My life has nothing to do with anyone. I just like being myself and avoiding social contact, until someone came into my life and dragged me to experience all the beauty that I was avoiding.
During the first day of our new session, a new girl was transferred to our school. She looked bold and charismatic, or so I thought. Well, you can understand what happens when a new student comes into class; everyone wants to befriend them, share stuff, and get to know each other. But it didn't happen in our class. I didn't understand why there was silence in the class. I was so confused and desperate to know why they were acting like that. However, I didn't have enough courage to break my anti-social wall and talk to anyone. The new girl who transferred seemed to feel lonely, and I didn't know why, but looking at her made my heart ache like crazy. It felt like I was experiencing the same thing my whole life, but I never paid attention to it. I really wanted to cheer her up and assure her that everything would be alright, but I couldn't even stand up for myself.
During the lunch break, I thought the girls would talk to her and befriend her, but she was still alone. I wanted to hold her hand and take her out of that lonely environment created by our classmates. On my way home, I kept thinking about her. My mind was full of her thoughts—why she was being treated like that, why she had to deal with all that stuff, how she was feeling. It's not like I loved her or anything, but seeing someone suffer from the same stuff felt so frustrating. I just couldn't stop thinking about her while eating, sleeping—gosh, I just can't express how I feel.
The next day at school, she was talking to other girls, and I felt relieved that she could have a normal school life. But it was just an act. The girls took her to the rooftop and bullied her. On my way out, I noticed that her bicycle was still in the parking stand. It was already past 5, and I couldn't stop myself from looking for her. I searched all the classrooms, labs, and the washroom, but she was nowhere to be found. I didn't know what to do; it was so frustrating and annoying when you wanted to do something good for someone and just couldn't. I was about to give up and go home when suddenly I heard some banging sounds. I couldn't tell exactly where they were coming from, but I had a little hope that she was making the noise. I just remembered her name and desperately shouted with all my might, "Apurva! Apurva! Apurva!" Still, there was no response. It felt like I was some drunk idiot shouting a girl's name in the middle of the night. It was so disappointing and embarrassing that my inner self could die. Well, maybe I was thinking too much about her. On my way to the staircase...
Suddenly, I heard the sound of banging again, like someone was knocking on an iron door with all their power. But this time, I could tell where it was coming from because there was only one iron door in the school. I rushed towards the sound, which was coming from the rooftop.
I reached there, but when I was about to open the door, I was a little scared and anxious. I opened the door and found her tied to a pole next to the door. I didn't know what she did to have to suffer like that... Her tears, her scars, everything shattered my heart into millions, billions of pieces, each broken piece hurting me a thousand times.
I furiously untied her and just held her swollen hands gently. I didn't know what to say, how to say it, why all of this was happening to her, how she was feeling, if she was alright, but I just stayed silent (maybe I'm a coward after all). I gave her water from my bottle and some snacks that I had in my bag. On the way to the parking stand, she asked why I helped her, how I found her, if I was with those girls too. My voice just choked upon hearing her. Seeing her like that was so relaxing that I didn't even understand what she was asking. All I said was, "It's just a coincidence." I wanted to say so much more, to tell her that I couldn't stand seeing her all alone, but I had already done so many embarrassing things that I lost all my social energy. She just nodded her head in agreement and asked, "Alright then, friend, what's your name?"
"Prajwal... okay... yeah, okay."
According to me, that time felt magically beautiful because it was the first time she spoke with such elegant expression. Her tangled hair blowing in the wind, her dazzling eyes—her beauty was so magnificent that I couldn't stop looking at her. I don't even know when I started falling for her. The look on her face was so different than it was in class.
When we were about to take separate roads, she seemed a little scared or something—I couldn't understand. I wanted to ask her more about herself, her hobbies, her likes, her family, but a slow start is always better than a furious accident. As we walked a little, I embarrassingly shouted, "Bye, see you tomorrow!" (It was so embarrassing to shout in the middle of the road.) She didn't answer back; she just ran off furiously. I felt a little disappointed because she didn't answer whether she wanted to be friends or not.
When I reached home, it was so different from any casual day. I felt happy and energetic even after so much hassle. All my life, I never knew what love was or how it felt, but you know, people say that "We can only learn to love by loving." I never thought of helping a strange girl whom I didn't know very well, and yet, I did all those things for her.
Somehow, I feel like I found a piece of my heart that has been missing for years, and now it's complete. So, I don't want to lose it ever again. No, I will never lose it again.
I am pretty sure that was the best day and the happiest day of my life. Only one thing is on my mind, though—her. What will happen tomorrow, how will she smile, what kind of hairstyle will she have... and so on. But amidst all this happiness, I suddenly come back to reality and think about what will happen to her tomorrow. Will the girls bully her again? Will she complain about them? So much overthinking.