Standing there, after successfully execution of the first phase of the plan. I started feeling nervous. These girls always give you jitters. It is no easy task dealing with girls under normal circumstances, and, today the circumstances being trying, it was depressing. It is one thing when you are standing in the sun, abounding in your life’s calm, when suddenly you sense a slap on your back and, turning, find yourself eye to eye with your childhood crush. But the scale of enormities, when you have told a hundred lies to intercept an unfamiliar beauty, is a unique one. You can still utter, in the first case, life-saving hi’s and ya’s while the mind holidaying. But the second case is hopeless.
All my inhibitions assumed the form of a giant demon and punched me in my face. Bang! How messy I looked! Bad hair, pimples… I began to feel like an idiot. What a foolish plan I had devised! The bright sun and the cool breeze gave no respite. I was hardly aware of them. I was about to give my plan a serious second thought when lighting struck.
Her majesty appeared.
Well… you must have read countless books, seen innumerable movies celebrating with fanfare the arrival of the heroine. Strong winds start to blow, thunderstorms strike and as if this noise was not deafening enough, loud music erupts and the tapori in the front row acknowledges it all with a sincere whistle.
Poets write lyrics heralding the Descent of the divine beauty from heaven. One reads incomprehensible stuff about rosy cheeks, coral lips and starry eyes, entwined with the indecipherable thee(s) and thou(s) and thy(s). I have neither the ability of the poet nor the flourish of the dramatist. But I must admit that I was floored.
I pick up again from the passage where I mentioned that lighting had struck. I cannot explain it better. She looked amazing. She was like a painting, a song. Everything about her was so graceful and fluid. Like breeze, she flowed towards me, her hair flying and ear rings dancing. She was the breeze with a whiff of perfume. And I was stunned.
One can never say if it was love-at-first-sight or not but, admittedly the dent she left in my heart was a big one. These beauties hit you like a storm and you never recover. Never ever. That was my case, entirely. I was completely lost, enraptured, mesmerized... the moment will remain with me forever, framed and glided. When I close my eyes, it all comes back to me, and my heart dances with delight; the perfect picture... her glowing face, her shiny, flying hair, her smooth walk, her dangling ear rings, her mirror-work bag by her side, her red pullover, her blue jeans and her searching eyes.
She looked around for her friends and looked confused. I had to move before she took her cell phone out, if she had one. I regained consciousness and composure. There was no use worrying. She’d not eat me; nor was she the last girl on earth. I had to act, now, that I had planned so much. Be a man, Tejas. I looked at my clothes again. Nice jacket, nice sweatshirt, nice jeans. Cool, I thought. “Be a Man!” I said to myself again and walked towards the heavenly creature.
The close-up only enhanced her beauty. Her searching eyes were innocent and beautiful. She had a fresh, milky complexion, and her red pullover made her look all the more radiant. Winters, oh lord! Girls, they have never looked better. They look so fair and bright, and the skin seems flawless. Their lovely, glowing faces peer out of the bright woolens so cutely. Girls indeed blossom in winters.
And blossoming she was. The red dress made her look so pink and lovely. I could almost have kissed her cheeks. Despite the heavy woollens, I could see she had a lissome figure. She had shiny, black hair and was wearing silver ear rings. She was simple and beautiful. Perfect.
I gave her a slight pat on her shoulder from the side. She turned towards me drowning me in her sweet aroma. And I was lost again in her brown eyes and light perfume. Magic! She had a hint of kajal in her eyes.
“Yes?” she asked, breaking the spell. “Talk, idiot!’ I said to myself,
“Shreya?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said surprised, obviously.
“Hi! I am Palak’s brother,” I said and forwarded my hand.
She shook it. Her hands were soft. It felt really good. She smiled and returned the greeting. She had beautiful chiselled pink lips with a hint of gloss. Extremely kissable. I ventured into solving the puzzle for her straightaway. “I can see you are surprised. Don’t be. Palak will be here soon. Actually one of your friends, Saumya, I suppose, had lost her way. So Palak has gone to fetch her with the driver. I had come to drop her but your friend thought I should stay and keep you engaged till she comes back. So here I am.” God, I spoke too much.
