SO SIXTEEN - One warm summer of love
About the story:
So sixteen is a beautiful story of the two lover, ehich unfold when three students open the diary of their teacher. The story is takes place in 1960s, wherein blissful summer vallies of himachal pradesh is brewing with innocence.
nt love of passionate lovers.
nt love of passionate lovers.
Chapter 1
One warm summer of love
[A ROUTE IN THE GAINT MAZE OF BOOK]
Three boys enter a cosy wooden room,
looking at things, here and there. They are in a study; massive and wide. There
is variety in variety of the books. The long shelves craving reader to climb
for their dearest book. Absolute seduction to nerdy eyes.
The boy with shortest physique and slightly
dark brown hair says,” amazing, just amazing.”
His eyes fell on the top shelves there is a
Shakespeare play, MID NIGHT OF SUMMER DREAM. The play wherein wits evade your
mind in most humorous form. The humour
was gadget to connect the world around and that so, was decade of 90’s—
infested with love and humour.
Literature was yet a sensation of 90’s, science was rising too. The newton law had already taken entry in boys’ life and the school have being teaching motion of pendulum, the second boy who was a tall figure with broad forehead and curly jet-black hairs, moves towards newton cradle, testing the law of motion, the third with little and fairest one, look at plastic heart.
There is a knock at the study, the servant
brings pastry for the boys. The first two comes to have it but third after
examining the plastic heart moves towards the biology book. In search of the
books that elaborate functions of different part of the body.
The first boy utters,” have it Himanshu, otherwise the master won’t let you
have it in mid of the test”.
Himanshu eyes are yet fixed at shelves then
he moves eyes at pastry and takes out the book.
He opens it and reads,” it was blissful
wind, her blushing cheeks were more red today. Her lips were sweeter and it was
never like that before. The warm summer
was warming our bodies that days and we
were gravitating towards each other and…” he flips the cover of the book and
then he realises, it has fake cover and book is a diary and seem it is of their
teacher.
Himanshu utters,” guys I guess, I got
something amazing. I guess it is a diary of the teacher.”
“Well we shouldn’t read it,” says the tall
boy with the broad’s forehead.
Himanshu reply him,” Shashank, you will be
tempted to open if you give it a read”.
The boy with short physic utters,” what if
it had an amazing story. I want to see how amazing writer our teacher is.”
“You read, Tushar. You are good in
literature,” says Himanshu.
He started reading and wind began flow from
the west and entered the room. There is a ruffle of the pages as if nature in
itself wanted to start the affair of words and mind.
He clears up the throat,” ah! Uh!” and
inhale the air.
It started in 1970. I was returning from
the college. It was cloudy like sky was also confused. Learning about little
biology seem a little hefty, but I am glad I am gaining the knowledge which is
newly introduced in my country. To the coming world, I want to say, the century
itself is going to be different, I don’t know why? but I can feel it. There is
more science and historic correlation,” like the Crompton mule in my dad’s
factory.
[ IN THE AMAZING SUMMER DAYS]
2nd of April, 1971.
6:00 am— I was going through my books of
history. The history; the kings; the knight and beautiful peasant. For the
first I read the battles in detail, and I felt the sense loss of soul but it is history that brought us here. I should
appreciate its beauty.
6:15—the thought of appreciation of beauty didn’t stood strong. I am lamenting on loss of something that wasn’t even mine. I strolled in the garden, and saw the neighbours house getting empty, more loss!
.Our neighbours were good; we even tried to pay their loans, but they refused. They are leaving today,band I am thinking about the uncle. What he will say to his village fellows in Chamba. He had fought the world to become an engineer. Just his simple act of justice has dragged them to poverty.
6:30— I say namaste; a last namaste to my
neighbour. They leave without talking much. I am enveloped in grief. Loss of
the only friend I had, had taken over me. This summer would be empty. No one to
play cricket or hockey. No talking on the nerdy subjects, no talks on Indian
writer and no studying together.
7:00— I returned back to history but I
started giving a bit importance to geography. I think that was the reason I
took arts over science despite I loved it. Science is a lot resolved but I was
looking for something massive to take place; something like an adventure. I
read about debris and avalanche, then I got lost in the Shivalik. The mountain
and trek I want to go. It took me half an hour to realise that I have read
every tit-bits but not mastered a single chapter.
