“Meet me in the backyard of School. I’ve to say something to you.”

Amrik had to gain a lot of guts to message Niwan. After messaging that, Amrik’s heart started fast beating. Today he couldn’t concentrate in classes. His brain was all over surrounded by the result of his one message. Finally, after half an hour, he saw a reply notification on his phone. His heart was about to burst out. He clicked on the notification.

“Okay.”

Amrik was having a mixed feeling. Would it be right to express feelings to him? Or should he hide that by discussing about Pre-boards? However, he must be prepared for the reaction of Niwan. He didn’t know if Niwan would get his hint or not. His liking for Niwan turned into love day by day but he didn’t get a chance to tell what was in his heart. But today, he decided to tell about it anyhow.

After ending school hours, Amrik was waiting beneath the royal poinciana tree.

The tree was the eye witness of many couples in the school. Maximum of them got approval in their relationship when anyone of the couple proposed another one first time. It seemed as a magical tree that might fulfill his wish today.

“Hey!”

Amrik saw Niwan running towards him.

“Hello”, said Amrik.

Niwan was tired because of coming direct here after sports period. He was thirsty and his bottle was empty. He snatched the bottle of Amrik from his bag and drank. His fast drinking made his uniform wet for the falling water from bottle more than he drank.

“What Hello? You’ve told me to say something. Just say.”

“A..A..Actually, I wanted to tell you about my crush”, Amrik said it with a little fear. He and Niwan were very close friends since 11th. They both used to share thoughts with each other. Niwan was very popular in the school, but Amrik was not. So, Amrik would not stay in the same bench with Niwan because of Niwan’s so called reputation in the school. He used to get mocked by Niwan when sometimes he walked after Niwan in school when Niwan was with his other friends. He seemed to be a nerd type guy, but he was better in studies. Niwan didn’t introduce Amrik as his best friend because of his shy nature.

“What?” Niwan was about to splash the water to Amrik’s face, “Who’s that?” He wasn’t be able to control his laugh.

Amrik’s throat was dry. He was not getting words to explain Niwan that how much he loved him. He didn’t know how to express his love and propose to him. He took the bottle from Niwan and drank some water.

“I had crush on that person since my 11th. I got a magical feeling of love when the person stayed with me, guiding me, mocking me, spending time with me.”

“Don’t go round and round, just say who’s the girl?” said Niwan.

“It’s not a girl.”

“What?” Niwan was shocked. He couldn’t understand what should do now. He often joked about Amrik’s shy nature and used to sit with him, unknown to his orientation till then.

“So, Who’s that?” Niwan said to him in a dry voice.

“It’s you, Niwan.”

As soon as Niwan heard that, he slapped Amrik and splashed the water on him.

“Are you nuts? Do you know what you said?” Niwan was getting mad in anger. “Listen, I don’t want to mess up with you, just go away.”

Amrik couldn’t control his emotion. He took Niwan’s hand and said in a crying voice, “Please, don’t leave me. I’ll change myself as you wish, I will do everything what you want.”

Niwan kicked him and freed his hand. Amrik fell down on the threshold. He looked once on Niwan with his heavy tears.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Niwan was getting out of control, he shouted, “I’m not like you, I’m normal. Don’t ever try to come near me, you fag.”

Everyone in the backyard witnessed the whole incident and having fun. They often used to see the acceptance of the proposal but for the first time they saw a proposal from boy to boy and rejection. Some of them recorded that and made it viral on social media. Actually, no one ever thought that the video would be viral on social media. They only posted it for fun but it went viral and it had gone very serious. Amrik couldn’t be able to go to school for months. His parents came to know about him. The video of his rejection which was made in the school was blocked and deleted from social media with the help of police. His parents had to leave the colony after humiliation they got from neighbours.

