The Strings Of Heart

7

Sitara POV

"Sung, can you please help me solve this problem?" Aman asked walking towards the bench.

"Why does he always sound so polite," I said to Abhinav.

"Sure, you have to depreciate on a percentage basis. Here..." Sung started explaining in the background.

"Aman was and is a polite person like always," Abhinav says turning back to look at Aman.

"Do we have economics next?" I asked while our accounts ma'am started giving our test papers to Sheela.

"It's Monday, we will be having a language class. Fifth is economics." 

"There is any test today?" Abhinav asked.

"Yes, two long questions from the fifth unit."

"Ugh, I asked Gaurav if we have any economics test. He said there is no test..." Abhinav started groaning.

"Just open the book and read, you got two periods to prepare," I tell him. My test paper is passed to me, I looked at the marks 23 out of 25. Not bad...

"23, cool," Abhinav said as I put the sheet on my books desk.

"Everyone did good but the common mistake you made is depreciation on point digits." Tulsi ma'am said looking at everyone.

"Ew, I got 12," Gaurav said.

"Joel and I got 19," Sung said showing her test paper.

"20," Krishika said.

"How did I get 12 while you got 20? I copied from your test," Gaurav said looking at Krishika's paper. I zoomed out doodling on the page as I lost interest in doing problems.

"Aren't you going to finish these sums?" I shook my head no. I suddenly feel so lonely here, Abhinav is busy with his family problems. Gaurav and Krishika became close now. Aryan is in his own love world. Becca is busy preparing for her piano competition and Joel is helping our science group.

It's been exactly five months that I last time stepped out of the school grounds for the cricket match.

Another four months and we will be graduating high school. I'm not really sure of what I'm going to do after high school, I never thought about it. I knowingly ignored the topic and tried to live my present but now after the call last night from my mom kind of left me in dilemma.

I never expected a call, it was a shock for sure. She asked what I'm going to major in after high school. She wasn't happy when I said I don't know.

"You listening?" Becca said. When did she come...

"Nope."

"Huh... Listen help me out with these lyrics." She laid two sheets on my desk with a pencil.

"I'm not gonna sing, Becca." I pushed the papers aside continuing my doodles.

"Please babe... Aliyah is sick and I can't practice without the voice. This is really important and just be there for two weeks and Aliyah will be back."

"Becca, there are others who will be helping you and I'm sure Ishika ma'am selected someone from another section."

"But... Sitara your voice is really good. Please man! Help me out." She is now pleading which I hate the most. I don't like pleading and can't stand when someone pleads.

"Becca! Stop, I said I won't... Then I won't. There is no point of pleading." I tried my best to keep my voice at bay. I don't wanna snap at her.

"Becca, you will find someone else," Abhinav said knowing clearly that I'm not gonna sing.

"Fine." Becca walked away with a pouty face. Krishika and Sung spoke with Becca while I closed my eyes. Abhinav rubbed my back while I tried to control the anger that's growing in me.

•

"You play so coolly. I really like you." I heard the junior say for another time.

"Concentrate on your play. I don't like people who talk a lot." That made her mouth shut. Huh, Peaceful...

We heard the whistle indicating the finish of the game. I held my basketball looking at the other four girls who are busy gossiping.

"I want them to be strong in the game. I can't handle these four girls, they gossip a lot and no seriousness." I heard our new coach say.

"Make them play solo and running a few miles will be a good punishment for now." 

"Coach, can we leave now?" Priya asked. 

"What do you say?" Coach asked me.

"When does their training ends?"

"They got an hour but they want to go and rest."

"Nope, you four aren't leaving. Complete three laps around the ground then leave," I tell them. They look at each other ready to protest.

"If you don't take your practice seriously, then I will kick you four out before the board does. You girls know right that you have to compete with section-A girls?" I ask them seriously.

"Yes."

"Take it or leave it, we will choose someone else from your class."

"We will be serious about the practice," the other girl says.

"Start moving if you wanna leave soon," I tell them. They snap out of their shock and start jogging towards the entrance gate. the coach chuckles shaking his head.

