It was a day like any other - a usual Saturday. Vishwa and I met in the evening at the familiar Ramu's to discuss the various happenings across the world. Vishwa's insights had helped me form my own insights over several issues. So, I was all ears whenever Vishwa and I discussed anything. He had mastered the art of articulation!
I do not know what motivated Vishwa that day. He spoke to me at length about the magic of teenage - the veil it can cast upon reality and make everything around seem either very beautiful or very crooked! Then, all of a sudden, he drifted into this narrative:
"I don't know what makes me so nostalgic today - nostalgic especially about those few days of my life. I shall tell you something that I nobody else apart from me knows.
It happened years back - I was in school...college maybe. I don't remember exactly. Forgive me - for I have seen so much in this world that I tend to forget such trivial stuff! Am not boasting when I say I've seen much in life. Oh! let's get back to the track....
Where was I? Yes...Take it that I was in college. It was there that I came across that girl in class. Very beautiful she was! She stood out from the rest of the group - or at least to me, she did. Mind always sees what it wants to see, right?! It is a very beautiful object - the brain. But does the brain house the mind?! Very intriguing!
Ah! She held my attention ever since the moment I saw her. I observed her in class. Every act of hers was filled with grace! Or, again, maybe I felt thus. The way she walked, the way she talked, her smile, her style - I admired every bit of it! I do not know and do not care whether others in my class also felt the same. All I know is she was weaving a web of magic around me. And I found myself being willingly trapped in that web of grace and charm!!!
Maybe she observed that I was love-struck. Maybe others in the class played Cupid's messengers. I do not know. After a few days, she would sometimes turn towards me in class and find me staring at her - admiringly. Tell me - which girl does not like admiration? Of course, every single being of the female species wants to be admired! And this lady here deserved it! Can you imagine the joy I experienced that very first time she smiled at me! It was as though I had conquered the entire world! Yes - I had conquered the entire world - for, ever since I had set my eyes on her, she had become my world! Do I sound melodramatic? Forgive me, if I do.
After that day, every day, every class, every few minutes - she would turn around and throw a magical smile towards me. And me - I would be waiting to grab it, as though a dog waiting for its mistress to throw its favourite biscuit towards it!! I did nothing in class apart from waiting for her to turn towards me and smiling, I also maintained count of how many times she smiled at me. Do you now understand why I dropped out of college education and never continued it?! Yet, I must say - dropping out of formal education system has its own advantages - I have learnt a lot by moving about the whole place and meeting all people from all walks of life. Life is the greatest school and experience is the greatest teacher, you see. It has taught me what nobody else has or nobody would probably have taught.
Let me get back to the narrative. Finally, we neared our farewell - "A New Beginning" as they called it - they believed that all of us would get into universities, study well, land in great jobs, earn big bucks and "settle" in life. Hence the name. Though I personally never satisfied any of their criteria, it indeed was a new beginning for me too. To discover myself and also to discover the world - through me! And I can say that am more "settled" in life than any of my batch-mates. All of them went in search of comforts while I found comfort where I was. Well, let's not get into the debate of what "settling" in life means.
She was there of course. And she was prettier than usual. Again, she threw a smile at me which I readily grabbed! We had a great lunch - organised by our college. There were tears, hugs and photographs. Then, it was time for us to leave. As we passed through the gates of our college for one last time - I turned back to look her. She saw me too. She smiled....I smiled back...
Ah! That was the last time I ever saw her. I liked her back then. I like her now. But does it ever qualify to be called love? Was it mere infatuation? Was it mere admiration? I shall never know.I do not care to know. And what is her name? I don't recollect. Why should I? She was just another person in this long journey of life. Yes - she was a little special. Then, again, "What's in a name?".....
By the way, why did I tell you all this?" Vishwa said at the end.
I just shrugged my shoulders........
