Eklavya

Chapter V

Anamika paced back and forth impatiently under the shade of the ginormous tree with two equally impatient and worried girls, Naina and Saanvi, sitting under the shade with their backs being supported by the huge trunk of the old tree.

"Saanvi stop eating your nails. Or I'll smack you in the head." Naina muttered tetchily as she glared at the said girl.

"Then mind telling me what should I do to divert my focus from this situation. You know what forget everything, she gave me a - zero - I got a zero and Oh god! my mother has a habit of raking my bag and books. What if she sees that answer sheet? I'm doomed." Saanvi spoke feverishly, her face was drowned in utter despair.

"Well then you shouldn't had come to school today." Naina said frostily, she now was getting more and more irritated by Saanvi's continuous banter. Her vessel of patience was almost empty now.

Apparently, their Business teacher, Mrs. Thapa had conducted a surprise test that clean bold every single student of their class. Only a few students got passing marks, including Anamika, while all others had to gloomily face the fact that they needed to spend more time on their studies, rather than loitering around here and there.

As Naina was not in their class, she was spared from the agony of a surprise test.

"Shut up. Like I knew that was going to happen. You don't know my pain because you haven't gotten a zero like me. You, insensitive bag of trash." Saanvi snarled, eyes throwing fire.

"WHAT???!!!"

"Yes, you heard me." Saanvi said callously.

"Take it back Saanvi or I'll have your head for that." Naina spoke with utter calmness on her face, but from the inside she was flaring up.

"Shut up both of you. Why are you always fighting like a pair of tempestuous wild cats?" Anamika said and then her pink pouty lips let out a sigh full of despondency, as she muttered 'God knows when they're going to grow up.'

"Can't you be civil even for a day." Anamika exasperated.

"Says who, the person who was screaming after Advay like a banshee." Naina retorted.

"And ended up soaking his cousin." Saanvi wriggled her eyebrows at her, the fight that was going on just a few seconds away, now completely forgotten.

Anamika cursed the moment when Advay thought about opening that big mouth of his. He narrated the yesterday's event like it was the most absurd and hilarious story. And Saanvi was all ears to these kinds of juicy incidents.

Later it was no wonder how Naina came to know about it.

"For the last time, it was all Advay's fault." Anamika spoke in a matter of fact tone. "And I already said sorry to Eklavya." She mumbled the last part feebly.

She couldn't stop the guilty blush that suddenly bloomed on her cheeks out of nowhere. Truth was she muttered those words instantly when she realised that his eyes were throwing daggers at her. But she wasn't sure if she was forgiven, yet.

From what she'd experienced, observed and listened Eklavaya was a hard lad. He has a terrible anger and an equally large ego to support it. And she had also noticed that he was civil and nice to everyone but was equally rude and insolent to her.

Like she was his archenemy. What she couldn't understand was 'what the hell did she do to make him act like this' towards her.

"Iqra hasn't come today, again." Saanvi complained. "Her lunchbox too." Her stomach grumbled again as she rubbed her belly and murmured something. Probably pacifying her complaining stomach.