||CHAPTER 16||
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My friends didn't suspect when I lied about bad stomach during break, just so I didn't have to go to the canteen. Nerdy Qureshi always brought his own food, and was always in the classroom during recess, but when he sensed that I'd be accompanying his solitude, he was ready to go down and away.

"Hold on, Qureshi," I stopped him sliding in front of him. He wasn't brave enough to defy me, something scared the shit out of him when he had to face me.

"Mai tumhare khilaaf complaint karunga, you can't bully me!"

I felt like laughing at his ridiculous idea, "Bully you?! Why would I even try to bully you?"

"Because I ratted you out, and you're in trouble!" He was holding onto his scratched steel bottle dearly.

"Dude, calm down," I sighed. "First of all, I admit I am a bad girl who gets into trouble, but I'm not weak. I do not bully people. Still, after our conversation, if you feel like I've hurt you or your sentiments in any way, you can go ahead and complain."

He studied me with the curiosity of a five year old. "Then what do you want?" A sudden realisation hit him as his eyes stared at me with disgust. "You want me to do something fishy, don't you? Tumhe bhi pata chal gaya hai ki I'm not new money. Yes, I am not, and I study on scholarship. Tum mujhe apna koi kaam karane ke liye blackmail karne wali ho na ab? Go ahead, all of you spoilt brats do the same!"

I hugged myself, feeling doubtful under his demeaning gaze. "Mere paas tumhe stalk karne ka fizool time nahi hai. I didn't come to blackmail you or whatever. You said that to me yourself. And what's so bad about studying on a scholarship? If anything, you should be proud of yourself!"

He stayed silent for a minute, before looking down, "You're really good at scheming."

"Dude, why do you hate me so much! I didn't even fight back when you ratted me out, I accepted whatever punishment I got. I'm here just to ask a favour, and I'll even pay you if you want! After that, I promise I won't ever cross path with you. You just need to stop judging people, Qureshi!"

His thumb grazed over his tattered steel bottle, analysing before hesitantly giving in. "What is it?"

I sighed, determined to get my work done. "I've heard you're good at repairing things. My grandmother's radio was broken ages ago... and it's really dear to me. If you could-"

"Fine. Send me the radio after school."

I was delighted, "I've got it right now-"

"You brought a stereo to school?"

I shrugged, reaching over to my bag which was extremely heavy and bulky today.

He was awestruck at the piece in front of him. "I'll... I'll do it."

He kept on checking the radio, looking for the fault.

"When will it be ready?"

"I've got some spare parts at home... so if we don't get much homework today, it will be ready and working by tonight. But..."

"But what?" He had popped my happy bubble. "Is it about the cost? Don't worry, I can pay you as much as you want!"

He had the guts to laugh at my nerves. "No, that's not the problem. Yeh bohot bada hai, mere bag me nahi ayega. Mai ise ghar kaise le jaunga?"

I hadn't thought about the possibility of a nerd having compact bags. "Uhm... I'll carry it for you?"

"And what will you tell your friends? You know right that you belong to the rich kids and rich kids don't hang out with us."

That strange conclusion hit me like a truck.

I cleared my throat. "Who said we will hang out? I can always say that you agreed to tutor me."

"But you have Arnav for that. Everyone knows that he has to tutor you."

I raised my eyebrow. "Why does everyone know that?"

His expression changed subtly. "This school is a rumour mill, Arvika. And people like me, we struggle to survive."

Much to Nerdy Qureshi's dismay, I had told my friends that he was going to tutor me.

"Seriously?" Vansh asked, not believing me. I nodded.

We were standing in a group near the buses during dispersal. And Ishita, Arnav, Ritwik, Vansh and Karan were eyeing Nerdy Qureshi up like he had murdered their pet squirrel.

"But... but why him?" Ritwik folded his hands to prevent pointing. Qureshi was unlocking his cycle from the two wheeler parking. "I thought you hated him?"

"Doesn't matter. He is good in academics, and he agreed to help me."

Ishita frowned, "But... but maine suna hai uske Dad bhooto se baath karte hai!"

All of us gave her a disappointed look. "Seriously Ishi? Tum rumours pe vishwaas karne lagi?"

"But don't you think he is hideous?" Arnav asked me. "Doubts ho tho mujhe poochho na, and you don't even have to walk a mile to come to me."

Ironic. I decided to ignore his comment.

Qureshi was waiting with his cycle. "Guys, I need to go now. Raat hone se pehele ghar pahuch jaungi, don't worry!"

I started walking away when Karan stopped me. "Wait, what if uske Dad sach mein bhooton se baath karte ho?"

I smiled at them, wickedly. "I guess, then I'll tell you my experience, if I'm out alive."

They gave me a dirty look before boarding their buses.

