Asha: Sona stay still … Kitna hil rahi hai beta
Sona: Maa!! Fast Fast … M getting late
Asha was trying to drape a sari on Sona’s body but she was getting impatient. The school farewell party was about to begin in an hour & Sona was yet not ready. Elena knocked at the door. She had made a small puff & was wearing a black readymade sari which had thin gold border.
Elena: Come on Sona … we are getting late
Sona finally came out wearing a proper purple sari along with a three forth sleeved pink blouse. Her hair were left loose. Her eyes were lined with kohl apart from that she had minimal makeup. As soon as she stepped outside her room she tripped & fell … Her sari was again disheveled.
Asha: This is …
Elena: Let me say it na Aunty
Asha: K
Elena: This is SHORBANASH!!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The farewell scheduled to start at 12 but a small ‘havan’ was to start at 11 am … Sona & Elena just reached in time. The two of them sat down along with other girls. Sona was already having problems with the sari now sitting on the floor was another difficult task for her. When she finally settled down she saw Dev staring at her … he was in fact looking at her with wide eyes … Sona saw him staring at her, she could not control herself & was blushing … She looked at him who was still staring at her unabashedly but Sona diverted her gaze & looked towards the other side.
Elena saw the scene & started singing softly
“Ishaaro Ishaaro mein dil lene waale bata ye hunar tune sikha kaha se?”
She felt someone poking her back she turned around to find their class teacher Gunjan ma’am behind her
GM: Do you want Lady Bacchan to spend time with her favorite students having samosas & coffees ?
Elena: Sorry ma’am
GM: You can sing a song for Lady Bacchan too
Sona: Which one?
GM: Jaha hum jaate hain wahi chali aati ho
Sona & Elena had a good laugh. After the havan got over the boys & girls were allowed to sit together. Jatin, Vicky & Dev approached the girls who were busy eating the Prasad (halwa). Jatin wore a black three piece suit while Vicky’s suit was dark blue. Dev decided to go different & wore a silver colored suit with a white waist coat. Yammu came near them & started talking about their lab adventures especially their ‘maggilicious fun’ , the incident which brought them together. They posed for a group photograph with Yammu ma’am & other teachers.
Then the farewell programme began which was completely organized & performed by 11thies. The school band performed, then was a dance performance, a musical skit, funny videos & the lastly an emotional video which captured major events from their school life.
Jaise phunk aur gubaara, aisa tha apna,
Apna yaarana,
Race me aakhir aata fir bhi tum taali bajate
(Elena pinched Vicky’s cheeks at this)
Baithe-baithe back benches par
Humne to seekha, seekha bus this much
Ke baat ke khao do daant bhi lagti hai acchi
(An image of our heroes standing outside Lady Bacchan’s room was shown in the video & the whole school hooted at that)
School khatam ho raha hai dosti nahi
Jebe khali nahi hai inmein yaari bhari
Pata hai tumko mera har raaz, phir bhi karte ho tum mujhko pyar
(Jatin & Dev looked at each other)
Isliye tumhara ugly chehra lagta hai mujhko hasin
(Dev & Jatin signaled to Sona as if the line was meant for her, Sona behaved as if she was angry … Jatin laughed at her but Dev held her hand pressed it gently, She couldn’t help but smiled at it)
School khatam ho raha hai dosti nahi
Jebe khali nahi hai inmein yaari bhari
School khatam ho raha hai dosti nahi
Jebe khali nahi hai inmein yaari bhari
…………………
The farewell show ended but there was still more fun left in store for them. A photo booth by Pearl Academy was arranged along with a professional photographer to click pictures of the students apart from those in the photo booth (School walahs can be so generous … this is exactly what happened at my school farewell). Elena was already stationed at the booth while Dev & Natasha were busy giving their last speeches. The DJ was desperate for his turn to start. As he got his chance he started playing the songs. His first choice was a romantic number from Yaariyan … Love me thoda aur. Elena dragged Vicky & started dancing with him. For a change, Natasha asked Jatin for a dance. Dev was standing alone when Nikkita0194 approached him
Niks: I like this song!!
Dev: Really Niks?
Niks: Yes … I have a silly friend Riti di … I once requested her to play this song but she forgot …
Dev was listening to her patiently but his eyes were searching for Sona.
Niks: Can we have a chota sa dance?
Dev nodded in affirmation. He held her right hand in his hand while his left hand was holding her waist. She firmly held his shoulder while the two danced to Love Me Thoda Aur
(Nikks if you are reading this … Sorry for forgetting your demand but I guess this dance with Shaheer Sheikh would have compensated it)
Sonakshi on the other hand was wandering in the school, clicking pictures of small little things that mattered to her. She went to her classroom touched the bench where all 5 of them would sit. She sat at her place & looked at the empty class for the last time. She peeped out of the window which gave a good view of the canteen. The canteen where they had bunked, fought, laughed, played, bullied juniors (thoda sa) & what not… She remembered all those chocolates the 5 of them had shared…. One 5 rupee Dairy Milk broken into 5 pieces & gulped down by 5 people having a similar smile… She had a full look at the black board where her teachers taught her but it was also the same place where they made funny pictures of their teachers & trolled them to an extent. She tried opening the class cupboard but it was locked. She wanted to see that small slit Elena had made where she hid her phone. She reluctantly got up looking at the class again with teary eyes. She stood outside LB’s room… a place where they visited quiet often for all the wrong reasons & were offered snacks which they had to refuse even though they badly wanted to have a taste of those sandwiches LB always said that she’s ordering but never ordered them actually. She moved down gradually to the main assembly ground from where they could get a full view of the school. There was a small fountain at a corner she went & sat near it. She looked at all the buses parked & remembered her first fight cum interaction with Dev … She had made her first friends in the bus only … Nikki & Riya her juniors … Jatin became friendly towards her one day while going towards the bus … She had tears in her eyes by now …
She felt a pat on her back & turned around to find Dev standing there
Dev: Ki korchi tumi?
