The mature boy

The mature boy

Ilham was sitting under a mango tree. The light green leaves were shining in the bright sunlight. He was dressed in a school uniform. His eyes were staring at the road which joined borders with the forest. He was waiting desperately for someone. He looked at his watch, “5:29 pm” it said. “When will she come?” he thought. “She was looking tensed for the whole day. Madhav sir! Oh! That math’s test depressed her! She told me to meet her here. Ragini please come fast!”. With Ragini, Ilham also worried about his father, who would be alone right now at home, although his father knew where he was. Ilham's mother had left for her heavenly abode when he was just three. His father raised him alone. Ilham never wanted his father to feel lonely. 

No familiar face gave a sign for another twenty minutes. “Pat! Pat!Pat!” he heard someone’s footsteps approaching, someone was on the road. Then the crackling of leaves was heard as someone had stepped on them. “Ragini! Please, Ragini!!” he wished. He stood up. He saw a tall girl (Same height as his) approaching, it was Ragini, his best friend. She came and stood in front of him, he heaved a sigh of relief, smiled and said:

“Oh thank gosh you are here now, this much late? You asked me to come here at 4:00 pm, its 6:00 pm now. Look! Where were you?”. “Sorry!” said Ragini, she took her school bag off and placed it on the stone platform which was covered which was under the power of the tree and on which Ilham was sitting. “I first went to meet Ridhima, it was important.” The happiness in her tone decreased every minute.” What happened? You are a bit sad today. What is the matter?” he asked. He received no answer, but silence. She sat and motioned Ilham to sit beside her. Ilham picked up his bag and took out a packet of chips. “Here, eat this, I bought it after school. Refresh your mind. I know why are you sad ”. Ragini looked at him “You know?” she asked. “Math’s test isn’t? He said .“No!” she said. Ragini took some chips and started munching them. “Then what it is? Tell me.” Ilham requested her.

“So, how was your score?” she asked. “Leave score, you are not unhappy about marks, why did you ignore me for the whole day? We are best friends, aren’t we? Only after school got over you asked me to meet you here. What is it ? ” he said.

 “There is something that I want to tell you.” She said in such low voice that Ilham couldn’t hear her. “What?” he asked. Ragini again remained silent. Ilham patted on her back. “Ragini we should share our feelings. What is it? Tell me.” he said.

Ilham and Ragini were best friends. They have been friends since the first day of school, they know all the secrets of each other. Ilham still remember the first day when he met Ragini, he was trying to find the way to the science lab, being a new student, he didn’t know where it was when a thin girl came and said “ Hello, you are now aren’t you? Let me show you the science lab.” She was Ragini. “Sure!” and they went away. After that day, they became friends, they started going to the canteen together, studied mathematics together, slowly there took birth a feeling of best friendship.

 Ridhima, she was their classmate who loved to interfere in other’s matters and annoy them.” Look Mr and Mrs Khan!” she teased them whenever she saw them together. “Ridhima can you please stop this ?” said Ilham. “Hey! Immature boy! Grow up! It’s fun!” “No its not!” Ilham retorted. “Immature…” she would leave by saying this. Ilham used to always think “Why everybody calls me immature?” Ilham had been given other name too “Parent’s parrot” yes because after he saw many students in his surrounding doing illicit things, whenever he found chance he used to guide them “Don’t do such things! You don’t only present yourself but your parents too. Please don’t do like this. Your parents do everything for you. Don’t insult them like this. Whenever anyone will see you misbehaving, they will say “What has their parents taught them?”Please take care” .“Which planet does this creature belong to?” students would burst into laughter after saying this as for them this guidance was nothing but a joke. Ragini always supported Ilham, she would say to everybody “Don’t trouble him like this he is much more intelligent than you!”. But from the past few days, there was a change in her mannerism with Ilham, she would get easily irritated whenever Ilham would come to ask something to her. “I will talk to you later Ilham!” she would ignore him. Ilham got perplexed. “What has happened?” he thought. Today, after Mr Madhav, their math’s teacher, showed them answer sheets of their test, she cried, she didn’t do well. Ilham tried to console her. Ragini went to Ridhima and talked with her the whole day. Ilham doubted this only, Ridhima must have said something to her. 

 “Well, are you worried because of something? Tell me. What did that Ridhima say?”. Ragini nodded, but no words came. “Tell me Ragini, I don’t want you to take tension”. He kept insisting.

“I love you. Would you be my boyfriend?” Ilham mouth turned into the shape of an O. He wanted to say something but couldn’t find his voice. Everything drowned in silence. For the first time, he had heard someone saying this except his family members. “Girls and boys can’t be friends” many people had said that “No they can!” he would say. But today how and why this had happened. He had a great challenge in front of him” What do you mean Ragini?” he asked. 

“I love you. I want to be your girlfriend.” Ilham couldn’t understand. “Boyfriend? What did she mean by boyfriend and girlfriend? Where is the need for that?” he thought.

“Boyfriend?” he asked. “I mean we should take our friendship to the next level.” She explained. Ilham got relaxed. “We are already best friends Ragini”. 

“Boyfriend is deeper stage stupid! “ she chuckled. “Ridhima was right, she said that you won’t understand, look..” Ridhima, Ilham hated that name. Has Ragini said all of this by receiving the guidance of Ridhima? “Ridhima?” he asked in shock. “She only made me realize my true feelings for you.” She said. “Why would you need her to make you realize your feelings? She is herself confused with her brain.!” Ragini frowned. She decided to come back on the topic. 

