"BIENVENIDO".... :)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

IT JUST HAPPENS...........

(1)

“May I Come in Sir?” All the students were busy concentrating and writing down the important points mentioned by Mr. Rajesh, during the very first lecture of the day when a calm, patient and sweet voice distracted the overall attention of the class. The entire forty five pairs of questionable eyes turned towards the class’s entrance, wondering how a student can be 10 minutes late into the lecture room of Mr. Rajesh, the one known for his rules, his regulations and above all, his punctuality, the one who has a record of taking the students, who by chance gets even one minute late straight to the Principal’s room. And this time, everyone was very much clear about the treatment this girl was going to get. Everyone one in the class was waiting for Mr. Rajesh to fire his diatribes, and he spoke. The eerie silence, the breath taking aura soon smelted as “Yes, Please come in”, quoted Mr. Rajesh. The new entry then made her way to the first row to the girl’s side in the class. Yes, it was a new entry in the class, a new entry in a new stream amidst of entire new faces admitted after one month the session started on the basis of some college norms. “Obviously the reason for this disparity from the part of our respected Sir Ji is the topper tag she is having” said Pranjal, with a little grin. “No yaar, this was the first and last time she was relieved by that thug, really, nothing can move him” consoled Pavas. Soon after the bell rang, Mr. Rajesh moved his steps towards the exit but paused for a moment and asked, “What’s your name? I forgot”.

“It’s Natasha Andrews”, replied the new entry.

“Now finally our class got a class too” winked Pavas, and all the three chaps at the “Chai Stall” of Chiru, excluding one, burst into laughter. Ankur still was hearing the echoes of that euphonious voice, still was lost into those deep, intense yet bright eyes behind those spectacles, noticed by him for the second time in a day, when Natasha, being in the same group as Ankur’s, asked “Can I have your file for a moment?” during a lab session. “Are you with us or lost somewhere” reacted Pavas after noticing the desensitized behaviour of Ankur since morning itself. “Hmm....yup...sure sure, I’m here, just wondering when we are going to have our next lab” said Ankur. “It’s tomorrow, why?” asked Pavas. “Nothing, just curiosity” replied ecstatic Ankur.


(2)

“It’s been more than two years now. You have been a real klutz all these times,” worried Pavas, the saint of the group, continued, “nothing’s going to happen in this case. Wasn’t that understood from that reaction?” Unmoved by Pavas’s sissy dialogues, Ankur replied “Hmmm....” and continued visualising the to and fro motion, the twisting and turning of the clouds up above, the one on the verge to pour its love on the thirsty soul of earth, as if he was not concerned, but somewhere, deep inside, he himself was waiting for a love to be bestowed. “Let’s go for a walk, I can’t withstand this mourn atmosphere over here”, shrugged Pranjal. “Don’t you care even a bit what your friend is facing right now, we should help him to get out of that” whispered Pavas, secretly into Pranjal’s ears. “Why don’t you understand, he doesn’t need any of us, I’m going, if you wanna come you are invited” was all what Pranjal said and waited for Pavas to react. “I would prefer staying here. You enjoy”, Pavas said and made his way to the balcony, to accompany his friend, leaving astonished Pranjal behind.

“So what was the original reaction of her? Why are you not telling this to me, why are you behaving like this all of a sudden?” inquired Pavas. “It’s been a long time. It was dull, it was dry. Now it is raining.” awkwardly replied Ankur, concentrating lot more towards his coffee than Pavas’s concerns. “There’s no need to appertain my queries with rain. If you are not interested, then I am leaving too.” agitated Pavas said. “No wait, it’s only you whom I can rely on.” was the first normal reaction Pavas got that day. “I have been thinking about this since last few days, contemplating over it, and now I got an answer. Thanks Pavas for that.” continued Ankur. “Your dual contemporary behaviour is totally bouncing over my head. What do you mean by this?” shaken by that reply, Pavas asked. Ankur took his last sip of the coffee. Then observing the cup for a moment, said “Natasha is just like a coffee cup. As the cup is not able to discriminate between tea and coffee, like ways, Natasha too can’t. She is too innocent to fall a prey to, but still, sometimes anyone can fail.” Pavas still observing Ankur with wide open eyes and said “What makes you think so?” “It’s a long one” said Ankur and continued further making Pavas aware about everything, word by word, about the incident which took place way back in May.

