FF-Hum Tum:) chapter 23 on pg 96...NEW UPDATE***** - Page 2

An hour later, the lecture was over and their next class was on another floor. The class was emptying slowly. Knowing that her friends would have thought of lots more things to say to 'discipline' her in the past hour, Pia tried to look as though she were very busy in rearranging her books in her bag. But when she met with absolute silence, she looked up and saw the two of them standing in front of her, arms crossed, waiting for an explanation.

"I know it was important, but four of my tuition children have a very important exam today, so I had to coach them all day yesterday," she said pleadingly.

"You can't play around with your own education for those kids," Ruhi said sternly, while Misha nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Yes I can ?because I have the sweetest and most helpful friends in the whole universe, who won't think twice before sharing their notes with me," Pia said enthusiastically, before adding "don't I?" and looking at them beseechingly.

She knew they had melted from their softening expressions, and smiled impishly and placed one arm each around their necks and hugged them close.

They sighed jointly, then grinned and hugged her back. It was very difficult to be stern with Pia for more than a couple of minutes.

"You can stop strangling us now,' Ruhi said dryly, 'We'll give you the notes. But no more holidays for those brats," she added strictly, wagging her finger at Pia, while Misha dug out the notes from the bag and gave it to her.

"Of course, no problem," Pia pledged.

"Misha, check her fingers," Ruhi said suddenly, "I'm sure they are crossed."

But Pia had clenched her fists and was holding them behind her back, and her friends tried to pry them out, all three of them giggling. And laughing and joking they made their way into the corridor, all seriousness forgotten.

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The three girls were walking along the corridor, oblivious to a pair of eyes fixed on Pia's beautiful face and smile.

Kabeer walked confidently through the hoards of students, apparently not noticing the admiring, worshipful glances and sighs of girls coming his way. He walked past all of them and didn't stop till he was right in front of the three girls.

"Hi Pia," he said, flashing his trademark grin . He turned to her friends and gave them a cursory smile before focusing on Pia again. "I was looking for you yesterday; you were absent, were you. Our club has decided to accept first year students as members from this year on, and I wanted to ask you if you would like to join us."

"Thanks for asking me, Kabeer, but I'm really sorry. I won't be able to participate in the club's activities or meetings?too much college work, and I have some commitments at home too," Pia answered with a regretful smile. She was inwardly puzzled at the gesture - the club only admitted students who were academically excellent and also very popular. And she didn't believe she was either of these.

"Oh...that's ok then," he said cheerfully. But as he stood to a side and let them pass, his shoulders had hunched down with disappointment. And he didn't take his eyes off the girl in the simple dark blue chudidaar, with waist-long silky and glossy black hair that seemed to be swaying with a life of its own, until she walked into a class and vanished from his view.

Her friends waited till he was out of earshot, and then rounded on her. "Did you actually do that?" Ruhi asked incredulously, and then turned to Misha. "Please Misha, tell me this foolish girl didn't actually turn down the invitation given by the smartest boy in this College to join the most exclusive club in the college."

"I'm afraid she did, Ruhi,"Misha said looking at Pia as though she were crazy, "what's wrong with you girl."

"What did I do wrong?" Pia asked bewildered. "You know I wasn't lying. I really wouldn't be able to do justice if I joined that club?we have so much course work and I take tuitions once I go home, and I have to help mom too with other responsibilities. And it's not just that?they have meetings so many times a week, that I wont be able to spend time with my best friends too?" she added appealingly.

"Don't worry about us?we both will stand outside the club doors during your meetings. So that way all three of us will still be together. Plleaaasee join the club," Ruhi pleaded.

"And Kabeer is the most handsome, intelligent and popular boy in college?you will actually be able to be in the same room as him!!" Misha wailed, "If he had invited ME, I would have disowned my family and both of you too just so I could become a member." Then, catching the raised eyebrows of both her friends, she grinned sheepishly and said, "Just kidding, of course."

They entered their next class and the three friends sat down in the second-last row, as was their regular practice in lectures. Ruhi and Misha resumed their lamentations.

"He'll probably never come to talk to us again," Misha said miserably

It's not just the commitments I have," Pia confessed uncomfortably, "I know it's a nice club, but the activities that they take up?.are just not very?meaningful."

"You're just 17 years old, you have time to do meaningful things later," Ruhi said, exasperated.

"What I cant understand is why on earth did he invite me of all people," Pia said, frowning, "I am not a class-topper in studies and I'm definitely not popular."

"Not popular??" Misha repeated, aghast. "Everyone from the cleaner of the toilets to the professors is your friend. And I got the feeling that Kabeer likes you?" she added thoughtfully.