Sona: I’m not in a mood to hear your murder of Bengali Dev.
Dev: Okay … Why are you sitting here alone … Everyone is dancing & enjoying themselves
Sona: I’m trying to absorb the school in me
Dev: You sound too poetic sometimes
Sona: Sit
Dev: Lo baith gaya
Sonakshi still kept looking at the ground as if actually trying to capture the school within her
Dev: Sona you remember that trip to Agra?
Sona: Yes
Dev: Didn’t you promise me that you’ll never be quiet when you are with me
Sona: This is not just a school for me … While in Kolkata school meant a place where I had to prove my worth … Here I learnt why people crave so much for their school life … You all have had 12 years of school … I’ve just had 2 years that flew by so fast … I … I …
Her voice cracked & she couldn’t control any more and broke down … Dev slowly pulled her in his arms … & started her caressing her hair gently.
Sona: Will everything remain the same after school?
Dev: I don’t Sona but I will always be there for you … Through thick & thin
Sona: Shotti?
Dev: Shotti
Elena: Ye kya ho raha hai?
The rest three members of the fantastic five joined them
Elena: Don’t cry yaar Sona … your kajal will smudge & the pictures will not be good
Vicky: Exactly if you’ll cry I’ll be sad & won’t be able to have my lunch properly
Jatin: Sona … go home & cry don’t make us emotional now …
Elena sat down beside DevAkshi & hugged Sona,Jatin & Vicky joined the group hug.
“My favorite students are bunking again that too their farewell party” LB intervened
Vicky: Ma’am don’t detain us
LB: Haahaa … You’ve always entertained me Vikram Tripathi. Sit sit … I’ll also talk to you … Jatin Roy make some space for me to sit
Jatin shifted us a bit
LB: Sonakshi Bose it’s ok to cry … I’ve always found you strong & it takes strength to cry in front of others… That day when you guys bunked & Devrath stood up for you Ms Bose I thought how stupid of him to take the blame on himself because I had seen what you did on the CCTV … I knew you were reluctant to bunk & caught hold of you because that day I felt you were a soft target … But you made everyone own up that showed the strength of your character & the metal your friendship is made of… I call you all my favorite students because you all are … I want a selfie with you all because I don’t want to forget you guys … Elena, the phone smuggler, when I confiscated your phone I saw that you are great photographer … click a selfie
After having a heart to heart conversation with Lady Bacchan, all 5 of them moved on to the photo booth, they then hit the dance floor. The farewell went on till 5pm & it was time to part. Dev agreed to drop them & they all settled inside his car … Dev had turned 18 & decided to show off his driving skills. Sona was sitting on the back seat & was constantly looking at Dev through the rear view mirror
Tum jo mile ho mujhko yun
Aur sunehri mai lagti hu
Sirf labon se nahi
ab to pure badan se hasti hu
Mere din raat salone se
Sab hai tere hi hone se
Ye saath humesha hoga nahi
Tum aur kahi mai aur kahin
lekin jab yaad karoge tum
Mai ban ke hawa aa jaaunga
Mai phir bhi tumko chahunga
Mai phir bhi tumko chahunga
Iss chahat mein mar jaaunga
Mai phir bhi tumko chahunga
Dev dropped everyone. It was only him & Sona now in the car. He drove a little further & stopped at a spot
Dev: Remember this place?
Sona: UUuhh
Dev: You don’t remember this place?
Sona: How can’t I … This where that auto wallah dropped us that day … Corrrection asked us to get out
Dev: & you found the clouds beautiful
Sona: & you gave Yogi Aadityanath ka naara
Dev: We became friends … Chalo?
Sona:Where?
Dev: To open the chambers of secrets
Sona: Yeah !!
They got down & began the walk. The same trees that adorned the roads then & looked at the ex- competitors & now saw the lovers who were hesitant in speaking the truth about their love. The clouds had gathered & were about to burst . Sona’s heart was overflowing & she felt like telling Dev whatever was in her heart.
Sona: Dev lets sing
Dev: Hmm
Sona :“Keh du tumhe yaa chup rahu … dil mein mere aaj kya hai?”
Dev: Kuch na kaho kuch bhi na kaho … kya kehna hai … kya sunana hai … bas is pal mein koi nahi hai bas ek mai hu bas ek tum ho
Sona: Tumse kehne wali aur bhi hai pyaari baatein … Saamne sabke bolu kaise saari baatein … aaj magar bas itna hi karna hai ikrar
Dev: Na bole tum na maine kuch kaha… magar na jaane aisa kyu laga …
Sona: Dev Dixit I really don’t know why aren’t you letting me speak but I have to otherwise I’ll burst … I LOVE YOU DEV … I LOVE YOU … I DON’T JUST LOVE YOU I LIVE YOU
Precap:Exerpts from Dev’s Diary