Pavas was moved, shocked, still was not believing what his ears heard was real, lost, thinking how wide the spectrum of lie one can extend to for an ascent.
“So how are you going to find him?” asked shattered Pavas. “It’s not a big deal. I have already done my part.” Ankur replied confidently.

(3)

“Can’t you shut your mouth even for a moment?” grunted Sheetal. “Well, it’s a tough one for me, anyways; I’ll try for next 10 seconds. Will that much be sufficient?” Ankur said calmly. “Aaahh...you are a gone case.” fuddled how to react, was all Sheetal said. “My pleasure.” said Ankur and ordered for two cups of coffee.

Ankur was not the same always. He’s been one of the most cheerful lads in his group, the stud of the group, cheerful, jolly, exuberant and all similar adjectives, whatever the situation may be, the one, specialist in solving disputes, the one for whom, nothing was bigger than the bond of friendship.

“It’s been more than a week and you haven’t bunked even a single lab. It’s amazing.” said Sheetal, swirling the coffee cup. “Yup, it’s amazing, even for me it came as a total surprise. Now I want to attend each and every lab. Why only five labs are there in a week? They should try to focus much more on our practical knowledge.” Ankur said. “It’s been eight days now. She came to our class last Wednesday and was placed in your group. And suddenly your love for practical knowledge bumped out. Well, is it the love for practical or....hmmm?” came a cute reaction from Sheetal’s side. “No yaar, it’s not like that, actually, even I am also not able to figure it out. I just like to be near her, like my conversations with her and” Ankur was interrupted by Sheetal when she poked in between “Though you haven’t had any conversation yet, but still like it, awesome.” “No, we use to talk very often, I mean, she asked for my file last week.” said Ankur. “Wow!! I’m flat. Ankur, this incident took place last week, and being in the same group, you haven’t spoken anything yet. I was not aware of this part of yours. You can be shy too! Wow..., it’s big news.....Ankur, the shy fy!!!” Sheetal was enjoying. “I don’t know Sheetal why I am not able to speak anything in front of her. I just like performing practical’s at that time. Though I wish, I could, but still.....” Ankur lost somewhere then, thinking when, what he said right now would take its true form.

Sheetal understood what Ankur was thinking. And why not, there wasn’t any single reason she wouldn’t understand. Sheetal had the very same feeling, the one budding in Ankur’s heart for Natasha, since the very first day she saw him. She had been thinking all these days to express herself, trying to emulate all her fears, but never had that level of courage and suddenly now, she came to know about the feelings of Ankur. All now and then, Sheetal had been trying to know the feelings of him, waited for him, waited for a positive response, and now she knows everything, knows the love of his loved one, but, now she wish, not to have wished to know that brutal fact.

“Ankur, I can understand what you are feeling right now. You love Natasha, I know, and you should accept this one.” said Sheetal. “Well, I know Sheetal. But I can’t do anything; I don’t even get a topic to discuss in front of her. I always become speechless whenever I confront her.” worried Ankur replied. “You should express your feelings to her and you have to.” forced Sheetal. “I’ll not, I never will do this, and take my words for granted, I won’t.” backed Ankur and left astonished Sheetal behind.

“Your behaviour is totally invidious. The pinnacle of efforts it might take, but one day I’ll convince you. Now you mark my words. You have to do it” shouted Sheetal from behind, with “and this time, you’ll have to do this for Me.” words, thought but unsaid. “I can’t Sheetal, I can’t.” the echoes from out of sight Ankur’s side, was all what Sheetal heard.

(4)

“I Love You Natasha”. Natasha, who was busy, or can say, was bit confused, which one to select among the pile of shirts stacked on the counter, was shocked on Ankur’s sudden caprice. “The collection is quite dull over here. Let’s go to a different....” Natasha trying to elude herself from that situation, tried to switch the topic, but was interrupted at the same instance by Ankur, “Natasha please, I don’t know what to say in this situation, I don’t know how to manipulate things, I don’t know what you are feeling right now, but all what I know is about the immense, pious, serene love I have for you. I have liked you right from the day we first got acquainted. Then I was not sure how serious turn this liking will take place. Nevertheless, I always wanted to be present near you, always wanted to talk to you, always wanted to spend as much possible time with you, but in the last two years, never had this courage to do so. I always had thousands of reasons why you would not be interested in talking to me. I always preconceived your reaction, without having even a single word communication with you. But Natasha, now I don’t want to be the same shy Ankur. I have already wasted a lot of time, thinking about you, thinking, whether I should express myself or not, thinking about your reaction, but not now Natasha. I don’t know from where I got this courage today, but wherever it came from, it came as a boon for me. Today I finally got a chance to converse with my loved one, to express my love to my loved one. This moment will be marked as the best moment of my life and it will be worth living if I’ll get a positive response from your side Natasha. Natasha, I love you, and now, I am waiting.”