"I did a good thing choosing you, I guess they are more scared to you than me. You go, I will watch them."

"Nah coach, I will stay and watch. I gave them the task and it's y duty to watch them. I will play for a while watching them. You go to your quarters' coach," I tell him.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay then, thank you and see you tomorrow."

"Okay." I played solo till the girls finished their jogging.

"Senior, we are done," they spoke patting leaning on their knees.

"Good, we will be having serious training from tomorrow. Be here on time, good night," I tell them. 

"Okay senior, good night."

"Good night." I waited till they left with their bags. I took my bag and walked towards the bathroom.

They divided the teams and we got new players from the junior class whose play is good but they are so loud and windy. 

I passed the cricket ground, they were playing a match. Gaurav is doing the fielding. A few boys were sitting on the stands for their batting chance I guess.

Dhruv caught my eye as he called my name out. "Hey, Sitara!" I just nodded my head but didn't stop my walking.

"Aren't you going to stop? How was your practice?" he jogged towards me. I didn't say a word.

"Don't you remember me? We went to the match and I asked you a question." he tried to explain to me. I already know him but I was wrong at that time. I believed his name was Tanaz, it's Dhruv actually.

"Boring."

"Huh?" He sounded confused.

"Oh, you mean the practice?" I gave him a nod leaving him there.

There were four girls from other sports. I went to my usual bathing stall, I unzipped my duffle bag, pulling my towel and clothes out.

After taking a shower I went to Selborne campus where the girl's dormitory is.

I'm not hungry and decided to skip dinner. Voices were coming out of dorm rooms as I passed them. I opened the door of our dormitory to see Becca watching out of the window.

"Didn't go for dinner?" I asked throwing my bag and ball near my bed. I laid flat on my back watching the rotating fan.

"Nope."

"Wanna try vodka?" I stood up opening the wardrobe. I pulled the stockler bottle out.

"You stored vodka in a syrup bottle?" Becca stated standing beside me.

"Yup, can't risk when the warden does sudden checking. She already knew about my kidney stones." I say opening the lid.

"Smart bitch." I poured the vodka into our coffee cups.

"Have to be." She chuckled taking her cup while I put the bottle back inside my wardrobe.

My mum and sister don't even know the fact that I drink vodka. I'm not a daily drinker, I just drink when I feel so low.

We both became silent as we sat in our chairs on the balcony. We are truly lucky as we got this side of the building which has balconies.

"Sitara, why did you leave singing? You and I joined the piano classes and music classes together but why did you stop it all of sudden?"

I don't like to voice my thoughts out or explain myself to someone but when it comes to my gang. I can voice out a few.

"My mum is a fan of music when I was a kid I used to see her hum or sing. I believed if I took music classes and learned music I can surprise her."

I took a sip of my vodka mixed lime juice. "I waited for her to come to our annual day every year but she never attended. It's not her mistake actually, she has a business every day and I can't expect her to come all the way here to see me perform."

I let out a heavy sigh as the pictures of past me started playing in my mind. "But there was this hope you know that maybe she will attend this year for me. The year never came and you know my anger."

"You lost your hope and left music because you are angry that your mum never attended your performance," Becca said.

"I stopped expecting and put a full stop to my expectations. There is a difference between hope and expectation," I tell her gulping down the remaining drink.

"I understand and sorry about the pleading. I forgot the fact that you dislike pleading." She says pointing a finger at me.

"Don't plead next time."

"But tell me how did you fill vodka in syrup bottle?" She asked.

"Abhinav bought vodka bottles. I threw the syrup out and washed it till the smell went away then filled it with vodka." She laughed as I explained to her.

"Where did the thought came from?"

"It popped up in my mind."

"But what if you have random pain because of stones?" She asked.

"I have another bottle of medicine babe."

"Right... Smart... "

"Actually it's not severe, they are smaller than 2mm. Mum wanted to do a normal medical checkup for the safe side in the summer. I got to know about these stones, I took regular home recipe therapy and syrup. It takes an average of thirty days for them to pass. I don't even have any pain so I got rid of them I guess."

We spoke randomly and decided to go to the mess to eat our dinner as we are hungry.