Cinderella Story or Is it? Ch 9 Pg 38 5/5 - Page 15

Chap 5

"For the last time Proof, I am not getting a bikini wax done. Only people who are insane do that."

Proof "Come on Geet, it is so clean and hygienic. Hair is a breeding ground for germs and disease. Who knows what sort of ungodly microbes the hostel restrooms are carrying."

Geet "I don't understand how you can let another woman touch your private parts. Yuck! I feel like puking just imagining it."

Proof "Oh please. Don't be such a prude now. They are like gynecologists. They are immune to it all."

Geet "Proof please I need to go for lunch after this. Try not to gross me out alright. I will end up eating only chocolate then."

Proof "Fine be like the Brazilian rain forest. Who cares! My advice always counts for nothing for you."

Geet felt like bawling "Please spare me Your Highness. I am just a lowly being who is trying to get by in life. Don't make me go through all this nonsense. I don't need it. It is not my aim to be a calendar girl."

Proof "Hmm fine but tell me one thing, your roommate what's her name, Maria. She is a hot babe or what?"

Geet "She is alright I guess. Nice lady she is and she studies a lot. Does not get out much just like me. She does not disturb me when I am studying; she does not insist the fan be on maximum speed. Very adjustable and sweet she is. The other lady Shantha spends all her time with some people from North East. She does not stay much in the room. She even sleeps with her friends. All in all not a bad deal."

Proof "What is the commons like?"

Geet "There were such huge fights on which TV channel to watch that now the warden has stepped in and only the news channels run even if nobody watches them. The hall is now used only for popcorn fights."

Proof "Popcorn fights?"

Geet "Did you know it is so hard to aim a popcorn into someone's mouth? Grapes are much easier because they carry some weight. But each popcorn has a personality of its own."

Proof "At least you are not eating them, so that's good."

Geet "I have forgotten about dieting after coming here. Trust me, it is so hard to go on a diet without Mom's food."

Proof "Don't make me cry alright."

Geet "I am fine really. I am ok, see I am smiling. I am even making new friends right."

Proof "You think popcorn fights are the highlight of the day! You don't even watch your lame TV shows."

Geet fought to hold back her tears.

Geet "Proof I got to go now ok. Bye."

She rubbed her eyes to stop the tears from flowing. She decided she needed a distraction. On a whim she pinged the SoapStar guy. Whatever happened to him!

SoapStar "Hello Geet Handa."

For one moment she stared at her screen stunned.

SoapStar "You must be wondering how I found out. It was easier than easy and no I am not a creepy stalker type person. I did not have to stalk you to find out who you were."

She began typing her replies extra fast to beat the nervousness. How had he found out? Did it matter somehow.

Geet "Who are you?"

SoapStar "Since I took the pains to find out who you were, I think you need to return the favor."

Geet "I don't think that is fair! You already know I am a fresher and I have moved to this college from another city. That narrows down the field for you."

SoapStar "That and your facebook likes. It was so predictable of you to like the Forum in your personal facebook profile. You need to be more careful about your online activities. You leave a wide trail for anyone who cares to follow."

At that point exactly she stopped caring about protecting her so called secret online identity.

Geet "Well I suppose I am not exactly trying to maintain it as a defense secret. You on the other hand have not been forthcoming much online. I don't think I am even interested in finding out who you are. Why would I even want to search for you?"

SoapStar "Then simply don't. It does not matter one way or another."

It mattered because she was the one who had been curious about him. He had not bothered to contact her although he knew who she was. Was it because she was fat? She felt angry at the person for not letting her know he knew on his own.

Geet "You suddenly sound very philosophical. What happened?"

SoapStar "These intelligent women play with my mind. There is this one story where a man kills his wife when he slaps her by mistake. He rushes her to the hospital but is unable to save her. He is riddled with guilt and that is when our female lead comes along. She makes him overcome his fear of even touching another woman. It was a moving tale."

Geet "Wait a minute, I read that news in the newspaper. It is a real story, at least killing his wife part."

SoapStar "Yep the writer mentions that. It is moving nevertheless and it changes so many perspectives about life in general you know. It made me think why am I taking my life for granted. My dad has slapped me so many times."

Geet "Oh boy, you are sensitive I guess. I don't really get affected by the stories I read so much. I know in this case it is inspired from a real story but the man deserves to be in jail right? How did he go about being the sad romantic soul waiting for a girl to fall in love with him?"

SoapStar "Well his relative is a politician who does not want his family to get a bad name. So despite the hero's vehement protests he is let off the hook with just a warning."

Geet "That is demented to say the least. There is a reason a jail is made, it is made so people do not forget what is right and wrong. It is not wise to play with it just to suit the story. Which FF is this? I believe it is waiting for a comment from me."

SoapStar "I don't think you follow that show anyway. So leave it, you wouldn't understand the guy."

Geet "Do you claim to understand the guy because your father slapped you a long time ago?"

SoapStar "May be; if I had died when my dad slapped me, would I want him to go to jail? Most likely not."

