"Don't try to evade the question, Ankita. I'm not blind. These are clearly finger marks. Who clutched your wrists this hard to leave bruises? When did this happen?" Koushik was perturbed.
Ankita pursed her lips, and turned away from him.
Koushik sat down on the floor and softened his tone, "Ankita, please, look at me. Tell me, why there are such conspicuous bruises on your arms? Who did this to you?"
Ankita cried, "What's your problem, Koushik? I said that I got these because I bumped into something. But you won't believe me. What's the point in asking the same question over and over again? If you have nothing better to say, kindly leave."
'Fooo... There's no point in getting vexed. I need to calm down and talk to her.' He closed his eyes to calm himself.
"Listen, Ankita, I don't know why you're trying to deny it, but I'm certain that these are finger marks. You cannot convince me otherwise. Well, let's suppose you got these bruises because you bumped into something. Then, tell me where did you crash to get hurt in these places?" He said pointing his finger at her wrist and upper elbow.
Ankita fumbled "I... I... these... I bumped into... uh... yeah... I hit the... side of my desk and... uh... and I... I crashed on the door frame. That's it. And I got these bruises."
"Even a five-year-old won't believe your words. You know what, Ankita? Even if I have known you for a few months only, I can tell that you're a bad liar. You never once looked me in the eye saying this. And do you take me for a fool? Was the desk or the door frame in the shape of a palm that they gripped you and you got five consecutive marks?"
Ankita could not answer that. Koushik also stayed silent for some time. He could not understand the reason behind her strange behaviour. Ankita was a very friendly and jolly person. In all these months he never saw her get into a conflict with anyone in their class. And they also liked her silly antics.
Like one time, Ankita knew the answer to a question, and raised her hand excitedly, but forgot she was holding the smart pen. In her excitement, it flew from her hand, spun in the air, hit the ceiling and landed on the teacher's head so hard that she had to put ice on it. The class laughed about it for the whole day. Another time, she somehow slipped and fell down while getting up from her bench, and slid under the desk. There was also one incident, where Ankita accidentally called the teacher Maa instead of Miss. Once, she asked a question on Biology when the Physics teacher asked if anyone had a question from the lesson taught. And another day, when she got drenched while drinking water because the cap accidentally came undone.
Sometimes, she brought homemade pastries for him. After first, he tried to refuse as he had a diet to maintain as an idol. But Ankita deliberately fanned the smell towards him and praised how deliciously soft and creamy they looked. Moreover, they were all of his favourite flavours. So ultimately, he always gave in to temptation and in the name of having just one tiny bite, he always ended up having anything but a small bite which was the whole cake, most of the time.
Recalling those happy moments motivated him to bring her smile back.
He tried once more.
"Ankita, I don't like seeing you withered like this. What happened to you?"
"What the hell Koushik! Why are you pestering me? How many times do I have to tell you I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. And even if I am not why should I tell you? Who are you? We're not friends. Why should I tell a stranger about my personal things? Get out of here. I don't want to see you. I hate you. Now get out of my sight." Ankita shouted in one breath and lowered her head, breathing heavily.
She clenched the bedsheet with both hands, and bit her lips hard, trying to stop the tears that threatened to overflow her red stinging eyes.
Koushik froze. He could not believe what he just heard.
'We... are not... friends? We're... not... friends? I... I was pes... pestering her. I... I was... pe... No, no. How... how can that be? I... we... th.. that can't be... But... That's... right, we only know each other for a few months. How can we be friends when we only knew each other for just a couple of months? Ankita is nice to everybody. She's this friendly with any other student. I mistook her behaviour. It's my fault. I took things too personally, and thought, since we were comfortable with each other and she was so nice to me and... made me feel like with her, I was not just a performer in stage, but a normal boy, we were friends. Haah, right, I overthought things and misinterpreted them. She's right, why should she tell me something? I'm... just a... stran...'
He swallowed. Calling them strangers felt so difficult.
'But she said it so easily. She must've meant it, right. Otherwise, how could she...'
He stared blankly at her face for a while. Probably hoping she would say something, like she did not mean it and it was just a joke, or he misheard everything or anything but what she said.
But Ankita did not. Her head was lowered and turned away from him, and her loose hair hid her face from his view. So, Koushik did not notice the teardrop that rolled down her left cheek and made a faint damp spot on her t-shirt. He also could not see her knuckles, which had turned white from clenching the bedsheet.
Ankita felt his gaze on her. Her body trembled as she held herself from bursting into tears, but Koushik thought she was shaking from anger and hatred towards him. He sighed heavily. Swallowing the pain in his throat, he got up slowly and looked at her.
'You... won't even want to look at me now?'
Heaving another sigh, he cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry. You... you're right. It was... wrong for me to force you to... talk to me. I just thought that we... never mind. Sorry, Ankita. Uh... oh... yes... I... brought some homemade chocolate for you. My father sent some for me. I'm... keeping it here, on the table. You can... eat it if you want... and yeah... it's also fine if you don't want to... just throw them away. I'll... take... my leave."
His voice cracked as he spoke. He stiffly took out the small box of chocolates, that he had kept very carefully in his pocket and put it on the table.
Looking at Ankita one last time he left the room.