Chapter 14:- His Pain.

Resting his chin on his knees he sat on the bench of the garden and kept staring at nothing. His face was expressionless and calm but his brain was running horses and his mind was chaotic, filled with too many what ifs. What if he is not able to score good enough to fulfill his parents' demand? What if he will have to choose commerce instead of arts? And many more.

Albeit his parents never brought up any topic related to studies now when they conversed but his mind had already developed that fear of losing everything that wasn't letting him progress. He felt everyone was lenient towards him just because he was ill but no one understood his thoughts.

Be it teachers, not asking for homework, be it his parents asking him to relax and not to take any stress of syllabus and be it Khwaab who forgave him easily.

Though she made it clear that she wanted to start afresh but would they have been friends again if he wasn't ill? His brain argued. He didn't want to lose her friendship because of his rude behaviour. Never ever he thought about changing himself, his behaviour, his attitude but now was ready to do so just because of the fear he had developed of being left with nothing.

A squeeze on his shoulder startled him, breaking his reverie. He looked at his side and saw Khwaab sitting with concern etched over her face.

"I was calling you from so long. Are you alright Armaan?" She asked softly.

She was still very much concerned about his health considering it's just two days back he started attending the classes. Rubbing his hand over his face he sat straight.

"I'm fine. You here?" He asked, trying to act normal.

"I was getting bored studying for long so came out for a stroll. What about you?" She asked again and that is when he noticed her clothes. A black loose top with a white long skirt, she looked cute and beautiful.

Tearing away his gaze from her, he simply shrugged his shoulders. Inspite of having so many things running in his mind he felt blank. Even though his heart wanted to share everything with her but no words came out of his mouth.

"Armaan bottling up everything in your heart will do no good instead it will eventually harm you and people around you. Share it, not necessarily with me but with anyone. Share it with your parents, they'll understand."

Not liking his depressed face from last two days, she tried comforting him with her words. Though they become friends but she still finds him more silent than before.

"And what if they don't understand? And what if they don't want to understand? And what if they want you to follow their words and fulfill their demands? And what if your dreams and aspirations means nothing to them? Then what will you do?"

Staring right into her eyes he put forth the questions that were creating a havoc in his mind.

"What do you mean Armaan?" His lower eyelid lined with water, his words sharp and determined and his ashen face perplexed her.

Looking aside he took a deep breath before answering her.

"You know I am the only child of my parents. They have pampered me to no extent and I felt myself the luckiest to be their child. My grandparents fulfilled my every demand even before it came out from my mouth. They all did everything to make me smile. My grandpa always supported me and my music. I enjoyed jamming with him. He was my only friend all these years till he was alive. Grandma said that god needed him more than us so he left us.

Two years back I joined this school as I wasn't able to cope up with the loss. My parents decided to send me here to bring a change in my surroundings. It took me two years to finally adjust . In all these years they didn't stop me from doing anything I like, be it taking part in sports, essay competition or choir, anything that my heart desired and that made me happy.

But my delusion was broken when I went home in these vacations. They don't love me Khwaab, they love the heir of Malik Enterprises. My dream of becoming a musician felt like a joke to them. They don't care what I want but the only thing that matters to them is the fact that who will be the next person sitting on that chair if I don't make my career in business.

My grandpa would have supported me if he was here. I felt all alone arguing with my parents and especially grandma, which I hate doing. I pleaded them to understand my love towards music, but they shrugged it off calling my dreams preposterous and vacuous. They don't understand. Nobody does. I've always been alone, never felt a need of having someone but my family, but today I feel lonely. I feel like leaving everything and going away, far, very far from everyone and never return."

Hiding his disappointment and tears that sprang out his eyes, he looked down, his ashen face covered by his hands, in a knee elbow position.

Her heart ached looking at him so depressed and broken. Taken aback by his words and what all he kept inside till now she rubbed his shoulders.

"Armaan don't think like that. Running away from your problems is never a solution. " Shaking his head at her words he sat straight and took a deep breath.

"The problem is me and my dreams. I can't do what they want me to do. Everything is suffocating me. I would have studied even if I had to do nothing with it in future but with this demand I've started developing a fear of losing it all." He tried explaining what he was feeling.

"Armaan relax, take a deep breath." He followed what she said.

"Now listen. You'll do as they said but your reason won't be the same." Her words confused him more.

