DIFFERENT?

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We were seeing our reflection in each other eyes. Soon his cell buzzed and as if he came into senses he pulled himself away from me. His eyes turning back to dark. Face engulfing into a cold exterior. He stroked his hairs, muttering some curses. He moved away from me, grabbing the cell from his pocket. 

And a sudden horror struck my heart. Breath hitch, I pressed my hand on my heart. Squeezing myself further into the thick, hard wall. I was an inch away, dropping from the third floor. A small portion was extended below the window only a meter long, if I stumbled a little I would slip from the portion. 

“Yes!” His exasperated voice answered. “I am coming was stuck somewhere,” he uttered hissing in annoyance. He was frustrated with constant calls. Though he still was showing patience to the other person on the side, was something astonishing! “Yes, granny I know… it's your birthday and I am reaching before 12 for sure.” He promised, sounding uncertain. He seemed to quarrel with himself, something was troubling him from inside. As he spoke those words, his grip on his chestnut hair tighten so as his jaw clenched. “Bye…” He hung the call, standing at the spot for precious few minutes before walking out of my sight. 

Not knowing the way out, I was left with one option to follow him. Maybe somehow I could reach home before my parents arrived. Though I doubted it! The darkness surrounding me was suggesting it was already time. I followed him without mentioning a word, he seemed least bothered to glance at me. Not even caring to glimpse at me whether I was following him or not? Why would he care? But I was assured he could listen to my footsteps behind him, credit went to lack of any commotion happening around us. 

It was strange how the same place converted into chaos in the morning and a haunted building at night. Ruhi! Stop, no horror stuff! You couldn’t afford it at the moment. I pushed the thoughts away, continuing with my mission to follow him. Suddenly after few steps, he stopped, turned glaring at me. What? I hadn’t done a thing! Or was he furious as I followed him? What else he accepted, he was the one who pulled me from the window. Maybe I wasn’t mad at him for it! 

He darted his gaze at something on the ground, I followed the direction. A large ladder was leaning on the building. What! Was he planning to descend from that ladder? I keenly observed it, though it was difficult as moonlight was the only source among us. It was a wooden ladder that seemed to have been made era’s ago. I gulped, it wasn’t seeming a good idea any longer. 

“What took you so long?” I heard an annoying voice and at that moment I realised it wasn’t only the ladder but Ehaan’s friends waiting for him on the ground. 

Suddenly a light was flashed on my face, “miss innocent.” Though I couldn’t glimpse his face, surely Anuj was present. At that name, I felt Ehaan’s eyes on me for a second but I ignored it and soon he darted his gaze. 

“What is she doing with you, Ehaan?” It was Zara voicing her astonishment laced with confusion. 

“Bumped into me as always,” Ehaan responded. Rolling his eyes, I narrowed my eyes at him. Nor was I interested to encounter him in the library. Without a second word, he jumped into the ladder. And as if the minutes had fast-forwarded, he had landed into the ground, swiftly and gracefully. How could he master every skill? Was he even human? I kept staring at him with utter amazement! 

“Are you planning to build your house there?” Ehaan mocked on seeing me not moving an inch. Eyeing at the portion I was rooted in, darkness was encircling me suddenly it scared me as I was left all alone at such a height. 

I stared at the ladder with horror written over my face, what if it broke into pieces? As I had uttered earlier, I wasn’t planning to land in the hospital with thousands of machines attached. 

“Man! She is so annoying,” I heard someone reading Ehaan mind loud. And as anticipated it was Aarav, they both gave me vibes of twins. As if they were familiar in every aspect so was that stern expression covering their faces. 

“Can we just leave? If she wanted to stay there, it's her wish.” Zara continued with her irritated tone. I was assured none adored my presence around them. 

“Can you all just shut down! You’re scaring her further.” Came an objection from Anuj. There was silence after it not before I heard Ehaan groan. “Ruhi!... It's fine, this ladder is surely going to help you descend. Don’t worry,” he assured. “We are here! We will hold it tight.” His voice was quiet, low as if he was convincing a child. 

“Man! AJ, you had lost it.” Zara shook her head, glancing at me. “What had you done to my friend?” She was sounding amazed. I ignored her question, as I had concluded, she never needed an answer for real. She often asked the same question may be the only time she directly talked to me. 

I took a deep breath, Anuj words had comforted me to an extent. And I knew people accompanying had less amount of patience. So it would be better to not trouble them more. Mumbling and hoping everything would end well, I took a shivering step on the first wooden step. As expected it started moving, I clutched the wood tightly. Shutting my eyes in fear, I wasn’t desiring to get hurt. 

Why did even I think of a history project? Everything was happening due to it! Taking a deep breath and on finding the ladder slightly stabled, I took another step down. 

“Is she going to take a whole day?” Zara questioned, they were making me more anxious.

“Fortunately, it isn’t her exist every single day.” Came a mocking reply from Anuj, I could count him for answering back. But wait? Whose exist was it? Ehaan! Did he always end up in the library? But why? Ruhi! Concentrate! I scolded my brain to concentrate on the goal at the hand. 

After a lot of praying, moaning, crying, grumbles, irritation. I had landed my foot on the ground, sighed in relief on realising I wasn’t ending up in any hospital bed. 

“Finally!” An exasperated tone came from the person beside me. I keenly observed him, Ehaan. Was he holding the ladder? I thought… I looked at the other side, Anuj was standing holding the side. 

“I told you, that was easy? Isn’t it?” He inquired, winking at me. I had gotten used to it, he usually did it. Maybe he found it cool, winking! I shook my head in denial, that journey wasn’t desirable at all!

I heard a laugh from a few meters away from me. “AJ! She isn’t daredevil, like me.” Zara raised her collar in pride. 

