FALLING APART
That was a challenging day for me.
I knew that I had to lose the person I loved the most, though I’m a pessimist.
It was my last chance to retrieve her, but I knew she wouldn’t accept coming along with me, by leaving her family behind.
Either way, I can’t force her to stay with me, because I loved her a lot.
It was the Judgment Day of my school and she is not going to be with me again!
I can still remember that day, we were preparing for our final tests in the class.
On that day I reached class very early at 7 am.
I can see only a few students in the class. They all are minding their own business.
I rolled on the last bench and started to watch from the window.
Hoping to see her arrival from the window. while I was preparing myself for the test.
I was waiting for half ‘n’ hour
I can’t wait anymore so I decided to call her.
‘ring ring’
“Hello!! shristi? Can you hear me?“.
“Where are you?“,
shristi on the phone, “yeah! I can hear you, I’m nearby, I think I will be there in an hour,“.
“Um!! Ok shristi”.
“Pritam have you prepared all the topics? I want you to explain to me?“.
“Yeah, I’m waiting here”.
I was unable to concentrate, I couldn’t take her out of my mind...“I am turning frenzy”.
We used to hide in class and stay disappear from others.
It has been one hour since I called her.
I was looking from the window.
When she arrived, I saw her rushing into the school.
She looked worried and calm. She’s sneaking towards me silently!!
Finally, she came and settled next to me. She looked worried about something and tried to be calm.
She looked gorgeous, her face and smile. Can’t take my eyes off her.
I’m irresistible, I slipped out immediately.
“You look beautiful today, do you know that? “, I said.
“Really?” She asked as she smiled slightly.
“Yeah, no reason to doubt at all and why don’t you come a bit closer”, I asked her.
“I wish to come very close, but what if someone finds out?“, She said.
Slowly she was coming closer, I could feel her breath! That was quite amazing, her inhaling and exhaling were like a peaceful rhythm.
“Look Shirsti you are fantastic, hold on, I have something for you”. I said.
She leaned on my shoulder, and I kissed her forehead.
She looked into my eyes after I kissed her and gave a smile.
But, we almost forgot about the test.
I explained several topics and made her feel confident to do well in the test.
That was the last test, the last day of school.
And the time was running very fast, I only wished to stay with her at any cost.
Her presence made me feel breezy and comfortable. But on the other end, I was scared of losing her. If she leaves, I will not be able to see her again.
She can’t visit me, can’t talk to me. We will fall apart.
If we want to see each other again, we should meet secretly.
All these thoughts were destroying my mind, and I could not concentrate on the exam.
Shristi was preparing seriously and I was thinking about her. I guess she’s doing the same but pretending as she’s preparing.
Meanwhile, the test is going to start.
My girl, Shristi was revising and walking Infront of me in the corridor. I’m still worried about her. It just looked like I got her back, and I can keep her safe.
But I feel so bad about us.
How can someone be so calm, when they know they’ll fall apart.
She’s heading to the test hall.
“Good luck Pritam, you will do great”, she said.
“You too shristi, do well”, I replied.
The test was completed in a couple of hours. However, I’ve managed to perform well in the exam.
Everyone knew that they were going to fall apart. Each individual had a plan for the future.
Some of them looked very happy for the new future, but few looked sad for departing. I’ve been walking in the corridor towards shristi’s test hall.
She was still writing her test and I’m waiting outside for her. she might have borrowed some extra time.
Everyone’s watching me in the corridor, but I’m staring at shristi.
She threw a look at me while writing her exam as giving a sign to wait just a few minutes. She knew that I was waiting for her.
After a few minutes, she came out with a combination of angry and pale faces besides complaining to me about her presentation.
“God..damn it!! I’m not done yet, but he dragged my paper. I could’ve done better if there was some more time,” Shristi said.
At that moment I realized one thing by her words, Yes we could have done better if there was some more time for us but it’s the last day so, I was helpless.
I was vulnerable to protect my love.
I’ve planned to take her out.
If I ask instantly she would freak out. We both started walking out of school.
“Cool down shristi, you’ve taken excess time you must’ve done great”, I said.
“Shristi, let’s go somewhere else soon!!“, I asked.
She’d agree easily because it was the last day, she did know it.
