The Vaticinator

by Namita Singh

“Let’s go. Ms. Sparks may still let us enter the class.” He says.

  And we are off.

  I am brooding the whole day. So is Duato for that matter. He is supposedly ignoring me because I stood against him in the morning. I vaguely hear my friends appeasing Duato. The latter’s nose is now heavily bandaged. He is furious but enough tame to not go on a savage rampage. I don’t really concentrate on him or our friends much, or actually I can’t. The whole dayI am troubled regarding what to expect at home. Numerous times I feel the urge to seek Neal. But I restrain myself. I should consult my parents over this first before proceeding even slightly in Neal’s direction. I know for a fact that the more I sense his aura, more irreversible my desire will become. It’s enough disturbing to know that I am so hopeful to be in Neal’s presence. I do not want the desire to accentuate. I stay clear of the crowded places today, lest I stumble upon the irresistible aura of my partner. My friends assume my low mood to be a result of the tension between myself and Duato. They try to talk to me about it, much to my displeasure. Aakir, bless his heart, steers everyone away from me.

  Too soon it is the end of the day. Throughout the day I couldn’t wait for the school to end but now that it is over I am not sure if I want to go home. Though nobody is going to be home till the evening, I am still not looking forward to it. Aakir and I silently walk towards the exit of our school. My slowness gifts me with lesser crowd around us as we walk. Suddenly, I can’t help but feel slightly gratified that Aakir is right there next to me. The whole day he has been exceptionally considerate, neither letting anyone irk me, nor himself pushing for information. I make a note to thank him later, when I am in a better mood.

  “Lichinsky!”

  Somebody yells my surname from behind me when we reach the exit doors. Before turning, the full blast of my partner’s aura engulfs me. My tensed muscles immediately relax and I am partly surprised with the simple equanimity I feel by sensing the aura again. There is no doubt that he is my partner. I turn back and there is Neal, walking towards us briskly, his sling bag mounted on his right shoulder.

  He pauses a step away from us. Doubtful, his eyes dart towards Aakir. Both give each other curt nods. I don’t think both of them have ever met before. Then Neal turns to look at me again.

  “Hey…You okay?” he asks uncertainly.

  An effortless smile makes its way onto my face. “Yeah, man, I am cool.” I tell him, my tone quiet.

  He nods, his eyes flickering with doubt towards Aakir. I suppose he wishes to talk alone. Sadly, Aakir doesn’t get the message and resolutely stands beside me.

  “Uh…yeah,” Neal says, not entirely comfortable with Aakir around, “I just…I just wanted to thank you. You know…for stopping the fight.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  I shake my head, “It’s alright. Though there really wasn’t the need for me to do so,” I give off a slight laugh, “You were faring quite well.”

  Absentmindedly, Neal raises his hand to rub his jaw. I notice then that his jaw contains a bluish bruise on his fair skin. Neal shrugs, “I guess I took him by surprise. Thanks anyway. I didn’t even want it to extend as far as it did. So, thanks, for stopping it.”

  I nod at him, smiling.

  “I’ll see you around.” Neal says. He gives another curt nod to Aakir and then he is off.

  Just as his aura disappears towards the parking lot, so does my ephemeral uplifted mood. I start walking towards the gates, Aakir right by my side. We run in silence today but it is not the usual ‘I am comfortable with you’ silence. It is the ‘I am dying to ask something, but I don’t want to piss you off’ silence. Aakir is seemingly on edge. I suppose the knowledge that my partner is a guy is finally sinking through his thick head. As we break out of the woods into our yard, we pause and collect our breath.

  “It’s Neal, isn’t it?” he abruptly blurts out as we begin to walk across the pasture.

  My mouth goes agape as my head snaps towards him. Those are the first words he has spoken to me since our unpleasant and short conversation in the boy’s toilet. I didn’t expect him to be that quick with his guesswork. He may be my best friend and brother, someone I dearly love but that doesn’t mean that he is the brightest bulb around. I certainly didn’t expect him to guess spot on. I replay my conversation with Neal only a few minutes ago. I don’t think I said or acted in a way that may have given me away. Above all, I don’t know how I feel about him knowing who my partner is.

  “Don’t look so shocked…” Aakir says.

  We stand in the middle of our pasture, the alfalfa grass swaying with the wind that is constant out here. I rub my face with my palm again, at loss for words.

