Part 3:Between friends

The words were looking like alien symbols and the figures like some child's angry slashes across paper as Adi plodded through the research article.It was 5 in the afternoon and his senses were crying for a breath of fresh air and a piping hot cup of coffee.He closed the journal and returned it to its rack.He had enough for the day.He was here for a doctorate and had no plans to finish it in one day by gobbling all the literature on his project in one afternoon.Picking up his satchel he trooped down to the canteen.Ordering a coffee and a sandwich he sat down in the shade of a towering gulmohar tree.The coffee kick-started his beaten senses.He was planning to rush headlong into the literature marathon and was just about to get up when he spotted Nilima walking in to the canteen and despite himself he waved her over.
"Hey,how are you?",he asked
"Dead and drowned in a ceaseless barrage of literature.Why do people write so much about the tiniest of details?And why in the name of god do we have to read all of it?It's so boring!I have had it!Done for the day.If I read one more paper I will be fit for The Lunatics Club.How about you?"
"Same here.Join the club...."
Both of them grinned.
"Coffee?",he asked
"Yes,what about you?I see you already have had your cup."
"The more the better...Wait I shall get them.."
The coffee flowed and so did the conversation.Light and jumping from one topic to another.Movies,books,idiosyncratic people,anecdotes from their school and college days.He felt comfortable in her presence.She had a personality unlike any girl he had ever met.There was something that captivated him,something that made him light headed and he felt his tiredness evaporating even as she laughed over his silliness.The sun set over the horizon and a cool gentle breeze was flowing.Conversation had trickled off.Nilima glanced at her watch and gave a yelp of surprise startling Adi,
"What happened?",he asked
"We have been here for the past two hours!!That's what has happened."
"Two hours have passed?Didn't realise it.Felt like got here two minutes ago.how time flows.
She looked at him quizically.
"Let's get going.",she said and got up.
Following her example Adi got up as well and both of hem started heading for their respective dorms.The campus looked beautiful in the twilight.A millions shades of green,red and orange coloured the campus.Adi had a mad urge to clasp her hands in his and wished the evening would go on like this forever.Yeah right,he said to himself,dream on idiot;look at her,and then look at yourself.The atmosphere was having its magical effect on Nilima as well.How perfect would it be to walk on this road hand in hand with someone..The perfect evening,Not a soul to disturb your walk..Does this guy have any streak of romanticism in him or is he going to walk like this silently lost in his own thoughts?If only he could say something romantic,a quote,an anecdote,anything.So lost was she in these thoughts that she failed to see the small depression in the road and stumbled and would have taken a nice bruising had it not been for a pair of hands that had held held at her forearm and her waist.She looked up to look into the Adi's coal black eyes and saw for an instant a window open into his mind.His thoughts becoming crystal clear.The eyes took on a life of their own and seemed to look straight through her and look at something only they could perceive.Something that was not physical but existed only in her thoughts.It was as if two streams of thought had violently clashed against each other and had become one smoothly flowing stream.Without saying anything to each other,in a moment when their eyes had met,everything seemed to have been said.Everything that had been on their minds ever they had stood in the queue admiring each other in their private secure mindspaces.
"Be careful".Adi said even as he helped her pick up her books.The spell was broken and both had landed on terra firma.Both thinking that their minds had taken on a flight of fancy,imagining things when there was nothing.Telling themselves that romantic the evening maybe it was no film going on and they were no heroes and heroines to fall into love and break into a song and dance sequence.This was life and here you did not run around trees singing silly songs and had a "feel good" feeling as the credits rolled.
"Sorry about that,didn't see that,"she replied.
Both of them walked the rest of the way in akward silence.Their minds in turmoil.Was what they perceived real or was it just a figment of their wishful thinking?
Mids still in turmoil they said their good night to each other and went their separate ways to their dorms still immersed in their speculations,wishful thinking and pessimistic opinions.

Part 2:Between Friends...

