Happy reading<3
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The auditorium was filled with different grade's students lining up to different teachers for their audition. The girls beelined towards their class teacher who was taking audition for grade 11.
"Girls, come come!" Ms.Singhania called them , gesturing them with her hand.
"Mam, what's the topic for the act this year?" Meenakshi asked , excited. More students gathered around them.
"Following your dreams!" Ms.Singhania said , her eyes hovering over the students looking at her with interest.
Kabir broke through the crowd of students , and stood beside Ishika ,waving his fingers. She frowned, discreetly pointing towards the camera that was half falling out of the pocket.
He grinned, pocketing the camera quickly showing a thumbs up to her. Ms.Singhania started explaining the meaning of the act while Kabir stood there looking for his next chaos.
"Following your dreams doesn't necessarily mean getting successful," Ms.Singhania explained. "It means having the courage to pursue it against all odds."
Ishika smiled to herself , while Kabir looked deep in thought. Everyone started giving ideas on what they can show in the act. Ms.Singhania listened to everyone but nothing appealed to her.
"How about we show a person standing up for their dreams against society?" Kabir suggested.
"That's a nice idea!" Ms.Sighania commented, after a beat.
"Mam, how about instead of society it's the parents who don't want their child to follow their own dream and passion?" Ishika asked, gaining affirmative nods from many students.
"Hm, that would be more effective!" Ms.Sighania said. "Everyone make a group of 4-5 people and take a task to do! Ishika and Kabir, write a rough script. Take someone else for help too!"
Ishika, Meenakshi and Ipshita sat at the corner of the auditorium with sheets of paper in their hands. Kabir and Advik joined them with packets of chips and soft drinks.
"What is he doing here?" Ipshita pointed out, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Same thing you're doing!" Advik shrugged casually, hands hovering over the sheets of paper.
Ipshita slapped his hand away, "Don't touch them!" She pulled all the papers back to her.
"What? Why?!" He questioned, confused. "I have ideas to contribute!"
"No! I don't want to write your stupid ideas!" She declared.
"How do you-"
"Stop fighting!" Ishika announced, annoyed. "Kabir, why have you brought half the canteen here?" She asked, turning towards him.
"Also why did you bring him here?" Ipshita questioned, glaring at him.
Kabir raised his hand in surrender, suddenly surrounded by a bunch of questions. He quickly sat down, his face a mix of trouble and defeat.
"Khane ke bina dimag nahi chalta!" Kabir answered to Ishika, shoving a packet of chips in front of her. She rolled her eyes, accepting the packet.
[My brain doesn't work without food!]
Then he turned to Ipshita who was still glaring at him. His eyes widened, "Look, he blackmailed me that if I don't take him in the group he-" Advik clasped his hand on Kabir's mouth.
"Any problem with writing?" Ms.Singhania asked, standing beside them.
"No mam, everything is fine. We were just brainstorming ideas!" Meenakshi responded, showing her the half written ideas.
Ms.Singhania nodded , smiling and left from there. All of them let out a sigh, Kabir thanking his stars for not getting caught.
"Aur thora chilake bol de?!" Advik remarked, making an unimpressed face at Kabir.
[Speak more loudly?!]
Kabir ignored him, "I was saying he would tell teachers about ruining Akshita's drawing!"
"You three ruined her drawing?" Ishika asked, frowning. "Why would you do that?" Her voice was laced with hurt.
"We...actually...um," Meenakshi shuttered , trying to make a believable excuse.
"Tell me the truth!" Ishika demanded , strongly.
Kabir sighed, "A few weeks ago, when you had that debate competition, she tried to tamper with your script, Meenakshi saw it."
"So...we thought to give her the taste of her own medicine." Meenakshi continued , a little bit guilty.
Ishika looked at all of them, their faces a mix of guilt and terror. She sighed, keeping the papers down. She got up and left the place.
Ipshita rubbed her forehead, "I warned you not to do it." Advik nodded in agreement.
