See, in every story, the guy gets the girl. It doesn't matter which guy gets which girl, or who is left standing in the end looking at the sacrifice they just made. It doesn't matter who gets killed in the middle of the story, or who ends up running away. In the end, the guy always gets the girl. It's annoying. You ask why?
Because the guy does not always get the girl in real life. In fact, in all of the situations I have witnessed, the guy and the girl always like each other and then something happens leading them to separate. See how fake all those movies and fairytales are? The reader is probably wondering why I'm bitter.
That's because I just got my heart broken for the third time by the same girl. Now I'm out to prove to all those dim-witted directors and authors that they're freaking wrong. Love can never unite, especially if you're Indian.
Particularly when you're Muslim and the girl is Hindu.
*
I knew her for 4 years and I never thought that I could possibly like her some day in my life. She was just there in a couple of my classes. Someone who I made small talk with during the day when we had nothing better to do. Someone who occasionally acknowledged my existence and vice versa. It's not that we didn't like each other or anything. We just never had anything to talk about besides asking which homework assignment was due when and how boring the teacher was.
I had my own friend circle and she had her own. That was where it all pretty much started and ended.
Now, you're probably thinking that this girl must have gone through a major physical transformation in the year when I started liking her, right?
No, I'm sorry but you're wrong. It was actually nothing of that sort.
What happened was that in our last year of high school, we took completely different classes and ended up not seeing each other at all. It didn't matter at first because we were too busy adjusting to our new classes and learning the syllabi of our wonderfully profound teachers. (Yes, that's sarcasm.) But as the weeks progressed, things ultimately changed.
One day I came to school 15 minutes late since my bus was not on time and I saw her. She was looking down at the floor as she walked down the hallway, completely oblivious to her surroundings. I stopped stuffing my jacket into my locker and glanced sideways at her, trying not to make it obvious that I was staring at her.
She walked right by without so much as a hello and I scrunched my eyebrows together. How nice of her to disregard my existence.
Without a second thought, I quickly pushed my jacket in and jogged behind her. I tapped her shoulder and waited for her to shriek or do something equally girly but she simply looked behind, straight at me, and gave a half smile.
"Hey Rahil," she said, with no enthusiasm in her voice at all.
Somewhat amused, I walked beside her and smiled back. "So…um going to class?"
"Where else would I go?" she asked, in a flat voice. Apparently not in the mood to talk about whatever class she was going to, she tried to perk up so as not to seem rude. "Anyway, how are you?"
Oddly excited to know she wanted to talk to me further, my shoulders started pouncing and I let out an eager chuckle. I felt like a complete moron right afterwards and cleared my throat. "Um, I'm fine. Just passing time," I said in my most nonchalant voice. "You?"
"Yea, same. School's just started and I'm already waiting for it to end," she replied, opening a door leading to the staircase. My class was downstairs but when I saw her heading upwards, I followed. I was already late; if I came in a couple of minutes later, what would it matter?
"Why? Senior year is supposed to be the best year," I put in. "The trip, the prom, graduation."
"Yea, it also involves applying to colleges, spending a lot of money, and departing from your friends. Fun, fun, fun."
She had a point, but I tried to cheer her up anyway. "Just watch Sahana. Once the festivities start, you'll be glad that this year finally came to a start."
She looked at me for the second time during this whole conversation and smiled genuinely. "Yea, sure. We'll see." Opening the door to the 5th floor, she made a face. "Anyway, I have economics. Joy to the world. I'll see you later."
I held the door open for her and pretended to start for the stairs leading upwards but as soon as she was out of sight, I made my way down to the 2nd floor.
It was then when it hit me that I had no classes with Sahana whatsoever. No Sahana to make small talk with while a teacher droned on. No Sahana to make occasional eye contact with and smile to in the middle of a test. No Sahana to tell a joke I just heard if she happened to sit next to me in a class. No Sahana to exchange information from the basketball game last night. No Sahana who always managed to make me smile with her sarcastic remarks.
As my list started to get longer and more personal, I frowned. I had run out of fingers and I had forgotten what class I had.
Realizing what was happening, I panicked as I sat down on the stairs. Oh God, this wasn't happening. This couldn't happen now. I ruffled my hair in anxiety and gave myself a small lecture. This was a crucial year in my life and I couldn't let someone's thoughts intervene. I just couldn't. My whole college career would be at stake with a mistake like this.
As I took a deep breath, I closed my eyes and thought of my acceptance letter from one of America's most prestigious colleges, Columbia University. As I imagined the looks on my parents' faces, I opened my eyes again and smiled.
Sahana. Eh. Who cares? Or…no. No, no. Wait, what?
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