It had rained before dispersal, so the roads were wet, and as we walked side by side, awkwardly, the puddles on the roadside were tempting me to jump on them. Arnav and I used to that every monsoon.

"Is it true that you and your twin don't get along?" Nerdy Qureshi suddenly asked, breaking my thoughts.

I chuckled. "Tumne hi kaha tha ki this school is a rumour mill. What makes you think we don't get along?"

"The way you guys interact? I mean meri bhi ek badi didi hai, but the relation we share cannot be compared to what you guys have."

"Oh? And what does your sister do?"

"She's a receptionist for a four star hotel in North Delhi, lives with her husband."

I bit my lip, stepping away from the puddles. "Did you ever feel that she's better than you?"

"She will always be better than me. But she didn't ever make me feel like that," his eyes twinkled. "And we never compete with each other- we both have different fields."

He parked his cycle on a cycle stand. We had reached a housing society, way different from the one I was living in. The building looked old, and had only three floors. The paint had fainted due to the sun's heat, and now, only a dull peach coat remained.

"I know it's not up to your expectations," he said, coming towards me, "but I don't think I need to apologise for a place that doesn't discriminate me. Come on, we don't have any lift, and I live on the third floor."

I don't think he realised how powerful his words were.

Armaan Qureshi's verandah was converted into his own little workshop, the top was a shed of green tarpouline, and the front and sides were covered with small sliding windows. The mosaic floor felt cold, even with my socks on.

"Peheli baar Armaan kisi dost ko ghar laya hai," his mother said. She was a plump lady, but she spread warmth. "Are, aise kyu baithi ho, kuch khayo na!"

I couldn't help but smile at her genuineness. She had made sewaiyan and had made no compromises in serving it to me in a glass bowl, which as she said, was the last one remaining that didn't crack. I couldn't say no to her. Nerdy Qureshi was transfixed in repairing the radio.

"Mmm," I moaned, the sewaiyan filling my senses, "Aunti, ye sewaiyan bohoooooot swadisht hai."

"Shukriya beta. Armaan ka ye manpasand pakwan hai."

I glanced at him, and so did she.

"Tumhe radio sunne ka shauk hai, beta?" She adjusted the green dupatta over her head.

"Meri Daadi ko zyada shauk hai. Dadaji ne unhe ye gift diya tha."

"Ammi, agar aapka interview lena ho gaya ho tho aap Abbajaan ko dawai dengi?"

I wanted to slap Qureshi for being rude to his mother, but then I could hear the distant coughing noise with groans and grunts. It was a man, middle aged probably.

She went inside the house and he turned to me. "Do you have any cassette with you?"

"Nope. Is it repaired already?"

"It took an hour, but yes it is," he gathered the dismantled parts, assembling it.

"Thank you so damn much, Nerdy Qureshi!"

With the last screw into place with the help of his screw driver, he cleared his throat and turned to me.

"Oh, sorry, I almost forgot," I apologised, fishing out my wallet. "What's the cost?"

He shook his head, giving out a small smile. "You don't need to."

"Kya?" I was perplexed.

He cleared his throat, not looking at me directly. "Consider this... as an apology?"

"Tum mujhe kyu apologize karoge?"

"Mere wajah se tumhare Father ko school ne bulaya... If I would have just said that I didn't know anything about that paper ball, then tumhari reputation school me bach sakti thi."

I chuckled at his ridiculous joke, "Qureshi, tumne kuchh galat nahi kiya hai. Infact sach bolkar tumne sahi kaam kiya-"

"Sach nahi tha na par woh!" He looked frustrated. "Atleast poora sach nahi thha. I came to know you asked me because Ishita wanted to know the answer-"

"-but I was the one who asked eitherway-"

"Doesn't matter. You're right. I judged you. I thought you're a spoilt kid, yet here you are, in my house which would be a servants' quarter compared to yours, treating my mother with respect, and... and repairing an old radio just because it's got sentimental values!"

I was speechless.

"So yeah, mai tumhe judge karne ke liye maafi chahta hun. Repairing the radio is the least I could do, don't disrespect me by paying."

He handed me the radio. "I don't know if your friends will ever understand what goes on in your mind. But according to me, you don't fall into any stereotype. Ho sakta hai ki mai galat ho jau tumhare bareymein, but something tells me that you'd rather ignore my presence than bully me."

Tilting my head to the side, I smirked, "I think I just made a friend, Armaan Qureshi. And I don't ignore my friends occasionally."

_____

Namoshtaii!

It's about to get intense, isn't it? Is Armaan Qureshi a character who's going to stay till the end? Maybeee... maybe not. Btw, what are ur April Fools story?

Anyone excited for the new school year? Not me, and it is my last school year. Probably, I mean. Should be, I mean. Pls stay tuned eitherways.

So read, vote, comment and promote!

~chaashnee.