The atmosphere was changed. The working staffs at the place got awestruck by that very strange behaviour of their customer. It was first of its kind, the first live proposal they confronted in their life, that too at a shopping place. They were speechless, moved by Ankur’s devotion, waiting for Natasha to reply, though not their job, but still, praying secretly for the stud.

“Well, I’ll think about it.” Sheetal said. “No you don’t have any choice. It’s important, I have to purchase a shirt today itself and you’ll have to come with Me.” forced Ankur. “Ok Ok..... You just be on time. I’ll be there.” Sheetal vowed.

Ankur’s frustration was reaching at its peak in that hot season of may, by not finding Sheetal anywhere near the shop and with her cell switched off, it was like “Icing on the cake”, but suddenly, something came as a total surprise to him, in fact, it was not something but someone. Natasha was standing outside the shop, waiting for someone, as one can guess from her gesture. For a moment Ankur, as usual tried to avoid her, but finally made his way towards her and said “Hi, pleasant surprise, what are you doing here?” “Hi...” replied Natasha and continued, “Sheetal made a call to me, she wanted to do some shopping, asked me to help her. But still, there’s no clue of her.” Now everything was crystal clear to Ankur. Now he understood why her cell is off. Now he knew that she’s not going to turn out today and it will be a sheer waste of time to wait for her any more.

Sheetal planned this thing. She did her part, and because she’s very well aware of Ankur’s state of mind, she was sure her convincing speech would have left an impact on him. She was sure for her trick to work. She knew that now, after two years of long time, Ankur too was making a mindset to tell her and all what he needed was a little push from someone and an opportunity, and she provided him with that.

And on the other hand, Ankur also was aware of the golden chance he was having. And somewhere in his heart, he was deeply thanking Sheetal to have him provided with such an opportunity. He thought for a moment. “What happened Ankur?” inquired Natasha. “Sheetal’s cell is not responding, I was waiting for her too. There might be some problem. Anyways, will you help me selecting a shirt?” Natasha thought for once, unknown how to react, but finally said “Yes...sure...”

Natasha stood there, being struck by that weird behaviour, that unexpected gesticulation from Ankur’s side, unaware of what to say next, simply kept staring at the shirt she was holding in her hand for a moment and then after a minute’s pause, said “Ankur, I can’t help it out. I’ll have to leave right now.” and made her way to the exit, leaving behind, the broken Ankur, the staffs with a pool of sympathy for Ankur, and the pile of unfolded shirts. But to everyone’s surprise, Natasha turned back casually, paced towards shocked Ankur, and said “Well Ankur, I didn’t want to do this, but still, I knew this was going to fall upon me. I knew what your planning’s were, but was not aware that it was going to happen this early. I knew word by word, the dialogue you were going to speak, and you did the same.” Ankur’s expressions were telling what he was feeling right at that moment. He never expected this answer from her. Natasha continued, “Though, all of yours other first loves would have fallen for you, with your same repeated speech, but your fake love pretentions are not going to move me. I know everything about you, about that bet. You have been a real klutz all these times. You chose the wrong girl. You’ve lost Ankur, you’ve lost.” And with these final words, she made her final exit from that place.

Ankur was still not believing what he heard right now. Senseless, motionless, he stood there, wishing for this whole event to turn out into a bad dream. But it was of no use, it was damn real. All what he heard from Natasha was real; each and every line of Natasha was a real life action. Ankur, unknown how to react, simply made his way out of the shop, contemplating, what made Natasha to build that fake opinion about him, thinking, or trying to guess the one behind this rumour, with a transformed image from a stud to a cheat in the eye’s of the staffs.

Ankur’s image was transformed in the eyes of his own and his friends too after that incidence. Now he was not the same Ankur he used to be before this. Now he had only one thing in his mind, his single aim, his single objective, to find the guy responsible for this disaster, to find the guy who brought this blame on him, who earned him the tag of a cheat in Natasha’s eyes. And he was sure this time about his success because it was only few who knew about his love, it was few who knew the dialogue he has been preparing since ages to say to Natasha. And now he knew that it was one among the bunch of guys, who knew about this, the bunch of those guys, whom he considered as his friends.

