* Abhinav...

Present ma'am..

*Aghil....

Present ma'am....

*Anand...

Present ma'am...

* Aron....

................

*Aron.....

As there was no response , my teacher looked up inquisitive...

" Aron... ! Is he absent today? What happened to him.. ?"

There was a spell of silence across the classroom... Shravan eyed me...His swollen face had masked with terror .. I clucked and clenched my eyes to be cool...

My gesture didn't go unnoticed by my teacher...

" Suman... What's going on?"

Her tone rose a bit high .... While I was muttering , one of my classmates interrupted...

"Ma'am... Suman punched Aron yesterday..."

After his brave announcement , everyone joined him to accuse me...

Then , it was my teacher's turn..

She crossed her arms and looked straight into my face...

" Suman... You were not like this.. now a days you have become very naughty.. I have to call your parent"

She didn't complete , the office staff excused himself to get in the class..

" Ma'am... Principal wanted to see Suman... Already Suman' s parents are in the office..."

This, I had expected somehow...

But ... more than me , my teacher was surprised... Because , until very recently I was a obedient girl who was at the good books of eveyone..

" Is everything alright?" She questioned in shock...

" Aron's parent had come up with the complaint on Suman .. "

The office staff was in a hurry and he gestured me to follow him...

I stood up and began to walk calmly... Before I could move out of the class , Shravan stopped me...

" Ma'am... That's all because of me... I have to explain everything to principal... Please allow me to go with Suman..."

He requested the teacher where she was completely awestruck ...

Then , she nodded slowly...

While we were walking parallel , I whispered to him...

" Shravan... I would have handled this... "

He smiled and pressed my little finger with his....

" We are friends ... We will handle it together..."

I restated....

" We are best friends....."

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" I am your friend..."

Shravan's reply warms my heart and somewhere I feel it to be special ... I don't know why I am getting closure with him so quickly by heart...

Still , what I feel now about him is very true...

He is my friend...!

Life is all of surprises...

I am likely to be a stubborn girl who decides who I am... Right from my young age , I have been studious and unique in pursuing my dreams...

At young age , shravan had been an important part of me and I was ready to guard off myself when it came shravan...

When he left , I became stubborn more than before... Although I respect everyone I am not ready to compromise anything for the reason I wanted to live my life..

When I get admission for MBA in Paris , initially I am not much sure that I will go with...

Appa ( father) adviced me that it's not good to stay alone in a foreign country for a girl and I could continue my higher studies in India itself...

That's where my rigidness peaked up...

I decided to come to Paris and as I expected appa refused to spend money for my career...

That's it...

I made arrangements to relocate as I got my scholarship for studies ... Only thing I wanted was my amma ' s blessings...

She knew me ... She loves me to be myself ... With a great smile she patronized me in my decision.

And then ,I am at Paris...

Living my dreams...

When I determined to be at Paris alone , I had set my own rules , for I am from a very conservative family that my father won't accept me if I choose to marry an english man.. Moreover , I don't want myself to be embarrassed infront of my relatives...

Added, I am not interested in fair complex , blonde hair , purely accent british English speaking man...

Never.... Not at all...

I love the foodie , not so fair, humorous and friendly people around me...

And , my wedding ... I have no idea... So far I haven't met anyone who sparkled my soul to cling... Again , somewhere in a dark corner , my first love is still alive... I never try to kill it and I don't want ,either... Instead ,I cherish those memories...

Sometimes ,I am confused and really feel so foolish . I am not going to meet him again as a matter of fact. Still ,I remember him and I hesitate to say yes to amma when she asked me whether she can go ahead with my marriage proposals...

I said I needed time asif I had broke up with my love...

I laugh at my madness...

Let's see...

Now ... Setting aside all my thoughts ,I have started to live my dream , balancing my culture and tradition in every possible way...

Infact , I should... In that case , my father would proudly support my dreams...

To be on point , I live alone, all alone... I have no friends here though I study ....teach ...and dance...

I mingle with everyone but not too close... Thats what I call it - let everything be in a boundary...

Until I meet Shravan , I never feel that I need someone... He is like a dewdrop afresh in a leaf ... Accepting everything as such is not everyone's cup of coffee and he does it so easily... I can't remember the moment I started to feel comfortable with him...

In this split second, It seems like I need someone to share my worst and best times though I lived all alone..I understand that the rigid Suman in me says good bye to me..

When I sleep ,it is past midnight...

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When the principal called me , I was not scared...

Seeing appa with red eyes , scared me a bit.. Still , amma embraced me to inquire what made me to punch Aron..

Shravan gave enough of explanation that really convinced amma as well as the principal...

Amma was so happy that finally I accepted Shravan's friendship...

From then on , wherever we went whatever we did we were together...

We were inseparable...

We were inseparable until that incidence...

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When I wake up to the alarm , I feel heaviness over my head...

Yes...I didn't sleep well...

I rush to the washroom to finish the chores...After the shower , I boil the milk to turn up with coffee...

Stirring the sugar , I unveil the curtains of the French window... Leaning on the wall , I slowly sip the coffee...

The roasted coffee beans aroma sit in my nose ... Clenching the eyes , I blow air softly to let the aroma get on my nerves... As the slightly bitter taste glides over my tongue ,I see the busy road down the building...

This is my way of drinking coffee in the morning...

When I am at the second sip, I see someone waves hand to me from the street...

I keen my vision to him...

Is he waving his hands to me?!

When my brain coded him, a quick apprehension spread in me...

Shravan...?!?!

Shravan is right here infront of me, down the street ... He shows his watch and gestures that it's getting late...

I nod , telling him to give ten minutes...

While getting ready fast , I think...

How does he know my apartment?!

Isn't he stalking me ?!

Am I too fast in his case ?!?!

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