Geet "So may be you do have something there, fortunately for me, my father had slapped only my brother. Can we stop talking about this please?"

SoapStar "Are you missing home after coming here?"

He was showing her sympathy?

Geet "What do you think? You know something, I am not comfortable talking to you anymore. It is so totally weird and I feel like puking. I know I pinged you this time but please for my sake do not ever ping me again. I don't want to know who you are."

SoapStar "Suit yourself."

She leaned back on her chair feeling emotionally drained. She needed someone real and tangible to interact with. Preferably someone who did not expect her to be all bubbly and cheery. For some strange reason Maan fell into that exact place.

She decided to call him although she had obtained his number by indirect means. She hoped he would not find it 'annoying'.

Geet "Hi Maan, are you free to go to Avenue road today?"

Maan "Who is this? Geet?"

Geet "How many girls have you promised you would take to Avenue road?"

Maan "Sure, yes I guess."

Geet "Where do we meet? What is the modus operandi."

Maan "Slow down. You are in the hostel now I assume."

Geet "You assume the most obviously correct brilliant thing."

Maan "I will swing by the hostel entrance and pick you up in about half an hour then. My car is metallic blue and mid sized. We have to leave early to beat the traffic. It gets real thick there."

And thick it did. They were stuck behind a broken down bullock cart for about half an hour. Geet's temper had reached a boiling point.

She had never felt so low in her life before that day. She couldn't understand the shallow people in the world like SoapStar who cared more about fictional entities than people around them. Why was she feeling so much self-pity. She hated it when she went to that place.

She had been silent for most part of the journey to avoid any untoward explosions. Maan had thankfully understood and obliged. He was surprisingly perceptive for a person who did not find it in himself to tolerate lesser mortals.

Geet "Why don't they ban these bullock carts?"

Maan "Probably because they are eco-friendly and cheap."

Geet "How do you stand the traffic in this place?"

Maan "You ask a lot of questions. I don't know how I stand it. I have no choice see."

Geet calmed herself "Sorry I am out of sorts today. Everyone has been at my throat trying to irritate me."

Maan nodded "Annoying isn't it?"

Geet "Yes!" She actually smiled because she understood the meaning of the word 'annoying' for the first time.

Maan "I have something to cheer you up."

Geet questioned him with her brows. He reached in front of her into the dashboard as she inhaled a generous bout of his deodorant. It was thankfully NOT Axe effect. She hated its cheesy ads; except for the one where the nerd dances with two hot girls.

Maan produced an array of three chocolates and she gave him a broad grin. She immediately tore one open and began to dig into the melting gooey. They were Lindt truffles with a hard deceiving crust. One bite and the entire centre flowed out like chocolate lava. It was the most insanely delicious flavor ever to be invented by some kind Swiss humans.

Maan was smiling "I knew you would melt on seeing them. Your expressions are too cute when you smack your finger tips. Don't worry, there is more where that came from."

She was too lost a cause to care. She was in chocolate heaven.

Maan "We are near the bookstore but unfortunately we cannot park here. We have to go around a couple of kilometers and park in one of the dingy alleys. So let me warn you, if the car is towed away we might have to catch a rick back."

Geet stared at him "Towed?"

Maan "It is all technically a no parking zone. But I am hoping traffic guys won't spot the car in the back alley."

Geet nodded "Good thinking, you are very smart."

Maan "Thank you. We have some walking to do now."

They got down from the car and began walking. It was apparently the day of a festival and people had just thronged the street by thousands looking for items wholesale. She felt a couple of stray hands brush against her bosom; she uncomfortably moved closer to him and ended up being thrown into his sides painfully. His chest was so hard!

Maan "Are you alright? Don't look to your left. There is a man urinating against the wall."

Geet's face went squeamish and she was about to puke her guts out with all the wonderful stench. She was definitely falling sick.

Geet "I don't think I can take it anymore. Can we come back some other day? When I am feeling up to it may be."

Maan "We are almost there Geet. It is not this bad usually, I did not know there was a local festival today. My bad totally, sorry about that."

Geet looked at him feeling a bit faint and spaced out. Was she just a speck of dust in the universe?

Maan "Wait a minute, are you feeling a little faint with a vomiting sensation?"

Geet nodded just as she was swallowing back the bile rising in her throat.

Maan "Do you feel feverish and unable to control your rising temper?"

Geet "Yes!"

Maan "Your eyes are so totally yellow. Geet I think you are coming down with jaundice."

Geet's legs buckled and he held her arm just in time.

Maan "We can do book shopping some other day, we are going to a doctor."

Geet shook her head. She was not a big fan of doctors and she felt a cold sweat coming on.

Maan "Geet, listen to me. We will go see a doctor today and you will be alright within a week. Don't worry, come we can go back."

He held her arm steadily and they slowly made their way back to the car. She was almost dead with exhaustion by the time they made it.

Maan "Sit and open the windows all the way down. Let fresh air blow into your face. If you feel like throwing up just signal to me. I will stop the car immediately alright?"

She nodded weakly. She was soon fast asleep with the gentle rocking motion of the car.

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