With the paper marathon over,the new arrivals of the batch of '98 stepped out into the evening.The sun which had been blazing over their heads when they started their paper race was setting over the horizon shooting a million shades of red and orange over the sky which no human or machine could dream of replicating.The sun was setting over the world but a hundred odd suns were rising over the dark and as yet unexplored landscapes of the futures of a hundred bright young minds.Some would rise rapidly and blaze for a short lifetime before dying out,illuminating their landscape and providing inspiration for some and a source of jealousy for others.Some would rise slowly and steadily,surpassing their contemporaries and continue to blaze for years to come.Their names would go down in history either in golden worlds or in infamy..For the unfortunate few,the landscapes of their futures would remain as bleak as ever.However,none of them knew anything of this.The only thing they could comprehend as that they were tired and wanted to rest their sore feet before rushing headlong into academia..They had made it and nothing else really mattered now.They wanted to rest first and then take on their first day as students of one of the most erudite places to be.But weary feet did not dissuade them from socializing with the rest of their ilk..Introductions were made and information was exchanged.People discovered they had been in the same university and never were aware of the others existence.Finding a common ground they flocked together.Anecdotes were told with much fervour and laughter that followed made one doubt their fatigue.With formal nods of heads and casual back-slaps,the new arrivals made their way to their respective dorms.Adi was lost in his thoughts.She still hadn't messaged.This was the limits of how forgetful somebody could get.And then he was expected to understand.However if he forgot,she would make sure he payed through his nose for it.He lugged his baggage and made his way towards the dorm,praying that his room was on the second floor and in the corner,away from the madness and mayhem that ran through the ground floor.The building was made in the time when good quality and architectural grandeur were taken as the highest priorities.He found his room;it was on the second floor but not exactly in the corner.Oh well,he thought,you can't expect everything to work according to your wishes.Unlocking the room he stepped inside and his face split into a wide grin-his own room!One whole room to himself!A bed,a real bed..Tired though he was,he immediately set about setting up his room.His belongings were meagre.His entire world had fit into two travelling bags.Photos of gods and his parents found their place of honour.After two hours of sweaty effort punctauted by regular intervals of grining to himself and turning up the volume on his radio,his very prized possession,finally the room was made habitable.The accumalated dust and cobwebs were relegated into the plastic dustbin and being in a extremely joyous mood he scribbled R.I.P on the dustbin-Rest In Plastic.Room all spick and span he stood back to admire and then stepped out to get a cup of much needed tea.Nilima by that time had found her dorm after much asking around.It was a bit off the beaten track but very beatiful with a lawn and a nice terrace.Her thoughts kept turning back to Adi and the lost look on his face.I wonder what he was pondering over,she thought to herself.Does he have a girlfriend?Was he missing her?Was he thinking about her?As these thoughts raced about in her head she felt a surge of jealousy that rose in her heart.Surprised with herself,she shook her head and walked on.What's wrong with me?she said to herself.I dont even know this guy and here I am cooking all sorts of fantasies about him.But what if he really have a girlfriend?He looked that sort of guy who would have a girlfriend but not parade the fact.That's it!!she told herself and shut out all further thoughts of him and his imagined love life.The room was according to her expectations.A bit small but warm and cosy once decorated in her unique style.Wiping the sweat off her brow she untied the bandana and flopped down on the soft blanket her mother had sewn specially for her.She closed her eyes and was about to doze off when her gastronomic alrams went off,reminding her that she hardly had anything since afternoon.Picking herself up she decided to make a beeline for the canteen to satiate her hunger.Throwing a grey sweatshirt to keep off the cold she stepped out into the chilly evening .Mac meanwhile was strolling up the stone path to his dorm.He was not especially worried about setting up his rooms.His father had sent servants to do it for him.His father's philosophy being-don't do donkey work.We have people for it.Bidding an adieu to his batchmates he entered into his room to find his furnished according to his wishes.Having nothing to do,he kicked off his shoes and lay down onthebed to catch up on his sleep before he hit town to explore the place.
The college canteen seemed to be bursting with people as every freshman made his or her way to it to silence the stomach rumblings.Adi stood in the queue as it edged forward towards the counter.
"One tea and a packet of biscuits please",he said to the manager.
"Eighteen rupees"came back a rapid but not impolite reply.
Adi fished about in his trouser pokets for two tenners and as bad luck would have it came up with a single hundred rupee note.
"No change,sir."said the manager.
Adi turned back to find someone who could give him change for a hundred bucks.Fortunately the chap behind him obliged and Adi made off with his cup of elixir and biscuits.As he was crossing over to where the chairs were kept,his eyes fell on a girl wearing a grey sweatshirt.She firtively looked away.
Funny,he said to himself,why do I think I seen her somewhere before.Good looking,not a striking beauty but definetly beautiful enough to warrant a second glance.He smiled inwardly to himself and walked to a table that had chairs around it.
Did he see me staring at him?Nilima was thinking as she fidgeted in her purse for loose cash and at the same time followed his progress towards the tables.Taking her sandwich and the cold drink cast a roving eye over the tables to find a vacant one.A miracle considering the number of students that had flooded the place.
Adi sitting at his table right at the back of the canteen saw her searhing for a table and a sense of deja vu assail him as he racked hi memories to associate the face to a place.And then it struck him-Of course!She was the girl standing in the queue during the registeration.It was definetely her.He remembered glancing back more than once or twice to look at her.She had that commanding look about her.Not haughty but definitely not the sort of girl whose temper you mess around with and hope to get out unscathed.Now that he could see her more clearly,he decided that she definetely was worth more than a second glance.I wonder if she has somebody special.I hope she doesn't,he thought.The next moment he arrested his thoughts,surprissed by what he had just said to himself.Gathering his wits about him,he proceeded to consume the tea.
"Excuse me",a soft voice with a odd lilt to it made him snap his head up.
The girl in the grey sweatshirt was standing right next to him.
"Do you mind if I join you?Everywhere else is full",which was true.
"Yeah sure",he replied and pulled out the chair beside him.
"Thanks.."
"Welcome",he said and smiled.Were the Gods in a good mood today?
"By the way my name's Nilima.I am in the PhD programme.What about you?"
Adi could not belive it.She was in the same programme as he was!
"Aditya.Same programme.That makes us batchmates I guess."
"Yup."
She extended her and he shook it,surprised at the warmth in the hands and the her firm grip.He would forever remember that moment when he became her friend.He would remember it because it would bring back fond memories of her,and tears that flow when you remininsce about someine whom you loved with all your heart.Of the time when both were eager to know each other and not run away from each other.In moments of despair he would even regret meeting her but then admonish himself by saying that he had wronged too.She would remember that evening for that evening had brought Adi into her life.Both had,without the other person's knowledge,hoped to run into each other.Which had happened.Fatigue evaporated as both of them basked in the newly forged bond of friendship.