"Yes?right" Pia said wryly, finding even the idea ridiculous. "He likes me?..because all good looking girls in this college have disappeared into thin air."

"It's no use Misha. She won't believe us; she'll find out herself someday," Ruhi said with a wise look. "He looked so handsome today, didn't he...sigh!"

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There was a one hour break between the lectures and the three of them were sitting in the canteen, sipping hot tea.

"I just don't understand how you tolerate those spoilt brats in your tuition every day," Ruhi was saying.

"They aren't unruly?they are misunderstood." Pia said patiently for what felt like the hundredth time, "It's not their fault their parents don't deny them anything. If you treat them with the right amount of firmness and affection, they are really sweet."

Misha rolled their eyes and Ruhi looked at her solemnly, "There is no hope for you kiddo."

Pia laughed.

Just then, Kabeer walked in with a whole group of his friends and admirers. He halted for a minute and looked around the place, searching for someone. Then his eyes fell on Pia who returning from the canteen counter to her table with a fruit juice in hand.

"Hi Pia" he called out.

Pia looked around, returned the greeting and continued to walk back to her table.

"Did you notice?," Ruhi asked excitedly when she had set down her glass on the table. "You are the only one he wished."

"So?" Pia asked, confused.

"Don't you see?? That's proof that he likes you," Misha declared.

Pia only shook her head in exasperation at the foolishness of her friends and pulled out the notes given by Misha, thinking it would be better use of her time to go through it.

"Sigh! Isn't it really sad that even though the way he smiled at me today morning was so forced," Ruhi said mournfully, "it was still the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me so far?"

"Treasure the memories of that artificial smile." Misha replied, just as dejected, "After that rebuff by this dimwit I don't think he's even going to give us fake smiles anymore?.sigh!"

Pia had been going through the notes but a few words from their conversation floated into her consciousness. Her eyes remained on the page, but her mind wandered away, back in time. 'The most romantic thing that ever happened to me'...and she thought of a fragrant, moonlit night two months ago, a little lamp and a boy. A boy with brilliant blue eyes, which had seemed to drill into her own, almost transfixing her to the spot...

She had never spoken about that night to anyone, not even to her best friends, who had been part of her life since nursery and were privy to almost every little thing that had happened in her life since. For reasons she didn't understand herself, her heart had illogically attached some kind of sanctity to what happened that night, and to share it seemed like blasphemy.

Sometimes, in one of her imaginative moods, she even wondered if the boy had really been there, if grandpa's stories of demi gods who came down to earth were true. In the combined light of the moon and the lamp, he had looked striking enough to be one. But even in her grandpa's over-active imagination, demi gods were not likely to be innovative or modern enough to come to the earth dressed in a black shirt and jeans?she stifled a laugh at the thought.

"No. The boy had simply been a traveller," she told herself with finality, "A traveller who was not going to come by again."

For some reason, the thought was unbearable?.

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The lectures were over for the day and Pia, Misha and Ruhi were on their way back home, walking slowly towards the place where Pia's cycle and Misha's car was parked. Ruhi travelled with Misha in the car, as their houses were close to each others.

Misha's cell phone rang; she looked at the number and told Pia "It's your mother," and then answered it.

"Hello?.hi aunty!. How are you...I'm fine aunty...yes, we both will come to visit soon...and we'll stay over too...she is here...yes, just a minute aunty."

She gave Pia the phone.

Pia took the phone, a little mystified. It was her daily practice to call up her mother in the afternoon from the PCO in the college, just to know and let her know that all was fine. Her mom didn't usually call on her friend's cell phones as she felt it was troubling them unnecessarily, even though they had assured and reassured her that her calls were actually welcome and not disturbing in the least.

"Hi mom...is everything ok?" she asked, feeling worried at this unusual call.

"Pia, Dobriyal uncle had called. He is in town for the day and is coming over to visit," her mom said happily.

"He is??!!" Pia squealed in excitement. "Don't let him leave until I reach home," she instructed her mother urgently.

"You don't need to worry about that," her mother said laughing, "He has said he won't move an inch from here until you serve him lunch, dessert and evening tea."

"I'll be there in half an hour," Pia said. She cut the call and handed the phone back to Misha, and told them both hurriedly why she had to rush. She ran to her bicycle and set off, very thrilled about the prospect of meeting uncle after so many months.

RAghav Dobriyal was Dehradun's biggest and richest businessman and had very good political connections too. He had also been among her father's closest childhood friends. The families had always been close, but when the Dobriyal had remained childless after many years of marriage, he and aunty had become even more attached to Pia and Rishi. He and his wife had moved out of Dehradun to a big city 2 years ago. But even after they had moved, they kept in constant touch through the phone. Pia wondered what business had brought him to Dehradun for such a short visit.

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