She had walked out of the eight year old relationship in less than eight seconds... How could she have done this?... Didn't she care about him at all? Was it so easy? She wasn't the type that would just change boyfriends at a drop of hat... God she cared about him a lot...Then why did she change? Did she change in those last 8 months when he was on his first sail. After all that they have seen together, was his love so weak that it could not survive 8 months...
He took out his wallet...only to remember that he had burnt everything that he could, that reminded him of her except those three.... and now one of those three had gone. They had sold his bike...
He felt a wet tongue lick his cheek. He looked towards his dog who looked back at him with a sympathetic questioning eye. He smiled as he patted the dog...And then took him in his arms and held him to his bossom as tight as he could. His eyes became watery and he cursed the pollution again.
He regretted the two decision that he should have never made in his relationship. One, he should have never named his dog a name that Anshika wanted. Dog are loyal while girlfriends are not. Two, he should have never given up his dreams so that he could be with her.
He would be lying through his teeth if he said he had given up his dreams for her. No he had not done that! In all those eight years that he had been with her, he lived to make his one dream come true - To be with her. And he had sacrificed his every ambition for that dream...
He smiled at himself, he laughed and mocked at his foolish dream. A dream that he thought could come true. What not had he done for her...
He was never a bad student ... in fact he was one of the smartest one! But academics was not something he was ever interested in. He was always the one who wanted something that could never into books. He always wanted to be a musician. Always ... till he met Anshika in class 7th.
What not had he done for her?
He smiled at himself ....How foolish had he been... First year at the Junior College... he still remembered it! How could he forget it! The scar at his inner left thigh was a testimony of that.
Teenage does make you commit stupid things like that! Friday evening just after he had come home a common friend had informed him that some ruffians at were eve-teasing Anshika on her way to tuition and back! And the next day, he was there. His information was wrong, they were not ruffians, they were goons! He was alone and they were six of them. He knew he could never match them all alone - even with his Nunchucks. However, he cannot turn back now. They had to be punished. How dare they harass her!
He slowly parked his bike and walked towards them, nonchalantly. He had to surprise them and ensure that his engagement time was less then five seconds. He stood at little distance from them and waited... waited for the right moment.
As saw Anshika at a distance and turned away ... if she saw him ...it would be over before it could begin. As Anshika passed the gang the members passed a lewd comment. Anshika hung her head down and ignored them...He was angry at them, at Anshika, at himself and everyone for letting this happen. Why had she not told him before about this? Did he mean nothing to her?
As Anshika walked down the road, One of the members started following her singing some cheap song. This was the moment... He quietly followed the guy, till he was twelve feet from his gang. And then he gently tapped on the Goon shoulder..
The goon turned and Ajatshatru's left hand got hold of his hair and pulled his face downward while he jumped a little to build momentum and his right knee hit his face, right at his face. "SHOIRAAA" -the hoarse war cry from Ajatshatru lips drowned the painful scream from his victim. "SHOI ... SHOI..." two more kicks at the same place with full power never gave his victim a chance to react!
One down! he told himself mentally as he threw the busted face of his unconscious enemy on the floor.
He turned around, he saw the remaining five members closing on him. He cannot fight them until and unless they fear him. He had only one option left. He ran five steps towards them making an arc from his right to build momentum, he had to connect this one... His bent his right knee took it across the his body lifting it over the level of his left shoulder and then bringing it down with full force using the body momentum as his right hand went backwards as high as he could. He lifted himself to swivel himself in the air lifting his right leg over his head. His right leg rose eleven feet in air and came crashing down on one of the gang members hitting him on the chin knocking him out. The other gang members stood stunned.
He was shocked himself too he had pulled off the 540 kick perfectly but this was not the time to be shocked he just earned himself a couple of extra seconds. He knew his nunchucks had fallen but he had no time to pick it up.
He ran away as fast as he could and they chased him. He looked back and thought that now the only thing left was to separate them. He jumped over the road divider and all the four followed him. The distance between him and gang was not changing neither there was any noticeable difference between his chasers. If this had continued he would have been beaten black blue.
