Abhi-Pragya fiction: RESTLESS (Epilogue- Page 85, Dec 29) - Page 4

Chapter 2: The new college

I could close my eyes but not the memories.

The last four years have been such unsettling times in my life, from the time I moved to Mumbai.

Before that I lived in Pune all my life. I have vague memories of my father who left us when I was a little girl. My mother never explained to us why he left but just made sure we understood we had to live without him. Not having a father or a father figure in life had always bothered me but I have learnt to pretend it didn't.

Just like my mother pretended. She ran a marriage hall that she named as "Kumkum Bhagya" to support the family. She made sure the marriages took place there without a technical glitch and wished "forever" for every couple that took vows in the hall. She never let anyone see the gloomy corner of her heart, which wished her marriage had been forever too.

About four years ago, I had to move to Mumbai for the final year of my bachelor's degree. My modest college in Pune did not offer expertize I needed for my major in psychology. Due to my academic achievements I could easily get admissions in a very good college in Mumbai. The only problem was it also meant I needed to shift to a hostel, live on my own in a much bigger city that was quite different from Pune. But I was somewhat excited about the challenge too.

And as much as I tried to be on time for my first day in college, I was late by 15 minutes lost in the city that never sleeps. I didn't want to miss the class that had already started so I interrupted it with an apology. The lecturer asked me to take a seat.

The first thing I noted was that the class had boys. I had always studied in "girls only" schools and colleges and this was a bit of a shock for me although I should have known this. I glanced around to find a seat for myself and realized boys and girls were scattered here and there. I found an empty seat in the last but one row and walked into occupy it without making much noise.

I heard people talking at the back of me as I tried to settle myself down to listen to the lecture.

"Ey Purab, who is this new Chashmish girl?", I heard a slightly gruff voice.

"A transfer from Pune, Bhai" replied the other guy besides.

I more or less knew that the voice referred to me and I looked back in awe. "Hi" the voice I saw said with a wink and waving his hand. I was taken aback. He was unusually dressed with a head band and a skull patterned tee shirt, beaded bracelets and what not. I did not answer him and tried to focus on the lecture.

"Purab, I think this Chashmish is a book worm", said that guy again and the other guy answered something else. I tried to ignore them as much as possible although it was hard given they kept on whispering things. Obviously they were not paying attention to the class and I decided to move to another seat as soon as that particular class was over.

"Nikki, here is your boyfriend", jumped that guy with the headband holding a sketch he seemed to have made as soon as the lecturer left. I was shocked to see a cartoonish face of the lecturer who was just teaching us.

"I will kill you, Abhi", a girl got up, who I thought would be Nikki, and chased this guy as he ran out of the class. The whole class burst out into laughter and murmurs.

Then there was one more class, which I listened to, attentively. After the class, I saw most students walking out. I noticed that most if not all girls wore jeans and tees or western clothing, unlike me who was dressed in a modest long sleeved salwar kameez. I was never comfortable with wearing westernized clothes although my sister wore them all the time.

"Hi, I am Nikita, you can call me Nikki", one girl introduced herself to me.

"That lecturer is not my boyfriend, alright? That Abhi is crazy", explained the girl. I smiled.

"What's your name?", she asked.

I introduced myself to Nikki and I decided to go to the library with her.

"Purab, I can't go there tonight", I heard that voice again talking on the phone in the library. I looked around and found the guy talkingf

"Shhh", I gestured at him to lower his voice.

"What?", he looked at me as if I something irrelevant and walked off, still talking.

Later, Nikki left for the day telling me she had a manicure appointment. She asked me if I would go with her and I refused since there was one more class to attend later.

I borrowed two books from the library and went back to the class. There was still some more time left for the next class. No one was in the class and I felt out of place with everything. They could bunk classes for manicure, make fun of lecturers by making cartoons- they were just nothing like how my earlier college and friends were. I had tried to talk to a couple of other girls but they didn't seem to particularly want to talk to me. Feeling awkward just about everything, I decided to eat my lunch. My mother had packed my lunch box from Pune itself, early in the morning when I had left for Mumbai.

"Mmm... yummy paratha!!!" the guy with the headband appeared from nowhere and took a bite from my box before even I had a chance to eat.

I did not like him taking that liberty but I didn't want to be mad at him for eating.

"Why are you eating alone yaar? You can join us in the canteen", the guy offered.

"It's fine", I said moving the box to the corner of my desk so that he could eat too. He did not seem shy of eating more at all. I smiled a little inside at his shamelessness.

"You didn't tell me your name, Chashmish", he asked my name.

"My name is not Chashmish", I replied.

"You are a Chashmish. Anyways, I am Abhishek Mehra, people call me Abhi", he extended his hand for a handshake.

I was not sure if I wanted to shake hands with him, but I did anyway.

"I am Pragya, Pragya Arora", I said joining my hand with his.

He firmly held my hand in the handshake. I felt so weird at the touch.

"I like Chashmish better", he said letting my hand go and taking the last bite of paratha in his hand.

"You know Nikki keeps saying the person who eats the last bite apparently ends up with the best boyfriend/girlfriend, shall I eat this or you want to?" said Abhi.

I was amused as I had never heard something like that.

"You eat it.. I don't believe in all that stuff" he said holding the piece of paratha by my mouth.

I opened my mouth to say something but he shoved the piece inside almost making me cough.

"Why are you attending this class Chashmish? This English lecturer is the most boring one. But we boys attend the class because she is so hot yaar. Oh look, Purab is here too", he gave a high five to his the boy who was sitting with him in the first class.

Some more students came in and the lecturer made her way in too. I started to wonder what was so "hot" about her given she seemed an average looking face. But then I noticed her saree that she wore quite revealingly. I could not stop rolling my eyes as I caught Abhi and Purab staring at her, or may be I imagined so.

Amused was the word for my first day at the new college.

Chapter 1: Everywhere