Back To The Beginning

Back to the Beginning

Look, the fact is that sometimes, we put in so much effort into things that it all goes completely wrong. I have in the recent times realized that my life isn’t like a book. It isn’t logical or sensible or orderly. Life is a mess most of the time. And our essence must be lived in the midst of that mess.

Damn! Too philosophical right!

I guess I should get going to my story.

Often in our lives, we just end up doing the same thing that we’ve always been running away from. That is exactly what my account sums up to.

7 years ago, I was just another fourth grader in the entire lot of three hundred students in my division. I was one of the studious first benchers of my class- just one of those extremely shy people who would notice everything but they would not get noticed. Actually, it was more like I was just holding back my awesomeness so I didn’t intimidate others. Well, summing up, I was the silent kid who loved pink hair bands but always wanted to hide back in a blanket to avoid facing the world.

Presently, I recognized that I stood in the corner of a huge classroom with a population of about forty when someone called out to me.

“Aura!” a voice behind me said.

I turned around. Right behind me stood a girl of about ten, staring at me through rimmed spectacles and circular owl shaped eyes. She wore a greenish-blue gown made of soft, satiny fabric, long and loose. A semicircular, high collar made of silk-like materials headed the ankle-length robe.

“Hey! Great to see you here” I exclaimed. “Happy birthday Ivy.”

“Thanks” she enveloped me in a tight hug.

“So what’s special tonight?” I asked.

“Nothing much. My mom has planned a family lunch in the noon followed by a birthday party at 7 in the eve. The entire class is turning up. You gonna be there right?” Ivy said.

“You got a doubt about it? “ I asked.

“Nah! Actually, you don’t get a choice. You gotta be there at any cost. My best friend and my birthday party- they have to go together” Ivy said.

“As you wish Your Highness” I joked.

Ivy and I walked towards the ground for our physical training class.

“Any guys coming for the party this eve?” I asked her.

“Yeah. Almost all of our class guys are turning up.”

“Gross!” I cried.

“What happened?” Ivy asked.

“I hate boys. They are such annoying characters. I don't wanna have any of them hanging around me in the evening time” I complained.

“Why so?” Ivy asked.

“I have had enough of a bad experience dealing with guys during class projects. They are so impossible to handle- spontaneous and highly uncooperative.” I explained.

A sharp whistle blew in the ground- the call for the march past practice.

“Hurry up” Ivy said. “We’re getting late.”

I felt a strong tug behind me. I woke up hastily.

“Just a dream” I thought.

My sister stood right behind me. She was in her red night dress and from the towel in her hand, I guessed that she was going for a bath.

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.” she said. “Get up and out of your bed Aura.”

I cursed the sun for coming up so early in the morning and the stars for dimming down every dawn. Then, I cursed my tooth paste tube for being empty and my luck for being so rotten.

“What is the day today?” I asked my sister.

“Tuesday” she said. “January 2017”

“My last year in this school” I thought miserably.

“Cheer up” my sister said. “And the school starts at 8. I am not getting you excused if you get late.”

“How considerate” I murmured and packed my bag for school.

Now, to tell you about myself, I am a sophomore at the Central Academy for Secondary Education. I have recently got my first medal, a silver one in a science innovation competition and presently, I am gearing up for my final examination.

I cycled to school and sat grimly on my seat.

“Hi” Ivy said.

I looked around. I realized that Ivy sat right next to me, to my left and was admiring a social science book.

“Hey!” I exclaimed. “What’s up? I hadn’t realized that you were here.”

“You know that I always come to class before you right? I mean, you always get late for one reason or the other” she sighed.

“Ummm. Yeah. I mean no.” I stammered.

“You haven’t worn your socks and your shoe laces aren’t even put on” Ivy pointed at my feet.

“Yeah. I was getting late so I had to keep my socks in my bag and just wear on my shoes” I explained.

“You say that everyday” Ivy looked at me intently.

“Can you stop accusing me of petty stuff” I said crossly and then both of us broke into laughter.

Finally, after managing to control her laughter, Ivy informed-

“Mrs. White has called you down to the science lab.”

“When did she call me?” I asked snappily.

“About half- an- hour ago” Ivy replied.

“And you are telling me now?! Girl, you are nuts” I said.

“Shut up” she ordered.

“As you wish” I said and rushed towards the science lab.

In the lab, I found Mrs. White sitting by a desk, looking into a few papers.

“There is a competition” she informed. “You will have to make a video on the science of the earth. Interested?”

“Sure” I agreed. “What do we need to do for it?”

“Prepare your content. Find a videographer. Make a video. Edit. Animate. Done” she said hastily.

“How to start?” I asked.

“Know anyone with a camera?” she asked.

“Nope. I guess not” I said.

“Oh wait! I do know. The photographer in your class”

I thought for a while. “Zeke?” I asked.

“Yes. Yeah him. He should do a good job” Mrs. White said.

“I guess we can try him out” I agreed.

To my surprise, Zeke agreed to do the job. He was pretty cooperative and said that he was quite willing to do the work.

"'We record tomorrow’ I texted him over hangouts.

‘Sure’ he replied.

Over the next few days, we shared quite a lot of videos that he had taken over the mail and the audio recordings as well.

One day, I received a text message from him.

‘I left my earphones in your place at school’

‘Where?’ I asked.

‘Your desk’

‘Alright. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.’

‘Can you send the video that we had taken today via google drive’ I then asked him.

‘Okay. But how to send it via drive?’

‘Go to google drive. Click on help. Learn the steps. Anything else?’ I typed.

‘Okay. Sending’ he replied.

‘And yeah’ I continued. ‘Bring your camera to school tomorrow. We’re recording in class.’

‘Bunking huh ?’