“Well, thanks!” she smiled again. She had a lovely smile. She didn’t say anything else. Why don’t these girls speak? “I am Tejas, by the way. Hi again. I hope this was a better introduction.” I once again shook her hand she laughed. “So, how much time will she take?” she inquired.
“Not much, I guess.” What to talk about, I thought. Yes. “So, how is Chennai?”
“Well, not bad, but yes, nothing like Delhi.”
“Absolutely! Nothing like Delhi. This winter will be a pleasant change, I suppose, from boiling Chennai.”
“Yes, a lot better. It is really hot there.”
“And it is really cold here. I think I’ll have something hot.” “Okay.”
“What about you? Tea? Now don’t be formal and all.” I said like an aunty, “I don’t like that. Tea?”
No, I prefer coffee.”
“Oh, wow! Me, too. There is time; let us have coffee then.” I hated coffee. How much lying goes into impressing a girl! An extremely tedious task.
I took her to a corner so that we were not visible. I bought two coffees. And furthered to conversation. “I believe you are pursuing management. Palak speaks a lot about you.” I hoped she would ask what I was doing, and then I could tell her about my prestigious college. And she asked.
“Yes, I am. What about you?”
“Well, I am studying Industrial Engineering.”
“From?”
“IIT Delhi,” I announced grandly. I hoped to see an open mouth or a twinkle in her eye but there was noting. Again, just her lovely smile. She hardly seemed impressed. I was running out of topics and time now. She was not monosyllables and her smiles. gregarious the very first time reticence. She took her time, I supposed. Unlike the aggressive girls that one sees so often these days. I liked that, but she should at least say something.
“So it must be really difficult… leaving all friends here and settling in a new city,” I said, trying to strike a tender chord.
“Yes, it was difficult initially; but now it is better.”
“Yes, one has to adjust. I saw some of the snaps you sent to Palak the other day. You looked nice,” I said, trying to compliment her in a subtle way. I couldn’t say, “You look hot,” straightway. “Thanks!” she smiled again.
helping either with just her I hadn’t expected her to be
And it all went off again. There was a silence, an awful one. It kills you. You feel so awkward. You feel so conscious. It is so damned hard with strangers and harder still with stranger girls. And you want to pull out your hair in agony when the girl is so indifferent. You strain every part of your brain to search for a topic, yet you find none. It is like the world is void of everything and nothing exists. There is nothing in this damn world that can be talked about. Zilch. As the strain was becoming a tad too much, she spoke. Thanks God!
“Hope they come soon. Just about fifteen minutes left. Let us have a look at some books in the meanwhile. You like reading” she asked and proceeded towards the corner book stall. “Yes, I love it. Nothing like books. So who’s your favourite author?” I asked, happy that we had found a common liking. “Well, no favourite as such. I haven’t read that many books. But yes, I like Grisham and Eric Segal.”
“Love story…” I said. Knowing that every girl loved it. I had loved it too. Since, I had read many more Segal books. I hadn’t read any Grisham.
“Yes, it was amazing. In fact, that’s the only one I have read of Segal.”
“And that’s his best. It is so touching. I almost cried in the end.” “Oh you did! Boys don’t usually. I cried so much.”
“Well, I am a little different. Being a little emotional is not bad, I guess. But yes, boys usually loathe such books.” She was impressed could see it in her expression.
“So, who’s your favourite?” she asked, picking up a Grisham novel. The Firm.
“Well, I love R.K. Narayan. Have read all of his books. He writes so close to life, about the simple joys of life.”
“I guess I have read one of his too, Coolie.”
“No, that one is by Mulk Raj Anand,” said politely, trying not to be condescending, yet being impressive. Her knowledge about books was poor. Had read only one of Segal and yet he was her favourite. How funny! I wondered if she had read only one of Grisham’s as well.
“Oops. You are right. But yes, I saw Malgudi Days on T.V. I loved that.”
“Same here. That remains my favourite serial. So real and subtle! And nowadays, you have these stupid, mindless and boring saasbahu-sagas. Those were the days… “I sounded like an octogenarian, I thought.
“I swear. They are so yuk! I wonder how my mom watches them. And all of them are exactly the same.”
“Yes... it’s better to read books... so do you like any?” “Yes, I think I should buy this one. I’d like to read more of Grisham.”
