A week passed just like this, everyday me and Asher try to took out as much time possible to be with Michiko but we only get to be with her for the starting two days because out of sudden she disappeared somewhere, I mean not just she is absent in the lectures plus she is literally nowhere in the university too and this confused us to the core. Apart from this one thing that also changed between us is that, on daily basis together we both enter inside the university at the same time and this gives us our me time some more.
...
Well, like as usual today too, we walk together for our first lecture but just before we could enter inside the room I feel a hand on my shoulder and I stop immediately, stand straight in the complete alert mode because some thoughts start echoing inside my head.....
is she going to hurt me, what to do step away or stay like this? what if she thinks I hate her and I don't want this to happen but what to do with this much closeness from her side. What if father come to know about this, then how will he react?
However, I guess feeling me not walking with her anymore, Asher turn back and for few seconds I think her face showed concern for me but she cover it up soon then start speaking...
Asher: (With raised eyebrows) Siya, what is this? why you stop in the middle, I was saying something right? Then why you stopped walking?
The moment she stop speaking, I feel that hand off my shoulder and I took a deep breath internally, I take steps forward, toward Asher in hurry and Carissa followed our steps from behind. Soon we settled down on our seats, after a minute or two Savannah too entered in the room and settled beside us. While patiently sitting down there and waiting for lecturer to come, Asher look at me in a way as if asking me 'whether I am okay or not?.' I just nod my head in positive.
After five minutes the lecturer step inside the room and at the same time Michiko too enter inside the room, both literally collided.
Me/Asher: O shit/ouch.
The lecturer and Michiko both stand maintaining some distance between them, both of them rubbing their head. I guess ten to twenty seconds passed like this, soon Michiko apologises to her politely by bending her head a little and in reply of this lecturer nod her head in understanding. Just right after this Michiko turned right, she looked at us first then she start walking towards her usual seat.
Soon everyone got settled down, the lecturer started teaching but as usual my mind started his own conversation....
Mind: Bro, did you notice that, it was written in her eyes that as if he had lot to say?
Me: Yeah I guess for a second, I thought she wanted to say lot of things but her body language showed as if may be she is happy.
Mind: Ohh okay. Well, I am still confused thinking about her absence from the university that happens suddenly.
Me: Yes.
Mind: Huhh how people can be so much touchy? Why I feel so much uncomfortable with Carissa's touch?
Me: I don't know.
Just like this lecture passed by, before going out of the room she announce something which brought a smile on my face...
Lecturer: All of the head students, got to principal's room for a meeting related to sport's day.
Hearing this, I looked at Asher and to me my surprise she too was looking at me, we both smiled at each other then knowingly slightly nod our head. However, soon our smile turned into frown because we have one more person left to deal with it, before having our together time to be with Michiko.
Well, after saying this the lecturer walk out of the room and soon we too walk out of the room towards out next lecture. We settled in the room five minutes early and Carissa got busy in talking to other girls, grabbing this opportunity I started talking to Asher...
Me: Finally she is back at university.
Asher: Right, I missed her so much.
Me: (Hopefully) I just hope at the time when we got free from the lectures, Carissa got stuck in work too.
Asher: (Chuckled out lightly and while winking at me) Haha I never knew you could be this much naughty person.
Me: (Rubbing the back of neck, replied shyly) O come on nothing like that, it just that I have many things to ask from Michiko and talking will be needing more time so, that's why I am hoping so.
Asher: (Raising her hand in surrender) Okay okay bro, relax I am just teasing you.
Before we could say anything else, Carissa come toward us and sit beside us, soon lecturer too enter inside the room then after taking attendance she start teaching us. Fortunately, Carissa doesn't heard whatever we are talking plus lecturer too started with the teaching so, she doesn't get the chance to speak anything.
Nearly, an hour passed. The lecturer started to wrap up her things, suddenly Carissa get up from the seat walk towards her and here I start looking towards at them curiously. After five minutes or so the lecturer walk out of the room, Carissa come back to us start packing her things hurriedly. The moment she finish packing her things, she look up at us then start speaking....