He ran across a traffic signal as it turned green. One of pursuers managed to follow him evading the traffic. He had turned around to face his chaser. It was the first time he looked at his opponent rationally. The person facing him was all muscle atleast twice as strong as him physically and atleast five to six years older than him - in his early twenties. At the prime of his youth which meant he had high stamina. For the first time it occurred to him that probably getting into fight with them was not so great idea.
However, he could not turn back now or rather he had no option. He recalled of his last fight the previous year and thought if he could survive that one he could take this man too! but he had to get over this quickly.
A punch came flying and he just moved enough to take his head out of line but it was good enough to shake the fear off him. The man threw another punch and he parried it way. The third punch came at him from his left, the man was swinging at anything. His right leg move a little back and across and he moved to his left out of the line, while his right hand caught the returning hand of the goon. He kicked the right leg of the goon on the calf and with his left one and held on to the right hand of the attacker. His attacker lost his balance and fell forward. The right hand of the attacker was now fully stretched backward. He kicked with all his strength at the right arm of the enemy breaking it! Three down he thought to himself three to go!
The three chasers had crossed the road and he was trapped he had nowhere to go. He looked around and confirmed there were only three. If he tried, he could give them a tough fight! He recalled the tensed, agonised and terrorised face of Anshika and his blood came to boil. No, he would teach these men a lesson! He would punish them!
He lunged at one of them with a spinning heel kick! While a punch came flying on to him on his face. He flew at the feet of the third goon. As he got on his knees he saw kick coming to his face from his left. He stopped the kick with his palm taking the momentum off by holding the leg a little above ankle while he pulled the other leg of his attacker off the ground. The man fell back on He lunged forward and dropped his elbow at his groin. The man howled in pain. For sometime he would only have to deal with two of them.
As he got up he found a man at his throat choking him. He looked sideways and saw the concrete road divider from the corner of his eyes. He put his both hands to take off the hand choking him. As a result the attacker's other hand came to choke him harder. He now moved his hands and grabbed both the arms of the person choking him and pushed him a little getting to move a couple steps sideways from the spot. The man choking him pushed back with much greater force and locked in that position he started moving backwards. After four or five steps he tightened the grip on the man's shoulder and let himself fall backwards and put both his legs at the chest of the person choking him. He pushed his legs, straight and using the man's momentum against him he threw the flying onto the concrete divider.
He got up and tried to kick the man who he had kicked the first but the goon managed to pull out a dagger and slashed it wildly cutting deep into his inner thigh. Like a man possessed he jumped to the man and began hitting him wildly. The man who had been hit on his groin, suddenly caught hold of his hair and pulled him of the man whom he had been punching.
By this time, there was enough commotion and people had started running towards them. The person wielding the dagger had run away and he held the wrist of the guy who pulled him away. The last goon hit him below his ribs and tried to run away but he managed to hold his ankle and make him fall. He had tried to punch him madly, but the man managed to kick him on his face and got away.
Not wanting to be questioned by the cops, he limped back to his Enfield and rode away. He could not go to a hospital as it would be a police case so at a friend's house he asked for a medical aid. His friend's brother had been studying medicine and he forced him, to stitch his wound.
He smiled and remembered the pain as he took nine clumsy stitches without anaesthetic - as the guy who stitched his wound had just got into medical school and there was no way one could get an anaesthetic at home. He then borrowed his friends trouser and went home.
The next day, he met Anshika, she had scolded him. He remembered their conversation.
"So you think yourself to be a hero or what?"
"No, I think you should have told me about it?'
"So that you behave like a roadside goon?"
"So you mean to say that I should have let it happen?"
"Yes, it is so common! We have learnt to ignore it."
"Just because it happens doesn't make it right. You can ignore it I can't. Somebody has to teach those guys a lesson . And I don't think I did anything wrong?"
