chapter 25

Part 25: The world hidden in wordsThere was a new excitement in school. It was the day of the essay writing competition. Everyone was busy - some chewing on pencils, some thinking at the last minute. The topic was:"A friend who changed me."Riya looked at the paper...and picked up the pen without thinking.There was only one name in her mind - Monkey.But then she paused and thought. Monkey...who was only hers. Whom only she called by that name. To the world he was patience, to her he was much more than that.She could not write "Monkey" in the essay - it was a secret of her heart, a name that was only for her.  I wrote:“That boy…whose name is Dhirav.Maybe the world sees him as a funny guy, but for me…He is the light that was there in every moment when I was fighting the darkness.He taught me how to believe in myself.Sometimes he makes me laugh for no reason, and sometimes he says with his eyes everything that cannot be said in words…”She kept writing…and with every word, a piece of memory landed on that paper.When she went to the back garden after the competition, Dhirav was sitting there alone – without mischief as usual, a little defeated.“You didn’t come?” Riya asked.Dhirav smiled a little, “I did write…but only for you. Didn’t submit it.”He gave a folded paper to Riya.Riya opened it slowly, and started reading:“That girl… who never breaks down for herself, but breaks down for others every time.Who turns my every weakness into my strength.Maybe the world knows me as Dheerav…But when she calls me “Monkey”… then I feel I really belong to someone.”Riya’s eyes were filled with tears… a light smile on her lips.“Do you want me to tell all this to anyone else?” she asked.Dheerav said softly, “No. It’s enough if you keep understanding.”And our day ended with another silent page added to the book of their friendship – a page that had only the language of two people’s hearts.