CHAPTER 08 - Am I in LOVE?

Raisha now twelve years in age, thin and tall, had an attractive face with broad lips and a fine complexion. Raisha and her two friends were ready to move to a new grade at school. But the three girls were so anxious and worried. They held their hands so tightly. Three of them could not utter a word. At last, that moment they were waiting had come.

Sheekha... said Mrs. Ashoka in a loud voice.

Yes, Teacher.... replied Sheekha Timidly.

You are in 7 D class. Go to the fourth line and join with those girls.

Sheekha first looked at Raisha and gently touched her palm. Raisha, unable bear the sorrow that is going to split her heart, was looking down to hide the tears rolling down her cheeks. Sheekha who had a strong heart too, has sunk in sadness and her eyes too were filled with hot tears. Although Milee was sad, she was too busy to keep her ear on to what her teacher was saying.

Sheekha are you still here? Move quickly .... said Mrs. Ashoka with an angry notion.

Now the two friends knew that this is the time for that. They looked at each of them. Their eyes met with each other. Both their eyes were melancholy, and their faces were withered with a great grief. They hugged each other and soon Sheekha without saying a word went away from Raisha and Milee.

Watching this whole scene Mrs. Ashoka gave an odd look and said...,

Here Raisha... Do not be so gloomy and sad darling.... I am still reading the name list of class "D". Who knows that your name too is added to the same list? Listen carefully ok...

Ok teacher.... I will be…. said Raisha who was touched by her teacher's persuasion.

This news was a great relief to Raisha and Sheekha who were bonded so tightly to each other. Raisha's whole attention was focused to Mrs. Ashoka's voice, with widely opened eyes and even Raisha was standing on her toes.

Raisha waited until Mrs. Ashoka's voice broke up with...

So, this is the last name of seven "D". Ok girls...

It is Santhushya....

Then only Raisha understood that Mrs. Ashoka was teasing and played the fool on her. Raisha was struck with such an agony. With a broken heart Raisha lay silent when suddenly their teacher calls upon her name to join the 7 "F" group. Then she sadly said goodbye to Milee and to Mrs. Ashoka.

Now, Milee was left alone, and she was praying the God for asking that her name either go under the list of 7"D" or 7 "F". She thought that she could be happy either with Raisha or Sheekha. She knew that she had a that kind of luck so awaited with light heart until finally to hear her class group.

Milee you can join the 7 "F" group.... said Mrs. Ashoka without noticing how happy Milee was.

Milee flew like a bird to Raisha and took her hand with a great pleasure of reunion. Raisha unable to clarify her thoughts, smiled with her "new only" friend.

All the girls said good bye to their teacher. Some had really missed Mrs.Ashoka while some of them wanted to leave her as soon as possible, including Raisha. Raisha disliked her because she paid her attention only to some selected girls and neglected the rest in a kind less manner. So, Raisha holding Milee's hand, hurried up to her class to catch a proper spot for them to sit.

When all the girls sent to new grade seven classes the assigned class teachers joined them to start an entirely new calendar year happily.

************************************************************

Raisha and Milee adjusted themselves to be with each other as before, and gradually they got attached to each other so much. They talked on their family members, their relatives, their likes, and dislikes and of course about "boys". But they never talked of their future ambitions or who they want to be after leaving the school. Both did not have a special aim or target on education. Raisha who was a bright child since the primary age, had deviated by this friendship. Raisha's interest on learning had melt away imperceptibly as their friendship grew up.

They wandered everywhere at school holding their hands and talking shedload things. But as usual Milee, who was a talkative lass, did most of the speaking while Raisha listened to her stories, occasionally expressing her views. Sometimes Milee was not ready to listen to them and hardly considered them as important.

Sometimes they were late to the lessons. They both got punished for that. However, nothing could stop the two friends from this walking habit.

But one day when Raisha attended the school to her surprise, Milee was not there. Normally Milee comes to school earlier than Raisha and informed her earlier about the reason for her absence to school the next day.

But why didn't she already tell me about this? Raisha thought to herself.

That day Raisha looked so gloomy and felt lonely. She had to stay the whole day in the classroom and attended for the work properly. Raisha missed her friend so much on that day.

At the end of the school time Raisha thought to herself..., Milee will come to school on tomorrow for sure. I will not be alone tomorrow then.

But for her great despair Milee got absent the next day as well. Raisha was so disappointed and thought to find out the reason for Milee getting absent. Raisha thought to find out about this byasking from the girls who travelled in Milee's school van. But Raisha who was not likely to speak anybody not familiar, did not have any courage to talk to themon this. A whole week had passed away, but Raisha was unable to find any news on Milee's absence.

*******************************************

It was the last few days of the month of March and the whole surrounding getting ready for the new year festival. The school yard is covered with different coloured fallen flower petals. The school bell rang to end up the schoolwork. All the girls packed their school bags and placed the chairs in the proper place and stood straight to sing the school anthem. Then a hymn was followed by and at last the bell rang again for the girls to leave the school. All the girls formed lines to exit from the main gate. Raisha holding her bag joined a line to walk towards the gate keeping her eyes on her moving shoes in a lethargic way. Her thoughts were focused to Milee's absence.

Then Raisha crossed the road with the help of the police officer in the pedestrian crossing with some other girls and walked straightly to her school van. On the way Raisha saw some boys were walking towards her and she felt shy, and she kept on looking down until they all passed away. Then Raisha seeing that the boys had already passed her by, she took a long breath of relief.

Raisha reached her school van and got into it. As soon as she took her seat, the boy who was sitting in the front seat, next to the driver, gave her an envelope by turning himself to look at Raisha with a smile.

Raisha gasped and could not even believe her eyes. Raisha lay unable to speak as usual and unable to believe her eyes, but an inner force accompanied her to stretch her hand to collect the envelope automatically from the most handsome boy she had ever seen in her life. Her body was wet with sweat and she slowly turned her head to the envelope. Then she heard a voice saying...,

Raisha you have to hand over the school van fee by tomorrow. You must place the amount of money in that envelope and give it to me ok...said the school van driver looking at Raisha from the front mirror.

Raisha quickly nodded her head to say yes and turned her eyes away immediately. Raisha wanted to hide her facial expression from the driver.

Raisha still looking outside the window tried to figure out the way he looked at her in her mind. Soon she tried to remind the name of the handsome lad.

"Yohan" yes that is his name. Yohan was a handsome and a decent boy from a respectable family. He was one year older than Raisha. Many girls from Raisha 's school kept their eyes on this good-looking guy. Raisha felt so happy that Yohan handed over the envelope to herself in that way. Raisha assumed that the girls who are interested on Yohan, would have thought that the envelope consists of a "love letter". They might have broken their hearts... a smile sparkled on Raisha's face.

Some elder girls of Raisha's school were watching this whole scene standing by the roadside without Raisha's notice. They thought the same way as Raisha had thought and felt a brief flash of jealousy.

At last, the time came to get down from the school van as she was the first to get down. After getting down she passed the school van from the front and again she got a chance to look at Yohan. She watched him from the far edge of her eyes and as a result she could not get a clear view on him. But for her great delight she could make sure he was gazing at her from the left side of the wind screen to the right end of it.

Raisha in a cheerful notion entered the home, went straight into her room to lie down on the bed to dream about Yohan and forgot to change her clothes and even to wash the lunch box itself.