“Right. After all he is your favourite author,” I said teasingly, “Like Segal. I bet you have read only one of his too.”
“No actually two,” she burst out laughing. And so did I.
Well we had struck a chord now. The topics were coming naturally and we seemed to have some similarities. She was not indifferent now but a keen talker. And I loved that. I was becoming too lost in her. And there were ten minutes to go. Alas!
She bought the book and I bought one too, of Sir Wodehouse. I told her about his great humour and that she must read his books. It was nice haggling for the books together. Seemed like a work of collaboration. And what better than to team up with a girl!.
The topic shifted to likings and all. She told me she loved dance. I told her that I was hopeless at dance and all I could manage was bhangra, which, therefore, I had to employ for western numbers as well. She laughed. I told her that I loved music.
“Well, nothing like music. It is my life. For your information, by the way, I happen to play the guitar.” Thank God, she was at least impressed by this. I was always told that nothing flatters a girl more than a guitar.
“Wow,” she said. “I’d like to hear it sometime.”
“Hmm, I think I should grant you the privilege. Not everyone is so lucky, Shreya.” I must have said that about myself.
“Well, thanks. I am deeply honoured.”
“So, when do you leave? I’ll try and find you an appointment out of my busy schedule.”
“I am sorry, Tejas, I leave tomorrow. Next time, perhaps. Don’t forget then...”
“No, I promise I won’t. But you should return the favour.” “Hmm, so what should I do?”
“Teach me to dance. I am pathetic.”
“Only if you teach me to play the guitar…”
“Deal.”
“Deal.”
We shook hands again. Her soft hands. It had turned out to be wonderful. My God! I thought… Learning dance from this angel. I was lost in my dreams. Lost in her. Lost in her perfume. Lost in the moment. I lost all sense of time. I wished our meeting would never end. I wanted to talk on and on with her. I could have never imagined that we’d gel so well and be so comfortable talking. That such a pretty girl could be so affectionate with an imbecile like me. My reverie was broken when I heard her say excitedly, “Hi Palak!”
All I could manage to say through a few broken sentences was this:
“Hi... Palak... So you... Are back... Good... This is Shreya, by the way... a good friend... I guess you two know each other... Shreya... This is my dearest sister... Palak.” I was dead. “Hi Shreya!” Palak said, smiling at her. Then she turned towards me. “By the way, she is my friend.”
“Oh! What a coincidence. I could never have thought that we’d have a common friend. Extremely gratifying to learn that.” Saumya and Kamna intervened saying a ‘Hi’ each and asking Shreya what she was doing here at the entrance when she was supposed to be there at the back.
“What!” Shreya uttered, surprised.
“Yes, your dad called and said that you’ll arrive at the back entrance. But we had waited for long, so we came back here to check again.” Explained Palak.
“My dad? Palak, he left yesterday. Mom and I will return tomorrow. How could he have called?” asked Shreya, surprised again.
Well, the director of the scene would have wanted to me to quit the stage, now, and I itched to do the same “Sounds like a confusion to me. The movie is going to start soon. I better go. You also hurry up or you’ll miss the beginning,” I said and looked at Shreya.
“Yes, we should move. Nice meeting you, Tejas.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Shreya. And don’t you forget the deal,” I said smiling and she smiled back.
“Well, you are the one who is busy. I hope I get an appointment,” she said, teasing. That killed me.
“Well, you will. I am always free for pretty girls. Bye.”
I smiled at her and she blushed a little and said bye. I shook her soft hand again for the fourth time. I wondered when I’d hold her hand again. I hadn’t the slightest clue that it would be so long. I looked at Palak. She gave me a dreadful look. I smiled at her too. One of those i-won-you-lost smiles. Saumya and Kamna looked disgusted. But, I was on cloud nine.
They turned and moved away. I faintly heard Shreya asking them, “So, Saumya, where were you stuck?” they proceeded and I watched her go. Her silky hair and silver earrings and her petite figure. I longed for her.
As they went farther, I noticed some unrest. I could not make out their conversation but assumed it to centre round me and my antics. Their battalion suddenly stopped and they turned around. It was not unlike the synchronous about-turn of the jawans on Republic Day. And ‘about-turn’ did I, and started walking in the opposite direction, when Palak called out, “Tejas, just a minute.”