"Yes but that somebody doesn't have to be you? What do you think of yourself some superman? What were you thinking when you picked up a fight six people. Don't you know, those people are petty criminals, that's what they do all day?"
"Nothing is gonna happen to me. Remember I am the under-18 State champion of Karate!"
"Stupid you were the silver medalist and you have told me that 100 times. Now where did you get hurt?"
"Here!" he said as he pointed to his lips.
"Shut up! Just tell me. I heard he took out a knife!"
"That's all rumour. He never took out a dagger."
"When did I say Dagger? Show me where did you get hurt?"
"You are always trying to search words to be suspicious."
"Swear on me!"
"Common that's stupid. You know I don't swear on little things."
"Swear on me!", as she took his hands on her head and spoke while looking into his eyes.
He moved his hands away and said, "Ok it is just a little wound in my inner thigh."
"If it had been six inches up then you would have regretted it all your life Mr. State Champion of Karate", she mimicked his style.
"Yeah, if it had been an inch upwards then you would have regretted it all your life Miss World Champion of words?"
"What do you mean?, A.J."
"Ansh, you know what I mean."
"No, I don't."
"Ansh, why do you try to sound so innocent. Ansh, I would have lost "the Ansh" (ansh = "part" in Hindi."
"You boys will always be like that!"
He chuckled , "You wanted to see my wound. Would you like to see it? By the way, I can't wear underwear due to the wound!"
"You are so cheap and disgusting! A.J. I am going. Bye!"
"Ansh Wait....I am sorry...Ansh Please!" and he had jumped from the railing he was sitting and made a fake groaning sound, "LIIIICHHHHHHH"
Ansh had come running back to him with tears in her eyes..."A.J...I am so sorry A.J...I didn't mean it..really.I am so sorry!.."
He had lifted her chin up, cupped her face with his hands and wiped her tears off and laughed.
She realised the trick. "Go to hell! A.J. You love to see me cry..."She said half sobbing and half crying. "I hate you A.J. I hate you!"she said as she kicked her knee jokingly, into his left thigh!
The pain was so severe that he couldn't even utter a sound. He felt the warm liquid running down his thigh as she turned around and walked away...
PS: Will post the third part as soon as I can force myself to write it!
He took out his wallet...only to remember that he had burnt everything that he could, that reminded him of her except those three.... and now one of those three had gone. They had sold his bike...
He felt a wet tongue lick his cheek. He looked towards his dog who looked back at him with a sympathetic questioning eye. He smiled as he patted the dog...And then took him in his arms and held him to his bossom as tight as he could. His eyes became watery and he cursed the pollution again.
He regretted the two decision that he should have never made in his relationship. One, he should have never named his dog a name that Anshika wanted. Dog are loyal while girlfriends are not. Two, he should have never given up his dreams so that he could be with her.
He would be lying through his teeth if he said he had given up his dreams for her. No he had not done that! In all those eight years that he had been with her, he lived to make his one dream come true - To be with her. And he had sacrificed his every ambition for that dream...
He smiled at himself, he laughed and mocked at his foolish dream. A dream that he thought could come true. What not had he done for her...
He was never a bad student ... in fact he was one of the smartest one! But academics was not something he was ever interested in. He was always the one who wanted something that could never into books. He always wanted to be a musician. Always ... till he met Anshika in class 7th.
What not had he done for her?
He smiled at himself ....How foolish had he been... First year at the Junior College... he still remembered it! How could he forget it! The scar at his inner left thigh was a testimony of that.
Teenage does make you commit stupid things like that! Friday evening just after he had come home a common friend had informed him that some ruffians at were eve-teasing Anshika on her way to tuition and back! And the next day, he was there. His information was wrong, they were not ruffians, they were goons! He was alone and they were six of them. He knew he could never match them all alone - even with his Nunchucks. However, he cannot turn back now. They had to be punished. How dare they harass her!
He slowly parked his bike and walked towards them, nonchalantly. He had to surprise them and ensure that his engagement time was less then five seconds. He stood at little distance from them and waited... waited for the right moment.
