…..Suddenly my phone started ringing; I picked it in the curiosity to check if they have got the copy of the question paper or not. I crossed my fingers to make it sure that I don’t have to mug up the micro processor for the whole night and for what, hell… just for those 3 hours in the morning. No way man…!!
The name flashing on the mobile screen…, the cracked mobile screen, was not very pleasing one at that time. In fact it was the most unexpected one. I mean at 1:15 in the night, why the hell Prateek was calling me. I gently pressed the green button,
“Hello Prateek”
“Bhaiya please come down fast, it’s an emergency, and we need your help”, the voice from the other side seemed distressed and disquieted one.
“Ok, wait a minute” I disconnected the call.
“ONE MONTH BACK”
My semester breaks were over and I have to go Jhansi for my sixth semester. I had already decided to change my location this time to some other locality, a little far from where I have spent almost three rocking years.
Two of the localities were favourites for the students studying in the University at that time, the famous Bundelkhand University. I never understand what makes it famous…the Big Campus (not the infrastructure), the corrupted staff, the huge number of courses and the useless institutes affiliated to it or simply the name game.
Veerangana Nagar and Shivaji nagar were the ideal localities for the University students, yeah sort of Medical too but that was more favourites for the Medical students studying MBBS in the Medical university. Veerangana Nagar was no more of my interest and I can’t face doctors day and night, so I choose Shivaji nagar and soon shifted with Deepesh (my new roommate but the old classmate) to the first floor of some sparse looking house. The old couples were really very gentle and kind; hence I rejected most of the newly built good looking houses and the artificial love of their owners.
One week was passed by and fun for the new semester was still blurred in my eyes. Can you believe six days and just three classes!! It was useless to shift through the dust from college to home and vice versa.
Probably this was the only reason why I woke up so late on that Monday. The wall clock struck exactly eleven and I was like, “oh god, I slept like hell last night”. Deepesh was also not in the room and I knew where he must had have gone. I thought to give my face a gentle look; something like a human should have and soon went to the saloon, obviously to the best in vicinity.
“Yeah-yeah, I woke up mom, infact I just had a nice hair cut and the best face massage” my mother was always worried for me, like whether I woke up, did I ate my breakfast and all.
I knocked on the iron gates, the big old iron gates since they were locked from inside. I was still on the call with my mamma. Someone opened the gate, but….!!! I didn’t know her. Who was she? What was she doing there? (Wink)
“Mom, call you later...bye” I disconnected the call soon.
“Ji, kahiye (Yes, tell me).” She asked. She spoke so sweetly that I cannot tell you who was much sweeter, she or the Éclairs which was melting slowly and steadily in my mouth.
“Will you please speak?” being lil tough, She asked again, but this time I knew the Éclairs candy was slightly sweeter.
“Yeah, please open the gate.” I requested, as humbly as possible.
“Lekinnnn….aaap?....aap kaun?? (Buttt...youuu??.. who r u???)”
“arre mai....Sachin hu , upar rahata hu kiraye pe ( I am Sachin, the tenant here, use to live on the first floor).” I was so embarrassed; it seemed that someone has just conquered me. And no wonder if she refused to open the gate now, I might be found knocking on some neighbour’s door.
“Oh shit, so sorry, actually I am not familiar with the tenants you know.” She opened the door… finally!!
The simplicity of her in that white suit just bewitched me. Oh Jesus, how can you make someone so beautiful?
The night was soothing one, cold waves were on its heights. And those cold waved were more solacing after a full burning day. I was still embraced by that sweet encounter with that sweet cutie pie.
I narrated the whole incident to Deepesh and asked him if he have any idea about that new face. In between, someone knocked the door, I requested Deepesh to open the door as I was in no mood to get apart from the thoughts. It was Prateek. By the way Prateek is the grandson of my landlord; he was doing schooling from some Christian school as her parents were unable to find any decent school in the small town from where he belonged to.
“Bhaiya!! Can I study here? I have an exam tomorrow and still I am not prepared for it.” And Deepesh nodded his head in approval.
After half an hour or so, Prateek said.
“Sachin Bhaiya, Sapana Didi said sorry to you”.
And I could only smirk at that moment.
(To Be Continue….)
