It all started with a phone call. "Hey, I don't know how to finish the project work. Can I please join you?" He replied, "I've finished off the models but the charts are still left to be done. We both can do that together." From one phone call to another. And everytime the bond grew stronger. From strangers to friends. It was developing day by day. At the beginning, they didn't talk much. And the conversations were often the group ones. Little did they know about each other at the beginning. But the 11th class converted two strangers into mates. 12th brought with it, a bag full of happiness. She was a few days late. The classes had already begun. Her first day of 12th, when she went to school, there wasn't any place to sit down. It was mathematics class. Her teacher asked her to sit beside the boy sitting in the last bench. Ma'am said, "Sit beside C-. He's good in maths. He'll help you clear your backlogs." To her surprise, it was her new friend. They smiled and greeted. Destiny made them sit together. May be it had something to offer them. The silence was soon replaced by their endless chattering. That bench became their favourite place. The entire day, they used to sit there with their never ending blabbering. He used to fall asleep during the physics class. Whenever she noticed the teacher coming to them, she used to wake him up, "Get up. Quick. Ma'am is coming. Open your copy, fast, start writing." The same thing occurred during the chemistry period too. This time she used to fall asleep and he used to say, "Get up and copy the answers from my notebook. Ma'am is coming to check", whenever he saw the teacher standing. Everything was going well. They were the best mates now. The entire time they used to stay together in school. After returning home, they used to call each other up and their laughs and giggles continued throughout the day. She used to help him with his English lessons and he used to teach her the entire PCM. Soon they realised that they are falling for each other. Both could understand that but no one dared to confront. May be they both were scared to lose their best mate. The friendship went on. One evening she got a phone call from him. It was quite natural. They used to call up each other at any time. He said, "Hello! I've suddenly realised something. I think I'm in love with you. I love you D-. I'm sorry." She didn't say much but deep down she did blush. They used to be awake, the entire nights. The new love was growing. They used to sing their favourite song together every night. Both were deeply in love. But they preferred to keep that in their hearts. They made numerous memories together. And at last, it was the end of 12th class. They were sad, definitely sad. But promised to keep the friendship forever. After passing out from school, one night she texted him, "Hey! I think I've fallen for you. I don't know. I can't understand anything. Help me clear this out." She didn't get a response. Those eyes didn't close the entire night. Millions of thoughts were passing through her mind, "Have I lost my best friend, while looking for love?" She felt asleep a little in the dawn, but woke up within few minutes with the vibration of her mobile phone. His text popped up, "I love you too crazy girl." That gave her a never ending smile. She smiled, blushed, giggled and laughed. She heard a sound, "Wake up baby girl! It's too late and you're still sleeping? See the thunderstorm and rain. You always love to see that, right?" It was her mother's voice. She woke up to the day of her love. But they were no longer together. With wet eyes and a numb heart, she sat down to scribble the most favourite part of her life, but all she could note down was:

"Since childhood, the source of her happiness was rain,
But now the raindrops only tell her of the tears she sheds, because of the pain.
Wiping even the little droplets of tear becomes urgent,
For no one should know the gentle flower, hiding behind the poisonous serpent.."
© Gunjan