"I will go and get her!" Meenakshi announced, almost getting up when Ipshita dragged her back down by her wrist.
"Kabir you go, it was your idea in the first place." Ipshita ordered.
Kabir widened his eyes, "Me? Are nahi nahi...tum jao!" He muttered in fear.
[Me? No no...you go!]
"Tum jaoge, best friend hai tumhari!" Meenakshi supported Ipshita.
[You will go, she's your best friend!]
"Are? Yeh konsa logic hua!?" He argued.
[What is this logic!?]
"Don't find logic! Go and bring her back!" Advik concluded, pushing him towards the gate. Kabir sighed in defeat, getting up while stuffing a mouthful of chips.
"For energy!" He muttered, walking away.
Kabir walked to the same banyan tree in their school situated at the playground. He knew he would find her there-it's their place. As he guessed, he found her there sitting under the shade of tree.
He sat beside her, she turned her face away. Kabir sighed, he placed his closed fist in front of her. Ishika looked at the first , frowning at it.
"Sorry," Kabir muttered, opening his fist an orange candy rested on his palm. "I know we shouldn't have done that but we just wanted to show that she can't mess with us and no one will know it."
Ishika pushed his hand away, "You could have told me." She crossed her arms against her chest.
"And what you must have done?" He questioned her, staring down at her.
"Tell it to the teacher." Ishika responded, eyebrows frowning in disbelief.
"Do you think we haven't done that before?" Kabir sighed, playing with the candy in his hand. "It's not the first time she has done that."
"But-"
He popped the candy in her mouth, "Trust me! You couldn't have done anything. I'm sorry, I was just worried for you."
Ishika chewed on the candy, looking at him furiously. Kabir grinned, popping another candy in his mouth. He took out the camera , turning towards her, he angled it.
"Complimentary apology photo?" Kabir offered, smiling.
Ishika pouted slightly but posed reluctantly. He moved his finger in front of his face, gesturing her to move her hair. She followed his action, flickering her hair behind her ear.
Click
"Done!" Kabir announced, looking at the picture.
Ishika leaned in , trying to look into the camera but he hid it away. She hit him at the shoulder, "Why don't you show me the photos of me you click randomly?"
Kabir frowned suddenly, "How did you know I took photos of you randomly?" He asked, keeping his camera back in his pocket.
Ishika shrugged, "You aren't really subtle ,you know?" She said, plucking a little flower from underneath the tree.
His heart started beating loudly, he took a deep breath , "I...i..., you yourself gave me permission!" Kabir stumbled upon his words.
"Me?" She asked, putting the flower in her hair.
Kabir nodded, "Yes, in the texts you sent. It's a permission,right?" He questioned, hesitantly. "I...actually only you know I click photos and I just practice on those photos nothing else, i promise."
"Calm down, I'm not killing you." Ishika giggled seeing him all flustered. "I give you the permission...but I need to look good!"
Kabir let out a breath, keeping his hand on his chest. "Thankgod!" He muttered under his breath.
"What?"
He turned towards her, flicked her forehead lightly. "I wasn't asking for your permission, stupid!" Kabir laughed, taking the flower out of her hair and running away from her.
Ishika gasped loudly, "KABIRRRR GIVEE IT BACKKK!" She shouted, chasing him.
"No, it's mine now." He ran towards the back of the school where a small flower garden was planted.
She chased him while he laughed at her attempt to catch him. Kabir stopped suddenly at the border of the garden , raising his hand up-the one with the flower.
"Give it back!" Ishika demanded, jumping trying to get hold of it.
She kept her hands on her hips, tired from jumping. She looked up at him and his grinning face. Ishika smirked, she hit him lightly on his knees making him stumble.
"Ow! Ahhh.." Kabir screamed, his balance stumbling. His hands flagged in the air, searching for something to hold.
