This is the third part in the Spellbound Series, check the first two parts here
Spellbound #1
Spellbound #2
I was just a small blip in this huge world. I was a small blip in this school. I still remember the day when I took my first step in this school. I had felt-and still feel- that somebody pushed me as if I was never meant to come to this school.
My previous year had been pretty disastrous. I had made a girlfriend. And with my special ‘touch’ I had turned her into the biggest bitch of the school. Yes, I had turned the most sweet, kind and caring girl into someone who was feared in the school compound by everyone.
I was filled with guilt whenever I saw her. I wanted to be back with her. I wanted us to be the cute couple of the school- Ananya and Ravi. We both had been perfect. But, because of me we had broken up and now we were far away. We walked around like we didn’t know each other. That was only how it seemed to other people- but I still kept an eye on her.
I entered the classroom and saw that Ananya was sitting with a new boy. I became green with envy. I just wanted to throttle that guy with my bare hands. My vision went blood-red. But, I stopped in my tracks as we were living in a civilized nation and we were supposed to act like civilized people.
I went and sat down with Sarthak. After I had broken up with Ananya, the whole class had shunned me. Only Sarthak had taken me into his wing and helped me to cope up with the school life. I went towards Ananya. After-all, after a year: the whole class had quietened down a bit, but they still never let me sit with someone else. I wanted to know about this guy with whom she was laughing like she was fixed. I went up to the guy and said “Hi, you seem new here. I am Ravi. Ravi Arora. Welcome to our humble abode- which our teachers prefer to call a school”
The boy looked as if he had been slapped. He looked up towards me. Ananya was frowning at me for making the new guy uncomfortable so soon. Ananya and I might have had a breakup, but these days, I, Shashank and she were like the strongest friends. Ananya had got over the break up and she had no hard feelings for me. On some days, it was almost like we were before our breakup. Sure, I might have looked like a villain to some- may look like a villain now also- but it was the POV of Shashank and Ananya which mattered the most to me.
The new guy seemed a bit hesitant before he gave his reply. He then apparently got a surge of confidence as he spoke. “Hi Ravi.. I am Anant Singh. Nice to meet you. I have a feeling that we are going to be good friends.”
Now it was my turn to be shocked. Anant Singh. I had heard that name before. It couldn’t be. It could never be true. It was pushed back to the times when I knew a particular Anant Singh and we were best mates. If this chap was him: it would definitely be a miracle. I was brought back from my dilemma when Shashank came and nudged me in the ribs. While he was nudging me, Ananya was whispering in Anant’s ear. I came out of my flash-back to hear what they were saying.It went on something like. “Anant, what happened, you seem as if someone slapped you. Is anything wrong? Are we pressuring you in some way?”
Take it for Ananya to go back to the girl with whom I had fallen in love in front of this new guy. He definitely had an effect on her. Anant replied, “Ananya, um, I think I know Ravi from before. It’s a big maybe, but the thing is I lost contact with my first best friend – his name was also Ravi. Ravi Arora. So, hearing his name sent me into a deep shock.”I couldn’t help myself from intruding on their private conversation. I simply said, “Clack-Crash-Coo-Clee.”
I could see giving me an expression which implied that I had gone crazy. I ignored them. I was focusing on Anant’s face. His face was showing some signs of recognition- as if he was trying to remember something. Then it looked as if he attained nirvana and replied “Black-Brash-Boo-Blum”OH. MY. GOD. This was that Anant. He must be really angry with me- after all, I broke my promise of keeping in touch with him. We had spoken in a secret language which we had developed in first grade. The code was something like: If I speak a sentence with the code we had assigned to ‘c’ he had to reply either in ‘b’ or ‘d.’ In this case, ‘b’ meant for affirmative and ‘d’ negative. What I had said was, “My name is Ravi.” A simple code which Anant could easily crack- if he was Anant. And indeed, he was. He replied back with, “My name is Anant!”
I signalled my friends to step back. They obliged. They were still giving me the expressions of bewilderment, but they obliged. I wanted to talk with Anant- because he was going through a phase I knew too well.
When they had gone out of hearing range, I went and sat with him. I then drawled, “Anant, I can very well imagine what you are going through, I have been through it actually. I am now going to tell you about what happened. Don’t interrupt, okay?
See, when you left, I made a Myspace account as we had promised each other. But, I think we were never meant to keep contact with each other. My parents cancelled the net pack as they had seen I was becoming obsessive while waiting for us to begin chatting on Myspace. And from then, we have never had a net connection. I only know about Facebook because of what my friends tell me about it.
So, when we moved from Jaipur to here, I had forgotten your address. Till 9th, I missed you like hell every day. Then came Ananya.” I could see him hooked onto my words now. Maybe he too had fallen for Ananya? You never know, but, looking at his interest, I went on, “I was fallen for her. Maybe you have too- you have the same look in your eyes.” I saw that he was about to say something. I put my hand up and said, “Wait, let me complete.”
“We were so deep in love that everyone looked as if they couldn’t come up to our level. We were smitten with each other. We saw to it that we don’t go without holding hands or smiling at each other once a day. We were the starstruk couple of this school. Then one day our teacher discovered us sitting together. From that day onwards- we felt as if we had lost our connection. Then, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I dumped her. I still have feelings for her: but in a friendly manner. After I dumped her, she shunned me- as it was expected. The whole school shunned me as she has a big following. It took me a year to sort things out and now we are as we are- Happy and fun loving people.”
Anant smiled at that, but I could see that his smile was cold. I shivered at that. He then replied, “You have achieved quite a lot in the these past years Ravi. I must say I disapprove of your actions. God, come on man, YOU DUMPED HER!? You dumped that caring girl and from what I could interpret, that turned her into a bitch- as everyone is hinting and it. And you tell me this on the first day! GOD, Ravi, why did you do that? You broke a heart and then you tell me that I can’t come close to her because I might fall in love with her and then finally break up with her because I will find her to be not like I am expecting her to be? Come on Ravi. I know you didn’t say all this, but I know where this is going. You have disappointed me Ravi. You have fallen in front of my eyes.”
I couldn’t believe that Anant was saying this. I replied nothing to his rant. What he was saying was the truth. I couldn’t stand it. During the time when everyone shunned me, I thought that Anant would accept me and console me. I had a lot of talks with the imaginary Anant in my brain, and now when I am meeting him in reality: he too has shunned me. I can’t take it anymore.
I somehow finish the long and dull day in school. I never paid attention to what was going on in the class. I was in a shell which no one could pierce. Only one thought kept on going in my head. “No one likes you, not even your friends. They have just included you in your group because you are lonely.
During the day I had seen Ananya and Anant getting bit cuddly with each other. They were laughing at the jokes they cracked. I resented Anant coming into my life. Everything broke down inside me.During the year when everyone had shunned me, I had thought of ending my life- but I didn’t as I thought Anant would stand with me. In reality he didn’t stand with me. He too shunned me.I went in my room and wrote a letter to all my friends- including Anant. I then created something so that Ananya and Anant fell in love with each other. There was nothing more for me to do in this world.
I then mailed them the letter and the creation I hid it somewhere only they could find. They will have to find it themselves. I wrote a letter to my mom and dad and left it on the table. I went to them and said that I was going for a walk. I then went on the roof of our building which was around 13 floors up. Without even thinking about the consequences, I jumped.
This is the third part in the Spellbound Series, check the first two parts here
Spellbound #1
Spellbound #2
