4- The balcony girl: PRIYA (ROLI) (2)

It didn't took me much to realize that it was not willingly that she called me that, it was just the primary etiquette which she had to follow. She was 2 years younger than me and not supposed to call me by the name because of which she had to give me that due respect. But only I was able to feel at that time that, how getting respect can also be painful. I went in her balcony and picked up the call which was a wrong call, searching some other Deepak. 

In-spite of calling me 'Bhaiya' all the time, she had started talking to me once in a while now. I was admitted in Bachelor of Arts in a nearby college, in which there was no criteria of attendance, and so I never troubled myself to attend any of the classes ever. She was my full time study now, beside playing cricket or watching movies for whole day. I had watched nearly all the movies till then, available in market, either of Bollywood or Hollywood.  In day time she used to go to school and my parents go to there respective jobs. I used to be alone, wondering in my mind about the strategies, how will I play in today's match or how will I be able to tell her what I feel. I was used to this loneliness for quite some time now. Every day was a same story. You already know that I had left the bully gang earlier, so there were even no friends to accompany, and I was not even good at making new friends. Till now I had developed a habit of being silent for 10 to 12 hours continuous at home. Talking much, about things not of anybody's concern is a prerequisite for making new friends, which was of course miles away from me because of my daily routine. I was developing from a cute, naughty, cheater, liar child into a lonesome, sporty, introvert, and hiding his love to himself type of boy.

It was 2005, It's been four years and anyhow I had managed to convince my parents to stay in that house. She was in 12th board and I was doing well by one month's study before exam, in my bachelor's degree. She came to me one day with her practical assignments and asked me to draw the figures, as the next day was her practical exams and her file was not complete. My art was good but the figures I drew that night, for which I even got scolded by papa because next day it was my exam too, were the best I have ever drawn. In the morning she took it and was very happy to see it, sure of that she will get full marks for it. I smiled too.

There was another incident to mention for must. I never used to hide anything from my parents. As I was short of friends they fulfilled that department. They knew about my feelings for her too. One night when I was sneaking from my window my mother came to me and grabbed my hand, took me to her stairs and said, "come on I'll take you to her parents and if you are so desperate it's not a problem, I will talk to her parents if you don't have courage and we will arrange a marriage for you as they are also of the same caste and a well to do family, they won't have any problem in it." I was shocked to listen mom, probably in her age she was tired to see me from last 4 years following a girl but not saying anything to her and may be because they were not able to change that house was also adding to it. I said, "No" and we came back.

It was not like I never tried to tell Roli how I felt. many a times I called her on her land line but when she picks up and says hello, all my preparations and plans used to fail. Face to face chat was impossible because whenever she used to come in front of me, my habit of being silent reach on it's peak. Everything was rolling smoothly like this, till that day.

In February of 2005 Roli's younger brother ran away from home as he was angry because of something. Her parents were worried. They had sent many in search of him but all in vein, no one was able to find him. Roli called me on my number (till then I had my mobile phone) and told everything. I took my bike and went straight in the field where we use to play cricket. I knew somehow that I will find her brother there, and so it happened. I brought him back after making him understand that every one was so worried and everything will be alright if he returns. His parents were very happy to see him and her tears of sorrow also got replaced by smile. Her parents were thanking me big time unknown to it that I had my reward already in her smile. Then I noticed that in that mob which was gathered, there were few boys who were her brother's friend. They were staring at her which I didn't like and commanded her to go upstairs which she followed unconditionally. I didn't know why I did that and why she followed it but there was that thing, unknown, unanswered. It was one of those little incidents which had a life changing capacity but you don't know about it then.

Few days later her brother called me and said that some of his friends want to meet me as they want a cricket match with us. I went to the place of meeting with him which was near a masque and surrounded by dozen of streets from all sides. As I reached to the place I saw that there were at least 20 boys in a hall. they came to me and dragged me from my bike.I understood what's gonna be next because I had fought many street fights like this and had arranged many settings like this for many, when I was a part of our bully gang. I just covered my head with my hand and soon I was on ground they were hitting me from every corner. Few on my legs, few in stomach, and many on my face and head. After 10 minutes or so they stopped and left her brother too whom they had covered not to interrupt in. He was aghast, saying sorry to me continuously and that, he was unknown to whatever they had planned. when I stood up I identified one of the boy who was present on that day when I said go upstairs to Roli. I went close to him and asked, " Why?" He replied, " keep away from her." I took my bike and came back home thinking what to do now. I had plenty in mind who on just one word will come with me to do the same with each one of them involved in this. But it was related to her. Did she knew it? Did she talk to that boy? and many more things were there in mind. I went in front of mirror and saw that my face was swollen and my back was full with footprints of shoes. I knew that I can't hide it from mom and so happened. When she returned home at night I told her everything. She told papa and he went to her house straight after listening all of it. I was hearing that he was shouting at her father that to take control of his girl and boys. Which kind of parents they are that their children plan conspiracies against others. It went along for half an hour. Then he came to me and asked that which place was it where it all happened. I told him and he went away. After to days I came to know that they had the same what they did to me. each one of them asked sorry to papa for what they did. Papa told me later that their leader was saying just one thing, "your boy is made of something else. we beat him so much but he asked only one thing instead of crying or abusing or doing anything is that, Why you are doing this, and he was shocked by it at that time." All this was forgotten in few days and we stopped talking to each other, even our parents stopped. In few months Roli passed her 12th examination and got full marks in her biology practicals. I also moved into last year of my graduation. But biggest thing which happened was that we left that house and moved few streets right to that road. Everything was over but still it use to come often in my mind that was he, her boyfriend? Did she talked to him? But now may be all this was useless.

I was not feeling good there. So my parents decided to send me to Allahabad for my further studies. In Summer of 2005 I came to Allahabad and joined a coaching to improve my English. Those footprints from my back were no more visible now but that print of her dark black hair which converts into brown after drying up, that touch of her soft white fingers when she was giving me that biology practical file and those tears which were soaked into smile when she saw her brother, were impossible to erase from my memory. I had it decided, I will spend my lifetime with her.