Ankan, Khanak, and Rishav are sitting at bench in the school canteen on their farewell day? Ankan and Rishav are sitting on the chair while Khanak is sitting on the desk, making a perfect triangle between them. None of them saying anything, lost in their own thoughts. “What school has a classroom bench in their canteen instead of table and chairs?” Usually Khanak would have said this and both of the boys would have rolled their eyes at her regular complain about the bench. But today she isn’t going to disturb this silence by complaining. When the functions has ended and three of them have taken few photos with their friends, they directly came here, without having it planned, it was as if they knew that they have to meet here and bid their own good bye to this past of their life. And they were doing just that, in silence.
Unlike most of the schools, their school doesn’t have farewell just before their board exams, instead they have it on Saturday before the CBSE is about to announce the result for 12th class. And Khanak still hasn’t been able to decide whether she likes this unique norm or not. On one hand it feels nice to not have the pressure of board exams hanging over their heads while bidding final good bye to such a major part of their lives and in the other hand, saying bye before finals doesn’t really seem like final bye but now few days before their results are about to come out, it seems so final. Just in a few days all of them will be busy with applying for colleges of their choice and then with starting another chapter of their lives and then with making new friends. Khanak doesn’t know whether her friends will have time for her, heck she doesn’t even know whether she will have time for them or not. Their small lives will be disassembled completely and patched up in a new one. Everything is going to change!
“Everything is going to change, isn’t it?” Ankan asks, saying what Khanak was thinking out loud. But neither Khanak nor Rishav bothered with reply and Ankan doesn’t even expect them to. Ofcourse everything is going to change! They won’t get excited on first of April for passing to new class anymore; They won’t beg their teacher for letting students play in their period anymore; Khanak won’t come top school together with Rishav anymore; Ankan won’t be standing outside of her class waiting her anymore. Of course everything is going to change!
Khanak looks at both of her bestfriends, in her eyes the love and respect she feels for them, apparent! As always Rishav is half frowning and half scowling, she is sure, thinking about future. His eyes holding all the big dreams he has. She turns toward Ankan and sees him smiling carefreely for the first time in last few months. It’s not like Ankan doesn’t smile carefreely or doesn’t live in the moment, on the contrary he is exactly the kind to live in the moment but here has been tense ever since his grandfather has dropped the bomb of him going abroad for higher studies. Khanak is really happy to see him smiling his happy smile once again.
“we will get our results in few days” Rishav speaks making her stop in her analysis of her both bestfriends. Khanak smiles, thinking that her thought is right, Rishav, as always, was thinking about future. Suddenly the carefree smile on Ankan’s face disappears.
“I don’t know why you both are even thinking about results? I should be the one worried!” Khanak whines. Ever since she remembers, Ankan has been a top class student, always the topper in class, the one whose example teacher gives to everyone else. And Rishav is just a natural with syllabus. Rishav is one of those kind of irritating classmates who plays with you whole year and yet manage to score good in exams. Come to think of it, their attitude about marks tell a lot about their personality. Ankan is those kind who takes things as they come and does best with whatever they have got. His grandfather has decided even before he was born that Ankan is going to manage their family hospital and since then Ankan has tried to excel in whatever was expected of him. If his grandfather asked Ankan to get 90% in school, Ankan would do it. Sometimes Khanak thinks if there is one thing in Ankan’s life that he wants for himself __ for just himself! Khanak sure wishes for Ankan to find something like that. On the other hand Rishav always wants to change whatever he had been given. He is the planner kind, he even plans how much marks needs to reach wherever he wants to go. He has his life planned.
Ankan rises up from chair, jumps on desk to sit beside her and put his attention around her shoulder. “don’t worry girl! You will get enough marks to study Philosophy in a nice college” Ankan consoles her.
“assuming that she still wants to study Philosophy!” Rishav speaks with an eyebrow raised. Khanak knows her unplanned life bothers Rishav and Khanak didn’t have to guess this. Rishav has been quite vocal about his unhappiness at her unplanned life. In this she is almost like Ankan but the difference is Ankan has someone doing those planning for him and Khanak has to decide for herself.
“it’s not easy, okay? I want to study everything! Philosophy, Psychology Sociology, Fashion and hundred other things.” Khanak grumbles and make a face at Rishav.
“ofcourse it isn’t, Khanak!” Ankan speaks in a soft tone.
“Yeah it’s so hard that before taking Arts in 11th she was going on and on about studying fashion designing in college then last year it was Sociology, while pre-boards she thought Philosophy is her real calling and now it’s something different” Remember what she said about Rishav being vocal about his unhappiness on her unplanned life, yeah this is one of those times.
“Rishav!” Ankan glares at his best friend. Sometimes Rishav has no filter. “Hey, Khanak so what have you decided?” Ankan softly asks her. Khanak scowls at Rishav and turn completely toward Ankan so her side facing Rishav. Making Ankan’s arm on her shoulder feel awkward but instead of removing it, her puts both his arms on her shoulder.
“You know I so wanted to be completely interested in fashion designing so that I will be able to help my mother but it didn’t feel like something I should be doing for my whole lifetime. Then I kept thinking that what can I see myself doing for a really long time… and then I realised that even though I am very bad in studies I like to read so I thought to give literature a try” Khanak explains.
“Hey, I am not judging! As long as you are happy, we are happy! Ankan speaks but Khanak raises her eyebrow as if to ask “are you sure about that?” .
Ankan looks at Rishav and shakes his head expressing his disappointment with Rishav. Rishav sighs, stands up and tries to fit in between Ankan and Khanak making Ankan drop his arms.
“Khanak yaar! I am not judging you, I just want you to think carefully before deciding on something. And of course in all this procedure your happiness matters most” Rishav somehow manages to fit in between them.
Khanak rolls her eyes in reply. And then laughs at their sitting attachment – two big guys with not so thin girl together on this tiny desk.
“How did you both come there from here?” Khanak asks, gesturing toward the chair with her finger.
“for you, ofcourse!” Ankan replies and at the same time Rishav replies with dramatic “your happiness is what matters the most, your royal highness” . Making Khanak laugh out loud. In this moment I truly feel like a queen, Khanak thinks.