As saw Anshika at a distance and turned away ... if she saw him ...it would be over before it could begin. As Anshika passed the gang the members passed a lewd comment. Anshika hung her head down and ignored them...He was angry at them, at Anshika, at himself and everyone for letting this happen. Why had she not told him before about this? Did he mean nothing to her?
As Anshika walked down the road, One of the members started following her singing some cheap song. This was the moment... He quietly followed the guy, till he was twelve feet from his gang. And then he gently tapped on the Goon shoulder..
The goon turned and Ajatshatru's left hand got hold of his hair and pulled his face downward while he jumped a little to build momentum and his right knee hit his face, right at his face. "SHOIRAAA" -the hoarse war cry from Ajatshatru lips drowned the painful scream from his victim. "SHOI ... SHOI..." two more kicks at the same place with full power never gave his victim a chance to react!
One down! he told himself mentally as he threw the busted face of his unconscious enemy on the floor.
He turned around, he saw the remaining five members closing on him. He cannot fight them until and unless they fear him. He had only one option left. He ran five steps towards them making an arc from his right to build momentum, he had to connect this one... His bent his right knee took it across the his body lifting it over the level of his left shoulder and then bringing it down with full force using the body momentum as his right hand went backwards as high as he could. He lifted himself to swivel himself in the air lifting his right leg over his head. His right leg rose eleven feet in air and came crashing down on one of the gang members hitting him on the chin knocking him out. The other gang members stood stunned.
He was shocked himself too he had pulled off the 540 kick perfectly but this was not the time to be shocked he just earned himself a couple of extra seconds. He knew his nunchucks had fallen but he had no time to pick it up.
He ran away as fast as he could and they chased him. He looked back and thought that now the only thing left was to separate them. He jumped over the road divider and all the four followed him. The distance between him and gang was not changing neither there was any noticeable difference between his chasers. If this had continued he would have been beaten black blue.
He ran across a traffic signal as it turned green. One of pursuers managed to follow him evading the traffic. He had turned around to face his chaser. It was the first time he looked at his opponent rationally. The person facing him was all muscle atleast twice as strong as him physically and atleast five to six years older than him - in his early twenties. At the prime of his youth which meant he had high stamina. For the first time it occurred to him that probably getting into fight with them was not so great idea.
However, he could not turn back now or rather he had no option. He recalled of his last fight the previous year and thought if he could survive that one he could take this man too! but he had to get over this quickly.
A punch came flying and he just moved enough to take his head out of line but it was good enough to shake the fear off him. The man threw another punch and he parried it way. The third punch came at him from his left, the man was swinging at anything. His right leg move a little back and across and he moved to his left out of the line, while his right hand caught the returning hand of the goon. He kicked the right leg of the goon on the calf and with his left one and held on to the right hand of the attacker. His attacker lost his balance and fell forward. The right hand of the attacker was now fully stretched backward. He kicked with all his strength at the right arm of the enemy breaking it! Three down he thought to himself three to go!
The three chasers had crossed the road and he was trapped he had nowhere to go. He looked around and confirmed there were only three. If he tried, he could give them a tough fight! He recalled the tensed, agonised and terrorised face of Anshika and his blood came to boil. No, he would teach these men a lesson! He would punish them!
He lunged at one of them with a spinning heel kick! While a punch came flying on to him on his face. He flew at the feet of the third goon. As he got on his knees he saw kick coming to his face from his left. He stopped the kick with his palm taking the momentum off by holding the leg a little above ankle while he pulled the other leg of his attacker off the ground. The man fell back on He lunged forward and dropped his elbow at his groin. The man howled in pain. For sometime he would only have to deal with two of them.
As he got up he found a man at his throat choking him. He looked sideways and saw the concrete road divider from the corner of his eyes. He put his both hands to take off the hand choking him. As a result the attacker's other hand came to choke him harder. He now moved his hands and grabbed both the arms of the person choking him and pushed him a little getting to move a couple steps sideways from the spot. The man choking him pushed back with much greater force and locked in that position he started moving backwards. After four or five steps he tightened the grip on the man's shoulder and let himself fall backwards and put both his legs at the chest of the person choking him. He pushed his legs, straight and using the man's momentum against him he threw the flying onto the concrete divider.
