chapter -6 (turning point?)

Previous chapter: The beautiful girl I met made me stun for a second!!

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Tamil yanked David's hand and sprinted away from the office, leaving Emi Chan staring after them with a puzzled expression. They dashed into their classroom, panting and gasping for air. "What was that all about?" David asked. "Why did you drag me out so fast?" Tamil wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "That place was getting too weird, man. And that girl...she was messing with my head. I couldn't take the heat anymore." David raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Oh, really? Couldn't take the heat, huh? Did you fall for her or something?" He teased. Tamil elbowed him in the stomach and said, "Nah, I don't chase girls. You know that."

After the break, the students were all slumped in their seats, feeling sleepy and lethargic from their lunch. "Whose hour is this?" Leo asked. "It's English hour, guys. And guess what? The teacher is on vacation!" Ajay announced. The whole class cheered and clapped, happy to have a free period. But their joy was short-lived, as they heard a loud thud of boots on the floor. They recognized the sound of fear, and the smell of a perfume that only one teacher in the whole school wore. They turned around and saw a man standing behind Ajay, who looked terrified. It was their physics teacher, Lawrence.

Lawrence was the most dreaded teacher in the school. He was tall, muscular, and very smart. He was also handsome, but no one dared to admire him. He gripped Ajay's shoulder and squeezed it hard, making him wince in pain. "What were you celebrating, Ajay?" He asked, with an evil smile. "Ouch! Sir, I was just saying...ouch! That the English teacher is absent...ahh!" Ajay groaned. "Don't worry, I'll take over now." Lawrence said, in a deep and authoritative voice. "Aaaaaahhhh!!!" The whole class screamed in horror. "What? Why are you screaming like that?" Lawrence said, banging his fist on the desk. "Do you have a problem with me? And by the way, did you do the assignments I gave you?"

As the students trembled in fear, the attendant came in and whispered something in Lawrence's ear. He nodded and said, "Fine, let her in." The door opened and the beautiful girl that Tamil and David had met in the office walked in. Both of them were shocked to see her. She was wearing a lovely skirt, and her flawless skin glowed. Her big eyes sparkled, and she could make any guy fall for her. Except Tamil, of course. "Introduce yourself, young lady." Lawrence said, in a gentle tone. The whole class looked at him suspiciously, wondering why he was being so nice. "What are you looking at?" He snapped. "You go ahead, dear." He said to the girl.

She thanked him and bowed her head, then turned to face the class with a smile. Her smile melted every boy's heart, except Tamil's. "I'm Emi, and I'm new to this school. I used to study at the Alpa school, and my father runs a shop in the market. My mother helps him with the business and takes care of the house. I love making friends, and I hope to get along with all of you. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to introduce myself." She winked at the students, and every boy swooned, except Tamil.

The class erupted in applause for Emi's introduction, and some of the boys even shouted "You're so cute!" Tamil felt a surge of annoyance. He didn't see what the big deal was. Emi scanned the room for a seat, and Tamil's friends eagerly pointed to the empty spot next to him. Emi flashed a dazzling smile and walked over to sit next to Tamil, who wished he could disappear. Tamil's friends took turns flirting with Emi, making lame jokes and compliments. Tamil glared at them, and they quickly looked away, pretending to whistle innocently.

Emi extended her hand to Tamil and said, "I'm Emi, and you are?" Tamil rested his chin on his hand and said, "Don't you have anywhere else to sit?" "Is there a problem with me sitting next to you, Tamil?" Emi asked. "How do you know my name?" Tamil asked. "I know everything about you!" Emi said. "Really? So do I." Tamil said. "What do you know about me?" Emi asked. "You are Mr. and Mrs. Hiroshi's only daughter." Tamil said. "Hmmm, what else do you know about me?" Emi asked, turning her face towards him. "Nothing more, I just saw you today for the first time." Tamil said. "Too bad, I see you every single day." Emi said. "What? Are you a stalker or something?" Tamil said. Emi slapped her forehead and said, "Just who are you? Let me be direct. I can't hide my feelings. I have a crush on you!" She said, in a sweet voice that sounded like a clear stream. "Wo! Woo! Stop right there!" Tamil said. "You are moving way too fast, I don't even know who you are, what you are. Your likes and dislikes, I don't know anything about you. And I'm not the type of guy to chase girls, so please don't waste your time." He said. "Hello, mister, I think you are the one who is overthinking. I said I have a crush on you, not that I have feelings for you. Lol, you are such a weirdo." Emi said. "Oh! Isn't crush and love the same?" Tamil asked, with an embarrassed face. "Whatever." Emi said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"Hey, what's going on there? Why are you guys talking in my class?" Lawrence asked. "Nothing, sir." Tamil said. "Just listen to me." The class was boring as usual, and Tamil couldn't help but sneak glances at Emi. Once school was over, everyone was getting ready to leave. Emi and Tamil got up from their seats. "Nice to meet you." Tamil said, offering his hand to Emi. She moved her hand towards his, then pulled it back and wagged her finger, laughing out loud. Tamil stomped his foot and said, "Backfire! Shit!" He stomped again. Emi laughed again and asked, "Want my number (landline)?" Tamil crossed his arms and turned away, feeling shy. He said, in a low voice, "Do you think I'm the type of person to connect with girls?" "Ok, then bye. See you later." Emi said, turning around and walking away. Tamil suddenly grabbed her hand. Emi turned back and saw that Tamil's face was red as a tomato. "Actually, what is it?" He mumbled, barely audible. "I couldn't hear you. Could you speak louder?" Emi asked.

