Read Online The Secret wish List by Preeti Shenoy - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Preeti Shenoy
Ads: Link
evening, I beg and plead with my mother. I apologise a thousand times. I tell her I am terribly sorry and to please not send me to another school.
But her heart is as hard as stone and she does not melt. No amount of pleading or apologising works.
‘Diksha, sixteen is an age where you have to be careful. You don’t even know what you are doing. We are your parents. We know what is best for you. Leave it to us,’ she says with an edge in her voice that is alien to me.
My parents’ attitude towards me has completely changed. Rohan is told that none of his friends can come home now.
‘Like I am going to call that bastard home anymore,’ mutters Rohan under his breath.
When I go back to school the next day, it seems as though the whole school is talking about me and Ankit.
All the seniors, the juniors, and even the staff. Everywhere I go, there are hushed whispers.
‘Tanu, what am I going to do?’ I ask her
‘Don’t worry, Diksha, it will die down soon,’ she says and squeezes my hand. I feel very grateful to her. I tell her what my parents said about sending me to another school.
Tanu is shocked.
‘Surely, they can’t mean it?’ she asks in disbelief.
‘I don’t know, Tanu. My mother sounded as though she did. They have even banned Rohan from inviting his friends home.’
‘I feel so bad, Diksha. If I hadn’t written all that silly stuff in Ankit’s book, all of this would never have happened.’
‘No, Tanu. It isn’t your fault. Ankit and I met many times after that. I knew fully well what I was doing. Or at least I thought I did. I downplayed it as I thought you might get hurt. I like him so much, Tanu. In fact, I love him. I feel so happy when he is around. But I should have controlled myself. I am so silly. I deserve all this,’ I say
‘Hey, don’t be so harsh on yourself. He too pushed you into meeting him, didn’t he? Why should he be excused? Just because he is a guy? That is so not fair. You can’t blame yourself alone.’
I don’t know what to tell her. So I hug her and she hugs me back.
I just think to myself, how lucky I am to have her support.
Within the very first hour of school, I am summoned to the Principal’s office. I am jolted to see both my parents sitting there.
‘Diksha, whatever happened is unfortunate. You have fine parents and you come from such a cultured family. Your parents have decided that sending you to another school is the best option. We will be completing all the transfer formalities within this week itself. You have a bright future ahead of you. Do not get into bad company like Ankit. His family background is not too good and that boy is nothing but trouble. I personally think your parents are doing a wise thing,’ says Mr Shetty, the school principal.
This is so unfair. I feel like screaming. How can Ankit’s parents fighting with each other be his fault? I agree I have made a mistake. But does it warrant this big a punishment? I want to say I am sorry. I want to ask to be allowed to continue in this school. I really cannot bear the thought of not seeing Ankit every day. I like my school and have been a very good student. This is the only time I have slipped up. Please give me one chance, I want to beg.
But no words come. The look in my parents’ eyes breaks me down.
A plethora of emotions washes over me in those few moments. I feel anger, bitterness, regret, helplessness, sadness.
I don’t know what to say or do. So I stand there, hanging my head in shame, scrunching my toes inside my shoe and making a fist so hard that my finger nails dig into my palms and leave a red mark.
This one incident is going to change the course of my entire life. But I have no idea to what extent and, for the moment, all I feel is this huge heaviness in my heart and the horrible feeling that life as I know it is about to change forever.
Eight
I T IS ELEVEN THIRTY PM . S ANDEEP IS FAST ASLEEP and I am reading in bed when the phone call shatters the silence of
But her heart is as hard as stone and she does not melt. No amount of pleading or apologising works.
‘Diksha, sixteen is an age where you have to be careful. You don’t even know what you are doing. We are your parents. We know what is best for you. Leave it to us,’ she says with an edge in her voice that is alien to me.
My parents’ attitude towards me has completely changed. Rohan is told that none of his friends can come home now.
‘Like I am going to call that bastard home anymore,’ mutters Rohan under his breath.
When I go back to school the next day, it seems as though the whole school is talking about me and Ankit.
All the seniors, the juniors, and even the staff. Everywhere I go, there are hushed whispers.
‘Tanu, what am I going to do?’ I ask her
‘Don’t worry, Diksha, it will die down soon,’ she says and squeezes my hand. I feel very grateful to her. I tell her what my parents said about sending me to another school.
Tanu is shocked.
‘Surely, they can’t mean it?’ she asks in disbelief.
‘I don’t know, Tanu. My mother sounded as though she did. They have even banned Rohan from inviting his friends home.’
‘I feel so bad, Diksha. If I hadn’t written all that silly stuff in Ankit’s book, all of this would never have happened.’
‘No, Tanu. It isn’t your fault. Ankit and I met many times after that. I knew fully well what I was doing. Or at least I thought I did. I downplayed it as I thought you might get hurt. I like him so much, Tanu. In fact, I love him. I feel so happy when he is around. But I should have controlled myself. I am so silly. I deserve all this,’ I say
‘Hey, don’t be so harsh on yourself. He too pushed you into meeting him, didn’t he? Why should he be excused? Just because he is a guy? That is so not fair. You can’t blame yourself alone.’
I don’t know what to tell her. So I hug her and she hugs me back.
I just think to myself, how lucky I am to have her support.
Within the very first hour of school, I am summoned to the Principal’s office. I am jolted to see both my parents sitting there.
‘Diksha, whatever happened is unfortunate. You have fine parents and you come from such a cultured family. Your parents have decided that sending you to another school is the best option. We will be completing all the transfer formalities within this week itself. You have a bright future ahead of you. Do not get into bad company like Ankit. His family background is not too good and that boy is nothing but trouble. I personally think your parents are doing a wise thing,’ says Mr Shetty, the school principal.
This is so unfair. I feel like screaming. How can Ankit’s parents fighting with each other be his fault? I agree I have made a mistake. But does it warrant this big a punishment? I want to say I am sorry. I want to ask to be allowed to continue in this school. I really cannot bear the thought of not seeing Ankit every day. I like my school and have been a very good student. This is the only time I have slipped up. Please give me one chance, I want to beg.
But no words come. The look in my parents’ eyes breaks me down.
A plethora of emotions washes over me in those few moments. I feel anger, bitterness, regret, helplessness, sadness.
I don’t know what to say or do. So I stand there, hanging my head in shame, scrunching my toes inside my shoe and making a fist so hard that my finger nails dig into my palms and leave a red mark.
This one incident is going to change the course of my entire life. But I have no idea to what extent and, for the moment, all I feel is this huge heaviness in my heart and the horrible feeling that life as I know it is about to change forever.
Eight
I T IS ELEVEN THIRTY PM . S ANDEEP IS FAST ASLEEP and I am reading in bed when the phone call shatters the silence of
Similar Books