He got up and tried to kick the man who he had kicked the first but the goon managed to pull out a dagger and slashed it wildly cutting deep into his inner thigh. Like a man possessed he jumped to the man and began hitting him wildly. The man who had been hit on his groin, suddenly caught hold of his hair and pulled him of the man whom he had been punching.
By this time, there was enough commotion and people had started running towards them. The person wielding the dagger had run away and he held the wrist of the guy who pulled him away. The last goon hit him below his ribs and tried to run away but he managed to hold his ankle and make him fall. He had tried to punch him madly, but the man managed to kick him on his face and got away.
Not wanting to be questioned by the cops, he limped back to his Enfield and rode away. He could not go to a hospital as it would be a police case so at a friend's house he asked for a medical aid. His friend's brother had been studying medicine and he forced him, to stitch his wound.
He smiled and remembered the pain as he took nine clumsy stitches without anaesthetic - as the guy who stitched his wound had just got into medical school and there was no way one could get an anaesthetic at home. He then borrowed his friends trouser and went home.
The next day, he met Anshika, she had scolded him. He remembered their conversation.
"So you think yourself to be a hero or what?"
"No, I think you should have told me about it?'
"So that you behave like a roadside goon?"
"So you mean to say that I should have let it happen?"
"Yes, it is so common! We have learnt to ignore it."
"Just because it happens doesn't make it right. You can ignore it I can't. Somebody has to teach those guys a lesson . And I don't think I did anything wrong?"
"Yes but that somebody doesn't have to be you? What do you think of yourself some superman? What were you thinking when you picked up a fight six people. Don't you know, those people are petty criminals, that's what they do all day?"
"Nothing is gonna happen to me. Remember I am the under-18 State champion of Karate!"
"Stupid you were the silver medalist and you have told me that 100 times. Now where did you get hurt?"
"Here!" he said as he pointed to his lips.
"Shut up! Just tell me. I heard he took out a knife!"
"That's all rumour. He never took out a dagger."
"When did I say Dagger? Show me where did you get hurt?"
"You are always trying to search words to be suspicious."
"Swear on me!"
"Common that's stupid. You know I don't swear on little things."
"Swear on me!", as she took his hands on her head and spoke while looking into his eyes.
He moved his hands away and said, "Ok it is just a little wound in my inner thigh."
"If it had been six inches up then you would have regretted it all your life Mr. State Champion of Karate", she mimicked his style.
"Yeah, if it had been an inch upwards then you would have regretted it all your life Miss World Champion of words?"
"What do you mean?, A.J."
"Ansh, you know what I mean."
"No, I don't."
"Ansh, why do you try to sound so innocent. Ansh, I would have lost "the Ansh" (ansh = "part" in Hindi."
"You boys will always be like that!"
He chuckled , "You wanted to see my wound. Would you like to see it? By the way, I can't wear underwear due to the wound!"
"You are so cheap and disgusting! A.J. I am going. Bye!"
"Ansh Wait....I am sorry...Ansh Please!" and he had jumped from the railing he was sitting and made a fake groaning sound, "LIIIICHHHHHHH"
Ansh had come running back to him with tears in her eyes..."A.J...I am so sorry A.J...I didn't mean it..really.I am so sorry!.."
He had lifted her chin up, cupped her face with his hands and wiped her tears off and laughed.
She realised the trick. "Go to hell! A.J. You love to see me cry..."She said half sobbing and half crying. "I hate you A.J. I hate you!"she said as she kicked her knee jokingly, into his left thigh!
The pain was so severe that he couldn't even utter a sound. He felt the warm liquid running down his thigh as she turned around and walked away...
PS: Will post the third part as soon as I can force myself to write it!
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