Innocence
Every day, @ 5, when the school-bell used to ring, Raju would make a dash for the Van to grab a seat beside Sweeti Didi. He liked her presence. Sweeti Didi lived next door to Raju’s & they grew up playing together. There was only one problem – Raju hated calling her “DIDI”… … …
Sweeti’s younger sister Richa – everyone used to find her adorable. And, Richa, in fact, had a massive crush on Raju. So every now & then, she would come to Raju’s house to borrow some ‘Chini’ or ‘Help’ Raju’s mother. Raju, being a boy he was, would occasionally bully her. Little Richa would relish those moments… … …
Wretched Love
Autumn came. With it, came the Adolescence… Sweeti was now famous in entire ‘Mohalla’. Raju had started wearing full trousers to the school. Richa had also turned into a fine sport…
Owing to Sweeti’s insistence, Raju had agreed to become Richa’s dance partner. In return, Sweeti had granted him an unconditional favour which could be encashed in time in future. While Raju was still building some courage (to face Sweeti & encash the favour), Richa was getting closer to him by each passing day. In the dance practices, when he would hold by the waist, she would become conscious. Her body would become stiff. Couple of times, accidently, she even hit him on the chin…
One day, Raju told Richa how friends are teasing him by her name. “How Foolish r they, to hook us up like that!!!“ he laughed. “Do u like someone else??” She asked him, making an effort to keep the smile. “Maybe…” he winked @ her… … …
Richa stopped coming to dance practices. n started avoiding Raju. Because, even a mere site of Raju – with his evergreen smile – would cause her insides to burn. She grew distant… n temperamental… One day, when Raju wasn’t around, Richa went to his house, and secretly stashed some Adult Magazines under his bed. A couple of hours later, Raju’s mother found them while cleaning… … …
The Aftermath
Came June, n Raju was unceremoniously sent to a Boarding school in Nasik. Leaving Home for the 1st time in life, Raju vouched never to return to his beloved city. As years went by, he became a perpetual traveller – Nasik-Surat-Bhubaneshvar-Ahmedabad-Delhi… Yet he dreaded Home-coming…
Sweeti never got to know what really happened. The household maid told her a ‘Spiced-up’ version. “Pervert,” she sighed & went about her life…
n Richa?? Richa was devastated. She had never imagined the ramifications of her actions. The evening Raju left, She looked herself into the mirror n went paralyzed… She had turned into a Vampire…
P.S. As for Sweeti n Raju, fate did choose to cross their paths 7 years later… in an utterly absurd situation… but anyways, that’s a different story altogether……
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