Song of the chapter: Nazrein milana...Nazrein churana

Movie: Jaane tu..ya jaane ne

Sunday: the picnic day

When Adrita was telling me about this trip I most probably missed a small detail; her friends were accompanying us. Why I thought we were the only ones going is beyond my comprehension skills.

Here I stood in front of 11 strangers who were gawking at me as if I had stolen something precious of theirs. I turn to look at the smiling face of Adrita as she prompts me to board the minibus.

I do, and so does she and her minions.

"So kiddos, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Anirudh. Say hi to Anirudh!"

The kids look at each other's faces and then begrudgingly wave their hands.

I wave back and smile politely. "It's nice to meet you all."

"I hope you are not here to woo and steal my Adrita Di away." A 10-11 year-old boy with his hair slicked back grumbles, his face twisted in a menacing glare.

"Shush, Anmol. Don't be mean!" Adrita's scolding voice made the boy turn up to her and in an instant, his glare converted into a boyish smile. He nods at her, and giggles something to his friend seated beside him.

I don't like that boy. I glare at him and he glares back. Adrita shakes her head and asks me to sit. Obliging to her command I sit down and glance back at the Anmol guy, a smirk makes its way on my lips as I notice his frown when Adrita sits beside me.

I am turning petty.

"So who are these kids?" I ask.

"These are the sunshine kids!"

"Sunshine kids?"

"So, Maithili is a primary teacher and she also volunteers in a lot of NGOs. She met these kids in one of her social work projects. Realized that they are special and wanted to provide them with good education. Told me and I pitched it to Dad. A year later, here we are,  everything related to the Sunshine kids is our responsibility; school, tuition, everything. Dad takes care of everything financial and legal. Maithili takes care of their school documents. I just provide them with all the fun stuff; storybooks, treats, picnics. And I also take care of the academic development."

"Maithili? That lady?" I ask, pointing to the lady who kept glancing at us every two seconds.

"Yep. Music?" Adrita asks, offering the left earbud of her earphones.

I nod at her. Smiling, she places the left earbud in my right ear and adjusts the right earbud in her left ear.

A sweet melody embraces us as we leave all our conflicts behind.

*****

"Let's go! Let's go!" Adrita and the kids shout, jumping on their spots.

On reaching the amusement park we had divided the kids into two groups. Five kids with Maithili, five kids with Adrita, and I was the sixth wheel of Adrita's group. Unfortunately and not so surprisingly Anmol was in our team and he didn't leave one moment to make his disdain clear.

"Why are we even begging him? If he doesn't want to join us, let it be." Anmol grumbles, his voice laced with disdain.

"Shush Anmol," Adrita warns, and turns to me with pleading eyes. "Please Anirudh, 360 is the best ride over here."

"Yeah, but one of us will end up getting dizzy and not to forget this ride is for teens and adults. We can't take all five kids with us. We have already been on six rides. I think we can skip this one." I try to explain but Adrita's usual happy smile morphs into a gloomy pout and her pleading eyes turn more pleading.

A tired groan leaves my lips and I give up. "Ok, we can go but Anmol and Piku can't."

A small punch lands on my back. I turn to glare at the very angry face of Anmol, his cheeks red and nostrils flaring with anger. "Are you trying to conspire against me?" He yells.

Before I could reply, Shalini, an 18-year-old girl, interrupts, "Di, you two go. I will take the kids with me to the candy store."

During the bus ride, Adrita had introduced me to all the kids. Both Maithili and Adrita seemed to trust Shalini a lot.

Adrita looked ready to debate so before she could utter something, I nod at Shalini and drag a reluctant Adrita with me.

"What? We can not leave the kids alone." Adrita huffs out as we wait for our turn.

"They are not alone. I am sure Shalini can handle the kids."

A gust of wind plays with her open hair.

I glance up at the ride. People riding it were screaming their guts out as the ride shook them up and down, right and left.

I glance back at her open hair. "Do you have a rubber band?"

She furrows her eyebrows in confusion, but nods nonetheless and hands me the furry thing that was tied around her wrist.

Taking the rubber band from her hands , I step toward her and comb my fingers through her hair. After a few failed attempts I manage to gather her hair in a bunch and tie the rubber band around it.

Pushing a few stubborn stray strands behind her ears I smile and glance down at the very pink face of Adrita. She was nibbling on her lips and was about to say something but, an unfamiliar voice interrupts us.

