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Ch - 3 : Comforted cries
Days passed, and we became inseparable, sharing moments of happiness that only strengthened our bond. As we sat together, he turned to me with a hesitant smile, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of his sleeve.
"May I ask you something?" he asked, his voice gentle but tinged with uncertainty.
"Yeah, don't be so formal," I replied casually, not fully grasping the gravity of his question.
"I couldn't help but notice that you seemed uneasy around me before. Is everything alright?" His concern was evident in the way his brows furrowed, and he reached out, his hand hovering near mine.
Suddenly, sweat broke out on my forehead, and my hands began to shake uncontrollably. I struggled to maintain composure, but my trembling legs gave me away.
"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning in closer, his eyes searching mine for answers.
My throat tightened, and I felt tears welling up, betraying the facade I tried so hard to maintain. "Why are your eyes brimming?" he asked softly, his concern only amplifying my turmoil.
Unable to contain my emotions any longer, I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor as I backed away, avoiding his gaze. "Look, Aparna, unless you say anything, I won't know what's wrong," he said, following me as I retreated.
"I don't want anyone to know, please," I pleaded, my voice trembling as tears blurred my vision. Without waiting for a response, I fled to the girls' restroom, locking myself in.
Inside, I collapsed against the cold tile floor, my sobs echoing off the walls. Each tear that fell felt like a weight lifted from my chest, yet I still felt suffocated by the weight of my secret.
After that, he returned to class, his demeanor weighed down by unspoken concerns.
As I reentered the classroom, I noticed his distant gaze, his thoughts seemingly lost in the depths of his own mind.
The teacher's voice cut through the silence, drawing attention back to the lesson at hand."So here, the molecule undergoes an oxidation reaction, and finally, the product -" The teacher's words were interrupted by her addressing Madhavan directly. "Madhavan, what are you thinking? Listen to the class now," she admonished gently.
Turning towards him, I caught his eye, but any hint of a smile was absent as he redirected his focus to the whiteboard, his expression unreadable.
Later, as the final bell rang and we prepared to head to lunch, I approached him tentatively.
"How about having lunch together?" I suggested, hoping to lift his spirits even if just for a moment. He nodded in agreement, though the enthusiasm and joy that usually accompanied our lunch plans were noticeably absent.Opening my lunchbox, I revealed puri and chana masala, a simple meal meant to comfort and nourish. Handing him a puri and serving some chana masala onto the lid of my box, I attempted to lighten the mood with a playful remark.
"What is this?" he asked, though the playful glint in his eyes didn't quite reach his lips.
"Cyanide," I joked, trying to elicit a smile from him.
"Friendship isn't about sharing the happy moments alone. A friend is a person standing in your sadness," he said, his words carrying a weight of understanding.
I fell silent for a few moments, grappling with my emotions. He was the only one who had noticed something was wrong, and I knew I could confide in him.
"On that day, I stayed back at school to clarify my doubts. I was focused on writing an answer on the board when a Tamil sir approached me. He reached out, his hand on my shoulder as he adjusted my shawl. In that moment, the classroom was eerily quiet, with only a few boys present and no girls around. I felt a wave of embarrassment over my classmates.Then, he leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear," I paused, my voice catching in my throat as I struggled to find the words. Gasping for breath,
I continued, "He whispered something that made my skin crawl."
What did he say?" he inquired, his eyes locked onto mine with a mix of concern and curiosity. It was as if his gaze alone could pierce through my defenses, compelling me to share the truth.
"Take a bath, come without even a towel, with water dripping from your body to the balcony. Then, let the cold breeze gently touch your skin. That's how I feel when I see you," I confessed, my voice trembling with raw emotion. Despite my best efforts, tears streamed down my cheeks, betraying the pain and vulnerability that lay beneath my facade.
Then later, he called me to the staff room, and I obeyed. When I entered, he reached out and touched my hips," I choked out the words, my voice thick with anguish. "I stood frozen, unsure of how to react. And then, he commanded me to remove my dress."The memories flooded back, each word tearing at my heart as I relived the horror of that moment. "I refused," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. "And then... he stabbed me, again and again, until I was bleeding uncontrollably. I even got my periods right then and there. He... he... he misbehaved with me," I sobbed, unable to hold back the torrent of tears any longer. Each syllable felt like a weight on my chest, crushing me with the weight of my trauma.
"Later the whole school got to know this information and everyone criticised me that if I haven't given the place then he won't have misbehaved. What did I do? How come they speak so ill of me. You don't know how bad they spoke about me" I said struggling to breathe
"It's not your fault, I know about you okay" He said patting my shoulders
Then he opened his lunch box and served me sambar rice. Together we enjoyed our lunch meal and after a year I'm feeling relived
I never believed in destiny, but since the day I met Madhavan, I realized that if something truly wants to stay, there is always a way. After sharing my darkest secrets with him, he took care of me exceptionally well. He was both a protective friend and a caring father figure, and together, we cherished each other's company. If you were to ask me whether it's about the journey or destiny, I would answer: it's the company.