Few months passed. Amrik’s family already shifted in a new town. Niwan blocked his number on the day of the rejection. Amrik got admission in new school. He is not the same nerd of his previous school. He groomed himself and a new friend Tushar helped him for that. He befriended with Tushar very soon after getting admitted in the new school. The new school got the new student as a smart guy who was better in studies as well as his looks. Tushar himself was not a very smart guy, he was a little shy person. He helped Amrik with the help of internet. Amrik soon caught all tips and applied but Tushar failed to apply. But Amrik didn’t feel any kind of embarrassment while staying with Tushar. Tushar didn’t sit with Amrik as Amrik might feel uncomfortable with sitting with a nerd like him.

One day, while attending physics class, Amrik got a message on his phone.

“Meet me in school garden, I’ve something to tell you.” Tushar sent it.

Amrik read the message and concentrated in the class. He knew that Tushar would tell him about new gossip. They both gossiped many times. The topics were not so weird as they were proved informative when they had to plan a new fun in the school. Last time they both stole the tiffin box of the English teacher and secretly kept the empty one after ending of school hours. Amrik found nothing surprising in the message. He was about to think what would be the information now which would help them to have their next fun, this made him too excited. He replied Tushar, “Ok’.

There was a pomegranate tree at the school garden. Many of the students were in the yard after school hours. Amrik came there and moved his hands towards Tushar. Tushar was sitting beneath the pomegranate tree. He stood up as he saw Amrik. His eyes were in a fear. Amrik came to him and told,

“So, now what’s the new update? Can we have fun now? Have you got new idea?”

“It’s not about that, Amrik,” Tushar replied.

Amrik saw Tushar had a fear in his eyes. He didn’t notice it before except when he had to give any surprise test. Amrik offered him his bottle of water as he saw Tushar’s throat was getting dry and he was sweating during the month of December.

“Are you okay? Have you any problem?”

“No”, Tushar’s voice was still dry.

“Then what’s the matter?”

“W..W..Well, I’ve a crush on someone.”

Now Amrik understood why Tushar was fearing. They both used to talk about the girl Meena of the arts section. Once Tushar said to Amrik that her lips seemed very juicy and beautiful to kiss. From that day Amrik started teasing him to make a setting between them, but Tushar used to avoid the topic many times when Amrik insisted him to talk to her.

“I knew that”, Amrik said as he had to do his friend’s setting, “It’s Meena, right?”

“No, it’s not she.”

Amrik was surprised because he always had in his mind that Tushar liked Meena. But that was really surprising to hear that Tushar liked another one.

“So, Who’s that?” Amrik had a naughty smile on his face. He thought it would be any other girl as Meena seemed to be out of his hand as she was the topper of the arts section in the school.

All the students were about to leave, but some of them in the yard on the other side. Basically, there was no one. Tushar got assured about that after looking front and back.

“What are you looking for?” Amrik asked after seeing such a strange behaviour.

“Nothing.”

“Still, you didn’t tell me, what’s the name? Who’s the lucky one?”

There was a little pause and shocking when Tushar kissed on his cheeks and said,” It’s you.”

Amrik didn’t understand what he should do now. He really didn’t expect that. None of the school knew about his past, not even Tushar. Only his parents knew that, and his old schoolmates, whom he blocked after the past incident.

“I… I… I am so sorry, I was becoming a mad one I know,” Tushar took his school bag and was about to leave, “Nothing happened in us, please forgive me for my behaviour. I’ll not bother you next time, it was my fault. Bye…”

Suddenly some facts kicked on Amrik’s mind. He learned from his past, but he wouldn’t do the same what Niwan did to him. He snatched Tushar’s bag and pushed him to the ground. Tushar was very frightened that his eyes were about to tear. Amrik held his hands and crossed tied them with his own hands. He sat on him, moving his face towards Tushar.

“Next time, it will be my turn to bother you.”

Tushar wasn’t sure about Amrik’s reply. Amrik smiled first. Tushar closed his eyes as he got a satisfactory relief from a pain that was stuck in his mind. Suddenly he felt a lip bite on his lips. He opened his eyes with a shocking expression and saw Amrik still tied him in his arms. Both of them closed their eyes and shared their first love on the bed made pomegranate leaves.

Now, both of them became the love birds. They spent most of the time together, they loved to hang out. But, till now they didn’t come too close to each other.

To be continued…