"Hey, Rai. I'm sorry for forgetting our day out. You know how bad I am at remembering things."
Ankita tried to coax Rai who paid no heed to her and kept walking straight. Seeing that Rai was not paying her attention, Ankita ran around and stood in front of her, blocking the way.
"What are you doing?" Rai said, slightly wrinkling her brows.
"Where are you going?" Ankita said with a pout.
"Home." Rai coldly replied.
"Ah. Why? Didn't you say we will be going to the park today?" Ankita grabbed Rai by her wrists.
Rai shook Ankita's hold away and folded her hands over her chest, saying, "Why, you ask? Because a friend of mine was supposed to go out with me today, but she completely forgot. And here I was, waking up early and getting ready for our day out."
There was a smile on her face but her voice did not reflect it. Ankita lowered her head. For some time none of them said anything.
Seeing Ankita's drooping expression, Rai gave in. She started walking again.
Ankita said in panic, "Where are you going?"
Her eyes became moist. She knew she was at fault but what could she do now?
"Hm? To the park. Why? You don't want to go?" Rai turned back and said, raising a brow.
Her expression was still serious. Hearing that Ankita's eyes lit up. She ran up to Rai with a big smile and and hugged her arm.
"Let's go."
Rai shook her head, "I'll let you off the hook this once."
It was 7:30 in the morning so most people were already done with their morning walk. Only a few old folks were gossiping near the fountain while some young women in tracksuits were resting on the benches. The area was pretty big. The front part had several benches and a fountain while the rest of the area was covered with tall trees. Winding tracks led deeper inside the park.
The duo was casually taking a stroll. Ankita had picked up a branch and was now using the it to tickle Rai. In retaliation, the latter chased after her. They ran a long way and was almost out of breath, but Rai still managed to catch Ankita.
"Gotcha." She tickled her back.
They both fell to the ground, laughing. After catching their breath, they walked over to the meadow on the side and found a clean spot to sit. Wild bushes with strange fruits grew here and there. Ankita picked them up and tried to juggle, but failed miserably. Rai laughed at her and got smacked on the shoulder. The two laid down on the soft grass.
After talking about this-and-that Rai asked, "Ankita, I've been meaning to ask this for a long but I wanted to give. Please, tell me the truth. What happened between you and Koushik?"
Ankita paused. Rai waited for her to speak.
"It's a bit complicated," Ankita said with a sigh.
She sat up facing Rai and continued, "I know he isn't at fault but I also can't stop myself from blaming him."
Rai frowned but did not interfere with her flow.
After another pause Ankita said, "Remember the day I fell ill? It's because his obsessive fans bullied me. They were jealous of how well we got along with each other. That day they dragged me into the washroom and forced me to drink soap water. And these bruises..."
She looked down at the faint brown marks on her skin. They had almost healed by then.
"...were caused by them. They grabbed me in these places and also threatened to make me even more miserable if I did not change my seat. But..."
"But what?" Rai asked, she was furious at those fans.
"They left me alone for a few days but then they started torturing me again. They would pinch me hard in places you cannot see, it would leave bruises. They would also yank my hair or throw waste food at me..."
She could not continue anymore.
Behind a tree, not far from where they were sitting, Koushik clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white. He was pretending to read while hiding. To avoid being recognised by Tricks, he wore a baggy t-shirt, mask and cap. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Guilt flashed in his eyes. It took all of him to not rush out there and hug her tightly, and apologize for the suffering she faced because of him. He wanted to know everything before taking action.
"Why didn't you tell him about all this? It's his problem but you're the one suffering." Rai said, secretly glancing at the place where Koushik was hiding.
"No. He's not at fault. It's not his responsibility that some of his fans are this crazy. I know that if I told him he would definitely try to help me. We're friends." Ankita shook her head.
Koushik's clenched fist loosened a little after hearing her last word – We're friends.
"But helping me would bring him trouble. Who knows how far those crazy people blinded by jealousy will go? They might even end up harming him if I don't leave. They might think that if they can't get him nobody else should either. Especially when that person is inferior to them in every possible way. They're the top students. Teachers favour them and they also maintain a good image. Do you think people will believe me if I said anything against them?" Ankita said with a self-mocking smile.
Rai hugged her tightly and caressed her back, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. Don't worry just tell me the names. I'll teach them a lesson."
Ankita held her palm and said, "Don't. They're too powerful. I don't want you to face their wrath because of me. And I'll be changing schools anyway."
Koushik's eyes widened.