The First Life of Vikram Roy (Many Lives Series Book 3) by Laxmi Hariharan Read Free Book Online Page A

"You all right, man? You sure you want to continue playing?"
    His voice is smug. He did that on purpose, I am sure of that. I am so going to show him! Am going to learn how to play this game if it's the last thing I do. Shaking off his hand, I pick up my bat.  
    "Just bowl," I grind out through clenched teeth.
    My fielding is the only thing worse than my batting. I can't hold onto a single ball which comes my way. They slip through my fingers or I don't get to them in time. I give away so many runs that when the hour's play is up, no one meets my eyes as we wind our way back to the school in time for dinner. Ash lags behind the others.  
    When I reach her, she links her hand through mine. My chest, which is still on fire from where I got hit earlier, freezes at her friendly gesture.  
    "It's okay, you'll improve," she says in a soft voice.
    "Easy for you to say. You are a genius when it comes to the game." And I am not joking. Ash fields like a maniac, throwing herself at every ball that comes in her direction. She bats fearlessly, and when it comes to bowling … well it's clear she has a really good arm.
    "I'll teach you," she offers.
    "You will?" I am so surprised I stop walking and look at her. She is slightly taller than me so I have to look up to meet her eyes. The breeze blows that warm biscuity-orange scent of hers towards me.  
    "I will," she nods.
    "What about him?" I look ahead to where Amar's head bobs above the others.  
    "Nah! Don't worry. Leave him to me."
    "You his girlfriend?" I look straight into her eyes, fascinated when the grey dots inside her blue eyes contract.
    "He's not my boyfriend—"  
    "But he does think of you as his … girlfriend." I finish her sentence for her.  
    She leans close and I lose track of what I was about to say. How convenient. Girls are real good at distracting you when they don't want to talk about something. I don't mind though.  
    "Tomorrow then? 5pm? Just after class?" she asks.
    "Huh? What?"
    "After class, dummy? Practice? Cricket practice? No other way you're going to improve."  
    Ah! I see. "What about homework then?" I ask before I can help myself.
    She laughs. "Live dangerously, Vik. You can always do your homework later. Or is it because I-is-a-gihl?" she says in an exaggerated American hip-hop'ish accent.
    "Of course not," I protest. "Some of my best friends are girls … I love learning stuff … from girls …" My voice tapers off at her wide grin.
    "See ya tomorrow." She waves and runs ahead.
    I follow her, and somehow I just know my life is going to change.  

THIRTEEN

    "I miss you, son." Mum's voice echoes down the phone lines, bringing with it the familiar feel of home.  
    "Me too, Mum. I want to come over and see all of you."  
    "You can come when the term is over, for your winter holidays." Her voice is firm.
    My weekly Sunday phone calls with the family back home are a reminder of what I am missing. I still miss my parents, and Seema … even Vishal. I do look forward to speaking with them every week. I imagine them clustered around the phone, and for a second I wish I too could be there with them instead of here. Where I belong. With my family.
    "So how's it going?" Dad's voice booms down the phone. He's probably taken the phone from Mum before she begins to sniffle, and for that I am grateful.
    "Ah! Good. Uh! I met this girl—"
    "Finally! About time, isn't it?" I grin at the explosion and don't try to correct his impression that she is my girlfriend . The last few phone calls have already taught me that my parents always prefer to assume what they want about my life here at St James … and it's best sometimes to leave it at that. Especially if it keeps them happy. I continue without breaking my sentence. "And she's teaching me to play cricket."
    "I like her. A LOT!" Of course, Dad is happy about my learning to play cricket.  
    Hearing Mum's voice in the background asking about the "girlfriend", I want to hang up right then. She is going to hit