"See they want you to do well in exams and you'll do that, not in a fear of losing your music but with full determination to opt what you want in future. Think that it will be easy for you to take admission in the best arts and music college with good marks. Then nobody will be able to stop you from choosing what you want. Show them how much passionate you are about your music . And what you want is not an easy career with rising competition so take it as your first test towards your dream."

He nodded with a smile and hope shining in his eyes of a better future, listening her words. She is right, with good marks he will have the freedom of opting what he wants.

Rubbing his face with his sleeves he said ," you are right. I'll work hard and prove them my love towards music."

"Yes but not under so much pressure that you get sick. It will just create problems." Khwaab advised softly and he bobbed his head with a beautiful smile playing on his lips which she had seen after so long.

"But I've never paid attention to these subjects. Will I be able to do in such a short time? We have two weeks for our tests to start." His smile dropped thinking this.

"No fear when Khwaab Talwar is here. I'll help you and I know you'll score good ." She said positively, instilling confidence in him.

"Really?" He asked shocked by her generous behaviour.

"We are friends right. Friends help each other." She said simply shrugging her shoulders and he couldn't stop himself from grinning widely.

_____

"Yay yay yay!!! I can't believe I got eighty five percent marks in science and eighty seven in mathematics." Standing at the backside of the school, in the garden, Armaan jumped in happiness mixed with surprise. They had their class unit tests before their summer vacations for which the results were out.

"I told you. When you work hard with honesty then nobody can stop you from achieving your dream. And you studied so hard, so this had to happen. And in English you got ninety two percent, highest in the class. " Khwaab said, her eyes twinkling in delight seeing him so happy and smiling brightly.

"It's all because of you Einstein. If you wouldn't have helped me in studies , clearing the tiniest of my doubts so patiently then I don't know what would I have done. Thankyou is not enough for all you have done for me. You are the best and I'm the luckiest to have you as my best friend. Thankyou for being my friend Talwar. Thankyou so much." Armaan expressed his gratitude, his voice thick with emotions and squeezed her in a bone crushing hug.

"I can't breathe." Khwaab choked out and Armaan immediately separated himself. "Sorry." Armaan said smiling sheepishly making her chuckle at his cuteness.

She still can't believe that he is the same boy who didn't talk to her on the first day and now has to be shut forcefully for he keeps on complaining and nagging about something or the other. His day is incomplete without sharing it's details with her.

If anybody would see him blabber non-stop would definitely faint because he is the most silent one when her classmates come to her desk. It seems like he is completely ignoring them but actually his whole concentration is in what they are saying.

After the last confession that Khwaab did when she told how her other classmates had hurt her, he has become overprotective about her.

If anyone tries to come and disturb her, asking her help for studies and notes in their sugary tone, he shoos them away with the most sarcastic remark because he understood one thing that she can't say 'no'. Denying someone for help makes her feel guilty and she sits sulking in the corner. So it is his duty to do that in such a way that they will never bother her but not with those whom he finds genuine.

According to her it is his care towards her but she doesn't how much possessive and protective he feels when she smiles at any boy in the class other than him. From nowhere he starts asking doubts in topics he has completely understood when he sees her speaking to any classmate for more than a minute. He has grown habitual to her undivided attention and likes her to be occupied with him, just him.

In these last twenty days their friendship underwent a big change turning their status from good to best friends. From Khwaab helping him in clearing his all doubts to Armaan calming her down when she gets too anxious just before the tests to the extent that her hands become cold, they came a long way.

"I haven't done anything. It's all your hard work that made you achieve this and I'm sure you'll score more in the final exams." He sighed loudly listening her reply. Why this girl can't take credit of anything good she does?

She didn't understand what big she has done in helping him. According to her, if he wasn't willing by himself to study and score good then none of her efforts would have been fruitful.

"Ofcourse I did all the hard work in learning the syllabus and I've been doing that from past two months too but you know what's the difference?" He asked raising his eyebrows. Fully confused, frown lines formed on her forehead, she shook her head not understanding what he meant.

"I didn't feel any pressure and burden over myself while studying these subjects . Earlier when I was doing all this my motive was to fulfill my parents' demand but now my focus isn't that. Because you made me understand that I shouldn't study these subjects only to score well but take this as an opportunity to prove my passion towards music to them. And it made all the difference."

She made an 'ohh' face hearing this while he knocked her head making her wince. He immediately ran away saving himself from the mini monster.

Flashback ends.