A lit fire in the heart

While he was putting his books in the back and taking out the lunch box since it was break period, the girl, Aanya asked.

"Can you guide me to the canteen? I don't have my lunch box…" the hand taking out the lunch shifted in the blink of an eye. He didn't know why he did so, but even though he had his lunch, the words flowed out…

"That so? I don't have my lunch either."He got up like a robot and moved. 

Little did he know that Aanya had seen him take out the box. She smiled softly and stood up. 

They walked towards the canteen which was half full. Not many came to the canteen since they had their lunch boxes. He brought the meal from their lunch counters and sat with her. 

He was hesitating about what to say or what not to. It was his first time talking to a girl. Atleast to one who was his first ever crush. 

"I noticed it now, but why don't you talk with anyone?" her question eased his tense situation. Finally there was something to talk about. 

"Well, I told them not to." His answer surprised her. Maybe she was expecting that the students didn't get involved with him. 

Anyone would think so. After all, even though Yaksh was quite a charm, he still had his fat hanging around his stomach. But he was also blessed with a great height.

He kind of gave the delinquent vibes too. 

"So, will you say the same to me too?" she asked. 

"W..well, no…." he said and she smiled. But he had murmured something again. 

"...you're quite special." it was so low, he himself won't be able to hear it. 

"So tell me mister smart, how much do you study to write an answer to such a difficult question without knowing the question?" he flipped his head up in surprise and saw her smiling smugly. 

"I saw you glaring at the first bencher and his homework. But even he hadn't completed that question."She seemed so interested about it, Yaksh felt his neck getting hotter and his cheeks were being coloured red. 

"W..what study? It was a simple question if you apply the basic formulas." he waved his hand as he drank the water. 

"So, you mean to say that,...you don't study?" she asked him skeptically. 

He simply nodded, not knowing what to say. 

"Wow,...must be nice to be a genius." she complimented him. Well, that's what at least he thought.

"Nah, I am not a genius." but he never accepted the truth. He kind of knew but never wanted to acknowledge it. Because if he did, he would feel like working hard and that was,...troublesome. 

"Aw, that's saddening. I really admire geniuses." she shrugged and pouted. 

A sudden fire lit in his heart. He felt like he needed to do more. Work even more to prove how genius he was. How capable he was that he didn't even need to be schooled. 

RING!

The ring distorted his thoughts as kids started to move towards their classes. 

"Let's get going…" he got up when she said that and picked both of their plates as he moved to give them back. 

Aanya waited while she looked at his back. Her lips were turning up in a smile. 

...

The next lecture was of English, since their teacher had arrived back from doing his work. 

To Aanya's surprise, even the English teacher scolded Yaksh a bit. 

"Why do the teachers keep scolding you? Previously, when you arrived late as well. A girl had come just a few minutes before you but the teacher didn't say anything to her."

At this, Yaksh just smiled. 

"They are all awesome. Usually they should have given up, but they don't. 

Well, you see,...I don't like studies. And since my sister came to school and complained to them…all teachers have been hell bent on making me study. Guess they don't want their honor students to stray from study." he spinned the pen in his hand and then scribbled on his book. It was a drawing of an anime character, but exceptionally good. 

"What rank are you?" she asked and he flipped his index finger casually. 

"F..first!" she screamed in surprise. 

"Correct, Aanya. Very good. The answer to this question is first." The teacher nodded proudly. 

Üh…? Ah, y..yes." she huffed in relief. 

"You should learn something from your benchmate Yaksh, see how carefully she pays attention to lectures. Now stop scribbling will you?"

Their English teacher was a man in his forties. Though he wasn't godly, majestic or blessed with infinite beauty, he was quite handsome. Well, above average at least. 

"I am sir." Yaksh said with a laid back voice, totally different from how he had talked to the math teacher. 

"Oh are you? Then give me a brief answer to the second question." 

Aanya looked at her text book. The second question was a brief answer, which for only name was brief. Indirectly it meant to write a whole page answer. 

And here, it was to explain the poem in a detailed manner. 

Yaksh stood up, his hand holding the spinning pen. 

"The poem, 'Flow with me' is about a selfless prince who had given up on everything just for the girl of his dreams. He believes there is such beauty in the world, waiting deliberately just for his presence. 

He walks through hurdles and passes through countless tests and reaches a river which was only said to be a legend. 

The prince finds nothing but melody flowing through the water and loses himself in the harmonious beauty of the scenery. When he does so, the one he had been working so hard for appears from the water. The goddess of the river, who was cursed of not being able to meet her true love. 

However, the prince had broken that curse just with his love filled heart and selfless personality. Yet again, the goddess could not stay with him, and had to return to her slumber. 

But the prince who was crazed in her love decides to spend his life beside the one he loves and so, stays near the river as a nobody." He said it all so quickly as if it was something scratched on his brain permanently. 

"Eternally single, like you." The next line surprised Aanya and she almost gasped loudly. 

The teacher who had been so happy with the answer had veins popping on his head. 

"Is that so? You brat!" a smack landed on Yakshs's head when their teacher reached him. But it didn't seem like he was angered. 

They seemed close. 

When their teacher returned to explaining the answer, Aanya took the chance to ask. 

"How could you say that to a teacher!?" 

But the boy behind them answered instead. 

"He is just favored a lot by the teachers. Almost like they are his family or something…" The boy had brown hair and brown eyes. He was quite slim but that just added to his looks. 

"I am Aarav, his friend." he said with a smile. 

"No…"Yaksh said as he bent back his head, glaring flames at the boy. 

"Aw, are you shy of revealing our relationship?" hearing this, Aanya nearly coughed out everything she had eaten. 

The finger rolling near Yaksh's nose got chomped by him. 

"Gross…"Yaksh returned to scribbling the drawing again. Aanya couldn't make out heads or tails of their friendship, but knew that this Aarav was a good kid.