’t think it will be better”, Jeni replied in a teasing tone. Jeni turned to me, laughed and said, “She deserves better I think so”.

“Then what about you and Nithish”, Madhu asked. That Madhesh was a cunning fellow he was good at playing tricks and he feel easy to talk with girls about having relation. The only girl whom he struggled speaking was Susan. On hearing Madhu’s words, Jeni was almost frozen and she turned to me. My eyes caught her eyes looking, her eyes suddenly turned towards Susan. Susan walked slowly and hugged Jeni from back and said, “Madhu you are bad, Nithish deserves better”.

Both Madhu and Sue laughed but myself and Jeni smiled by looking each other’s face. After some chit chats all decided to leave. Everyone in our crew knew that I will be proposing Jeni the next day but not Jeni. Whenever we love someone our mind will not be functioning well and we never wish to examine further. The same thing happened, Jeni blindly trusted me that I was going to propose someone.

I told my friends that I will be proposing that evening. Everyone made their way, it was night I was sleepless that night too. I wished to sleep that night, but a particular dream kept repeating it was Jeni giving me the gift and I am getting it. That particular event came like a repeat mode movie and I was smiling by seeing it inside my memories.

The next day, I packed the gift in my bag. The sleeplessness never bothered me, all my mind was filled with the memories I am going to create. I went to class, I saw Josphine next to my place. I slowly walked to my place and I felt uncomfortable in asking her why she was sitting.

Josphine was clever at that point, she volunteered herself by saying, “Susan told me that you have something to talk with me”.

“What me?”

“Yeah, Nithish is you right? Then its you”

“Wait”

I spotted Jeni and Susan were watching me and making fun from a corner. “Miss. Josphine I’m sorry my friends are just making fun I will take care of them”.

Josphine took her bag and stood from the place with an anger. I have teased her without any reason for the second time. She didn’t spoke a word and after some steps. I said, “Sorry!” She stopped and took a chalk from the floor and threw it on me. I dodged and this time I made a perfect dodge. The Chalk fell over Raj Kumar, one of my classmates, he was named as mini Hulk. He tore a paper from the notebook, crushed it and threw it over me. The crushed paper was faster and hit my head. I took it and looked all around.

Everyone was busy doing their work, I wish to start a chaos in the class, and I threw it randomly over someone and sat on my place. All a sudden a battle started inside the class. Every soldiers in the battle armed themselves with what they could garb in their arms.

Among this noisy environment, I made my steps slower to the corner where Jeni and Susan were standing. Suddenly a boy stood up, the book worm and favorite of teachers. He always wants to complain about someone or something happening in the class and earn good name from teachers.

At his run, a one from battle shouted, “SPY IS OUT”.  The battle ended up when I reached Jeni and Susan’s place. I went near them, the staff came in followed by SPY boy. Every one stood and silence started to rule the class.

“Students take your seats”, by saying she made a walk between the benches and saw all the paper balls and chalk piece all over the floor. She said, “Standup idiots”. Every student stood and she asked everyone to clean the class. Every students yelled, “Sorrrryyyyyy Mam!”

She refused and told everyone to clean. Sunil shouted, “Mam Krishna is standing idle” and hid under the desk and started to act like cleaning. Krishna is the name of SPY boy. SPY boy wandered here and there on hearing it. A part of boys started to shout, “SPYYY SPYYY SPYY”. Girls also joined with boys and started to yell in their singing tone. Jeni, Susan and I were cleaning at the place where we stood. Susan yelled, “Nithuu Jenii” along the crowd. I joined her I shouted, “Susaaaa Je”, while I was shouting. Mam said, “Silence!”

The crowd muted all a sudden but my vocal cord raised the volume as I was about to shout Jeni’s name. “JENNNIII”. I later realized that I was the only one to yell. All students switched themselves to the laughter mode.

I crouched all a sudden and made a crouch walk and I reached a place away from the place where I shouted. I came to Josphine’s place and stood next to her. She gave a look over me, I felt ashamed. That look had a hidden saying, “Run as soon as possible I was mad at you”.

Madam asked everyone to sit after cleaning the class. I sat at my place Susan came near me instead of Jeni. I asked, “Where is she?”

“Can’t you wait for your beloved one?” Susan asked. I asked, “Why should I?”

“I need to say you something”, she said.

“Carry on”

“You should not propose without informing me and you should not propose without Madhu’s presence”

I laughed and said, “You both have planned to make some interesting entertainment right?”

“No definitely not”, she said and added, “You are my first friend in this school and I know you before Madhu, but not better than Madhu. He told me that you may get frightened”.

I laughed and said, “I have confidence and I will propose this evening after the school gets over”.

“Will you?” she asked.

“I will, will she get anger on hearing my proposal?”

“She may or may not”, Susan said and tapped my shoulders and encouraged me. “You are like my Madhu”. Her face bloomed with happiness and she felt shy. She bent down and smiled on her own.

Morning break comes, Jeni came to our bench, “Getting advices from experienced persons uh?” Jeni asked. Susan pulled her and made her to sit on her lap and said, “If you advised him it would be the best for him”

“I knew nothing sweetie”, she said. I said, “No more advices anymore”. Jeni stood up and came near me. Susan told her that I will be proposing Josphine by evening and told her to stay. Jeni said, “I will be the one to support Nithish”

“I will take care on my own”, I said.

“Nithish you are confident I knew it, but I want to stand aside you and mark my presence in your important life events”, Jeni said. Jeni’s words touched my heart.

“Do you love her really?” idiotic Susan asked in a low tone with an increasing volume. I was about to begin some words. Jeni answered it, “He is. Nithish is good boy and Josphine will like him”.

“I knew I was just asking”, Susan justified. Jeni turned to me, that time her eyes was so clear and I could see my reflection in it. She forgot to blink and she wish to communicate with eyes too. “Nithish, I thought you are playful. But, the tear you shed last night shows me how serious you are on her”. Jeni took my hands within her hands and said, “Now I wish you to smile as bigger you can”.

“What?” I asked with an astonishment because it was odd on hearing it at that time. 

“She asked you to smile bigger”, the genius translator Susan translated a complex phrase. Hats off to that idiot.

I smiled. I knew it was very dangerous to see such a smile. But, Jeni smiled for that smile. “Keep this smile and do as heart says”. I nodded. She grabbed my hands and made them to make a clap.

“Just say to Josphine what you think at that time”, she said. I agreed. As she said, my heart wanted to take out the gift and present it to Jeni. By giving, I wish to hug her and the tears which was about to spill from the eyes will say her “I LOVE YOU JENI”. The classroom became a hindrance for me at that time.

 I touched the crystal ball inside my bag and think, how to propose? What to say? All I need is to wait for the Sun to set and make the climate romantic for me to say my love. I was looking over my watch and the time was like a tortoise that day. I was very excited what would happen after I say my proposal.

Chapter 6 - Day to Mark in Life  <-tap here