~Rishabh's POV~
"Ahem.." I heard Father cough and instantly shot out of my thoughts. We overheard a knock on the closed cafeteria door.
Huh?
"I hope you don't mind me interrupting your study session here, Mr Rathore but I had invited a few of your classmates previously to join me here.. We have lots to do."
I gulped at the eagerness in Father's voice.
"It's time. Come in." I saw Father usher them in as my gaze travelled to the door, counting the number of heads entering the through the cafeteria door one by one.
'Veronica...check.'
Wasn't she Sanvi's best friend or something? What was she even good at? Drunk dialling her bestie and manipulating her to come down to a stranger's house at the middle of the night feigning danger? I scoffed in my mind.
Sanvi had weird friends.
'Pavan...check.'
Oh, so he was the guy Sanvi called that day while at my house. I felt a little uncomfortable at the idea of Sanvi being friends with that guy...well any person, actually.
'Dhruv...check'
The most deserving out of all the other buffoons. I waved back at my best friend who looked rather cheery upon seeing me.
What was cooking in his mind?
'Aakash...like what even?'
I immediately scrunched my nose in disgust when I saw Aakash strutting in with the usual slappable sneer on his face.
Ugh, if only I could place a smack then and there but what could I even do? The guy, by whatever nefarious means, had managed to do incredibly great in athletics within the short span of time that he had entered our school.
You would think someone couldn't cheat in physical activities but boy, that guy was resourceful.
I didn't understand why would he even hate me? I didn't even know the guy!
I calculated and recalculated in my mind as the students poured into the room.
While I ardently hoped Sanvi Dixit wasn't considered for the team, there was a part in me that felt quite bizzare thinking how she might feel if she was the only one left out while almost all the good students were roped in for the team.
The group was consistent but majority of us barely had an amicable bone in our body to be called 'friends' or even the bare minimum of acquaintances. I wasn't acquainted with anyone other than Dhruv and had Sanvi been in the team, she might have been another one but she wasn't.
Why didn't Father include her?
He included the jerk Aakash but not the second topper of the school, Sanvi Dixit?
What was Father thinking dropping Sanvi out like that?
"Sanaya...check." I counted impatiently under my breath and narrowed my gaze at the door when I found no one entering after her.
What? That was it?
I felt restless.
I had stayed silent all the while Father spoke his part but I felt like I was on the verge of spilling out when I realised that he had dropped Dixit out of the team like that.
I walked upto him, pushing against the throng of those buffoons and stood face to face with him in a challenging stance.
"Father, I might be out of the line for saying this but don't you think you must be forgetting..."
I felt Dhruv tug at my shirt, pulling me back.
"Rishabh.. Rishabh... she's coming." He whispered-yelled making me stiffen immediately.
"I am so sorry, sir." I heard a very known voice as all the eyes darted towards the door and I physically felt the colour drain off of my face.
"Calm yourself down dude.." I saw Dhruv snigger at my outburst.
There she was, standing at the door with one hand in air.
I hadn't seen her in a while. She was in a different section than me and we were both busy with the mid-term exams. Besides, I thought it better to stay out of her way till the Championship.
Normally, I wouldn't have bothered to look twice but we had both parted on such a bizzare note few months back that it almost felt like I was seeing her for the first time after ages.
I looked back at Father with an apologetic face who happened to completely brush off my indolence just a second ago.
"Come in, Miss Dixit..." Father exclaimed as she entered in her usual clumsy manner.
Dress dishevelled, hair scattered like she had just returned after fighting a wild beaver and with mannerisms that totally did not make me want to keep looking at her.
She was just so damn weird and amusing.
She didn't seem to notice me amongst the group. We moved to stand surrounding Father in a circle as Dixit made her way into the room with her head held down, possibly ashamed for her tardiness.
To my utter surprise, she stood right beside me but she never pulled her head up to look at me.
Wow. She was in for the shock of a lifetime.
I couldn't help but keep staring at her on my side as she looked straight at Father beginning with his speech.
"So my treasured children, we've arrived at the point where I can finally present to you the chance of making your school proud for one last time. Each of you is roped into this team in order to carry on with the legacy of your seniors. I know all of you might have questions regarding the sudden shift in the arrangements this time but before we get into that, tell me one thing: Are you all excited?"
"Yes, Father!" Everyone exclaimed in unison. I scoffed under my breath. St. Louis was done for the moment Father agreed for a group participation.
"Now this time, the authorities of the charity wanted to team each school representatives into groups for the several competitions in order to give every deserving student, a chance. Moreover, as the years have gone by, this small endeavor of the inter-school committee has taken the shape of a big event." The entire compound was dead silent, only Father's booming voice reverberating all over. I frowned.
This was so bad.
"Patrons have been called in for the charity meet that will be held during the night of winner's celebration. We've been donating the money to the needy for several years but this year the prize money would go to the deserving student who is economically deprived and is in dire need for a scholarship or financial aid."
I felt shuffling beside me and turned to see a nervous Dixit biting her finger nails anxiously while listening to Father's words intently. Her eyes were sparkling.
I wondered whether it was the money aspect of the competition that had gotten her all riled up? I couldn't help but chuckle silently at her antics.
"And as you already know, the Championship will be held between ten best high schools of the city. You will be tested on a plethora of fields that might be of your interests. All you need to do is find your strength in a specialized task and go for it. Practice hard till the last minute. I hope you will perform well and rope in the trophy this time as well. Although a group task might not be easy since you'll basically be dependent on your partner but I hope you'll work it out for the best." Father paused for that sink in us.
"I have chosen you guys as you are some of the best students of our school. I hope you wont disappoint us. Mind you, St. Louis had been the the victor of the Championship for the past five years. I don't want you breaking our traditional spree."
It didn't take long for Father's momentary cheery tone to be replaced by his usual strict and grave baritone. The atmosphere around had suddenly gotten chilly as I gazed upon the tensed faces of my supposed team-mates, each looking like they've been woken up from a dream and told that there were in the Apocalypse.
How were we even supposed to mingle among the other school teams when we weren't sure if we could mingle among our own selves?
I kept staring at Father with disdain.
"For any other information, consult the pamphlet. The levels of the competitions are explained in it as well as the criteria for distribution of sub teams among yourselves." Father pulled out a bundle of the pamphlets to hand us out.
Quite unfortunately, when it was my turn, I grabbed the only pamphlet left in his hand and felt a soft hand grab my own, attempting to pull the pamphlet for themselves.
I knew the touch.
I froze at my spot and felt her freeze with me.
Oh boy. She was about to get that shock now.
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To Be Continued.