It had been a hectic day for Shiva. He had been running around from the morning. He had never praised the lunch interval as much as he did that day. He wanted rest. Lunching with his friends was becoming more fascinating. People around him were beginning to understand the humor in him. He was no longer considered ‘a moron’. And he was no longer being criticized of being obtuse. They were beginning to accept his way of doing things. They sat in the canteen and were talking about a girl in their class. About her ‘curves’… And how her movements accentuate them! He closed his eyes to imagine how she would appear when she stood naked in front of him. After all, he was a normal human.
His eyes opened twice as quickly as he closed them. She was there again. HER image… His friends were still chatting. He had momentarily taken him out of the place and was lost in thoughts. They were talking about another girl. He wasn’t interested in it any longer.
He turned around. And there she was! The scintillating Shweta. Walking ever so slowly. With an aura of difference surrounding her. With a smile that sent his pulse racing. It was her lazy elegance that held his thought. And he was beginning to realize that. Her movements appeared so graceful to him. She stood out. He could make her out amidst a million girls. She was different. He could read her face. It conveyed so many things to him. It was filled with such happiness that he couldn’t find any where. But there was something beneath that layer of happiness. He could see that as well. But all that didn’t matter now. She was coming towards him. And his heart was thumping. He was trying hard to conceal it. He wanted to get away from there. He wanted to stop thinking about her. But he also started feeling he could not cheat himself anymore. When she was about to cross him, he instinctively stood and called her name out.
It was just a mutter. But she was so near, she heard it and turned around. “Yes! Did you call me?”
He heard one of the most beautiful voices he had ever heard. He was afraid to look up. Had he done something wrong? He was not sure. “Are you alright?” Again the same voice. He had to do something. His mind was thinking. He was trying to phrase a sentence. The database of words in his brain was being searched at a pace; it wouldn’t have worked so hard even when he was writing an exam!
Then he finally looked up at her. She was smiling. A fake smile. He could see that. There was no real feeling in that smile. But that was expected. Someone had called her. And to her, he was a complete stranger! Then he spoke “ah… mmm…. I am Shiva. And I came to know that you are Shweta Rao. I want to talk to you. Definitely not here and certainly not now. Can you call me up some time? Or shall we meet somewhere?”
She was staring at him. Now she was thinking. “Is it urgent?” This was the best possible reply he could have got! And this strengthened his position! “ah… Yes! It is…” She thought for a while again… She rolled her lips inside her mouth. She was visibly confused. Her eyes narrowed. And the smile faded. And her gaze turned into a stare. A stare so intense, it would burn anything in its path. But he stood his ground. Responding to that stare of her with a neutral smile. He was working hard not to flinch. Her gaze was getting more intense by the second.
After a few agonizingly silent moments, she talked again… “Give me your number. But I can’t promise you a call. I shall, if I remember” He was more than happy. He was experiencing a feeling of goodness that he had not experienced ever before! He was doing something that he had not done before. He was confused. But that feeling of goodness melted away all that confusion like a flake of snow disappearing seeing the sun. He gave his number. “56549224” he said. She didn’t carry a pen or a paper. He lent her his pen. She pulled out a face tissue from her purse and scribbled his number in that. She then returned his pen with a straight smile and said, “Bye” He stood staring at her like a child looking at a candy its dad refused to buy. A look filled with a desire. This was not HIM. He is acting strangely. His friends had been looking at him silently all the while. But he had been too occupied to notice all that. Then he started blushing. He hung his face and bit his lips. He was blushing! And his friends were going to have a nice time! The ice had begun to crack.
He stood smiling. Smiling without any reason. His friends were re-enacting the scene. But it kept ringing in his ears… “Yes! Did you call me?”
His eyes opened twice as quickly as he closed them. She was there again. HER image… His friends were still chatting. He had momentarily taken him out of the place and was lost in thoughts. They were talking about another girl. He wasn’t interested in it any longer.
He turned around. And there she was! The scintillating Shweta. Walking ever so slowly. With an aura of difference surrounding her. With a smile that sent his pulse racing. It was her lazy elegance that held his thought. And he was beginning to realize that. Her movements appeared so graceful to him. She stood out. He could make her out amidst a million girls. She was different. He could read her face. It conveyed so many things to him. It was filled with such happiness that he couldn’t find any where. But there was something beneath that layer of happiness. He could see that as well. But all that didn’t matter now. She was coming towards him. And his heart was thumping. He was trying hard to conceal it. He wanted to get away from there. He wanted to stop thinking about her. But he also started feeling he could not cheat himself anymore. When she was about to cross him, he instinctively stood and called her name out.
It was just a mutter. But she was so near, she heard it and turned around. “Yes! Did you call me?”
He heard one of the most beautiful voices he had ever heard. He was afraid to look up. Had he done something wrong? He was not sure. “Are you alright?” Again the same voice. He had to do something. His mind was thinking. He was trying to phrase a sentence. The database of words in his brain was being searched at a pace; it wouldn’t have worked so hard even when he was writing an exam!
Then he finally looked up at her. She was smiling. A fake smile. He could see that. There was no real feeling in that smile. But that was expected. Someone had called her. And to her, he was a complete stranger! Then he spoke “ah… mmm…. I am Shiva. And I came to know that you are Shweta Rao. I want to talk to you. Definitely not here and certainly not now. Can you call me up some time? Or shall we meet somewhere?”
She was staring at him. Now she was thinking. “Is it urgent?” This was the best possible reply he could have got! And this strengthened his position! “ah… Yes! It is…” She thought for a while again… She rolled her lips inside her mouth. She was visibly confused. Her eyes narrowed. And the smile faded. And her gaze turned into a stare. A stare so intense, it would burn anything in its path. But he stood his ground. Responding to that stare of her with a neutral smile. He was working hard not to flinch. Her gaze was getting more intense by the second.
After a few agonizingly silent moments, she talked again… “Give me your number. But I can’t promise you a call. I shall, if I remember” He was more than happy. He was experiencing a feeling of goodness that he had not experienced ever before! He was doing something that he had not done before. He was confused. But that feeling of goodness melted away all that confusion like a flake of snow disappearing seeing the sun. He gave his number. “56549224” he said. She didn’t carry a pen or a paper. He lent her his pen. She pulled out a face tissue from her purse and scribbled his number in that. She then returned his pen with a straight smile and said, “Bye” He stood staring at her like a child looking at a candy its dad refused to buy. A look filled with a desire. This was not HIM. He is acting strangely. His friends had been looking at him silently all the while. But he had been too occupied to notice all that. Then he started blushing. He hung his face and bit his lips. He was blushing! And his friends were going to have a nice time! The ice had begun to crack.
He stood smiling. Smiling without any reason. His friends were re-enacting the scene. But it kept ringing in his ears… “Yes! Did you call me?”
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