Chapter 5
Settling on her seat, naina took her books out and prepared herself for the class to begin. She looked up and saw swati’s eyes fixated on prem and realized that she hadn’t introduced them. She hesitated for a second, after all it was not common for girls and boys to be friends those days. Would Prem even want to be introduced to another girl?
But then she suddenly stopped thinking because prem had already proven to her that he was different from other people, away from the classification of male or female and various other divisions that the society had imposed on them. he would not care if swati was a boy or girl. He treated everyone with equal respect.
Naina:(calling out and gesturing him to come) Prem?
Prem walked over to the duo. Naina stood up pulling a puzzled swati out of her seat and towards prem.
Naina: Prem this is Swati my best friend and swati this is prem. He just joined school today and is in our class and…..
Prem: And I made naina my friend on my first day. Hi swati!
Swati: Hi and welcome to our school.
Prem: Thank you for making me feel welcomed.
Few students around them had been looking on the new boy and in those few were the trio of samundit.
The three of them had been quietly observing the interaction between the new boy and the girls ever since naina had called his name.
Prem: So swati will you be my friend?
Swati: If naina has made you her friend that means you are a nice person. So yes we can be friends.
Just then Shanti teacher walked into the classroom and all the students went to their seats and prem walked to the front of the classroom to introduce himself.
Shanti teacher introduced prem and directed him to an empty seat next to a boy and diagonally in front of naina which elated prem and angered sameer.
Sameer: This is too much god. Today is is first day and he is just not leaving my naina alone. Friendship in the morning and now together in class. What are you doing god?
Prem(turning around): Naina we surely have a connection. You were the first one I met in the morning and you are my neighbor at home and now in class too. I am so lucky. Thank you god.
Saying this he turned and looked in front again and naina just smiled at him.
Sameer sees naina smiling and thinks: Connection! I’ll show you your connection and what did he say neighbors at home. Is it that old house three houses away from naina’s. Oh no! What are you doing God ji. The person who should be away from her is getting closer and closer.
After the class finishes shanti teacher goes and all the students start chatting. Sameer turns towards naina’s seat and tries to get her attention to talk but he sees Prem turned towards them and chatting with naina and swati.
Munna: Yaar isn’t this new guy prem or whatever his name is just too much. Did you see how he was talking to my pandat in the morning and now too.
Pandit: You’re right. He just joined today and already made friends with too girls and that too swati and NAINA….NAINA who doesn’t even look at boys.
Munna: I know such boys who hold girls hand in name of friendship. Good for him that he didn’t touch my pandat or else I would have shown him.
Sameer: (surprised as he clearly remembered him shaking hands with naina. Did he not shake his hand with swati. Why?) Munna do you clearly remember that he did not shake hands with swati.
Munna: Yes but why are you asking?
Sameer: Then why did he shake hands with naina?
Pandit: He did? and naina let him??
Sameer: Yes I saw him shaking hands with my naina in the morning.
Munna and Pandit: MY Naina???
Sameer: I… I mean……
Munna: You can’t hide from us we know what that means.
Pandit: We got a doubt on the trip itself as it is clearly visible in your eyes that you love her.
Sameer does not say anything but his silence speaks volumes. Mundit looked at each other and smiled as they were happy that their friend had realized his love. But at that moment he was feeling something else too – jealousy.
Precap: Prem introduced to preeti and sameer still trying to get himself noticed by naina.
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