Ishika's eyes widened, she forwarded her hand forward for him to hold-which he did but his foot slipped at the corner of the soil causing them to fall on the flower bed.
Both of them rolled to the ground, side by side their face towards the sun. For a moment, both of them stayed silent trying to comprehend the impact and situation.
Then they laughed.
"Haha! That was so fun!" Kabir said in between laughter, the flower still in his hand.
Ishika turned her face towards him, "We crushed the flowers, the Principal is not going to be happy!" She muttered, giggling.
He shrugged casually, the movement causing the flowers and grass around to crush. She sighed at him and his casual behaviour though she won't lie it felt amazing to lie on the ground.
Kabir got up from the ground, dusting off the dust from his uniform, he forwarded his hand towards Ishika who was busy looking at the small flowers.
"Come on before we are caught by the gardener!" He said, looking around.
Ishika grabbed his hand, getting up she heard the Principal's voice. Both of their eyes widened in surprise, they started running away when the gardener shouted from behind.
"Aye! Kon hai?"
[Who's it?]
They ran mindlessly, stopping behind the auditorium wall, huffing in exhaustion. Both of them looked at each other, bursting out in laughter.
"That was," Ishika exclaimed , her eyes twinkling in excitement.
"Fun?"
"Amazing?"
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?" Kabir completed her sentence. She giggled remembering the first time he said this word.
"We should go before Ipshita kills Advik!" Ishika muttered , making a move towards the door.
"Yeah!" He followed behind.
Meenakshi,Ipshita and Advik sat, waiting for Kabir and Ishika to come. Ipshita wrote furiously on the pages, dumping it at the side. Meenakshi frowned, straightening the pages Ipshita dumped.
"Looks like your friend isn't really happy!" Advik commented, glancing at Ipshita amused.
"What are you doing here,Advik? You have never participated ever before?" Meenakshi questioned, done by the heavy tension in the air.
Advik leaned back with support from his hand, "There's always a first time." He said, tilting his head.
"Stop playing! And tell the truth." Ipshita warned , her hand curling around the piece of paper.
"Why do you hate me so much?"You used to be my friend?" He asked, his voice fading at last. A flash of hurt visible on his face.
Ipshita rolled her eyes, "Used to be. I regret it." She crossed her arms. "Now come to the point."
Advik sighed, "I always wanted to participate but I was in the basketball team so i couldn't excuse myself from the practice." He answered, shrugging.
"Why now?" Meenakshi asked,her eyebrows raised in confusion.
"I'm the captain now, so I can take advantage of it," He smirked. "And that's the least I can do for my future actress!" He added, looking at Ipshita.
Ipshita paused, her hands hovered over a set of pens and pencils. She gulped trying to focus on writing the dialogues for the act. Her breath started coming in short , she looked up glaring at him.
She opened her mouth to say something when a ball of paper hit her in forehead. Ishika came and sat beside her, a frown etched upon her face. Ipshita looked at Kabir who threw the paper ball, grinning.
"You look like you were this close to murdering him!" He explained, pointing towards Advik.
She threw it back at him, "Would have!" She muttered under her breath.
"I'm not your target!" Kabir commented, passing the paper ball to Advik.
Advik smiled, "Thanks bro!" He kept it inside the pocket.
"Mention not!"
"Where were you two? And why are both of your uniforms half covered in dirt?" Meenakshi questioned, looking at them from head to toe.
"We fell," Kabir answered. "Before you start making weird conclusions, we were running and fell in the dirt." He added. Ishika nodded.
Meenakshi narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything further.
"We haven't even discussed what we will be doing and time is almost over!" Ipshita sighed, gazing at the messed up papers.
Ishika thought for a while, "Why don't we meet up? Kabir and I meet every Saturday and Sunday for study lessons in the library. We can go there?" She suggested.
"That's a good idea! Message us the location, I will make a group chat later!" Meenakshi concluded, helping Ipshita in collecting the papers.
"Sure!"
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