No, please don’t think that I belong to the moral police who have a rather twisted definition of the word “moral”. No, I don’t and I would be the first to pelt a stone at them if God closed his eyes for once.
The reason is my experiences at school and college. Today, when I hark back to those days, I can’t help feel amused and can’t understand why I felt the way I felt then – disappointed, deserted, despicable. Life was so narrow.But today after years, I think I can share what just a few, very close friends know. If any one of them comes across this blog, do lemme know.
Ok, the first bite of cupid.I was in XI standard in school in Delhi. And wow, she was beautiful and I saw her, rather she caught my attention on her birthday, as she was in a black dress as against the boring school uniform. That was August and I knew I found someone who can make me forget my first crush. After a few months of stealing stares at that loveliest face on this planet, came the V-day and I decided that it was enough of this one side traffic. I got to get over it. In January, I was made the prefect of the school and my duty used to be on the school gate to see that latecomers don’t disturb the assembly (morning prayer) and to punish them. And as it was to happen, she was often late and on pretext of writing a qualifying remark in her diary, I noted all her info like address, phone no. Dad’s name (to make sure he’s not in army).
Then, came the big day, it was around this very time as now, a few days ahead of the V day. She was late. I decided I had to act so that by V-day she’d be reserved for me – first mover advantage, you see. That day, I did not write remarks in the diaries of any student and took them to the ground and asked all of them to run two rounds of the playground. And to her I said, “Hey, you (my dream girl), you are late everyday, I wanna talk to you so please wait.” As other students started running, I got close to her and said, “See you got two choices – either go for 2 rounds of this huge playground or have a thumbs-up with me during lunch break.” And you can’t guess the height to which my heart jumped when she said, “I’ll see u during the lunch break”.
O man, why did the world suddenly become so beautiful, why did the temples’ bells start ringing suddenly and why only I could hear the bells, where from the breeze started flowing, and why did the surroundings seem to move in slow motion – ai la bollywood filam.
By lunch all my classmates knew that I am gonna have thumbs-up with her during lunch and all of ‘em gave me a thumbs-up! Where could one find friends so good!
There I was, after borrowing some money from friends lest I should fall short of money in the canteen and feel embarrassed, standing at the canteen waiting for the my-fair-lady. I was sure it should be February as the month of love and not November. Then I saw her emerge from the school building. My! My! What a scene that was! A girl smiling at me and moreover coming towards me!!!! Hard to believe and it still is. She came close and stood near me. I said, “Thank You. Can we have the cold drink after some time; lets talk first and then have the drink (thinking it would give me more time to spend with her – God! how I wanted to be in her fragrance for ever).
She said, “Actually, my friend is also with me, if you don’t mind. Please understand I could not have come alone even though we are in the school canteen.”
“That’s no problem, please call your friend” was my gentlemanly reply. She smiled looking across over my shoulders and I turned to see Vishal smiling and coming to wards us.
Why did I hear a sound of something breaking? Are hearts made of glass?He seated himself between us. And man, Vishal was really VISHAL. He was one year senior to me, and already 6 feet in vertical and not less than 4 feet horizontally.
She introduced, “He is Vishal, my friend,”“Boyfriend”, corrected Vishal with the largest grin I ever saw.
He seemed to be the pure personification of the Ravana - at least for me.“Yes, who does not know Vishal. He’s so popular in school” I replied and thought – my foot, this geynda, how on this earth could you find only him in this school containing more than 500 guys.“We can order now” said my dream girl, err ex-dream girl! L L
“What will u have, I am gonna take only thumbs up”, said I forcing the same amount of interest as was there before the entry of that geynda, the hippo.“I will have one thumbs up, two samosas with chhole and one patty. Also one pastry – black forest”, demanded the hippo.“I will like a mazaa”, said the sweetest one of us all but the words no more rang any bell in my ears and I looked around wondering what all happened to the temple bells and the breeze.
I calculated, and was relieved that I was just saved of any embarrassment on the monetary front.And how I hated that the canteen was self-service and my being a gentleman at that point.
Had never imagined life could take turns so fast and I thought only I drive at 75kph – within matters of few hours the world turned bitter from sweet, the breeze became dry, and the temples’ bells were replaced with a deafening killing silence.In the afternoon during the last class I went to the class teacher and gave up the prefectship.I decided not to get involved in such “emotions” again. And I was impressed by the way I kept my word – more steadfast than the New Year resolutions for I really did not try going close that way to any girl for next two years, but then I saw someone in the second year of my college.Then I decided to give the whole process a head start and jump straight to the point by giving her the card and expressing my heart outright. Experienced, I was by then!
We were 3 guys in my group of 7 and we 3 got together on 13th feb night and purchased some 10 cards for the next day. Each one with a target.Sitting on our daily morning meeting point, I filled up the card and headed straight to the college building.
With a smile on the face I handed over it to her.“So sweet of you”, she started without caring to open the card and continued, “I know what’s in it but you are 3 months late. I got married last month”
Why don’t they have this damned day on 14-nov?????The huge building of the college fell on me and I got crushed under the third crush of my life.Today, I find the whole thing – the two incidents so hilarious – more so my own thoughts and those emotions – heavy then and lighter now, which I tried to recapture here.Remembering these incidents always lightens me up as I get a hearty laugh inside me.
Note – Though I have not named anyone in the post, so if someone – more particularly any or both of the two girls with some chance happening happen to read this, please excuse me.
.jpg)
