Coming of Age

It was a summer afternoon, the kind where the heat clung stubbornly to your skin. I walked out of my last class toward the school canteen, thinking about only one thing - a chilled Coke. The summer was brutal this year, and I needed something cold before I melted.

I was almost at the gate when a voice called from behind me.

"Arvind! Wait!"

I smiled, recognizing that voice instantly. Turning around, I saw Shreya hurrying toward me in her uniform, panting heavily. She stopped right in front of me, bending as she tried to catch her breath. I pulled out my handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead without saying a word.

"Where are you rushing from?" I asked. "You look like you just ran a marathon."

Shreya caught her breath and smiled sheepishly. "I was at the bio department. Sita Ma’am wanted me to help record some experiments. You know how impossible it is to refuse her." She paused. "Luckily, she got busy on a call, so I managed to slip away."

I laughed. "You know she’s going to punish you for running off like that without informing her."

Shreya stuck her tongue out. "Maybe. But that’s future Shreya’s problem." Then she grinned. "So, are you treating me today or what? Your poor girlfriend is starving here."

I laughed softly at her antics. "Alright, but just don’t overdo it. Don’t forget, we still have our date after school."

"I remember," she said, linking her arm through mine. "But for now, food first. I’m hungry enough to devour a cow whole."