‘You mind?’

‘Nope’

‘Perfect then’

The next week went out setting the camera, shooting the scenes, then forgetting all the lines and resetting the camera, shooting the scenes again and just managing to finish a 60 seconds video in an entire day.

‘Which stream are you taking up’ I texted him one day.

He texted back after 3 days. ‘Not yet decided.’

‘You have come online quite early today ‘ I mocked.

‘I don't use hangouts much’ he informed.

‘Oh. So you use whats app huh?!’

‘Facebook messenger only ’

‘Oh! I am not on fb’ I informed.

‘Yeah. You had told me the other day’ he replied.

‘Are you on on google plus?’ I asked.

‘Yea’

‘Wait. You are already in my circles!! That was a brilliant question’ I scorned.

‘Then how can we be chatting’

‘Point. You are smart huh!!’

‘Sarcasm’

‘Nah. Kindaa genuine (atleast I think so)’

‘Thanks’ he replied.

Finally, I wrote. ‘Kind of weird that u have been in my class since the first year in middle school and this is almost the first time I am talking to you’

‘Uhh ya’

‘Even your best friend Drake has had the honor of annoying me in computer lab in class 4. Actually, I have had to deal with Drake for longer than you can imagine. He had been my computer lab partner for 4 years. How annoying!!’

‘There are many people with whom I still haven’t chatted’

‘So I would say...My pleasure to have chatted with you’

‘Thank you. Same here ’

‘No mention’ I said.

The next day, I got back to school and sat down near Ivy.

“Why are you so annoyed?” she asked me.

“Its those two dead people” I said.

“What” she asked rather startled.

“Aahan and Alok” I said. “Call them dead people from now on.”

“Why? What did they do?” Ivy asked.

“They are annoying. Extremely irritating. Just give me a chance and I would send them to Hades’ underworld palace for eternal punishment.” I said.

“But what did they do?” Ivy repeated.

“They have dared to tease me” I said exasperated.

“What did they call you?”

“I don’t remember that. But I am sure it was something gross. I hate them” I said. “I would punch them in their faces and keep smacking them until they become a punching bag and then again start punching them. I will make their peach snout red and black with pain and then petrify them.”

“Calm down”,  Ivy suggested.

“And I will put them on extra lookout and extra punishments list for Hades” I added.

“Alright. That’s cool”,  Ivy said.

“You really find it cool?”,  I asked.

“Yeah”,  she nodded.

I took out a rough note book from my bag and wrote an essay on how I would punish the 2 guys. Then, I scratched it completely while each scratch meant a punch.

“Wow!” Ivy said. “You are nuts”

“Yeah. I know that”,  I agreed.

That evening, I texted Zeke after he sent me our edited recordings.

‘So, studying now or something?’

‘No.Youtubing’

‘Ahem. Quite interesting’

‘Yaa.What about you?’ he asked.

‘Chatting’

‘At 11. Aha.’

‘Yeah. Because people can YouTube at 11 right?!’

‘Thats kinda usual’

‘Right. I didn't know that (genuinely). So I am chatting cum reading a novel now. Do you read books?? (Other than your text book)’

‘Not much.’

‘Hmm. Literature is quite interesting’ I said. ‘Both English and Hindi’

‘Hindi?’

‘Yeah. Never read my poems huh??’

‘U write poems ? I need to understand Hindi in the first place ’

‘I have got my own Hindi poem collection. But yeah, you gotta understand Hindi to understand them’ I said.

‘Yep. Thats quite difficult for me’

‘Have you been to treks?’

‘Treks?’

‘Yeah. Like rock climbing and monsoon treks’

‘Nope I'm scared of heights. What about you?’

‘Oh! I love trekking. It is thrilling, monsoon treks are really scary but then.... They are fun’

‘I enjoy swimming’ Zeke texted. ‘So you enjoy risky stuff huh?’

‘Yeah. Totally’

‘Will you be attending school tomorrow’ Zeke asked.

‘Yeah. You?’

‘Nope. Gotta study for the science exam day after.’

‘Cool. Maybe you can wake up at 4 and study as the wise people generally suggest’

‘Lol! Will try’

That evening, I got a call on my cell from an unknown number. My sister picked up the phone.

‘I am Zeke’ the person introduced himself. ‘Can I talk to Aura.’

I took the phone.

“Yeah. Tell me”

“I need your hindi notes” the person over the phone said. I recognized his voice immediately. It was Kyle.

“Alright Kyle. I’ll send pics in a while.” I put down the phone.

“Aura” my sister said. “Why did you call him Kyle?”

“Because it was Kyle on the line.”

“Nope. The person had introduced himself as Zeke.

“You must have heard it wrong” I guessed.

I checked my messages. I found Zeke’s message.

‘The one who is talking to you is Kyle’ it read.

‘Why did he introduce himself as you?’ I asked.

‘Just for fun’ he said. ‘Thanks for sending the notes.’

‘So he forwarded it to you huh?’

‘I'm with him now’ he replied.

‘Now I am getting it. Studying together huh?!’

‘Ya’

‘Lol. Quite an amazing company you have found to study.’ I put down my phone.

“Time to study” I thought.

Right now, I sit back on my bed, thinking unbookish my life is. It is such a mess. I have ended up at exactly what I had always been avoiding. I find it weird but true- I have found guys to be irritating my entire life but as the year ends, I know that that was just one side of the coin.

One day, I know I would look back at what I always had, and regret every single thing I did to have not cherished the golden moments in my life.

I saw that the people around me were perfect so I loved them. Then I saw that they were not perfect and I loved them even more.

Finally, we all have to part ways some day or the other. But, even if we are not going to be together in the end, I’ll be glad that they were all a part of my life.