Tamil felt a surge of emotion as he looked at her, but he quickly suppressed it. He didn't want to admit that he had fallen for her, not even to himself. He tried to act cool and confident, as he always did. He raised his voice and said, "I asked what your phone number was."

Emi turned to face him, a playful smile on her lips. She took his arm and wrote her number on his hand with a pen. Tamil could feel the warmth and softness of her touch, sending a shiver down his spine. He couldn't help himself. He scanned her face and body, admiring her beauty. She had long, silky hair that framed her delicate features. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and intelligence. Her curves were accentuated by her tight dress, revealing enough to tease but not enough to satisfy. Tamil couldn't take his eyes off her. Tamil wanted to hug those curves so badly but he managed to calm his instructive thoughts.

Emi noticed his gaze and caught him red-handed. Tamil quickly looked away, pretending to be casual. He slowly turned back to her and gave her a little awkward smile. Emi raised one of her eyebrows and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Tamil tried to think of an excuse. He lied, "There was a stain on your dress. Do you want me to wipe it for you?". [Tamil was thinking to himself why he is speaking nonsense like this]

Emi laughed. She asked, "You never chase girls, right?" She was clearly blushing, but she hid it well.

Tamil stared straight into her eyes. He felt like he was drowning in them. He slowly lowered his gaze to her lips. They looked so soft and smooth. He wondered how they would taste. His mind started to wander, imagining all the things he wanted to do with her. But he shook his head and snapped out of it. He had to stay in control. He had to play it cool.

Emi leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, "Call me between 7-8, no one will be home then." She winked at him and gave him a quick hug. Tamil felt his breath catch in his throat as she wrapped her arms around him. He could feel her soft body pressing against his, her breasts brushing his chest, her hair tickling his neck. He wanted to hold her tight and never let go. He wanted to kiss her and tell her how he felt. He wanted to make her his. But he was too stunned to move or speak. He was a fighter, not a lover. He had never been in this situation before. He didn't know what to do.

Emi pulled away and smiled at him. She saw the confusion and desire in his eyes. She knew she had him hooked. She enjoyed teasing him and making him nervous. She liked him, but she also liked to play hard to get. She waved her hand at him and said, "I'll be waiting for your call." She turned around and walked out of the class, swaying her hips and tossing her hair.

Tamil watched her go, still speechless. He felt a surge of emotions he couldn't name. He felt happy, excited, scared, and nervous. He felt like he had just won the lottery and lost his wallet at the same time. He looked at his hand, where she had written her number. He felt a warm sensation in his palm. He wondered if he should call her or not. He wondered if she was serious or just playing with him. He wondered if he had a chance with her or not. He wondered if he was dreaming or not. He pinched himself and winced. He was not dreaming. He was in love.

Later that evening, Tamil was lying in bed. He was turning the lamp on and off, feeling restless. He checked the time; it was 7:30.

Tamil: {Should I really call her? What if she thought I'm onto her? Nah, she was the one who said she had a crush on me. She asked me to call her, so it would be rude if I didn't}. He picked up the phone and dialled her number. Someone answered the call and he heard a female voice saying "Hello". Tamil hung up the phone as soon as he heard the voice. He lay back on his bed and said, "What is happening to me?

The phone rang, startling Tamil. He hesitated, wondering if it was Emi or her mom. He picked up the call and said, "Hey, it's me!" A voice on the other end said, "Hello sir, good evening. Is this Mohamed Tamil?" "Yes, who is this?" Tamil asked. "Actually, we are calling from ACD Hospital. Do you know Ajay by any chance?" The voice said. Tamil felt a pang of worry. "Yeah, he's my friend. What happened to him?" He asked. "A tall man brought him to the hospital. He said he's also a friend of his. He gave us your number. Please inform his parents." The voice said. "Yeah, sure." Tamil said, feeling a knot in his stomach.

Tamil called Ajay's parents and told them the news. They rushed to the hospital with him. Shyam was waiting for them in the lobby. He looked pale and shaken. Ajay was in a bad shape. He had been beaten up by a gang of thugs. They had broken his bones, hit his head, and left him for dead. The doctors said he was in a coma. He could have died if he hadn't been brought to the hospital in time. Tamil felt a surge of anger and sadness. He couldn't believe this had happened to his friend.

Tamil went to Shyam and asked, "Who did this to him?" Shyam shook his head. "I don't know. I was passing by the A.K. park and I saw him lying on the ground. I don't know anything else. But listen, this is not the only case. Every friend in our circle has been attacked. Alex was ambushed outside his house. Only you and me are left." He said. Tamil felt a chill run down his spine. Someone was targeting them. But who? And why? He clenched his fists. He had to find out. He had to make them pay. He said to Shyam, "Tomorrow we are meeting on the ground in our local place. Gather everyone. We need to talk about what happened and smash the ones who are responsible for this." Shyam nodded. "Got it, Tamil." He said.