I walked towards the new world in slow , unsteady steps... each step I took towards my new classroom in my college I felt the weight from my shoulder getting reduced... The weight of the past 18 years which would allow me to start afresh... a new life , a life full of dreams , ambition and magic...
I entered the classroom to find it filled with people... some faces were known from the orientation day and some new... I kept looking down and sneaked inside avoiding all the gazes on me and found myself a seat in the corner... I looked up to find the door barge open with a bang and a bunch of seniors enter the class... as much as I maintained a calm and confident , I knew my heart was thudding in my chest as the realization slowly dawned upon me that these guys were here to rag... my new life won't be as easy as I had supposed...
I clenched my fists as I felt my throat getting dry with fear... The supposed to be Anti Ragging Committee members were picking up students from the class and continued with their ragging and teasing... This new side of people was unknown to me... I had always thought people would be nice and good to you... but well , I should start accepting this is the way things work in the world today...
I was lost in my thoughts as I felt a guy over the dice pointing at me... The thing I was dreading till now knocked my doors... " shit ..." I muttered under the breath and stood up... The sudden exposure to all the eyes made me feel uncomfortable but did I have a choice????
I walked as slowly as I could and climbed up the dice... The entire class could see my under confident face...i scanned the class and told myself... These people would be my classmates and hopefully my future friends too... The seniors were sitting on the table at the back of the class... I don't even know form where I got the confident to look upto their eyes waiting them to give my task...
As I fumbled with my introduction , they started laughing... I was sure that my cheeks would turn wet soon until I looked at him... at the back of the class as all the seniors were laughing , but he looked into my eyes boring through my soul... There was something in his eyes that made me feel secure , confident and most importantly special...
And there I started... I gave a fluent introduction still not looking away from him... I did everything that I was asked to do , and I don't know whether it was him who made me show my worth...
I bet as I finished , I had seen him smile... The smile was not sarcastic but of contentment ... was he happy that I had done it... I had proved to my new world that I was worth it... I was brought back from the reverie as I felt the entire class break into claps and the senior girls came upto me congratulating me for being a sport... I instantly looked at him and he still had that soft smile...
***********
I knew whatever I was doing was against the rules... I was not supposed to leave college without informing my seniors... but meeting them would bring trouble again and what if he would not be present this time for helping me out... the thought itself sent chills down my spine... So I decided to sneak out of college unless and until I found my phone ring...
"Sharon , the seniors have figured out that you have left without informing them... come back or you'll be in trouble..." She warned me like a true friend... I felt like crying out loud... "not again..." I sighed...
I turned back to enter the college once again and found him walking ahead in the almost empty lawn...
"umm.. excuse me..." I shouted and he turned... Although I knew his name , swayam , but still I couldn't take it... he stopped in his track , and looked back to make sure that he was being called... as he saw me walk towards him , he patiently waited...
"yeah..." he asked me politely...
"I got a call from a friend... I know I am not supposed to leave college without informing the seniors .. but ummm... they have figured that I am not inside... so... ummm..." I fumbled as I spoke to him... there was something in his eyes that made me completely naked in front of his eyes... Strangely I was not uncomfortable with that... I was just breathing hard...
"its okay... you need not worry I'll manage..." He said still not looking away from my eyes... I managed a small smile and turned to leave but stopped midway...
"excuse me... can I take another favor???" I still couldn't believe that I was actually eager to continue the conversation...
"sure..." as I turned back I found him still looking at me...
"can you tell me where the bus stop is..." I knew my voice was hardly audible but I knew , he would be able to decipher everything...
"come..." He started walking ahead of me and I followed blindly... We walked out of the college and he accompanied me till the bus stop...
"I hope you can manage back home..." He asked me again... I nodded with a smile , slightly wider this time...
As he bid me a quick good bye and turned to leave , a part of me told that may be, just may be I wouldn't be the girl in the background from now... another part of me told , I should let myself start wishing that we had never met...may cause years from now he would never ever know I how felt today...
"swayam..." I whispered hoping that the wind would take my voice to where I wanted it to take...
NOTE : IF I HAVE BORED YOU , THEN I'M SORRY... I KNOW IT HAD HARDLY ANY DIALOGUES SO IT CAN BE REALLY BORING...
BUT ANYWAYS , ALL KINDS OF COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED...
LOVE , ANI
comment:
p_commentcount