The class was as usual decked up with concepts of physics
all around. The teacher kept drawing pulleys, and did all the hardship to pull
it applying necessary forces, but I was lost somewhere else. Not that I was not
interested in physics, and not that I was very much interested in our lady
physics teacher like my friends; unlikely I was struck in those words which
Priya had for me the day before.
I was coming out from canteen that day, triumphant
about the fact that I managed to buy two samosas. I always
failed at it, as I used to give up the fight in the queue-less stampede at
canteen each day. School authorities ceased their authoritarian and
disciplinary actions at canteen I doubt. As I stepped out from the stampede,
trying to wipe of the sauce that spilled a bit on my white uniform shirt, I found Priya
standing in front of me. Her innocent eyes looked bleak. I stood there still,
and watched her. I never had courage to speak to girls.
I chose to move out, and not to speak to her, as usual this
time again. But as I moved past her, she called my name. With a jolt within, my
mind capitulated, ‘she knows my name’.
‘Aarush, I had to get samosas, but you see the crowd there at the counter.’
‘Hmmm? Umm… Oh… I see’, this was all that I replied.
‘Do you know anyone there in the crowd at the counter? If
you know, then please hand over this money to him.’
‘Actually… I don’t know anyone there. They are not from our
class’, I said. ‘By the way, how many… Umm… how many samosas do you want?’ I
added some more with my voice almost afraid to come out.
‘One’, she chirped.
‘You see, I have already had my lunch. I wanted one samosa
too, but the counter guy didn’t have change so he gave me two.’
‘Would you like to have… I mean if you like, the one from
mine?’, and as I said it seemed my heart would come out from my chest.
‘You are not hungry?’ she asked.
‘No. I had my lunch from the tiffin my mom prepared for me.’
She looked at me with her face showing her hesitation. She moved in order to pick one, but retraced
her steps soon. She looked at me again. This time she smiled wide, and then she
broke into laughter. It was a feeling so heavenly to watch her laugh; she was so
beautiful.
She moved forward and picked one samosa, ‘Thanks’, she said.
While we snacked, she kept talking. She said that her mother
was sick. And so she didn’t let her cook for the school tiffin. She would take
the meal from school canteen, she had assured to her mother.
‘It would be two-three days more like this; I would have to
come to canteen.’
‘Hmm…’, this was all that I could reply along with my smile.
And the other day, when I was in class waiting for the period to
end, with all my attention towards Priya and the talk that we had, there was something
cooking inside my head too. Just before five minutes from tiffin break, I asked
my teacher for an excuse to let me go to washroom, with my constipated face at
her disposal. My facial expression inferred to her that she had no choice left
but to allow me.
I came out of classroom, and rushed to the canteen.
Priya came ten minutes later. She waited at the
canteen gate; probably she was looking for someone in the crowd who might help
her buying the meal. I went near, and from her back I called her name. She
turned, and saw me standing, with both my hands holding a plate with two
samosas. I bought one for her, and one for myself.
‘Hey. Did you leave the class with an excuse for samosas?’
‘Yes’, I said energetically.
‘Why didn’t you buy two for each one of us?’ she inquired.
‘You have one, and I will have one too. And then we will
share from my tiffin. I had asked my mom to give more food today. I explained
that as your mom was sick, so…’ And then I smiled.
What all followed next till the present day is something which I will not pen
down here. But, let me share something special with you all. I and Priya are getting
engaged on 27th of April this year. The ceremony is going to held at my residence; GA 25, White Lake, Kolkata. You all are invited. (smiles)
