PUNIT’S POV 

Okay, got what I need, and now I’m headed home! 

We’re planning to cook some khichdi tonight. And she’s a splendid cook, have I told you? Give her any ingredient. She’ll make something great out of it, and one look is all that she takes to get ideas.  

So, where were we? Ah, yes! That day, she headed to the principal’s office to complain. Well, it didn’t work. Ask me why I’m not surprised. That guy was a chicken and didn’t have the spine to lift a finger against the chairman’s son. Well, I can’t blame him. He has to save his ass. He and he alone must, because no one else will save it for him. 

So, one afternoon, as I was taking a cautious stroll in the school grounds, (cautious because, you know… this bully Sibal would lurk in the corner waiting to bash me up) I chanced upon a ruckus. There was a hell lot of noise and all the kids had gathered around to see what was happening. And now, I was curious, too. 

“What’s going on?” I asked and stood on my toes, craning my neck to peer beyond the sea of heads. 

Being tall had its plus points. I could reach anywhere. Well, not everywhere. And I could take the backbench or be the last in a row. It was a blessing considering that Sibal was shorter and had to stay in the front of wherever he went, be it a bench or a row.  

He was chunky, like a piece of meat, had man boobs, and was shorter by a couple of inches. But that didn’t make his punches any softer. God, I hate him. Guess I said that already?  

So, when I peered over, guess what I saw? I’ll give you a hint. Whatever I saw out there made me utterly happy.  

Sibal was getting mauled!

By Anki!

Can you believe that?

Let’s admit, I was happy. I could break a marathon hurdle record. I was THAT happy! He deserved it! Sucker used to taunt me a LOT for no reason at all! I’d always dreamt of watching him getting butt-caned in full view of the school or at least get into the most humiliating moment of his life, but alas, it never happened, until now. My joy knew no bounds!

I wondered why he was getting bashed up, though!

“Kick his ass!” someone cheered beside me. I won’t lie. That startled me so badly that I almost jumped out of my shorts.

But wow! Looks like I wasn’t the only one who loathed this guy? There were many others. Why else would they cheer on this? Some were even hooting, for God’s sake.

It was deafening. It felt like I was in the Roman Colosseum watching a fight to the death between gladiators. NOT. More like a bullfight, rather. And this little matador was getting gored to death by Anki. She was literally kicking him around like a plastic cup. I did not know what got her so possessed.

In time, he trembled when he tried clambering to his knees. But one kick to his side made him bite the dust yet again.

There was a hell lot of oohs which stopped when out of nowhere the teachers charged with their canes. All of us scattered like bullets. Thanks to Sibal, I was great at sprinting, so it didn’t take me long to cover up the whole ground in one stride.

When I’d found a safe hiding spot behind a tree, I saw Anki being dragged away to the Principal’s office. Sincerely, I hoped they didn’t hurt her. I was damn sure that she’d done nothing wrong.

So, I inched closer and hung around.

Mr. Shah, our chicken poop principal, was about to hit her with a cane. But man, talk about defiance and guts. She just crossed her arms and refused to give in. And that’s when he grabbed her by the skirt and tried to whack her ass.

“Don’t touch me!” She snarled like an angry cat and knocked his cane away. “I’ve done nothing wrong! If you dare, pick on that mutt, Sibal. If you have issues with me, talk to my parents about it!”

I just blinked. Like seriously, what creature was she?

Even the teachers looked embarrassed.

“How dare you! HOW DARE YOU!” Mr. Shah was trembling in fury. The guy was so huge and flabby that he looked like a giant hippo.

I wanted to hang around and know more, but unfortunately, I had to get back to class.

A while later, I saw her dad for the first time. She was with him, too. They were having a chat as they walked past our class. I really wanted to know what happened.

I remember fidgeting in my seat to get a better look at him. After all, he was Anki’s father, and I wanted to know everything about her.

Ratan Agarwal. That’s his name. He had salt and pepper hair, glasses, and sharp, piercing eyes. On the first impression, he looked like a hot-tempered, no-nonsense guy. Maybe that was where Anki got her fury from?

That was the first time I felt a powerful pull towards her. I don’t know what it was. Admiration? Curiosity? Or attraction? I felt like a helpless fanboy. I wanted to get close to her. Grab her attention. Be her friend. Be everything!

I ended up thinking about her several times in the day.

My eyes were quick to spot her almost anywhere, even from amidst a crowd.

My ears were eternally up to listen to what she had to say, or what others had to say about her.

I defended her when anyone spoke shit about her. Not that anyone did. She was so rightful in all her ways.

I followed her. Secretly. Um… is that stalking, by the way? I refuse to believe that. I wasn’t stalking her. Um… was I? 

I don’t know why the heck I was following her, I mean, like what exactly did I want to find out? Beats me. Maybe it was the way she walked around with that guitar strapped over her back. It made her look so special as if she wasn’t already. I learned that she took music lessons when the rest of the school pigged out on their lunch. How fab is that?

But I’ll admit it, I was shit scared. From the way I was going on, I was damn sure, someday, I was going to get caught tailing her, by someone or the other. And if it was going to be her who caught me red-handed, well, God save me. I’d seen the way she’d mauled Sibal. She was strong and didn’t give a damn about anything or anyone. Yet, something told me that she’d have spared me. She would, right? Um…

So, one day, it happened. She caught me! I don’t know how; she must have sensed someone pursuing her.

I was as usual ‘stalking’ her all the way to the girl’s room (without even knowing it) when all of a sudden, she whipped around and faced me with a Clint Eastwood expression.

I was dead. I felt like I’d rammed head-on into a brick wall. I could do nothing but fidget and twiddle. I’d even considered running away when she asked that question.

“Why’re you following me?”

“Uh-what?” I gurgled.

“I asked, why are you following me?”

“Um… um… g-gui-guitar?”

“What?”

“Guitar… c-can I see your guitar?”

She looked surprised. “Sure,” she said after a moment and pulled it out of the bag.

Man. That thing was a b-e-a-uty. That smooth polish made her bod look so glossy as if drizzled with melted caramel, you could actually lick it off. Um… did that sound a little erotic? Hmm… Never mind.

So, that was the first time we kind of actually talked. It was scary, to be honest. For a moment, I really did think that she’d punch me. Thankfully, she didn’t. From that day forth, I made it a point to be a little extra careful. And that meant watching her from a distance. I also found out that most of the kids were scared of her. Probably because she was so hot-headed? Or maybe because she was too quiet and timid? She didn’t really talk much. She opened up only to a handful like Rachel and Vaidehi. They were the privileged ones who got to see her bright, dazzling smile. And now I got to see it too. Secretly. Um… you shouldn’t be stalking Punit.