Reflections.....

I walked my eyes looking directly forward and my ears searching for music towards our block. I had been thinking of my conversation with Zedan and it was strange that I had said something related to my family issues to Zedan. I never exactly knew him! How could I have so easily told him the truth, to win our debate or to show him how wrong he was! In either case I was angry at my childish action. Zedan could have told the entire school about it till now! Question was whether he did or not!

He had had in the last few years since he’d come to school given me no attention! I might have been a new toy he could play with. But I knew better not to judge people before I knew them so instead of walking to my home, I walked to the town library. It wouldn’t close till midnight so I had three hours at hand. I walked slowly and reflectively to the library. It was very bright with all the shops still open, so I walked on thinking and recollecting all I knew about Russia and it’s neighbors and later all I knew about the tracks I saw on display at the music store. I loved music, I was in love with it and I had tracks and albums crowding a trunk at the end of my bed.

The French and the Persians were amazing those days and others were also fascinating. I had bought gypsy tracks and they were so enlivening!

 

I entered the library and to my dismay there near the first rack stood Zedan. With a math book in his arms, and near him was Stacey. Sarah’s bestfriend! She as always looked too preppy. Bangles and gold bracelets decorating her arms, a long necklace, around her neck, glimmering eye shadow on her eyelids and fluorescent pink lipstick on her lips. She stood there leaning into Zedan’s neck. They were occasionally holding each others waists or face  and were very close indeed! Did Sarah know! I got angry, just in the morning he was with her!

I ran and hid behind a book shelf and glanced at them. They were kissing each other and laughing and flirting. It disgusted me. I got up and walked towards them catching them red handed making out.

“Does Sarah know about this!?” I said sternly looking at them both of them as they both startled and crimson red looked back at me.

“What are you doing here?” Zedan said looking at me and regaining his breath.

“Well I was here looking for notes and books and to do my homework but turns out I found you both lip on lip! SO answer me………..Does Sarah know about what going on?” I said glaring into Zedan’s eyes.

“OH come on it’s nothing much! We are just having fun. We are just friends!” he said looking at me.

“On first expression I didn’t think it was friendship, Zedan! I’m eighteen! I know at least that! I am not a fool! Now tell me whether you will tell Sarah or should I! I saw you with her in the afternoon and now here Stacey is kissing those lips sarah was kissing some hours back!” I said scolding him and frowning at Stacey who’s entire legs were visible due to her shorts and pink shirt.

Zedan looked at me.

“It’s none of your business!” he said.

“If I hadn’t seen you It wouldn’t have been, but now that I have I am too much involved. And since I have told you a lot of things which I haven’t told many people in the evening i become even more involved in your affairs!”

“NO you don’t almost orphaned nymph!” he said laughing. I looked at him and small drops of tears started gathering in eyes. Stacey looked at me astonished and sad but still laughing mockingly. For once I glared at him, my eyes pleading for him to reconsider what he had said. He looked at me and his smile faded into a little fear and a little guilt of what he had said.

“You were right! We should have done individual projects.” I said still calmly but still a little shaking and sad. I walked away, out of the library and didn’t take a glance back. I had only taken a few steps out when a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I glanced back and found some random man holding me and scowling and laughing at the same time. He started rubbing his hands around my face and held me close enough to breath on my lips.

But in a second he let out a huge scream and fell in milliseconds. Behind him I found Zedan and Stacey. Zedan’s hand was clutched into a fist so I immediately knew he had punched that man. That man got up and punched Zedan and Stacey and then  took hold of my shirt and tried to carry me, when Zedan gave a huge blow of fists at his face. The man let me go. I was horrified , I found that Stacey had been calling some one. My eyes widened in fear and I started breathing heavy, the man was hitting Zedan harder, and Zedan’s nose was bleeding. I  stood up immediately and kicked that man, who froze at my kick, he pushed Zedan into a bush and punched me and held me tightly, but I kicked him and got loose. Immediately I punched him between his eyes, and on his mouth and then finally his neck, I remember my father used to teach  me boxing and kicking, he had made me as strong as a stone. The man punched me on the stomach and I punched his already bleeding mouth. Then I kicked him below the stomach harder than anything I had kicked before. As if I was trying to break down a metal door. He screamed in pain and fell on the grass just in time for the police to come. Stacey had called them. The police saw that I had not even a single scratch but Zedan had some twenty. Zedan was sent to the hospital and the man was also given treatment. I looked around me and found out all my notes had been torn and my entire bag scratched and also torn to pieces. I had been making notes all day long and now I felt very angry and the suppressed tears came out. Stacey looked at mein even more pity as I tried to recollect all the pieces that had not yet flown away. I got up with few papers panting. I noticed that all my money had been torn. And all the water I had was the tap water at home. No food and no notes and well no energy. I looked at Stacey.

“It was better you and Zedan hadn’t come out.” I said looking in a humble way at her. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt or harmed because of any situation related to me.

“If we hadn’t that man would have done who knows what to you by now!” she said looking at me. I was still shaking but I wasn’t scared.

“Will you tell Sarah about what you saw in the library!?” Stacey asked in a pleading tone.

“Do you want me to!?” I said looking at her in a questioning manner.

“No.” she said even more alarmed.

“Okay then I won’t! I keep secrets and mind my business! Maybe that’s something I should have told Zedan.” I said angrily but still not flushed. I was always firm with what I said and usually precise.

“Juliet…how did you learn to fight like that!? More importantly……… what did Zedan mean when he said “almost orphaned”?” Stacey asked pleadingly.

“I learnt it from my father! If you knew where…… he, my father, was then you would know why Zedan said that! Good night and be safe!” I said and then I looked forward took a deep breath and went down the road and vanished into the traffic. I am pretty sure Stacey looked at me amazed. That was the feeling I got.

 

The next day I sat silently in class, doodling a kung fu fighter, by the aid of my imagination. When I saw my sociology sir walk in. It was his class. I hadn’t seen Zedan all day.

“Well Juliet congratulations!” he spoke out. I looked at him inquiringly.

“Uh why sir!?”

“Your project was the first to be submitted, Zedan turned it in this morning saying you both had worked on it the entire night. He said you both slipped and got hurt and his computer doesn’t have any software to make the presentation so he handed me a written report.” Stacey from the front looked at me at the back and smiled. I smiled back.

“Thank you sir!” I said and then sank low in my chair investigating why just to say sorry Zedan did the project for the both of us! Instantly I wanted to hug him and thank him. He must have been in the hospital the whole night but he still did it.

I took a washroom break and went out of the class when I saw from our third floor outside into the garden to find Zedan with Sarah(who for once wasn’t drunk). I shouted……”HEY ZEDAN!”

“WHAT?” he shouted back, bandages around his cheeks.

“THANKYOU!” I said affectionately, as all the students in the school lawn looked up at me. Zedan chuckled. I smiled an awkward smile and moved away.

I moved back into the class.