“Don’t be so mean on our last day I should be at home before the light goes down.
I’ll come wherever you take before it becomes dusk.“, she said.
“I have a surprise for you, definitely you’ll enjoy it.“, I said.
We came out of school so early, I’ve started my bike
“Let’s go shristi...!!”
“So, why don’t you tell me where we are going?“Shristi asked.
“Huh! why don’t you hold tight and sit, you’ll see,” I said.
“Pritam, what if my father checks on me?... What should I say to him?’“, shristi mumbling
“Tell him that you are with friends, what’s wrong with that?“, I asked.
“Do you think he believes that..? every father keeps his eye on his children”, she said.
“I hope not today at least..!!, it’s our peculiar day, it’s our last day of school”, I said.
“Relax Pritam... Let’s think about now, sorry for reminding about him.“, she cools me down.
“It’s ok let it be.“, I said.
Her father loves her such a lot because she’s the sole one in her family, he always had his eye on her.
At last, we reached.
“Wow!! What a beautiful place it is!!“, she said.
She looks delighted by discovering that place. That was a waterfall covered with greenery everywhere, it’s near countryside hills.
Only a few of them knew that place. there is fresh air everywhere and waterfalls.
We both were cherishing that moment. I asked her to promise me that she would secretly meet me after graduation.
“shristi.., we do meet, right? After graduation?“, I asked. with a low voice
“Yeah!! don’t worry dear, we will meet, I’ll come for you when I miss you!!“, She said.
“Okay, leave it! We shouldn’t waste our time right now! let’s go swim, come on.” I embraced her.
We both dived into the water by wearing swimming outfits and started swimming.
It’s 2 pm and the weather is sunny. We both felt like we were in heaven for that moment.
“Come on girl.. try to drown me!!“, I provoked her.
“Watch this!“, She shouted.
She has been climbing me and jumping into the water, trying to show her diving skills to me.
She dived a bit deeper and tried to pull me down by dragging my leg and trying to scare me.
That was so cute of her, even though she didn’t have that strength she won’t give up.
But I’m not scared of depth. I pulled her out of the water by using my arm.
“Do you think you can scare me?“, I said (by laughing at her)
“You are lucky I could’ve drowned you deeper,” she said.
We both drowned each other and enjoyed ourselves a lot. We lost track of time.
It’s 4 pm now, and I’m trying to distract her.
“It’s a beautiful day, right?“, I said.
“Right, but what’s the time?“, she asked.
“4-o’clock shristi”, I said.
“What !! Are you kidding me? it’s late come on get dressed soon let’s go”. She screamed at me
She’s rushing, she fell.
Shristi injured her knee by a stone while rushing and it was bleeding.
“God! Pritam? honey, It’s bleeding. I’m hurt. It’s hurting honey!!“She’s crying.
There’s a lot of blood everywhere.
I rushed towards her and said, “Oh! God, it’s bleeding, hang on shristi, let me take care of it”.
I cleaned the wound with water and tied a cloth to it to stop the bleeding.
“Pritam it is hurting, did that work?” she asked.
“Yes, it stopped the bleeding, you’ll be okay soon”, I’ve cooled her down.
“Pritam, you have been very nice to me since the day we got together, it’s really hard to leave you!“, she whispered with pain.
I wrapped her in my arms.
Suddenly we both heard an aggressive voice from a distance.
“Shristi, what the hell is going on? Get off !!” her father screamed from a distance.
“Dad? Oh god dad..!! it’s not what you think? He’s my friend”, she tried to convince him.
“I told you to get off her”, he warned me.
“Uncle...Sharma, it’s not what you think she got hurt by a rock”, I told him.
“You did that to her”, he yelled at me.
“you brought her here and you better stay away from my daughter”
He was dragging her from me and taking her forcibly.
“Dad, listen to me”, she screamed.
Pritam! ? Pritam! ?“She kept screaming for a long time.
“Come on, Shristi don’t be so stupid let’s go home”, he dragged her so violently.
Her dad took her home,
she was crying by calling my name. I was standing there quietly.
I was silent and helpless. I didn’t do any action at that moment.
“This is not supposed to happen”. I kept saying to myself.
To know who this Pritam Gupta and Shristi Sharma are, we need to go back three years.
