A Heart Winning Story
Oh, there she is again. What a sight! What a stunning bright blue colour of her dress! Frankly, any colour looks good on her, but no doubt, blue suits her the best! Look at her lovely earrings! sparkling and dangling! Enticing and charming! She is looking exactly how I imagined. I was waiting for this sight the whole weekend. I wish there were some extra classes on Sundays too. I swear, I wouldn’t have missed a single class. But finally, what I get to see is worth the wait. Oh Gosh! my day is made.
But, isn’t Sania early today? It is not even eight o’clock yet and she is already here! Sitting next to her friend. Damn, I had planned to meet her in the corridor, even before she could enter the classroom. I would have talked to her and offered her a seat next to me. What was I doing man? How can I be so careless? That’s Bad. Another day is gone, and I am still not able break the ice.
I have elected for physics and chemistry. But I would have chosen Biology also if I knew that Sania was a biology student. Then I would have spent another lab hour with her. Nevertheless, physics and chemistry lab hours can also be put to good use. There are several chances for interacting while working on experiments. I have been trying out different experiments for breaking the ice. I am sure one day I can even guide some junior students on this topic!
Yesterday in the physics lab, I managed to get a table opposite her’s. I had strategically oriented all my instruments so that I would face her and get Sania’s clear view. I am not sure, but probably teacher was explaining rules of gravity or was it something about sound waves? Anyway, who cares? because I was floating in the air, somewhere on cloud nine, completely engrossed in studying rules of attraction. For some experiment, she was doing minor adjustments of the vernier calliper, focusing on minute details. I was clearly in her field of vision, but she completely ignored me. I was completely out of focus for her! I made several attempts to catch her attention. Right from dropping my things on the floor, to calling out the teacher loudly. Nothing worked, she didn’t notice me at all. She simply walked away when the lab hours got over.
But a few days back, during the resonance experiment, I did get lucky. While teacher was explaining the resonance experiment, I manged to find a place to stand just behind her. Her hair was loosely tied. She wore wonderful perfume. I was observing her while teacher was explaining resonance. When it was time to note down the readings, she started looking for a pen. She turned back towards me and requested for my pen. My heart popped out of my body. Holding out the pen in my hand, I said “Sure, there you go Sania, and don’t you bother returning it. I will need your favour some other time”. She did thank me but that was all. Neither she bothered to return the pen, nor she gave a single glance back at me. She could hear all the other resonating sounds there in the lab but clearly ignored my heart beating million times a second. Is she ever going to notice me? Of course, she will, she must. I won’t give up.
Born to Indian immigrants in US, I did my schooling there. Our family recently shifted to India and I am trying to get used to the Indian way of living. The biggest problem for me is language. At home we speak Marathi, but I was always comfortable in English. I can understand a few Indian languages but never tried to speak, write or read them. I have just joined a junior college here and I gained instant popularity for my exotic looks and way of speaking. I am not enjoying this kind of popularity. I feel out of place and lonely.
At the beginning of our term, during one lecture, I was sitting far behind, in the last row of benches. With lot of difficulty, I was trying to understand what the teacher spoke in his typical Indian accent. It was a lecture for chemistry, the subject that I have always hated. Suddenly the teacher called out to me “Aryan, yes you, the red t-shirt in the last row. I just explained chemical structure of methane. You explain it to me now, what did you understand?”
I was caught by surprise but somehow managed to stand up on my feet. In utterly confused state, I blurted out something in my American accent “Excuse me, I can’t recall that!”. The whole class turned to me and gawked at me in disbelief. The teacher was furious, he shouted “Don’t you dare mock me in that American accent. No respect for teacher, no desire to learn. Why have you come to my class? Leave the classroom now!”. With a stupid look on my face I just continued to stand still. The teacher shouted again “Did you hear what I said?”. Then I realised that I had no option but to leave the classroom. I grabbed my bag and slowly started moving through the aisle. Whole class was watching my moves and that made me more nervous. In that haste, I had forgotten the zip up my bag. I tried to turn the bag around to hang it on my shoulder and in that moment, all the things flew out of it and landed on Sania’s desk. Whole class started laughing and howling. I was embarrassed to the core and hurriedly started grabbing my things. I looked at Sania, she was not laughing. Rather she was feeling sorry for me. She helped me to collect all my belongings and gave me a sympathetic look. I started walking towards the door but kept turning back and looking at her. The teacher lost his patience and shouted “You are wasting everybody’s time. Just leave at once!”. After that I literally ran out of the class and didn’t stop until I reached the campus gate. I was mortified after that incident. I didn’t show my face in the college for two days!