8:00— I grab my towel, undergarment and
go in for the bathe. I fill the bucket of water and clean my teeth with dant
manjan, then rinse my mouth. I have a bath, trying to adapt to the cold water.
Though how hot is in Joginder-Nagar, Himachal Pradesh. You can’t take bath in the cold water. After 15 min, I get ready to take off for the
college.
9:00— I went to college on the scooter. The
polished green scooter of the prestigious brand ‘Bajaj’. I am glad I am the one
who can afford it. The ride is smooth and it grips the hilly roads very
efficiently. After a 30 minute of
exposing the face to wind, it felt the amount invested in the scooter was worth
it. At least, in summer it is worthy.
9:05— I easily found a parking, look at the
rear mirror and checked my oiled sleek hair. The world seemed a little new but,
few days back I was bullied, ragged and
worst thing –-separated from the only friend.
9: 10— I take breathe, inhaling I promise
this would be a new good day. I move smiling and too much smiling, that it
brought up new conversation in groups. They labelled me as mad. Uh! Tough life
of a teen.
9: 15— I took first, middle row seat. I
guess, I now just want is a focus on studies. Geography will make me feel better. Don’t know
what topic we’ll study, but I am ready.
9:45— the attendance begins and now the
lecture hall is house full. The geography teacher, Mr Baldev Singh is shouting
roll no and names. He shouting name, he suddenly utters roll no 154, Rishabh
Prasad and I stand raising my hands up. The teacher is impressed, but student is giving me threatening gaze.
Please, no more unpopularity chasing me.
10:00— the lecture begins and professor
Baldev utters,” last class was the first class we only had the introduction and
now we are going to officially start the first lecture; the Himalayas and it’s
sub ranges”.
10:15— there is an interruption in the
lecture. I am lost somewhere in the Shivalik. I didn’t notice the whole class
is laughing, but not on me. It’s a joke cracked by the late entry. He is boy, with little messed
up hairs, open collar button and the pants held with the handsome belt. He is
dark, tall and his eyes is really naughty. He butters and wraps Mr Baldev Singh
in his conversation,” you are Baldev sir, right. Oh, so it you who is popular
among lady teachers. They were saying, oh! he comes in my dream and ah!..”.
Mr Baldev blushes and the late entry moves
out. Mr Baldev goes after him. They have some secret conversation, and then the
late entry enters is asked to bring an extra assignment on sedimentation and
soil erosion in next class.
10:30— I share bench with him and look at him. he is carefree, not doing punishment work, not even listening to the lecture. He is here for mere attendance. I hear him utter,” already read the chapter twice… boring!” he says,” hi, I am Nammit and you”.
“Rishabh”, I reply. Then conversation on a
conversation. He explains he doesn’t need to the assignment. How his professor
eyes also search a love interest. How he had fooled him. he says, he felt a bit
bad for him, but anyway he didn’t have an option; he had to enter for the
attendance.
So, I asked, “what is he going to do
tomorrow when professor will ask to meet him”.
He says,” he will give the telephone and
address of women who flirts with him daily in the park.”
And when he says that, my jaw drop. I could never imagine flirting with an elderly woman. It had studied in the co-eds, but still I never flirted with the senior.
10: 45— lecture gets over.
[ lovely air of distraction]
10: 55— He started looking around,
capturing the whole class. Some girls sitting in the third row and fourth bench
was constantly looking towards us. They were gossiping and laughing. He
uttered,” bull’s eye, grabbed a lamb. " He looked confidently in their eyes and
raised his eyebrows and girl replied with a little shy gesture.
Then he moved his eyes towards the 1st
row and 5th bench. The girl was looking around but as her eyes met
him, she locked the gaze for a while and the stole the glance.
This was very new to me. I never knew girls
could react that way.
