09 Oscar nomination.

I slowly made my way through the now-memorised corridors. I had been doing this every week in my four months stay in the all boys school.

I knew it all started as an act, a mission, but now, a sincere and real friendship had grown between Rohan and I. At first it was awkward to see him all the time in a tank top and sweatpants. He didn't care about me seeing him since obviously his roommate was a guy. It was even awkward when he put his hands over my shoulder as if I was his mobile pillar of support. He put it there because I was a guy and guys don't freak out when their fellow mates put their arms around them. And by now, all my sensitivities had died.

Rohan was still not exactly talkative. Hey, the kid had been an introvert all his life and just because I had come and helped him come out of his shell didn't mean that he was suddenly a super confident extrovert and the life of a party. He talked to the other guys, laughed at their jokes, tried to make his own jokes, and he was taking some initiative. He was improving. And suddenly something hit me.

My mission was over. Wow. My mission was done. Finished. Completed. Accomplished. And for once it didn't feel silly to say that my "mission" was finished. I had proved to my father that Rohan was normal.

I’d won. We’d won.

But instead of feeling a triumphant smile on my face, I felt a sting in my eyes. I sniffed as I tried to wipe the colourless liquid from the corners of my eyes without looking obvious.

Guess someone was peeling onions nearby.

And before I knew, I was standing in front of a big oak door with a metal sign reading PRINCIPAL screwed to it.

I knocked, even though Uncle knew I was coming. But unlike the other visits, I wasn't excited to boast about Rohan's improvement. Even without me reporting, he would know everything, since he has asked Snape's doppelganger (remember? Our homeroom teacher. Ring a bell? Yeah, that guy) to keep an eye out. It seemed like he was Uncle's trusted right hand man and in fact knew I was a girl. He updated Uncle with all the happenings, which Uncle delivered to Rohan's dad.

By now, Uncle would know Rohan was okay. That he didn't need me here anymore.

"Come in," said a gruff voice that pulled me from my conflicting thoughts. I opened the door, surprised, since his secretary was the one who always opened the door. I looked at her empty seat as I stepped in. Uncle's eyes travelled to where I was looking and he smiled.

"Took a leave," he said mildly, the smile deepening the wrinkles on his face. I didn't smile back.

Vimal-uncle gave me another smile before he stood up from his chair and came towards me. He rested a hand on my left shoulder, his deep brown eyes boring into my black ones.

"Raj"— Snape's doppelganger —"has said that Rohan has improved tremendously.." I nodded. "... and that he has new friends." I nodded again, pressing my toe to the ground so as to control the quiver in my lips. "Rohit and Rohan seem really close." Well, not as close as Rohan and I. But I didn't dare say that.

"Yes," I replied dryly.

Vimal-uncle smiled at me proudly. "Guess you've finished what you came here for. To be honest, I didn't expect anything from this plan, but you actually did it!"

I didn't open my mouth. But he continued. "Arun seems really worried, and since the job is done, why don't you return?" I gritted my teeth as I took a quick breath to calm my nerves.

"Are you saying I have to leave?" My voice cracked but Uncle didn't notice it. Why are adults so ignorant?

"Haha yes, my child," he said, sounding overjoyed. "You never liked coming here. Now, I saw your face four months back when I proposed this idea. And Rohan's father thinks he is wasting an innocent girl's life by making her do this. So we’re releasing you. You can go home!"

He was the one who sounded like a little kid going to Disneyland. He was the one who looked all happy and giddy. He was the one who was pressing my shoulders, unable to contain his excitement. And I just sat there, eyes on his face, face devoid of any emotions, hands clenched, and jaw grinding. It was only after two minutes or so that he noticed my silence. The pressure on my left shoulder loosened and so did the happiness on his face. He looked at me and I knew he knew it.

"Uthra..." he said in disbelief.

Vimal-uncle was the next man I loved, after my father and Jeremy, since I’d never had any other male relatives. He was there when my mother's family disowned her for marrying my father. (They both were rich, yet it had been another modern-day Romeo and Juliet story.) He was there during situations where a blood-related uncle was required. And he was there when we went bankrupt.

I could tell him how I felt.

"I don't want to go," I said blankly.

Uncle's hand lifted from my shoulder to rest on the bridge of his huge nose.

"Uthra," he said slowly, "what you are asking isn't practical."

Practical? I let out a boisterous, sarcastic laugh. "Practical?" I spat sarcastically. I know I was being rude but whatever. "I was forced to join an all boys school. That isn't practical. And that for the sake of a socially awkward kid. That isn't practical. Moreover, I was assigned as a boy's roommate. That isn't practical. But it all happened! Now you're trying to tell me that me wishing to stay with a boy I came to love as my best friend is impractical?" I heaved hard because of my scorching anger and because of the impact of my words.

Vimal-uncle looked taken aback and it took him a moment to regain his composure. "Uthra— honey, I know I made you do all that. But this is your life! You can't graduate as a guy. It can't go like that! Think, dear..." He looked at me sympathetically.

What he said seriously came as a slap to me. If I graduate from this school, I would have to be a guy at college, a guy at work... a guy all the time... I couldn't lie forever. And it's not like I would even be able to keep it up that long. Every lie comes to light. But at that age, it would be an offensive crime. They won't let me off the hook since I wouldn't be a teenager then. A minor. And whoa, to say the impact of the situation crushed me was the understatement of the year. And suddenly a crazy idea flashed in my mind. "What about—" I sounded so desperate, "--what about I just stay here till the end of the year?"

