chapter 4

      " Woah- look at your luck -", Neeta's sudden interruption caught Aarushi off gaurd. " What luck?" " Didn't you want to avoid her topic today morning? And now see she literally sat besides you. " Neeta teased, " Oh and look what we have. A sketch? She drew it, didn't she? " " Give it back!" " I just want to see. She is pretty talented despite all her bad qualities. " " What bad qualities?" " Why does it suddenly concern you?" "You are annoying!" " Oh really or-" Neeta  paused as she felt a hand snatch it away from her.    All the attention suddenly turned to the intruder. No one questioned her though the looks offered said enough for them. " Don't mess with what's mine. ", she threatened with a deadly glare leaving everyone in surprise. She returned the sketch to Aarushi with a polite smile, which in itself was unusual. All the eyes still stuck to her , yet no one said anything. " My headphones.", she gestured Neeta to shift who immediately made way for the girl  to grab her stuff and leave. She left without any further words never turning back to spare a glance at the bewildered classmates who still didn't understand what exactly happened.      " Did she just call you hers?", Neeta asked more like teased. " She meant the sketch. ", Aarushi defended. " Sure sure. " Neeta continued her teasing. She just needed any possible reason to annoy her friends. The trio left with their giggling and teasing while Aarushi did her best to shoo the two off. She found the happenings pretty weird but decided to shrug it off. They walked down the staircase and her gaze landed upon the figure standing near the end of the staircase . "Vibhavari."....for some reason that name had been running in her mind quite a while. It was kind of disturbing.      They walked past her and as Aarushi tried her best to look everywhere but at her,  yet she found her eyes somehow still travelling to her direction. She realised the other smile a bit at her so she returned the gesture just to not seem rude. " Woah- you two -", " Shut up!", she cut off Neeta before her bestie could utter anymore nonsense. " That's actually strange though. ", Malini piped in earning the attention of the two. Aarushi turned serious because Malini didn't speak up unless necessary. " She ain't type to be following formalities. Also she-"Malini stopped midway and looked down as if caught doing something illegal. " What?", Aarushi asked but got her answer as to why the other stoped as Vibha passed by them her ears occupied by the headphones which was a huge relief.     " I hope she didn't hear us. ", Malini put forth her worry but Neeta just shrugged her off. " No way she did. " Aarushi couldn't help but look at the direction the other walked to. For some reason she found the girl's presence disturbing. " Anyways. You two coming tomorrow?", Aarushi asked expecting the answer she received. " Obivously not!" She sighed and walked ahead. " Expected." " Why bother asking then." " Who knows? Perhaps sun might rise from West someday?" " Sun doesn't -" " No thanks . I don't need your scientific lecture. I am happy with a smily sun who sets and rises."    The three exchanged a few more laughters and comments before they parted ways. " How was your day?", her dad asked as he handed her helmet to wear. " Great . ", she said taking out something from her bag . She showed her dad the sketch. " Woah- who's this heavenly beauty?", that earned him a pout from his daughter. " It's wonderful. Who drew?" his eyes still lingered admiringly on the sketch.   " A friend." " Who? Neeta? Malini? ", he asked , Knowing only the two names. " Vibhavari", Aarushi let the name roll down her tongue for the first time. It somehow gave her a tickling feeling. Her voice unintentionally had came out timid surprising herself. " New friend?", he asked quite interested in keeping record of his daughter 's friends. " Yeah. She sat besides me today. " " And made you a sketch?", he asked a bit amused at the fact. " Yeah- it was indeed surprising. But it was so beautiful. I couldn't resist. " . A hint of guilt suddenly took over.      She was worried that her dad didn't approve of this new friend. Also she was weird.  " What's her name again?", he asked still not taking his eyes off the sketch.     Vibhavari...   " V-v-ib-ha- vari..... ", she cursed at herself for stuttering in the 9 Letter word. " She seems special.", her dad suddenly said catching her off gaurd. " Huh?", she looked at him surprised. " She really has got some talent .", her dad added and she  smiled at it. " Hop on. We should get going before motherly worries start ringing my ears.", he mocked as she  sat behind him while giggling.        And as if showing her 10 th marksheet, Aarushi had showed  entire home the sketch. The artist did receive a lot of praises though she didn't knew. Glancing at it one last time she placed it in her drawer which had all her favourite memories. Right from birthday greetings to grandfather's last handwritten letter before he passed away. Now the sketch too was placed amongst them. A memory to be treasured . Though from a mere stranger, it still was something special.