The Two Lost Hearts

Chapter 4

Rakesh and Shikha both fell in love with each other in their school days. They lived in the same locality in Meerut, and their houses were located only a few blocks apart.

In their initial days, they fought many times like a dog and cat. If Rakesh said yes, then Shikha would say no; if Rakesh chose friendship, then Shikha would choose enmity. Shikha’s friends were Rakesh’s enemies, and Shikha’s enemies were Rakesh’s friends. The same was true for Shikha as well. They were like two opposite magnetic poles, attracted to each other. They were the North Pole and the South Pole.

“Shikha, give me our ball,” Rakesh demanded rudely. They had never exchanged friendly words with each other. Their planetary stars never matched. Whenever they met, they would gaze at each other like two inborn rivals.

In fact, Rakesh and his best friend, Roshan, along with all the other local boys, used to play cricket near the compound of Shikha’s house, and every day the cricket ball hit the windows of her house and many times broke the window glass. It made her irritated and angry. It also disturbed her evening studies.

“No, I can’t give you your ball,” Shikha replied flatly. “First of all, you promise me that you won’t play here anymore. Then, I will give you your ball.”

“This is our playground,” Rakesh roared and stood like a giant rock. “We will play here. Nobody can dare to stop us.”

“Okay, fine. I will not return your ball.” Shikha also stood firm and stiff in her resolve.

“I don’t care. We have another ball.” Rakesh was stubborn; he wouldn’t bow down before her.

“Ew…Ew….” Shikha stuck out her tongue. She didn’t return the ball and went inside her house, swinging her hands in the air and tossing the cricket ball like the queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmi Bai, brave and unbeatable, celebrating her triumph.

“I’ll see you in school tomorrow,” Rakesh warned her, fisting his right hand and pointing his index finger.

“Eh…Eh….”

“You filthy girl!” Rakesh was fuming with rage. His face was bathed in perspiration.

“Roshan, bring our spear cricket ball.”

“Sorry, we’ve no more spear ball.”

WHAT? Rakesh wanted to yell aloud, but he couldn’t. He had to accept his defeat. But it had hurt his prestige and ego. He was out of control. His temper rose high. He bit his lips in rage. I’ll show you tomorrow what I can do. If I don’t make you cry tomorrow, my name is not Rakesh, he vowed to himself.

Rakesh and his g**g of boys had to halt their cricket match in the middle.

Shikha peeped from the window of her house to witness the sullen faces of Rakesh and his g**g of players who were sitting under the tree, holding their heads in desperation and anguish. She laughed aloud in wild ecstasy. It was like the biggest moment of her life. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I’ve defeated him.”

They were studying in the same school. Shikha was one class junior to Rakesh. Shikha was in the eighth standard, and Rakesh was in the ninth standard.

The next day, in school, Rakesh spread rumors about Shikha, claiming that she had once peed in her bed when she was in the sixth standard. It was spreading like wildfire, and his g**g of boys got the golden opportunity to pull her leg. They started teasing Shikha intolerably.

“Shikha, we have heard that you peed on your bed when you were in the sixth standard… Shikha, is that true?”

“So shameful… So shameful…”

“Are you still peeing on your bed?”

They laughed at her, holding their stomachs. They teased her until she felt annoyed and bound her to run away from there.

“Who has said that nonsense stuff?” Shikha knew very well that it was the dirty game being played by Rakesh. She tried to counter them, but she couldn’t silence them. She was surrounded by her enemies. She was all alone to fight back or resist them. She was dreadfully trapped in the whirlpool of Rakesh.

“Everybody knows about you.”

The entire Shikha’s classmates, both boys and girls, came to know her secret. She also knew that she used to pee when she was in her sixth standard. She couldn’t deny the fact. But how could she accept that fact in front of everybody? Everybody has his or her own secrets.