But that incident changed many things for me. Sania’s kind gesture comforted me and gave me some relief. I stopped feeling out of place in the new surroundings. I grew fond of her and everyday started looking for an opportunity to talk her. Since then I am on a mission!
So far, I have tried my best. Occasionally she appears courteous to me and gives me a kind look. I get encouraged. But the very next day she appears rude and indifferent! I am eager to end this utter dilemma. I have decided to end it today! All our classes for the day are over. All have started moving out of college building. I had seen Sania too walking behind me somewhere, let me check again. Yes, there she is, walking slowly. She is far behind me, but she is alone. I can’t afford to miss this opportunity. I can wait here till she reaches me. What should I do? Should I pretend that I forgot something back in the classroom and walk back towards her? Or I should just pretend to tie my shoelaces. Yes, I will do that, and I will wait here….
~~~~
Oh wow, today Aryan is looking so cute! He is silly but very charming also. It was that chemistry lecture when I first saw him. Otherwise he used to remain aloof and appeared very shy. Frankly no one really knew about him until that incident of his eviction from the classroom. It was very clear that he has come from different background. His appearance and way of speaking is unusual. But at least the teacher should have been a little considerate. He didn’t have to be so rude. Why did he insult him and threw him out of the class? But since that day I have a soft corner for Aryan.
It’s adorable to see how he tries to attract my attention. It is quite funny to see what he does to impress me. But at times his behaviour is completely unabashed. He makes me feel awkward when he constantly stairs at me. But honestly, on some days he looks very handsome. Even I feel like stealing a glance of him but damn, he is always looking back at me! Such a silly goose.
It is very clear that he is struggling in the new surroundings. Everyone else around here makes fun of his way of speaking and his mannerism. It is very unfortunate that no one ever tries to help him. I always want to help but the silly and desperate look on his face is so daunting. For once, he should stop staring at me. God! grant him some wisdom.
That day in the physics lab, when he offered me his pen, it was such a sweet gesture! Later I wanted to go back to him and thank him but by the time I started looking for him, he was already gone.
I would have made another attempt to return the pen to him in the following week only if he had not done another drama of constant gazing. He had deliberately reoriented all his instruments so that he could face me while doing the resonance experiments. Everybody around us could see what was going on. Such a shameless fellow! But I must say, it was hard to ignore him, that day he looked very cute.
I don’t know what this silly boy is up to today. I know he has not elected for Biology but today he even attended the Biology class! He was sitting just behind me! Later, he followed me everywhere. I guess something is cooking, I hope I don’t have to face another embarrassment today. Now, for the past ten minutes he is walking ahead of me. I am trying to walk as slowly as I can to avoid him, but he is slowing down further! God help me… Oh, now what? He has stopped! Why did he do that? Every time he is in some or the other problem. Looks like he is fiddling with his shoelace. Now if he asks me for help, what am I supposed to do? Suppose he comes to me and starts talking to me in his American accent, what will he say? Probably he is looking for a cobbler. Do Americans even know about a ‘cobbler’? In any case, it is a good idea for me to get out of here as soon as possible. Should I start walking back to college? No, then he will surely follow me. Wait, I can see Neha riding her bike, she is alone. Thank God! I will ask for a lift and will just run away, as fast as I can. Before he finds out.
~~~~
I have been tying shoelaces and waiting here for such a long time! Where is she? Did she vanish in the thin air? Damn, is she ever going to notice me? That’s Bad. Another day is gone, and I am still not able break the ice. Now I must try it again tomorrow. Someday, somewhere she must notice me.
~~~~
I managed to escape just in time. He had bent down while fiddling with the shoelaces, that’s when we swiftly drove away on Neha’s bike. But now when I think about it again, I feel was I very rude? Frankly at least once I should respond to his efforts. May be next time I should try to start the conversation. Sure, I will.
~~~~
I am fond of reading love stories. Sometimes the love stories are all about sweet gestures and loving glances at the beloved. They don’t move beyond that. Some stories don’t have definite conclusions. They remain in hearts as sweet memories. Memories that inspire the writers, poets and artists. In future even I may end up writing a story about Sania. My story will end with a hope. A hope to win Sania’s heart.
Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!