© Aboorva
"May I ask you something?" he asked, his voice gentle but tinged with uncertainty.
"Yeah, don't be so formal," I replied casually, not fully grasping the gravity of his question.
"I couldn't help but notice that you seemed uneasy around me before. Is everything alright?" His concern was evident in the way his brows furrowed, and he reached out, his hand hovering near mine.
Suddenly, sweat broke out on my forehead, and my hands began to shake uncontrollably. I struggled to maintain composure, but my trembling legs gave me away.
"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning in closer, his eyes searching mine for answers.
My throat tightened, and I felt tears welling up, betraying the facade I tried so hard to maintain. "Why are your eyes brimming?" he asked softly, his concern only amplifying my turmoil.
Unable to contain my emotions any longer, I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor as I backed away, avoiding his gaze. "Look, Aparna, unless you say anything, I won't know what's wrong," he said, following me as I retreated.
"I don't want anyone to know, please," I pleaded, my voice trembling as tears blurred my vision. Without waiting for a response, I fled to the girls' restroom, locking myself in.
Inside, I collapsed against the cold tile floor, my sobs echoing off the walls. Each tear that fell felt like a weight lifted from my chest, yet I still felt suffocated by the weight of my secret.
After that, he returned to class, his demeanor weighed down by unspoken concerns.
As I reentered the classroom, I noticed his distant gaze, his thoughts seemingly lost in the depths of his own mind.
The teacher's voice cut through the silence, drawing attention back to the lesson at hand."So here, the molecule undergoes an oxidation reaction, and finally, the product -" The teacher's words were interrupted by her addressing Madhavan directly. "Madhavan, what are you thinking? Listen to the class now," she admonished gently.
Turning towards him, I caught his eye, but any hint of a smile was absent as he redirected his focus to the whiteboard, his expression unreadable.
Later, as the final bell rang and we prepared to head to lunch, I approached him tentatively.
"How about having lunch together?" I suggested, hoping to lift his spirits even if just for a moment. He nodded in agreement, though the enthusiasm and joy that usually accompanied our lunch plans were noticeably absent.Opening my lunchbox, I revealed puri and chana masala, a simple meal meant to comfort and nourish. Handing him a puri and serving some chana masala onto the lid of my box, I attempted to lighten the mood with a playful remark.
"What is this?" he asked, though the playful glint in his eyes didn't quite reach his lips.
"Cyanide," I joked, trying to elicit a smile from him.
"Friendship isn't about sharing the happy moments alone. A friend is a person standing in your sadness," he said, his words carrying a weight of understanding.
I fell silent for a few moments, grappling with my emotions. He was the only one who had noticed something was wrong, and I knew I could confide in him.
"On that day, I stayed back at school to clarify my doubts. I was focused on writing an answer on the board when a Tamil sir approached me. He reached out, his hand on my shoulder as he adjusted my shawl. In that moment, the classroom was eerily quiet, with only a few boys present and no girls around. I felt a wave of embarrassment over my classmates.Then, he leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear," I paused, my voice catching in my throat as I struggled to find the words. Gasping for breath,
I continued, "He whispered something that made my skin crawl."
What did he say?" he inquired, his eyes locked onto mine with a mix of concern and curiosity. It was as if his gaze alone could pierce through my defenses, compelling me to share the truth.
"Take a bath, come without even a towel, with water dripping from your body to the balcony. Then, let the cold breeze gently touch your skin. That's how I feel when I see you," I confessed, my voice trembling with raw emotion. Despite my best efforts, tears streamed down my cheeks, betraying the pain and vulnerability that lay beneath my facade.
Then later, he called me to the staff room, and I obeyed. When I entered, he reached out and touched my hips," I choked out the words, my voice thick with anguish. "I stood frozen, unsure of how to react. And then, he commanded me to remove my dress."The memories flooded back, each word tearing at my heart as I relived the horror of that moment. "I refused," I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. "And then... he stabbed me, again and again, until I was bleeding uncontrollably. I even got my periods right then and there. He... he... he misbehaved with me," I sobbed, unable to hold back the torrent of tears any longer. Each syllable felt like a weight on my chest, crushing me with the weight of my trauma.
"Later the whole school got to know this information and everyone criticised me that if I haven't given the place then he won't have misbehaved. What did I do? How come they speak so ill of me. You don't know how bad they spoke about me" I said struggling to breathe
"It's not your fault, I know about you okay" He said patting my shoulders
Then he opened his lunch box and served me sambar rice. Together we enjoyed our lunch meal and after a year I'm feeling relived
I never believed in destiny, but since the day I met Madhavan, I realized that if something truly wants to stay, there is always a way. After sharing my darkest secrets with him, he took care of me exceptionally well. He was both a protective friend and a caring father figure, and together, we cherished each other's company. If you were to ask me whether it's about the journey or destiny, I would answer: it's the company.
© Aboorva
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