Chapter 9:
Chapter 9
Captain O Captain
Captain O Captain
Chapter - 9
The next period got cancelled.
Akshita had just started taking a book out of her bag when both Manoj and Sagar arrived there. Today, Sagar had come with a special intention. From a distance, he shouted and asked, “Hey Akshita, is Manoj your boyfriend?”
All the students in the class turned their attention in that direction. Manoj himself was shocked by Sagar’s shamelessness. But Akshita, without any hesitation, said, “No.”
Sagar continued asking, “Then BFF?”Akshita replied, “No.”Sagar asked again, “Friend?”The answer again was, “No.”
Hearing this, silence spread in front of Manoj. But Sagar asked one last question, “Then what is he?”
Akshita answered a little louder, so that Manoj could hear too. The answer was: “Classmate.”
Sagar laughed loudly and walked away, saying, “I was scared for no reason! Haha… classmate!”
Manoj stood there like a statue. He couldn’t believe it. Then a hope arose in him—that maybe Akshita didn’t want to reveal the truth in front of the class, that’s why she said this. “Yes, that must be it.”
Akshita picked up her book and walked toward the library. Manoj immediately followed her. Smiling artificially, he said, “You did the right thing, Captain. There was no need to tell everyone how good friends we are.”
Akshita interrupted, “Friends? Good friends? What are you saying?
"Don’t joke, Captain.” Manoj spoke, but from Akshita’s face, it was clear she wasn’t joking.
Akshita said clearly, “Look, Manoj, it was my mistake that I let you fall into this misunderstanding. From now on, you don’t need to ask me for books. You can study on your own whatever you want. There’s no need for discussions either.”
“What are you saying? Then what about all the time we spent together… all those conversations…?” Manoj was almost in tears.
But Akshita just said two words: “So what?”
Now Manoj was convinced that there truly was no place for him in Akshita’s eyes.
Manoj’s expression changed. He became rigid, and with a look full of disgust, he glanced at Akshita and walked ahead. He had barely gone a little distance when he felt something near his eyes. He touched it—tears. Hot tears.
As soon as he realized he was crying, streams of tears began to flow. He couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. There was a restroom in front of him, so he went inside. In one of the stalls, he locked himself in and cried intensely.
As he cried, he kept cursing Akshita.
“It was all a lie. All lies. She just found a puppet to control. Classmate?… classmate?… classmate?!! Does she even Considered me anything? That’s why she didn’t drink my water, didn’t eat my food. If she had, she would have eaten. ‘I have a blood deficiency’—all lies. All lies. Why didn’t she just say I’m not worthy of her? She is above me. I am below her. They are big people; we are small people. She is beautiful; I am ugly. I am a pig; she is the moon.”
Manoj’s throat was choking, and he kept crying silently. After a while, even he didn’t understand what he was thinking. He had gone mad from crying. His face was burning. No sound was coming out, yet he was screaming and crying. Head bowed, he kept crying.
After who knows how long, with red eyes and a completely withered face, he came out saying, “A pig can never get the moon.”
From that day on, Manoj never spoke to Akshita again. Not only did he not speak, he didn’t even look at her. If she appeared in front of him, he would turn his face away.
Akshita understood everything. She never said anything either.
Seeing Manoj in this condition, his old friends were secretly pleased. For them, it was like everything had worked in their favor. Manoj had already left the company of these toxic friends long ago, so their taunts didn’t affect him anymore.
He didn’t have much interaction with anyone else either, so he mostly stayed alone.
He was angry with Akshita—or rather, he had developed hatred for her. Because of that, he even put away the study material she had given him.
The final exams of 12th grade were completed. Everyone went their separate ways. School ended. Akshita left.
He knew that he would never meet Akshita again.
Even knowing this, Manoj did not speak to her.
Not even on the last day of the exams.
Chapter - 9
The next period got cancelled.
Akshita had just started taking a book out of her bag when both Manoj and Sagar arrived there. Today, Sagar had come with a special intention. From a distance, he shouted and asked, “Hey Akshita, is Manoj your boyfriend?”
All the students in the class turned their attention in that direction. Manoj himself was shocked by Sagar’s shamelessness. But Akshita, without any hesitation, said, “No.”
Sagar continued asking, “Then BFF?”Akshita replied, “No.”Sagar asked again, “Friend?”The answer again was, “No.”
Hearing this, silence spread in front of Manoj. But Sagar asked one last question, “Then what is he?”
Akshita answered a little louder, so that Manoj could hear too. The answer was: “Classmate.”
Sagar laughed loudly and walked away, saying, “I was scared for no reason! Haha… classmate!”
Manoj stood there like a statue. He couldn’t believe it. Then a hope arose in him—that maybe Akshita didn’t want to reveal the truth in front of the class, that’s why she said this. “Yes, that must be it.”
Akshita picked up her book and walked toward the library. Manoj immediately followed her. Smiling artificially, he said, “You did the right thing, Captain. There was no need to tell everyone how good friends we are.”
Akshita interrupted, “Friends? Good friends? What are you saying?
"Don’t joke, Captain.” Manoj spoke, but from Akshita’s face, it was clear she wasn’t joking.
Akshita said clearly, “Look, Manoj, it was my mistake that I let you fall into this misunderstanding. From now on, you don’t need to ask me for books. You can study on your own whatever you want. There’s no need for discussions either.”
“What are you saying? Then what about all the time we spent together… all those conversations…?” Manoj was almost in tears.
But Akshita just said two words: “So what?”
Now Manoj was convinced that there truly was no place for him in Akshita’s eyes.
Manoj’s expression changed. He became rigid, and with a look full of disgust, he glanced at Akshita and walked ahead. He had barely gone a little distance when he felt something near his eyes. He touched it—tears. Hot tears.
As soon as he realized he was crying, streams of tears began to flow. He couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. There was a restroom in front of him, so he went inside. In one of the stalls, he locked himself in and cried intensely.
As he cried, he kept cursing Akshita.
“It was all a lie. All lies. She just found a puppet to control. Classmate?… classmate?… classmate?!! Does she even Considered me anything? That’s why she didn’t drink my water, didn’t eat my food. If she had, she would have eaten. ‘I have a blood deficiency’—all lies. All lies. Why didn’t she just say I’m not worthy of her? She is above me. I am below her. They are big people; we are small people. She is beautiful; I am ugly. I am a pig; she is the moon.”
Manoj’s throat was choking, and he kept crying silently. After a while, even he didn’t understand what he was thinking. He had gone mad from crying. His face was burning. No sound was coming out, yet he was screaming and crying. Head bowed, he kept crying.
After who knows how long, with red eyes and a completely withered face, he came out saying, “A pig can never get the moon.”
From that day on, Manoj never spoke to Akshita again. Not only did he not speak, he didn’t even look at her. If she appeared in front of him, he would turn his face away.
Akshita understood everything. She never said anything either.
Seeing Manoj in this condition, his old friends were secretly pleased. For them, it was like everything had worked in their favor. Manoj had already left the company of these toxic friends long ago, so their taunts didn’t affect him anymore.
He didn’t have much interaction with anyone else either, so he mostly stayed alone.
He was angry with Akshita—or rather, he had developed hatred for her. Because of that, he even put away the study material she had given him.
The final exams of 12th grade were completed. Everyone went their separate ways. School ended. Akshita left.
He knew that he would never meet Akshita again.
Even knowing this, Manoj did not speak to her.
Not even on the last day of the exams.
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