Posted:
Not much to say this time. Just a heartfelt thank you! 🤗
Oh yes!
He's here.
I think as I look up from the notes I'm working on to see him standing in front of the common room's door. Thank goodness he didn't change his regular route. I had started to doubt my chances of meeting him before I have to leave to meet a special friend.
I get up, sling the bag on my shoulder and walk towards him. Why isn't he reacting? Does he even recognise me? Should I say my name before saying something else? I reach right in front of him and stop at two arm's length. He still doesn't say anything, neither does he smile or change the strangely serious look. 'Er... Hi!' I start tentatively. I wouldn't have to talk to him had it not been for the notes. He doesn't reply. I assume he doesn't recognise me. Not a big deal when you study in a class of fifty students and one of them rarely speaks up. 'I... I'm Geet. I'm your classmate.' I feel stupid to be introducing myself like this after three years of sharing a class. He nods slightly so I continue, 'And you're Maan.' It isn't a question because there is no point asking him his name when I already know it.
The sudden shift I see in his eyes causes me to look down in haste and extract the notes from my bag. 'These are yours.' I offer the bundle to him. 'You gave them to Belle. She sits beside me and I think she was in a hurry today so she asked me to give these to you.' His eyes fall on the notes and he takes them with a curt 'hmm'. He doesn't seem like the easy-going, sincere guy he's always appeared in the class. In fact, his cold attitude at the moment makes me think he is an arrogant, snobbish person. So different from what I thought he was. I excuse myself and rush off to my destination. Out of sight of the strangely intense eyes paired with a serious look.
How can I not know your name? How can I be negligent towards you in any way? I want to say when she introduces herself but I don't. Instead, I feel my heart beating fast and mouth going dry in anticipation of a reproachful word or two which will ruin the little chances I have of befriending her. I know my face screams of shock as I see her come towards me maintaining a casual eye contact so I try to arrange my features into a normal face or better yet, smile a little. The best I can do is put up a poker face. At least it doesn't let the shock show. Or the budding excitement to see her actually notice me and come towards me, and above all, she knows my name. Maybe she isn't as oblivious as I think her to be, the tiny hopeful voice inside me whispers but I shush it down. Her demeanour remains calm for most of the time. The awkwardness she must have felt at the start soon disappears as she speaks. My dry throat doesn't let much sounds out except a 'hmm'.
Her expressions change when I don't reply the way I should. Her body language becomes guarded and so does the look in her eyes. A quick goodbye and she runs off. I sigh as I realise I have lost a very good chance to talk to her and made a wrong first impression which isn't going to do my case any good.
I turn towards the gates to return home with hunched shoulders. Walking to my car, I mull over my bad luck. Why can't I ever be normal in her presence, the way I am with the rest of the world? Is there ever going to be a day when she sees me as a friend, at least? I feel dejected as I think about it.
The slightest relief I felt for having someone recognisable in the group washes away with my first encounter with Maan. How am I supposed to be glad he is going to be there in today's meeting and in close proximity for the next few days when he is just exactly the way I hadn't thought him to be? I almost run to the home room as I'm later than usual, having spent a large part of the night awake and thinking which resulted in me getting up late. I don't have time or the will to scan the faces which I'll be familiarised with in the task we're to be assigned in a few moments.
The professor comes in and starts announcing the details of what is to be done and how. How we'll have to utilise our time along with regular classes and brainstorm for the best possible event we can organise, is all explained. The next announcement makes me anxious. We're grouped into teams of two to accomplish our goals with as much efficiency as we can. Before I can think further, the professor calls the names of the pairs-to-be and I wait with bated breath to hear my name with another one, hoping for it to be a girl's - it'll be easier for me if I don't have to deal with any boys. 'And the team which will look after the arrangements for the decorations of the event is Miss Geet Handa and Mister Maan Khurana.' For a moment, I feel relieved that it's someone I know but the moment ends soon when I recall my yesterday's encounter with Maan and his not-so-cordial behaviour. What am I going to do now? I know there's no getting out of it so there really is no point to be scared. Never mind Geet! I tell myself. It's going to go just fine. But this little pep talk with myself doesn't have an effect on my shivering hands - which I have to hide by gripping the chair by the sides in a subtle manner but strong hold. The meeting dismisses with the final instruction of getting in touch with our respective partners to begin planning.
I feel a little low today, remembering my missed chance yesterday when I walk in the room to attend the meeting. I look around to see eight other students - mostly juniors to me whom I know - sitting there, waiting for the professor. I know there's one more person who is yet to join us but I don't find myself intrigued to know the name. With my luck, I can't even think of wishing for the tenth person being Geet! I ignore the seat immediately behind the one in which the girl who gave me flirty looks earlier, is sitting. Seating myself in the chair behind that, I lazily doodle on my notebook to pass time until the meeting starts. Ten minutes later, I hear hurried footsteps enter the room and presume it to be the professor. But I almost rub my eyes as I look up to see her coming in a rush and sitting down in the seat I had just ignored. Right in front of me. I can hear my heart beat getting louder when the fact sinks in that she is the tenth person. The wish I wasn't even daring to let my mind think has come true!
