The bus was running at full speed. I was seeing the greenery and electric poles running past. The crowd was singing and cheering in the bus but I was not in the mood. I tried to feel the cold wind coming through the the window and looked at the locket in my neck. It was a "split in to two" heart shaped locket,
she gave me just a month ago. She had taken one part of the locket for herself and one part was for me, together it united to form a single heart. I felt the smoothness of that locket and looked at the setting sun through the window, things were going rough between me and her.
15 days ago I had asked her to accompany me to this school picnic. This is our last year of school and after that we won't be having any school picnic, I tried to convince her with this fact but for her math olympiad was important. We fought on this and I couldn't control and threw the desk in my anger in front of everybody in class. She stopped talking to me after that.
Her friends told that she wept all day that day. But I did not go to ask sorry. Why should I? Every time it is my mistake? At least this time its not my mistake. I thought, let her come to me. But she did not come. She is one hell of an obstinate girl, she will die she won't come. This time I really wanted to test her obstinacy.
Then something happened that was beyond my imagination. Arindam a friend of hers started getting close to her. I really did not like it but there was really no way by which I could have really known the truth. Only way to believe was what I see from my own eyes and then I saw them both in the school corridors hugging each other. I left that place as soon as I saw them I had no power left to confront her. I wept that day, Aditya Parihar the prefect, the football captain, the dude, he wept like a child.
Still my heart did not believe my eyes, I had to ask Arindam the truth. I went to her and asked. He told me things I couldn't have imagined about Neha. He smiled with an expression of perversion and asked me if I wanted to know more. I lost my control and hit him. I would have killed that dog if my friends hadn't stopped me. But he kept smiling like a devil.
That was 7 days ago. I have not talked to Neha since 14days. I am trying my best to hate her but I really can't hate her.I was looking out of the window watching the colourful scenery getting darker as the sun was setting.I had really thought to stay back and show her that I didnot want go for the picnic or anywhere without her. But I couldn't do it being the school prefect. Anyhow this is my picnic. Sitting along and craving for Neha but everytime I picture the corridor scene in my mind a surge of hatred overcomes me. I don't know what to do.
The bus was crossing the bridge, I was still lookingout watching the railings passing by. Suddenly something happened and the bus was filled with shrieks and in a few moments it also filled with water. I felt inability in breathing. The bus was in water, I realised. I had to get out. I broke the emergency window and came out, I caught hold of two of my juniors and reached the river bank. I was seeing that many local people had also jumped to save lives. I went back in the water and I dived to get into the sinking bus, I got two more of my juniors and again swam back. Now at the bank I saw police and rescue workers. The had started the rescue work. I was amazed at their speed but in these times we can't think much about anything except saving lives.
Everybody was saved by collective effort of locals and the rescue divers. Our teachers counted again and this time One person was missing. They inquired about the missing person. Somebody called Arindams name.
'The bus has gone very deep, its very risky in the dark and I personally don't think he must be alive by now, we would have tried if we had oxygen cylinders.', told the leaders of divers.
I heard him but still I don't know what happened to me I jumped into the water, I did not want anybody to die, at any cost. I reached the depth. It was dark inside the bus, Arindam was trapped between two seats I went and got him out of their. My breath in my lungs was diminishing.., I pulled him out and reached the bank. I collapsed with him. Doctors caught hold of Arindam.
'His pulse is still there', doctor shouted. Everybody cried in joy.
I was smiling and kept my hand on the chest to feel the locket. It was not there. My heart skipped a beat. I can't let it go. It was the last thing I have of her. I jumped into water again,... the bus had reached even deeper. I dived and reached inside. I searched everywhere. I was unable to think properly because of tiredness and the depth still I searched. At last I found it at the place where Arindam was trapped. I held it in my hands and clutched my fist. It was not going anywhere and I was not going to lose it at any cost. My lungs gave up and I inhaled a lot of water..last thing I remember was seeing her face.
..............................
I woke up in a white room with beeping of machines. I see Arindam lying besides me. He smiles looking at me and this time not like a devil but like a cute little rabbit. I couldn't help but smile on seeing this.
'Thanks for saving my life', Arindam said with a smile filled with grattitude.
'I would have done it for anyone so I did it for you.' I told.
'You tell me, how come I am alive.' I asked.
'The divers went for you when you jumped, they did not wanted to lose a hero'. He smiled again.
'Okay. You recovered early than me, I guess?', I asked him.
'Ya, I got conciousness yesterday, It is two days now.', he said.
I didnot spoke anything further.
'She did nothing', He spoke again.
'what?'.
'It was my plan, I had a crush on her, I wanted to get her.' he said.
'And that day in the corridors?', I inquired.
'We just bumped into each other, her locket and my tie got tangled', He said.
'Locket again!', I thought.
I closed my eyes. It was such a relief. When I opened eyes, she was standing in front of me.
I took the locket from the table and clutched it tightly in my hand. I closed my eyes. It was such a relief. When I opend eyes She was standing in front of me.
'I am sorry', She said.
'How come?', I asked laughing.
'Shut up, I am coming since two days to see you and you are still making fun of me.'
'Okay, How was the olympiad? by the way?', I asked.
'I won it', she told.
'I knew that'.
'He told me what you did for the locket'. She told pointing at Arindam.
'I didnot do it for the locket, I did it for my self.' I said smiling.
'You dog! I always knew how selfish you are.', She came smiling and clutched me me in her arms.
Smiling, I felt the the smoothness of locket in my hand and I know that there are even more smooth things in the world, one of them is her touch.