"Uthra," Vimal-uncle started, but I interrupted him.

"I DID EVERYTHING I COULD!" I shouted desperately, tears falling from my eyes, my girl voice on display for everyone to hear. "Can't I ask for this one thing?"

Vimal-uncle's sympathetic face didn't change. And that's when I got angry.

"How can you adults be so selfish?" I asked angrily. "My own father didn't go against the world to stop me from dressing as a boy. Even though it was crazy beyond imagination, you proposed this idea. And Rohan's dad-—he let me go, do everything and now, he dares to think this wasted my life? Are you gents freaking kidding me?!" And after my hot as lava speech, Vimal-uncle's face turned from sympathy to shame. "Just four more months," I whispered.

I knew I wouldn't be satisfied by four months, but asking for forever would be too much. It sounded greedy, even to me. "Eleventh grade ends in four months. Then I'll leave this school, my friends, and my best friend Rohan and I'll pretend that none of this ever happened. I gave you people what you wanted. Now, please... please give me what I want."

Can't a girl hope...?

Vimal-uncle lowered his head and for the next five minutes, the tapping of his right forefinger on the table was the only movement in the entire room.

With a sigh, he looked up, and I could see the resolve faltering in his eyes.

Yes!

"Four months," he said, his tone protective and stern.

"Four months," I agreed, nodding.

"And no amount of smart talk would allow you to sta—"

Knock knock.

We both froze.

After that initial moment of shock, I quickly wiped the tears off my face and patted my cheeks to bring some colour to them. With my shirt sleeve, I wiped my eyes, hoping they didn't look puffy.

Uncle, who was by now back to his seat, cast a glance at me, and seeing that I didn't look suspicious, took an inaudible breath.

"Come in," he said as sternly as possible.

I waited with bated breath to see the intruder. I seriously hoped he didn't hear the commotion that was going in here a few moments ago. Especially... my girl voice.

Hrithik-anna's head looked from behind the door, smiling. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked in a cheery tone as he walked inside. I tried to read is his face to see if I could see any signs that showed that he had heard anything.

But there was no trace of recognition. Which only left two options. Either he was a very good actor deserving of an Oscar or he didn't hear anything.

"Yes?" Uncle's tone surprised me. He was always my goofy uncle and always behaved like that to me. But in front of Hrithik-anna I could see that he was a Principal, not my uncle. Since Hrithik-anna who was the Student President wouldn't come here for a petty talk, I decided to leave, since it would be indecent to sit in someone's conversation.

I stood up with a parting smile.

"Then I'll be going, Un— sir," I corrected, since no one knew I was related to the school's owner.

He gave me a curt nod but I could see the warmth in his eyes. Hrithik-anna gave me his normal friendly grin before he turned to Uncle and started talking.

I exited the room.

The last few days had been hectic, excluding the tests and school work. My father getting all worked up, now Uncle proposing that I should leave, and the huge heart attack in the form of Hrithik-anna knocking the door in the middle of an an argument--it all seemed to drain me suddenly.

I’d gone to see my uncle during the recess before the last period. But I noticed that all my classmates were running laps around the grounds since it was PE now.

The coach wouldn't notice if I slipped in, right?

"TEN MORE LAPS!" Coach screamed at the top of his voice, and even the most athletic guys groaned.

When they were coming near the place where I was standing, I joined in. Rohan somehow managed to come and run beside me.

"How did you get here?" I asked.

"Where did you go?" he asked instead.

"To the bathroom," I lied. Lying had become my second best friend.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

*

*

*

By the time we finished the laps, I was puffing and gasping. Blood was rushing in my ears and my heart felt like it would jump straight from my chest. We didn't play at all during this PE class. We just ran laps.

All the guys slumped on the ground, not minding where they were, and sunk their heads in between their outstretched legs.

I did the same.

*

*

*

Where the hell did Rohan go?

I stomped my foot as I walked as fast as my legs would carry me through the corridors. It was time for dinner and he was nowhere to be found.

"Yo," a familiar voice came from behind me.

I wasn't actually happy to see Hrithik-anna now, to be honest. "Anna," I said, flashing a fake smile.

My eyes still searched his face to see if he had heard anything. But his face was normal. Oh well. Uncle took more than five minutes to decide. So I think it's quite unlikely to think that he heard the conversation. And as far as I knew, he was not known for eavesdropping.

He smiled as he walked along with me. It was strange to see him alone, without Karan-anna following him around. "I saw that Coach sucked the living soul outta you guys with his laps," he stated, laughing heartily.

I laughed too. "Yep."

"Twelve laps," Hrithik-anna said, a mixture of shock and sympathy in his voice.

"Haha, yes," I said as I still looked around for Rohan.

"How did you manage it?"

"What?" I asked.

I looked up at Hrithik-anna's face, and that's when I realised that something, which was always there, was missing.

His down-to-earth smile. He looked down at me and wow, I'd never seen Hrithik-anna like this. Ever. In the moonlight, with his stony glare, he looked like he was ready to kill me.

"You know," Hrithik-anna said coolly, "being a girl and all."

Guess option one was correct. He absolutely deserves an Oscar.