11: 55— World was being looked from a new camera lens; a new perception was born and new introspection was taking place. Next thing was lunch break, so we rushed to the coffee house and start sipping coffee. I didn’t like coffee much, but there was something refreshing about the coffee and that wasn’t in the ingredient, it was the vibe that came with it
Girls were looking at our tables. Some boys
were flocking to our table. All want to hear his secret. I was excited too, not
because I want those girls, but because so many people were dying to know the
secret. I first time felt, I was mixing up with the people.
12:30— I was laughing at fate of poor guys
who had made him the love guru. I knew at first instance; they are not going to
get a single lesson. I guess even they knew but can’t help with their desperation.
12:35— lunch break is over and everyone is retreating back to their classes. I have more to laugh and more to study. A part of me has forgotten about my neighbour and part of me is subtly crying. It like I am healing and moving on from the pain at the same time.
12: 40— attendance
began again we were studying history of
the world. People were participating in the class very well. We are studying
the civil war of America. They say the south and north fought for the reign of
the party. Some were slaved and some ruled. I felt it was the records of cruelty of the
human kind, just has been written golden letter sarcastically. The
time I am hearing all these stuffs, I am questioning myself what laws of
psychology had lead to these war. I mean, the slavery, how people became slaves
and how did people enslaved.
Last week I was
reading a book in the library, a story book. The story
by famous Irish writer, Liam o’ Flaherty. The story tell how violence of civil
war killed own people.
The slave and
rulers kept spinning in my head. I was thinking deeper and deeper. While
thinking my eyes traces the clock.
1: 55— I
realized; I have given a lot of time to this thought. It is psychology lecture,
in fact. The whole lecture passed and didn’t even made a single note.
2:00— I see something in hand of Nammit, it is a note, no it is telephone number. I hear utter winking his eyes,” got it”. It was surely a number of the girl, but which girl?
2:25— out of the
college campus and heading to the home but before on the way, I drop Nammit. We
have conversation about the number he had. He told me that the girl sitting on
the same row and second seat and that girl was the same girl sitting in the
fifth row fourth bench.
3:00— I reached
home, mom had made me lunch, which I enjoyed having rice with curd. I didn’t felt like
having dal and rajma., I just wanted to eat the food fast and ruminate in my
room. I was thinking about the slavery,
slave mentality and love. Mind you, I never want to mix them up. It is madness
that I am judging, man can have about women. I bit crazy too but less crazy than
other. Why?
3:30— I came to
my room. I take out the psychology book and read about the different syndromes.
it is crazy but I just want to know who is mad, me or them. I skipped chapter
on chapter. I became familiar with many mental diseases and what in a nutshell
I could describe that it came out from humanly insecurity.
4:45— didn’t
realise that it took a long time researching but can’t conclude who is mad.
Well the starting years of college and such a hefty study not possible for a
normal 16-year-old. After such long research, I feel tired and my eyes slowly
felt drooping, my limbs were surrendering to my subconscious self. It was time
for a nap.
7:00— I wake up
realising that I have slept for long. It hit like a grave realisation when I
looked at the clock. I looked out of the
window its dark and my neighbour’s house is lit with light. I was glad my
neighbour is back but only till I saw a girl in my neighbours room. My
neighbour didn’t have a sister. I tried
persuade myself saying,’ you are having a illusion’, but more I see it more it
seem. I get a flash of her and in that glimpse, I could see beautiful black
curls and broad beautiful smile. It wasn’t the love at first sight that we see
in the movie but it was something interesting to me. I felt like watching again
but she drew her yellow curtains.
8:30- that night lately, on the dining table when meal was being served with a discussion of the what s new in the town. I was having a taste of delicious shahi paneer, absolute feast to my tongue, and with amusing talk poured in my ear enhancing the flavour. the new marriage, the grand shows, the newly opened cinema and then finally comes our neighbour new home.
Mom has been social woman. She made a way to their home. She has talked adms she has gazed their furniture for long and even had a look of their daughter room is like. The yellow curtain she describe us , was like a glimpse to the holy paradise and room , a' actual pastry look like glistening glinting suite, we were nearly tempted to visit them.
9:00- the dinner was over and retreated here noting the whole day in the diary. I lie on the bed watching flashback of the day and now don’t know why but I feel immense happiness.
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Se next time, tilll keep reading from chrono to chrono, biblio to biblio.
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