  “I am actually glad.” Aakir blurts again.

  That’s a new one. I give an incredulous look. His ears tinge pink at my confused stare.

  Aakir sighs, “I would have been really pissed if it was Ray. Or worse, someone like Duato.”

  His sudden confession is so bizarre and out of league for what I have been feeling the whole day. I can’t help myself as laughter bubbles in my throat, turning into guffaws as I let myself laugh freely. Out of all the things Aakir can be worried about he is happy that my ‘male’ partner is someone half as decent as Neal.

  My laughter brings a smile on Aakir’s face. He starts to shake his head, smiling all the while. Then I sober up and run a hand through my hair shakily. I clear my throat. Aakir senses the abrupt change in my mood as his smile vanishes as well.

  “I don’t know what went wrong.” I say, even now not certain of my thoughts upon the subject.

  Aakir rolls his eyes, “Wrong?” he gives an exasperated look, as if I am daft to call this situation wrong.

  “You don’t think it’s wrong?” I deadpan.

  He shrugs, “Not if it makes you happy.” He frowns, “So…it may not be exactly…uh, natural. But I can care less as long as you’re fine with it.” He shrugs again.

  The heaviness weighing upon me since morning lessens a bit. This is something I was most dreading. The failure of acceptance. But Aakir is here, saying that he accepts me no matter what. Maybe the situation isn’t as bad as I feel. But then Aakir is my brother, someone who has been by my side at every stage of my life. Things I couldn’t divulge to my parents were expressed to Aakir. And now he doesn’t fail me or our friendship. I really, really owe him big time.

  “Thanks.” I tell him, hoping to express my gratification in that single word.

  He smiles back, probably aware of the emotional turmoil within me. I may be amiable, but I am never high at such mawkish conversations. Aakir knows that and I optimistically believe that he understands my gratitude.

  He clasps a hand on my shoulder, still smiling, “Come on, let’s go inside.”

  We start walking again.

  “So…” I start uncertainly. Aakir is casually walking, his arm thrown on my shoulders like we haven’t learnt something life altering today, “How did you figure that it’s Neal?”

  Aakir shrugs, “You were brooding the whole day. Then suddenly Neal is there, and you’re smiling like you couldn’t have had the best day.” He rolls his eyes.

  I feel my ears turning red at his observation.

  “Besides,” he continues, ignoring my abashed state, “You learnt of your partner after the fight in the morning. So, I had naturally narrowed down the options to the ones involved.”

  I nod. “It was there I had sensed his aura.” I mumble, “At first I thought it’s that girl…Tanya? The one who is always with Neal. But apparently I didn’t need to look for a girl at all.” I say, sarcastically.

  Aakir chuckles as we reach our porch, “Well, at least now you have a valid reason to take interest in Neal, unlike me.”

  “Whatever do you mean?”

  Aakir gives me a droll look, “I have been dying to know the source behind Neal’s weird aura for over a month. Now that he is…uh, your… uh, partner, I may actually get to know why is his aura different.�
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  I falter, “You…” I clear my throat, “Neal’s aura is different to you too?”

  I thought his aura felt exceptional to only me because he is my partner. But now that I recall, Aakir has always been wary of Neal’s aura since he had matured. It isn’t until now I realize that Neal’s aura may just not be different to me. Then I falter again. What if it is his difference that has made me get attracted to his aura? Maybe, he isn’t my partner. Maybe, his distinctness fooled me into believing that he is my partner.

  “It attracts you too?” I question Aakir, my eyes wide as saucers.

  Aakir blinks, “What? No!” then he pauses, chewing on his bottom lip, “Doesn’t it…doesn’t it feel different to you? His aura is not like that of humans.” he says, dubious.

  I nod, “Yeah, it felt different to me too. But I thought it felt different only to me since I am his…you know…” I trail off.

  Aakir sighs in relief, “Thank god. I thought only I can sense the weirdness in his aura.”

  I take a moment to gather my thoughts, “You don’t feel attracted to his aura because of his distinctness?” I clarify, just to be on the safe side.

  Aakir rolls his eyes, “Why would I be attracted? My partner is somebody else.”

  I nod, “It means…that his aura is as I felt it to be. But it only attracts me…” I lay it out, more for my benefit than his.

  Aakir rolls his eyes, “A person’s aura doesn’t feel different just because he or she is your partner. The aura