 “Ilham, I really love you. Please I have been able to confide in you so much that I don’t think I will be able to confide in someone else this much ever even in the future.” Ilham wanted to say yes. “Yes!” This word banged in his head. “Don’t worry! This will remain a secret between us. No one will know!”. The ‘yes’ word almost reached Ilham’s tongue but suddenly she came closer and whispered “Not even our parents!” when Ragini whispered, “Not even our parents!” Ilham frowned and got up. 

“I can’t hide anything from my dad.” He declared. Ragini frowned as if she was watching a mad person in front of her. 

Ragini frowned. “Ilham when you will become mature?” she asked irritatingly. “Like Ridhima is Suraj’s girlfriend, I want to become yours.” Ilham was shocked. “Then why are you doing this without letting our parents permission and at this age why? Why our friendship needs such a tag? ”Ragini sighed in irritation and anger. “Ragini, my father has raised me up. I am everything for him, he is also my world. All right? I can’t hide anything from my father. Its crime to hide anything from parents. I can’t Ragini. You should also not do so.” He said. Ragini eyed him angrily. “Ridhima was right, you are mad, Ilham!!. Grow up Ilham! We will never be friends again. You have hurt my feeling today.” Ragini’s ultimatum touched Ilham, he didn’t want to lose her best friend, for one moment he wanted to say or do anything to make Ragini smile, but wait, no, he cannot hide even smallest thing from his father. Mustering courage, he said “Fine! My decision is final No. But doesn’t feel I will not be there. You have given me the best days of friendship. I will be always there for you. You can come to me anytime for guidance or help.”

Irritatingly, she said “Ridhima could be my best friend. She always cares about my feelings.”

 “Don’t talk about her! She is confused with herself. How will she make you understand anything!”

“Hello, mister! You are confused about your own life. How nicely Ragini proposed you. But you spoilt everything. You think that you will tell this thing to your father and he will smile, you will be skinned alive! This same mistake was done by Shivangi and now what his parents did with her, she didn’t come to school after that day. She is rotting in some private school. Go you are never going to grow up. Be ready to receive the thrashing.” Ragini and Ridhima left. Ilham sat there for several minutes. He cried. You know why? Because he lost Ragini, his best friend for just a little boyfriend thing.“How could she ???!!” he thought. 

After he stopped crying he said“Should I tell this to dad?” when he thought this, he remembered what Ridhima had said, “Your father will skin you alive.” He hasn’t talked these type of things ever with his father. “Was Ridhima right? What happens if she comes out to be?” at first he wanted to keep it secret. Every child fears to be scolded at. But later “No, today if I will hide one thing! Tomorrow I will hide two, a gap will get formed between me and dad. Why should I fear, I haven’t done anything wrong after all! Why should I worry like a thief?” saying this he headed towards the home.

After the dinner, Ilham couldn’t think how should he tell his father. His heart pounded. He do remember Shivangi’s case. The counsellor caught her to be having a relationship with a boy, his father immediately submitted her T.C. He trembled. Hayat, his father sensed something wrong. “Do you want to say something to me Ilham?”. “Don’t say anything. Stop!” a voice within him shouted, but he didn’t allow that voice to stop him “Yes, Todd—ay” he stammered. “ Ragini proposed to me.” After saying Ilham eyed his father, his expression scared him but he didn’t panicked. He told him the whole story. Hayat raised his hand, his expression seemed full of anger. “Should I say that I was kidding?” he thought. The hand came closer. He thought that his father was going to slap him. He closed his eyes. “I am not mature! Everyone was right!”. “Pat!” that hand landed on his head, a smile spread across Hayat’s face. “You have become mature Ilham” Hayat hugged Ilham, fondled his hair and kissed him on his forehead. An air of peace engulfed Ilham. His father’s arms were heaven for him. “You didn’t hide anything from me. That’s the first sign of maturity that we get from a child. I know you were scared, but no need to scared. Saying truth is the best thing in the world that we can do. You know Ilham, sometimes we parents commit a big mistake in this, many parents become restless and some stay calm, both options are wrong. You realize your feelings yourself. Parents should appreciate their child for telling the truth. Then they should tell them the real meaning of love. Ragini shouldn’t realize her feeling by someone’s else persuasion. She asked you to hide something from me. Right things never stay secret. She knew she was doing wrong. She knows how close you are to me, she attempted to create a bridge between us that gets created between every teenager and his/her parents when the child hides something. Proud of you my boy. Today because of your maturity that bridge didn’t get a chance to come in between us.” He hugged Ilham again. Ilham felt proud of himself. “Always listen to your heart, not the fears instilled in you by others.” He said in his heart.” 

“But Ragini.” He felt tears again.

“She will come back when she realizes her mistake to again have you as her best friend, don’t stay rude with her. If she talks then talk. Never cease helping her.” His father said.

Ilham was always doubtful about his maturity but today all his doubts got cleared. Maturity isn’t having girlfriends, boyfriends, or doing illicit things without letting anyone know. It is the power of taking right decision oneself. Everybody has their own story of the proposal and they define it to be nice, but in teenagers, right love should be found with the utmost care. By hiding, you can never get success in love. Many teenagers become like others and hides create a bridge between them and their parents, and at last, gets caught in depression because they feel alone. You should tell your parents everything like Ilham did.

Parents should not panic nor stay over calm they should guide them nicely.

Now allow me to take leave of you, my reader. I wish I was able to convey a good message to you through my story.