As the meeting starts and we're told we'll be working as partners, I cross my fingers without making it very obvious. Please, please, please, please, please let her be my partner, is what I feverishly pray in my head. My breath catches in my throat and I can't believe it when it actually turns out that she is the one for me. My teammate, I correct in my head. I notice her body going rigid and her hands holding the sides of her seat tightly when this announcement is made and the smile I hadn't noticed on my face, vanishes for a beat only to reappear when we're told to talk to our partners and work together.
As the meeting ends, all the other teams pair up to start discussing right away. I stand up when I see her rising stiffly from her seat. She slowly looks around as if searching for someone and I can't help but grin a little when I realise that it's me she's trying to locate. Suddenly nervous about how I'm going to talk to her but not wanting let this chance slip like yesterday's, I walk forward trying to appear confident but only I know the nervous jitters raging in my stomach with every step I take. She turns to face me when I stand beside her. For one moment, neither says a word. 'So I guess we're going to have to work together.' I hear her say in an uncomfortable manner. 'Uh, yeah' is my reply after I clear my throat silently to dislodge the lump which so often makes an appearance whenever I wish to leave a lasting impression on someone. Before either of us can get another word in, the bell rings and it's time for our first class. Immediately after, Geet makes her way out of the room and I follow suit, happy for the upcoming opportunities I'll get to spend time with her.
After hours of trying to get myself ready to converse with him, I'm just as clueless about what to say or how to behave when it's lunch time. I know I can't avoid it like I've managed to do so in the morning so I scold myself. Geet, you have got to do this so just put your own personal opinion about him aside for a while. That's it, no more prejudices when work is concerned! With this final self-talk, I walk towards the cafeteria. I have rarely been there before but I assume I'll find Maan in there at this time. Just as I'm about to enter, someone coming out bumps into my shoulder and we both blurt out a 'sorry' at the same time. As a reflex, I chuckle and look to see the face of the holder of the husky voice. It's him. Maan. My chuckle turns to an embarrassed smile and so does the expression on his face. 'I was looking for you,' I quickly say to cover up. 'Can we go discuss the planning with the professor right now? If you don't mind, that is. It'll give us an idea of what we have to do.'
'Of course. Let's go.' I turn around and start to lead the way to the staff room. The professor gives us both some pointers to work on and I keep my mind and my eyes mostly towards him or my notebook taking notes but try as hard as I may, I can't ignore the glances I felt Maan shooting my way. I don't turn to look into his eyes or make him realise that I know of his sneaky glances, lest I make our partnership even more awkward than it already is.
After my classes end, I sit for my regular two hours but the purpose differs from the usual. Today I'm waiting for Maan to finish with his schedule and come join me so we can plan a bit for how we're going to start. Coming out of the staff room, we had to rush to our respective classrooms as the lunch hour was already over so we had decided to meet here at the dismissal of the day. My day at college ends earlier than most of the students as I don't usually participate in sports or the additional subjects but I choose to sit in this room until my next engagement which is only some walking distance from the campus.
I hear the final bell ring and ten minutes later, two junior girls walk in the common room. Strange, I think, nobody ever came here at this time. But then I remember them being one of the five teams and soon they get absorbed in their own discussions. I wait for another twenty minutes but Maan never comes and since I can't wait any longer I get up and leave the campus.
Damn it! Why did Jake have to talk to me today of all days?! I rush to the common room to find her gone and two other girls sitting there in deep conversation. I curse under my breath again and rush to the gates to try my luck hoping she hasn't left too long ago. I reach the front yard just in time to see her leaving the campus and going left. Before I can follow her, I hear Anaya call my name from behind. I wave her off in dismissal and taking long strides, reach closer to Geet's retreating form. When she senses someone following her, she turns around to look at me. I immediately apologise and tell her I got stuck somewhere. 'That's alright. We can discuss tomorrow,' she replies with a cordial smile. 'Can't we do it today. I mean you're not busy or anything, are you?' I ask hopefully. 'I'm afraid I do have an engagement,' saying this, she turns around again. 'Can I drop you somewhere?' I call out after her and bite my tongue. This wasn't meant to come out but it stumbles out without a second thought. 'No, thank you. The cafe is just around the corner,' she says after turning back to face me. This confuses me. 'The cafe?' She looks away for a moment. 'Yes, I work there after college every alternate day.' When I don't respond, she excuses herself and goes away.
I turn around to head back to the college to collect my books absorbed in thoughts. I don't even know she works in that cafe. I never saw her there and I'm sure none of my friends did either or else I would have known. I let a satisfactory smile make way to my face realising that now I know where to find her after college hours. Just as I enter the gates, I see Anaya standing there smiling at me. She answers my quizzical look saying, 'I'm waiting for you.'
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
Cricket
