Chapter 7: the flinch.

I was waiting for sam to walk out of the room. Thats wat she did when she got upset. But to my surprise, sam broke out a laugher.

“Ha ha ha.. topori??? Thats what he is..” she blushed again. “And that’s why I like him. But he is kind of cute. All girls were after him. But he chose me.” another smile.

Well that was a relief. I had thought I had hurt her, unknowingly, but to my surprise she had liked it and our friendship was still intact.

“that’s cool..” i congratulated her again.

“ha ha.. that was a nice comment appu, he is going to kill u” she laughed again and started dialing a number.

It was like i had almost got heart attack.. “No no.. stop... pls don’t tell him.” I shouted.

It was too late. she was walking out of the room. She had told him this too, just like everything else.

i decided -i am never going to meet the boy whose pic i had just seen after what i had called him. I didn’t know how i was goin to face him. I decided if at all he is going to be introduced i would smile politely n run for life.

“What did u tell him sam?” i asked at once she returned after half an hour.

“I told him my roommate called him a gunda, a bhai, a topri.. it was fun teasing him.”

“Hmm.” i said. But that was not fair. I had only called topri, she had added gunda, bhai thing herself. Completely unfair. But i didn’t say anything.

Chapters were being covered at the rate faster than before, classes were running late now. the most awaited class was beginning on that day. “data structures”. Sir was well known across the campus for his “non veg” jokes. His jokes always reached us from fellow friends in other batches. We often heard roars of laughter, bangs on the benches and we guessed it was a data structures class. Few girls hated that sir, but even they said the way he made concepts clear was unbelievable. We all were on best behaviour that day. it was morning 6 am. Sir was about to enter any moment.

He was in his late 40s may be. Balding man, a big belly. My class welcomed him with a roars and bangs on benches. And his three hours class was so very fun. To be honest, never understood most of his jokes. Anyway.

A boy had dozed off in the class one day. Sir stopped his class... and shouted at teh boy “basha!!! Get up....”

Boy suddenly woke up.. and started staring at sir. Sir gave a miscevious smile and ask him..

“u didn’t sleep last night?, where were u boy?”

The boy had got the got the joke, more over he was not thrown out of class, and so he smiled.

Oho.. where had u been man?

“No where sir. I was at my hostel only” Boy smiled again.

Oho pendrive?

Now what the hell was pendrive..? i didn’t know. anyway.. class laughed.

I guess that boy never slept in class after that day. But what about my sleep? i still hadn’t worked my way out. I still dozed off in classes. Badly. N something or the other didn’t let me complete my sleep at hostel. I was addicted to chatting with my roommates. And friends were increasing day by day. We always had one or other visitor in our room. N I never slept before one am. N morning 6 am classes had me present physically, but I was no where there.

But some how things were going. I was not completely bad. I was there in class.

The late comer boy greeted me with a bigger smile next day. I had no choice but to return it back.

He waited for me after class.

“Hey”

I heard nothing.

“Aparna..” someone called out to me again. I looked around to see none. I was so bugged after the boring integration maths class!!! Sir was only scribbling on the board all day and was asking us to make note. Rashmi was noting them for me n i was doing time pass until i was fed up. I didn’t know if sir knew that there were people in his class. He was teaching only to his board. He n his board were completely in different world i guess, not the one in which i was present.. or we were present for that matter..

“Aparna” he called out again.

I was totally bugged now. i shouted “kaun hai be?”.

“Chill... main hu, tujhe itna ghusswa kyun aata hai?” yeah it was my late comer friend.

Tujhe? Tumhe would have been better i thought.. he was talking as though i was his friend from long time.

I just said “hey” n smiled.

“Kartik” he smiled again.

“Aparna” i waited.

“so u are early these days to the class”

“ya kind of”

“n u have been sitting on front benches”

“er.. well ya.. my friends catch a place for me, and i somehow manage to end up early these days”

“shall we go downstairs and have a coffee? Wat say?”

I stopped suddenly with wat i was doing and looked straight into his face... and asked... WAT? Poor guy didn’t know, kiske saath baat kar raha tha!