23. No smile for Prutvi

CHAPTER 23

No smile for Prutvi

In the morning as usual the boys were ready to go to the college and the ladies came to say bye bye. Prutvi and Arvind glance towards Chandini’s house. The front door was closed.

Arvind said, “The door will not open. She will not smile. Just watch.”

Prutvi observed the window keenly. It seemed to be shaking. “Arvind, looked at that window. It is shaking. I am sure she is watching us through the gap.”

Arvind looked at the shaking window. “Wave to her.”

Prutvi shook his head. “Don’t hurry. Let us pretend that we are disappointed and leave. She will easily come to our tracks. Just watch.”

They looked at the door disappointedly.

Prutvi said, “Sheh!”

He started the motorbike and went ahead.

Just as Prutvi had guessed, Chandini was watching through a gap in the window. She felt sad to see the boys more ahead with disappointment.

She thought, “Oh god! Why did I do this? He got so disappointed. After all he had asked for just a small smile. I must give him a smile in the evening.”

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In the evening at 5 pm, Chandini was ready. She went to Sridevi’s house. The boys arrived on motorbike.

Sridevi pointed to them. “Look, our hero is here.”

All became alert. The boys entered the gate and went to their room. All looked at Prutvi’s door. Sridevi prepared coffee. As soon as Prutvi came out, she offered him coffee. He looked very sad. “Sridevi, I don’t want anything. I am not well. My mind is not right.”

Mayuri heard this and went to touch him. “Prutvi, are you not feeling well. Do you have fever?”

Prutvi said sadly, “No but since morning 8 o’clock, I have no mood for anything. Just leave me alone.”

He went to his bike and started it. Arvind kept looking at him leave sadly.

Chandini was shocked.

Mayuri looked at Arvind. “Arvind, what is wrong with Prutvi? Fever or what?”

“I can’t understand him. In the morning at 8 o’clock, he started the motorbike as usual. Since then, he is not speaking to me also. Such a jolly person. Such a lively boy. I wonder what happened to him. I wonder where he went.”

Hearing this, Chandini got tears in her eyes. She thought, “Everything is because of me. He asked for just a small smile. See how much he got affected.”

Sridevi saw the tears in her eyes and was surprised. She caressed Chandini’s head. “What is wrong with you? Are you crying?”

Chandini became alert. “No. something fell into my eyes. That’s all.”

She went to her house silently.

Arvind observed Chandini leave and thought, “Prutvi said 24 hours but she has fallen in just 12 hours.”

He went into his house and phoned to Prutvi. “You said 24 hours but she has fallen for you in 12 hours itself. She has tears in her eyes.”

Prutvi smiled happily.

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Next day, Prutvi and Arvind sat on the motorbikes to go to college. Chandini was outside her house wearing a nice dress ready to give Prutvi a smile. They waved and she smiled. Prutvi was happy and waved again. She too waved.

Prutvi said to Arvind, “She has given green signal.”

Arvind smiled. “Yes. I can see that. Carry on.”

“She is a diamond. If I ever got settled in life, it will be with her only.”

Arvind was surprised to note that Prutvi had fallen for Chandini.