Chapter 2: My Phone

CHAPTER 2: MY PHONE!!!!

The month of April passed by as soon as it came, and then came the month of May, a month long vacation. The vacation had just started but the friends wanted to meet each other and have a private party before they move on to their individual plans in summer. This was also a farewell party for Arham.

“Where are we meeting?” Ishaan asked, in the video call

“My house?” Kuki suggested.

“Too far for me,” Arham replied. “Let’s merge at Shantanu’s”

“Fine,” Nidhi said curtly, without looking up from something that was keeping her busy.

“Ok, see you all tomorrow at 5 in the evening”. Shantanu said closing the talk for the day.

AT SHANTANU’S HOUSE

The evening carried Pune’s signature calm and the traffic chaos — the smell of roasted corn and chaat shops, the frantic hum of traffic.

Shantanu stayed on the top floor, his balcony facing the society garden and from the window the children could enjoy the city’s skyline — endless apartment blocks, water tanks, solar panels , clotheslines fluttering in the wind and non- stop view of the children from the society playing downstairs, which gave them a lot to gossip about.

“Look at that group. They are taking selfies on the slide, like a bunch of monkeys sitting in a line”, Nidhi remarked.

“How did they get their own cell phones so soon? They look younger than us”, asked Kuki.

“Big deal. I have my phone too.”, Said Ishaan casually

“Forget phones, I have seen so many younger, under age kids riding bikes and scooters on the road” Exclaimed Shantanu angrily.

“What prompts them to do such things? Why is there a need to break the protocol and do illegal things at a wrong age”, Arham angrily burst out.

“Exactly, Why has the government given age limit for all, education, marriage, license for driving, voting, everything”? repeated Shantanu

“Remember our school mate, Raghav!!!? Asked Arham angrily.

“Yes, the famous class IX boy, who slipped into coma after getting run over by a truck”

“Yes, he was riding a bike and couldn’t control it properly” said Akshara scared.

“Whose fault is it? Don’t their parents say anything? Our parents are always scolding us every minute” Kuki asked curious.

“Relax, calm down boys, no one here is riding a bike and killing someone on the road” Quipped Nidhi

“Or getting killed”, countered Akshara

“Yes, at least we are responsible in that manner”, defended Ishaan.

“Responsible and you?! What a joke”, laughed Nidhi at Ishaan, eliciting a frown from him.

“Yes, we don’t need bikes now, but guys! Don’t you think that it is high time we get our own phones at least? This way we can chat with each other more, we don’t have to use our parents phone, wait for them to give us their phone and snatch them away again! Limited screen time and all” said Kuki seriously.

“I don’t know. I don’t feel the need for a phone for myself”, said Arham causally, not wanting to sound like going against all of them

“Neither do I”, shrugged Shantanu, looking at Arham to show his solidarity.

“Oh! You guys are so boring, always sincere, studious, disciplined”, said Kuki , “I am going to ask for a phone for myself this month. We are in class VIII now. We need them”.

“Yes, and now that our foundation classes are beginning, I need them more too, to study and during travel”. Said Akshara justifying her need.

“Guys, let’s ask for a new phone today itself and let’s create our accounts on social media”. Kuki said excitedly.

“Social media! Chorused Shantanu and Arham. “ Just now the reason was foundation classes”. Continued Arham.

“Oh!!! Only you are going to take that class seriously Arham. We are not. And Yes! Coming back to Social media! we can make reels, it is becoming a trend these days”

“Then we all can be famous”, pitched in Ishaan

“I am already famous”, Nidhi said pulling her collar.

“Ohhh….never mind”, Kuki raised her eyebrows to ignore.

“Shantanu, get your mom’s phone, we will take a selfie now and I shall create an account and put this on as the first post”, nudged Kuki.

“We all will do” Ishaan, Nidhi and Akshara chorused.

Shantanu got the phone. The six of them spread out in a loose circle, as always and took the selfies against the setting Sun seen from the bedroom window.

Shantanu sat cross-legged, his gaze shifting from one friend to another — quietly reading their moods the way others read books.

“You know,” Ishaan said suddenly, “life should be like this — no teachers, no rules, no deadlines”

“Then what exactly is life, if not these? Asked Arham amused.