Carissa: (Apologetically) Sorry guys, I won't be able to join you for the lunch time because I am going out to meet with the lecturer for some discussion related to thesis work.
Me: (Pretending to be sorry for her) Ohh no problem, we can understand bro.
Asher: (Nodding her head in understanding) Yeah right.
After this, she hurriedly walk out of the room, I smiled seeing her go and the moment she step outside of the room, I mentally raise my fist in the air and got a bit startled hearing Asher's voice....
Asher: (Smiling brightly at me) Wow, it's such a rare scene to see you smiling this much widely.
Hearing this, I sober up immediately and look at her seriously for a brief second then speak up...
Me: Umm call Michiko and ask where she is? We will go and meet her.
Asher: Hmm okay.
After this she called Michiko, we come to know the she is in the park. We pick our already pack bags then start moving out of the room and while doing so I check our today's lecture schedule on my phone to know how much more time we have free. By time we reach the park I got to know from now we have almost two hours free, upon entering inside the park we found Michiko sitting on the in her usual place only.
We excitedly walk towards her, get ourselves settled beside her in a way that she is in the middle of us. As soon as we settled down Asher started speaking...
Asher: Bro, is everything alright? Where were you, long time no see?
Michiko: Chill bro, calm down first. Actually, university want me to leave this place because they think I am being suicidal.
Me/Asher: What? but why?
Michiko: Yeah and it is because they don't want to take any responsibility, if such situations comes.
Me: Ohh but this is not fair, in fact they should help us students in such situations.
Michiko: This is your thought and not everyone think like this.
Asher: But every institute/school/university has its own counselling department for such situations.
Michiko: Well, I don't know about this but something good but strange happened in these days.
Asher: And what's that.
Michiko: When they were all set to throw me out of the university then at that time for the first time my parents come, stand by me and fight for me.
Me: And how are you feeling about this?
Michiko: On initial level I feel shocked and surprised about it but later I feel happy plus proud of myself.
Asher: That's great.
Me: So, what's the status for now? I mean you are staying in the university for studying or not?
Michiko: Of course I am staying.
Asher/Me: Thank god/cool.
After this none of us speak up, we just enjoy the moment of silence among us while thoughts running inside our heads. Well, I am not sure about these two but I definitely facing storm of thoughts inside my head...
Mind: One thing that I am unable to understand is that how come this university faculty behave like this? I mean someone is suffering mentally, that person is on the verge of committing suicide but rather than helping them they are planning to make them leave the university. How can people be so cruel?
Me: May be the reason behind is that what Michiko said... they don't want to take up any kind of responsibility when it related to others.
Mind: Yeah right plus I guess everyone thinks about their name and position that they have earned in this long time because stories related murder or suicide scare people as they think what if they get stuck in to it or their name got tarnished in such things.
Me: Exactly but this is not fair, right? I mean we people should help other people rather then blaming or insulting or forcing them to leave.
Mind: Right but I guess this is the reality of the word in which we are living in.
Me: Yeah.
Michiko: (Looking somewhere at distant) You know seeing someone fighting for you, is like feeling as if you are a valuable person to them. Since childhood I used to feel like I am burden to my parents but when she sit beside me and hold me like as if I am some kind fragile doll... you know I saw them crying for me and fighting for me, make me feel like I am not a worthless person.
You know I never expected this to happen or seeing this coming but when this happened in past few days, it really surprised me.
Hearing her speaking like this not just halted my train of thoughts in fact, her words brought a smile on my face and for the first time I realized that how does it feels like to get support from your own family that too especially from your parents. Her words raised a hope in my mind that,
may be someday my parents will also take a stand for me or may be they will too fight for me like this when I will be at the lowest level of myself.
and hearing these words of mine, my mind snapped at me getting irritated.....
Mind: O please, she just got lucky that her parents realised it a bit early but in your case this will never happen because they really don't give a damn about you. You are just a use and throw type material to them and it will be like this forever.
And my day ended with these thoughts in my mind, the only hope that few seconds back raised in me got ruined by my mind.