“You haven’t answer what you both were…” Aarav was going to question but Ehaan interrupted him.

“I am called urgently by granny. We need to go,” his eyes gesturing him to stop. Aarav though confused nodded in agreement this exchanged went unnoticed by the rest two present. 

“Yeah! Today is her birthday.” Voiced out Anuj who had lost in thoughts for a while. 

“Wait! Then we are accompanying you.” Zara completed it for Anuj, his eyes glittering in happiness conveyed he was going to utter the same thing. 

“And I guess, he wasn’t planning to visit it alone.” Aarav eyes fixed on Ehaan’s blank expression. I could sense that maybe Aarav understood Ehaan better than the rest of his friends. Or maybe he shared few elements of his life with only him, maybe they were best buddies. 

“So, let’s move…” Excited Anuj was going to grab my hand to pull me along with them. 

I was going to deny but Ehaan was faster than me. “She needs to call her parents and inform them about her whereabouts,” he looked at me straight anticipating me to agree. I gave a slight, hesitating nod. Hadn’t he ignored my request at first? Was he having second thought? Or was it an excuse to pull me away from his friends? 

“Oh!” Anuj seemed disappointed but he didn’t voice a word.

“We will wait in the jeep.” Aarav announced as none was moving and soon they followed him. Leaving me behind with Ehaan, alone. 

“Make it fast!” Without wasting a minute, he handed me his cell. His eyes screaming he was least interested, I rolled my eyes. Taking the cell, I dialled my dad’s number. It took everything in me not to hand the cell again due to his rude attitude. 

I waited for dad to receive the call, tapping my feet impatiently. Maybe if he wasn’t receiving, I would be left alone in the devasted road. None was present at the backside of our school, the front view won’t differ as well. Much to my luck, dad received the second ring. 

“Who is it?” He sounded irritated, maybe he was busy with some work and I bothered him. I felt guilty but I needed to inform him about my whereabouts. 

“Dad…” I uttered and he paused, shuffling something. I heard a call from beside him, it was mom. She sounded sad, I doubt I heard a sob coming from her. 

“Ruhi… Ru! Is that you?” He seemed surprised, glad, relieved. So many emotions were expressed with his one statement. 

“Ruhi! Is she on phone? Where is she… Raunak?” Mom sounded desperate, she was losing her patience. Surely I was going to receive a scolding. I wasn’t at fault though! 

“Where are you? And why on the earth is your cell switched off?” Exasperated overprotective dad was in form. 

“Dad, it got dead.” I raised my eyes from the ground. Looking at Ehaan whether he was listening to our conversation. I always got conscious around people, especially strangers. He wasn’t interested, he found the ladder beside me more admirable. “My battery died,” I cleared to them. 

“Raunak! I need to talk with her.” Mom was urging but dad wasn’t paying any attention. 

“Where are you?” He questioned me instead. 

“Outside the school…” I informed, wasn’t going to blurt the entire thing on phone.

“At this hour, alone?” Mom somehow had managed to grab the phone from dad. “That route is…” 

“We are coming don’t you dare move from there. And for god sake whoever the phone is ask them to be beside you for the time.” With that dad hung the call in hurry. I stared at the cell. How was I to ask him to stay?

“Done,” he raised his bored eyes. I gave a slight nod, handing him the cell. 

“Thanks,” I mumbled, he narrowed his eyes. 

Turned himself to walk from me, I stood there. Not knowing what to do next? But he turned towards me, keenly observing for a second before speaking. “You better don’t speak about today’s night to anyone, and remove it from your memory.” He warned, I stared at him confused. “And if you don’t! You will face the consequence.” He carried on with his destination. 

As his footstep fainted away, I was getting more conscious of my surrounding. Confirming it wasn’t a good thought to stay at the backside, I decided to walk towards the gate. At least that could be a more safe place. Waiting for a few more minutes, soon my parents arrived. They were in office clothes, surely I had added on their worries. 

“Ru…” Dad was first to reach to me but mom somehow reached to me before, hugging me tightly in a desperate hug. 

“Thank god, you’re safe.” Wrapping me in her warm arms, I pressed my face in her neck. I needed it after a tiring, drama-filled day. 

“Do you have any idea, how worried we were?” Dad continued with his scolding. They had exchanged their role! 

“I got locked in the library, I am sorry.” I pleaded with him as mom pulled from the hug. She pressed a kiss on my forehead. He kept glaring for a few minutes, shook his head and extended his arm. I smiled and moved to be wrapped in again warm, loved arms. 

“Don’t you dare do it again!” He warned but wasn’t sounding scary rather concerned, stressed. 

“I won’t, promise,” I whispered to him, burying my face in his chest. 

“I think, we should leave.” Mom suggested as we pulled away and soon walked towards the car. 

I sighed in relief, I wasn’t going to spend a day in the library. It was weird how many horrible thoughts were pondering from the past few hours. 

“Whose cell was it? From whose phone you called?” Inquired dad, as he started the engine. 

“Phone…” I trailed off, “school mate, I mean one of the members in the competition.” Dad nodded concentrating on the road, I gazed out of the window. 

A light flashing in the distance, bushes surrounding the area. I got curious, who was it? And slowly we moved out of the school. I kept staring at the rear-view mirror, lost in thoughts. The events playing back in my mind. From finding Ehaan playing guitar to his warning. Why my mind was yelling something was up? It wasn’t that simple! I shook my head, eyes landing on the vehicle that passed through the gate. For a minute I felt it was the same jeep, the jeep we had come across on the traffic signal. Probably I was imaginary, they might have departed minutes back. They seemed in hurry, excited for Ehaan’s granny birthday celebration. 

Our life was so different! I could never be so excited but neither he seemed so. 

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