"Couples couples everywhere,

the sweetness makes me want to die.

My single heart can't take any more,

please couples,

Get a room?"

The group of teenage girls giggle as one of their friends sings the ridiculous thing.

The in-charge of the ride announces our turns so we ignore them and take our respective seats before tying the harness around us.

And then the ridiculous ride begins. Started off slowly, it takes us to a good height and then gradually starts rotating. But the slow rotations turn into mind-numbing jerks as the machine starts rotating wildly. 

Have you ever shaken a box with dice inside? Yup, try that and imagine the dice as human because I am feeling as helpless as the dice.

"Ahhhhhhh!! Stop it!! Stop it!!" The girl beside me, also known as Adrita screams her guts out.

"Mumma!! Mumma! Please, make this stop!"

The ride stops.

But when I gaze down the world bneath us remains topsy turvy. But that's not possible which means; we are the ones upside down. I tilt my head to look at Adrita, her eyes closed shut, she wasn't even touching her seat, her whole body was supported by the harness while her upside down pony waves at me. But she remains silent, no more screaming matches.

Soon the ride ends and I hurriedly get off my seat to help Adrita out of her harness as her face had turned pale. She tries to stand on her feet but ends up stumbling into me.

"Adrita, are you okay?" Palming her face, I make her face me.

"Hmm, dizzy."

Sighing, I help her out and make her sit in the tree shade. "I warned you. Didn't I?"

"Mhmm."

Taking out a water bottle from her bag, I hand it to her and command "Here, drink it."

She takes the bottle and gulps the water down in one go.

"Easy! What did you eat in the morning?" I implore.

"Nothing."

Horrified, I couldn't help but glare at her. "Are you kidding me? You could have at least eaten something light."

She shrugs! Shrugs!

How dare she shrugs as if it was no big deal?

Anger sizzles through my veins, without bothering her with words I leave her alone to buy something edible for her.

Fifteen minutes later, I return to find a cheerful Adrita clapping at something. I follow her line of sight and gaze at a couple hugging. Confused, I settle beside her and place the recently bought box of sandwiches and bottled juice in front of her.

"Why are you clapping?" I ask. Adrita who was too busy cheering the couple finally notices my presence. I hand her a sandwich and prompt her to eat it. Grinning, she munches on the sandwich and replies, "That guy just proposed. Anirudh, you should have seen the girl's expression; she almost fainted. Honestly, amusement park proposals are one of the best, not my style though."

"And what's your style?" I ask.

What? It is just plain curiosity!

Shrugging, she answers, "I mean, I would be grateful and happy with whatever my special someone can come up with, but still a confession in the rain sounds like a dream. Of Course, it is not a compulsion, afterall finding love in itself is beautiful."

"I hate rain." Claims a familiar angry voice. Anmol strides towards us. Shalini and the other kids follow after him trying to match his angry pace.

"You hate everything except spoiling other people's peace," I mumble to myself although the amused yet disappointed look on Adrita's face notifies me that my voice wasn't limited to me.

Anmol crosses his arm over his chest, and questions with an unhappy voice."Adrita Di, why are you sitting with him? It's our day!"

"Know your limits," I snap, my harsh voice earning a flinch from Adrita but, nothing from Anmol.

Ignoring me, Adrita stands up and holds Anmol's hand and walks away while the other kids follow her lead.

"You should never raise your voice against Sunshine kids unless they do something unforgivable. Adrita is quite protective of them." Maithili who most probably witnessed the whole scene advises.

I hate the way Adrita ignored me and left me alone. I wander my eyes around the adventure park to look for her but instead, my eyes get caught up on something else.

***

"I am sorry." I apologise. Anmol's grumpy eyes scrutinise me and the chocolate bar laying on my palm for a minute, then he glances up at Adrita to seek her approval. Adrita nods at him and he eagerly snatches the chocolate from my hand.

I smile but it soon turns into a frown when I notice the other kids have flattened their palms as they shoot pleading eyes at the poor me.

Guys, I am just an intern!

I look helplessly at Adrita. Grinning, she promises to throw the kids a treat if they maintain discipline throughout the trip.

And then the rest of the day was spent making sure it was Anmol's day. And on his day, Anirudh is a nobody and therefore I stayed clear of him and did whatever sixth wheelers do.

***

Author's note:

Forgive me for any grammatical errors. So, how was the chapter?