D-day was here and Punit’s knees wouldn’t stop buckling. Oh, how he wished that Anki was there. A few more minutes was all that he had to face his greatest fear: the stage.
All morning, they’d practiced that song together, the one they were planning to perform, and he wasn’t at his best. In fact, he was at his worst. He went off-tune and off-beat consistently, irritating the devil out of her.
“What the hell are you doing!!!” she blasted.
“S-sorry,” he mumbled.
“What ‘sorry’? You were so good yesterday. So, what happened now?” she questioned angrily.
Punit pondered over for a while before speaking. “I don’t think I can do this,” he told her queasily.
At that, she gnashed her teeth. “I swear, I’ll smash this guitar over your head! Don’t you dare fuck up at the last moment! Do you understand!!!!?”
That didn’t help at all.
Ankita studied him briefly. He was pale and clammy. His fingers trembled and he twitched forever. She took a deep breath and calmed down. “Punit, see look, there’s nothing to fear. Today will be the day your name gets carved on stone. Today will be the day the school remembers you for generations to come.”
He swallowed, hoping that his name got carved for reasons worth remembering. “They’re going to laugh at me, Anki. They’re going to kill me.”
She sighed. ‘Fancy dress’ was next, and very soon, Punit had to get into his costume. She still didn’t know what he had in mind. He’d promised that it would be unique, however.
“Let them, just remember, I’ll be around, looking out for you. Isn’t that enough?”
“I think that I’ve got a stomach ache! I need to go.” He clutched her hands all of a sudden.
She was surprised at how sweaty his hands were. “Will you just calm down? You’re alright!”
“No, I’m not! I’m going to vomit!”
“And I’m going to slap you if you do! Just hang in there, dumbass. Stop freaking out.”
“I can’t do this. I’m not coming. I’m not doing it!” He freaked out.
“Just come here, have this!” She offered him her water bottle and he finished it in one swig. “That feels better, doesn’t it?”
“A bit,” he said breathlessly.
“Good, now get into your outfit. I’ll head to the auditorium and get ready for my solo. Look out for me when on stage.” Saying that she hurried away as announcements followed on the PA system.
When Punit hit the corridors moments later, heads turned.
Eyes bulged.
And mouths dropped open.
“What the...?”
“Punit is that you...?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Hello, beautiful!”
Someone wolf-whistled.
Punit cat-walked all the way to the auditorium where Anki waited. She wasn’t alone. Vaidehi and Rachel were there too. The moment they spotted him, they burst out laughing.
“Look! Anki!”
Ankita turned and her eyes popped. “What the fuck...?”
Punit fidgeted on the spot as she took a good look at him from head to toe. “If it sucks, I can change,” he offered while tugging the dress over his exposed thigh.
“Hell, no! You look... you look... gorgeous!” She chuckled.
Punit was dressed like a princess. He was in a glittering, short, sleeveless dress, high heels, royal, white gloves, and a diamond-studded crown. His cheeks were a rosy blush and his lips were a nice, rich red. A fake diamond-studded necklace completed the picture.
“I don’t think I can do this,” he fidgeted.
“Don’t be ridiculous! This is awesome! You should do it!”
“Yes,” encouraged the other two, “you should do it.”
“Whoa, hello princess,” came a voice from behind them. Punit reeled, as though he would pass out any moment.
Sibal Mukherjee came along with a sneer on his face, his man boobs looking bigger than ever. He stuffed his beefy hands into his pockets and bit his lip seductively.
Ankita came and stood in between them, protecting Punit from his dirty, maligning eyes.
Her sharp glare wiped the smile off his face. After that day when Ankita kicked him around like trash, this has been the case. A handful of seconds is all it took for her to show him his place. In fact, he’d even stopped bothering Punit, because every time he wanted to, she was always around. Without another word, he simply left.
Just then, a teacher came on stage and announced, “the next, we have the fancy dress. Our first participant will be Noel Simon. In the meantime, the next, Punit Soni, get ready.”
Ankita lit up and turned to Punit with a glowing face. He, on the other hand, looked as pale as a ghost.
“All the best!” she told him.
“I can’t do it,” he trembled.
“Buddy, you can. Just do it. I’m here, we’re here, don’t fret.”
“I can’t....”
Students cheered and hooted as Noel rocked the stage. Loud applause broke out.
Punit’s heart lodged in his throat as he realized that he was next. His heart told him: do it! But his brain told his legs: run!!!!
Punit hyperventilated. It was now or never. Without another word, he spun around and bolted out of there. Nothing that followed could stop him. Not the teacher’s announcement. Not even Ankita’s frantic cries.
***