“That we will come to know sooooonnn after board exams….” Everyone tickled Shantanu and Arham and they started having fun, clicking photos and making reels.

As the sun slipped lower, painting the buildings gold, their laughter softened into conversations about the future — a conversation they never really had had seriously before, but one that somehow felt different that evening.

“Guys, on a serious note, what do you all want to become after growing up. We are already joining foundation classes and all, but do we really know what do we want to be?

“Doctor,” said Akshara without hesitation.

“Don’t know. But my parents are mentally preparing me for medical or engineering.,” said Arham, already resigned to it.

“Influencer, but I am joining the class because my parents are insisting on me to be an engineer. They think that I have it in me to crack the Neet JEE whatever.” Kuki said, flipping her hair dramatically, and shaking her hips in a dance movement.

“Then why don’t you tell your parents that clearly, instead of wasting their money and your time and energy”, asked Shantanu irritated.

“You think I wouldn’t have told them! Hundred times, but you know what! They say kids don’t listen these days, but do parents listen? They know I don’t have the natural aptitude for clearing all these competitive exams, still they are pushing me into it. I am more into drawing and western music. So basically I am going into them like a tuition class. Simple”.

Then there was complete silence.

Nidhi looked up at all and faked a cough to clear her throat.

“Badminton player”, they all chorused

“See I told you, I am already famous”

Kuki teased, “Of course. Of course. You are already the star in the sky”.

But behind the tease, everyone knew that no one liked the selfish boasting that Nidhi does every day. The favorism that she gets. And they all silently wondered why were they even tolerating her, and what for?

“You Ishaan?” asked Arham

“Don’t know. Maybe a business man”

“Business Man, OMG, that’s lot of money!!!, But you play football, then why a business man?

“Because my parents will never allow me to become one, and secondly, it is just my passion, unlike Shantanu who actually wants to play football”.

“You think Shantanu will take up football. Like professionally?”, Akshara asked shocked.

“Yes, why? You know that I love playing football” Shantanu was equally shocked at the question.

“We thought you will do some engineering or join IAS etc” Akshara replied,

“Why? Just because I study well?

“Why would you study well then? You are so much into this olympiads and this and that”.

“What has studies got to do with becoming a football player? And anyways, I might take up music too, I like singing. I can’t decide right away, because both the fields have very limited as well as very high scope of getting through as the competition is tough”

“Scope? OMG!!! You know what! Badminton has a lot of scope. I will break through”, Nidhi said teasingly.

Everyone frowned. Shantanu continued.

“Nidhi Yaar! Meaning, it’s not necessary that everyone who takes up sport or go to sports classes, end up becoming a national level sportsman, or everyone who can sing can become a professional singer. Of course, it is good if we are able to achieve what we want with hard work and luck, but if we don’t, or worst case, if we get injured or God forbid, something happens and that we become unfit, then with education, we can take up a job at any stage or age of our lives, only if we have good education and if we study hard. At least my parents are understanding and not pushing me into these foundation classes unnecessarily and putting pressure on me. I will definitely take up Arts and do History or English literature” Shantanu quipped.

Everyone were speechless, silent

“My God! I am scared now! No wonder my parents also keep scolding me the whole day to study! Ishaan stated scared.

Everyone laughed.

“Thanks Shantanu, I got a real footage for my account buddy!”

And Kuki captured each and everything of the evening.

“With phone in our lives, we are always together, we can have our own whatsapp group, the children whatsapp group, without parents seeing it”, quipped Kuki

“Nothing stays a secret from my parents. I share all, it will be from their phone for me”. Arham repeated his stance

“Me too”, seconded Shantanu

“True that and the world will know what we are upto!!!”, Akhara smiled widely.

Their laughter blended with the city noise — easy, familiar, unguarded. But beneath it, was a thin thread of change — something subtle, something new that no one could figure it right in that moment.

A week later, as Shantanu lay in bed, he saw on his mother’s mobile, Kuki’s latest post — a photo of the six of them in his house, laughing like they always did.

The caption read:

“Six hearts. One story. Forever friends.”

Something about that word — forever — suddenly felt fragile.