(5)

“I don’t get it. What have you done? Do you know who did this to you?” Pavas asked, in a serious tone. “Yes Pavas, now everything is clear to me. I have figured the one responsible for it and it would have been impossible without your help and support.” replied Ankur. “Well thanks Ankur for this, but what I have done, I mean how I have helped you?” asked Pavas, who seemed to be the happiest person on earth that time. The reason for that immense ecstasy of Pavas was not because he helped Ankur to find out that guy, it was not because Ankur considered him as his true friend and thanked him for that, but because Ankur revealed that he figured the person behind that case, though not mentioned the culprit yet, and now, Pavas was relaxed, because he was sure that Ankur was not going to take his name, he was sure that this time, Ankur made a wrong guess and the reason for this frame set of Pavas was the attention he was getting from Ankur all these days.

“So who is that guy? What should we do now?” innocently asked Pavas. “You know that guy pretty well. He’s one among us. And now I’ll do whatever I have to. I’ve had enough help from your side.” Ankur replied, and lost in planning his next step to be taken, thinking how to deal with that person. “Ankur, I always had this feeling that there was something wrong with Pranjal. I know it’s him; I know he brought this upon you. But, I am sorry from Pranjal’s side, after all he is our friend.” Pavas was taking preventive measures this time, imposing all the deeds upon Pranjal. “Don’t use that friend word from your filthy mouth you son of a bitch.......” bumped Pranjal aggressively into the room enthralling the attention of Pavas.

Pranjal never went out to have a walk, how could he. Since last many years, he has always been together with Ankur, in his good, in his bad and now all of a sudden, how could he simply leave him all alone to stumble. It was all planned by Pranjal. He simply waited outside the room, listening the conversation between the two present inside, waiting for the name of one who was going to be blamed by Pavas to be called out, waiting to see the level Pavas could fall to, waiting for the correct time to move in. And as expected, Pavas took his name. Not only Pavas, but in fact everyone knew about the brotherhood between Ankur and Pranjal. Pavas knew that to remain close to Ankur, to spy over his every move, to always be present near him without his intentions being disclosed, he has to make a separation between the two guys and he played his role, thinking that to be the optimum time, voted for Pranjal’s name.

Now the mist of suspicion was completely gone. Their doubt was now clear. The one they suspected on turned out to prove them right. It was only Pavas and Pranjal who knew about the preparations Ankur was going through since last few days. They were the one who knew the feelings, who knew the way how Ankur was going to express himself to Natasha. There was no chance Pranjal would have done this. The dilemma was much more reduced when Ankur noticed Pavas repeating the same line, in the morning, word by word; the one Natasha spoke that day. The remaining hitch in this case was cleared by Pavas himself when he started blaming Pranjal.

“What happened Pranjal? Something wrong?” reacted Pavas as if nothing happened. “Please Pavas, now it’s too much. Now please stop pretending. Why you did this Pavas?” came an emotional reaction from Ankur’s side. “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything.” replied Pavas. “It’s enough Pavas, now you also know the fact and we too know it. There’s no need to back off yourself now.” attacked Pranjal.

“Yes I did it. I spread this rumour about you. You always noticed my feelings towards Natasha but you never cared for it. All what you cared for was your own sentiments. I don’t want to give any explanations to you Ankur, but one thing I’d like to make clear. You’re never going to get her. We are destined to be together, and we will.” was all what Pavas said and moved out from that place, deciding never to turn back there ever.

“Once you made a cock and bull story of a bet, that was the fake one mentioned by you, but this time Pavas, I’m really betting on this one. I am going to get my love soon. Now this time, you’ll not be able to do anything, this time it’s you, who is going to get unmasked” Ankur made a solemn vow to himself and continued “and all what I know is that true love never fails. It’s not a contract, it’s not a deal, and it doesn’t need any ‘May Come In’ permission to fall in love, but it’s the one..........which just happens..........the one happened to me.........”

P.S. - The unsolved questions, whether the love of Ankur is true or that of Pavas is, and who is going to get his love, will be disclosed in the next session.

5 comments:

  1. superb amit..:)..
    thumbs up from my side..:)..
    i hope d gal in real life reads it soon..;)..

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  2. @smriti: thanx yaar....well i hope 4 d same too... :)

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  3. Does any SHEETAL exist who ever had crsh on Ankur

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  4. @Prateek: yaar its only a work of fiction....i mean 20%...n Sheetal falls in that portion.. :)

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