The beautiful dusk... II

"Sume!!! In deep thoughts, huh?" Jass's feeble yet lively voice brought Sume back to the park.

"Oh you've completed. Fine. Let's get started with your story" said Sume. "This is no story kid..."

"Oh yeah... Lets get on.. starting from your 'silly' quarrel " pleaded Sume.

"I was about 10 when I joined Blue Bells High school. I was so scared when I entered the classroom. I could see everyone's eyes closely following me.. I took a seat hesitantly beside a girl who seemed to be the only girl who didn't mind me coming. She kept drawing something on a sheet of paper which I thought to be a homework".

I said, "Hello! I'm Jasmine. Can I sit here?".

"Oh hello... So you are the one our teacher was talking about" she replied without taking her eyes off her work.

"I wouldn't know that.. would I?"

I waited for her reply but she continued her work as if I wasn't talking to her.

"You're not offended, are you?" I questioned surprised by her silence.

She nodded as if to say no; but this time bending even more closer to her work.

I turned around to see the rest of my classmates. A few seemed to be talking something about me.

Two girls from my next row came near me. "Hi.. I'm Jane... This is Alice.. You could sit with us if you would like"

"I'd be happy to. Thanks..." I said and shifted to the next row.

After the first break, I returned to class with Alice. I could see the girl carefully folding her work in such a way that it was compatible with her bag. As the bell for the next class rang, we took our respective seats. I sat near Alice and opened my book. The teacher introduced herself to me and then the class started. Just then I realized that my favorite pen was missing.

"Alice! Alice! My pen is missing" I whispered.

"The blue-colored one?" She inquired.

I nodded and Alice immediately turned towards the girl. I was really astonished see her writing using the same pen. Alice suddenly got up and complained "Please ma'am.. That pen which Dora is writing with is Jasmine's.."

'Dora's her name....' I thought forgetting that she stole my pen for a minute.

The teacher turned towards Dora, "Is that true Dora?"

"No ma'am.. It's mine" Dora got up and said. "She's lying.. that's mine" I stood up and shouted.

The teacher came near us to sort out the problem and finally got my pen and gave it back to me. I got the pen and stared at Dora as the teacher punished her for lying. I could see that she had scratched my pen a bit. Cursing her I started doing my lessons. All other of my classmates got introduced to me by then and we all kept staring at Dora wherever she went.

That evening as we all stood up to leave home Dora called me. "Jasmine... I found this under my desk. Thought it could be yours....". She held the same blue-colored pen but without a scratch in her hand. I hurriedly opened my bag and checked if the other pen was there. It was there.

"Oh! I'm sorry..." I said and we exchanged the pens. She nodded and turned away from me to leave home.

"Dora!!! I'm really sorry" I pleaded. She smiled at me and left home. I was surprised at her smile and promised myself to tell the teacher tomorrow about our misunderstanding.

(Dusk continues....)

The beautiful dusk...

"Great evening Jass" said a hoarse voice. "Sume!!! You almost scared me. Good to see you my friend". "Am happy too. I wonder what keeps you so pretty even at this age. Your looks make me swear that you are in late forties." "I am sixty one. That's what you wanted to know right?" snapped Jasmine. "Am sorry. But you are too clever, old lady" replied Sume smiling shamefully. "Never mind dear" said Jass as she turned her watch to check out the time. "It's the fifth time Jass.. That watch of yours wont go any faster if u keep on looking at it. What business brings my fair lady here, may I ask?"

"Oh! You very well can. Am waiting for my schoolmate, Dora, a very good friend of mine right from the age of 10. We meet every saturday here in this very place" said Jass as she checked her watch again. "Don't tell me!!!! You people are still in touch? Oh that's lovely." "Yes!!! It's lovely to have her as my friend. She's the angel of my life. Simplest and the brave woman in the world."

"Haven't you both quarreled at all??" asked Sume. "Oh! Why not? When you love somebody dearly, you have more expectations from them. And sure... A few unfulfilled Expectations lead to quarrel. We're not exceptions of this. But... We knew that our friendship outweighed silly expectations. 'Forgive and forget' is, was and will be our motto as far as friendship is concerned. Infact it all began with a quarrel... A silly quarrel" so saying Jass checked her watch.

"Oh! tell me, no?"

"Yeah sure.. But it's all a 50-year old story".

"Please do tell me."

"I will if you would let me finish this knitting. Am doing the final knot as you can see... It'll take a minute or two."

"I'll wait" said Sume as she saw the old lady complete her knitting. 'Friendship!' The word that creates a magic around people has never left any deep impacts in Sume's life. Ofcourse she had many friends... Many claimed to be her best and intimate friend. But still she had always had the feeling that people are more self-centered. Only one in a million has the kind heart to care for others. She had always wanted to know what is friendship and were there people called 'true friends'. She believed Jass's story would provide a good answer to many such questions in her mind.

She saw the old lady trying to complete her work with much eagerness...

(Dusk continues....)