Chapter 3

Drabble #5: Endearing Stupidities

"Because in love, we do things that we'd never dreamed of doing otherwise."

"Did you guys see that match? It literally had me at the edge of my seat! Netherlands trumped Spain! Perfect revenge! van Persie killed it, he did!" exclaimed Sanyukta, her voice falling on deaf ears.

PKC was late (surprisingly!) and the entire class had their heads buried in their books for the upcoming end-term exams. She shook Kaustuki out of her academic bubble and asked her to tell everyone about how excited Sanyukta was during the match! "Yeah, Sanyu was excited. She even fell off her bed when that Netherlish player scored," narrated Kaustuki with no nuance of enthusiasm in her voice.

"What is Netherlish, Kaustuki? It's Dutch! God, why do I even call you my friend if you don't watch football with me?" asked Sanyukta, thoroughly exasperated.

"See, if English is the adjective for England, then shouldn't Netherlish be the adjective for the Netherlands?" Kaustuki asked innocently as YoYo smiled at her, unaware of his surroundings.

"Offo, Kaustu! There are a few exceptions always. Forget it, you study!" Sanyukta said.

Very obediently, Kaustuki went back to her books, not understanding a single thing but yet persevering. Sanyukta glanced around the class only to find Randhir missing from his usual seat. She didn't want to admit it, but his absence and presence both were causing her insides to erupt into ceaseless bubbles. He had been playing with her head, he had. A thousand people were on her mind at a time but he was the only one who gave it firm, solid ground by walking around in circles in her head.

When he was present, he would make her conscious of her every move as his gaze dwelled over her perpetually. It was as if he was living off her sight. His gaze wasn't an intruding, unwelcome stare. It was more of a warm, tender regard that his eyes had for her. When he was absent, he left her wondering what he was up to and why she wasn't with him. Oh, what was she to do with her stupid self?

Just as Sanyukta was making this philosophical conversation with herself, Randhir walked unperturbed into class, not glancing once towards the board to see if the teacher was present. He walked up to his seat and stared straight ahead into nothingness, it seemed.

"Sanyukta, Randhir Bhai has come! You talk to him about the match. He was also watching it. I don't care if you two fight, which is what you always do. That way, you won't be here so we can study. But please don't tell him I said that. He'll kill me!" Jiggy pleaded.

"Jiggy, this is the best thing you've said in centuries! You should use your brains more often, you know!" said Sanyukta. Jiggy was left flabbergasted at Sanyukta's reply.

She sure has some ulterior moves, for she would never be so pepped about an interaction with Randhir Bhai. Anyway, I shouldn't think of all this nonsense, Jiggy thought to himself.

"Randhir! I heard you saw the match last night! Or should I say morning? Did you actually enjoy it or were you happily calculating the speed and curvature of the ball to satisfy your nerdy, mathematical needs?" Sanyukta articulated quickly with a smug smirk plastered on her face.

What is this girl doing to me? I want her to come and speak to me, which invariably turns into a heated argument and when she does, I expect her to be nice while she is exasperating me. How can a person possibly be gentle while infuriating another? God, Randhir! Stop thinking like a fool!

And this Jiggy! He is going to die at my hands some day, I tell you! There is no other way Farzi would know that I was up watching the match.

"First of all, not everything that I do or say has to be connected to studies. Also, RVP's header was a fluke. Anyone could have done that! He's getting old, accept it!" Randhir retorted with his unfailing attitude rearing its head in his voice.

The sadistic joy that Sanyukta was drawing from annoying Randhir was like no other! But he had spoken against her favorite player and this wasn't going to go down well with her. From a harmless, pleasurable taunt, this conversation was turning to a war of words and maybe more, owing to the fact that Randhir and Sanyukta were involved.

They started screeching at each other in ways unimaginable by a rational person and went on until PKC entered the class and threw them both out by their ears. The class was relieved that the volume around them was coming down from supersonic levels and PKC was stupidly complacent about kicking out the two most intelligent students of his class. This was nothing but an assertion of power for him. Randhir and Sanyukta walked off in different directions, not wanting to look at each other for more than a second.

~/~

While the entire class was busy greasing their machines in the mechanical lab, Randhir was tiptoeing back to their class with 4 posters of Robin van Persie in his hands. He recognized Sanyukta's locker by a picture of her mother and her on the outside. He opened it and placed the posters inside, hoping that Sanyukta would find them intact. He asked himself again as to why he was doing this for her.

Finding these will make her happy. And her happiness is all I want even if it doesn't involve me, his heart said.

~/~

Sanyukta found the posters in her locker and instantly knew whom they were from. Kaustuki wouldn't give these to her so mysteriously and nobody else apart from Randhir knew about her eulogy of RVP. It had to be him.

Why would he do this? First, fight like a maniac and then give me posters of the same person that he insulted? What is going to become of this Randhir Singh Shekhawat, oh Lord?! Are these the kind of things that people do when in love?

Evermore & Always,

Rini & Arushi