Previously : She fell in love .. Just because he was an IITian ! [Part I]
There was silence in the compartment for quite some time.
I could see the girl thinking about each and every moment she spent with him.
I knew that expression very well.
After hearing that I was from IIT Kanpur, one character which had evolved the most was Uncleji.
He started treating me as if I was a part of his family. Just moments ago he wasn't even looking at me, but now I was showered with food and stories. He offered me Gond ka Ladoo, Poha, Chanachoor and what not. I liked Thekua the most. It had an ideal hardness, above which they are regarded nothing less than a stone.
I brought myself back from the world of delicacies into her world of dilemma.
"I think you are right. Maybe he is fooling me. My mom had warned me not to blindly trust people. She was right I should not have trusted him."
"Look ..." [ Whatever she said was true btw. Moms are always right. Still I was wondering what to say next to make her feel better. ]
"... there are chances that I may be wrong."
"There is a way we can confirm. Why don't you call him and ask him who is the President of our college. Tell him that the cult secretary of your college is your friend and needs the contact of this person."
She dialed.
"Hello, hi. Who is the President of your college."
I was trying hard to grab the guy's voice leaking out of the speaker.
"Why do you want to know? Are you still talking to that senior? I told you na, stay away from him."
"Actually meri friend called me. She is the cultural secretary and needs some info on the President of your college. What's his name."
He took some time. Maybe Googling.
"Dhande"
I was trying to control my laughter.
"Thanks. Bye bye."
"Bye."
"Was he correct?"
"Nope. The correct answer is Sanchit. But I am still wondering from where he lifted Dhande. He is a second year like you so there are chances he might not know. Even I didn't care when I was a Sophomore."
"We need to figure out some other question."
After five minutes of silence ...
"Are you sure? Hasn't he ever mentioned how our college is .. Hostels .. Canteen .. Mess .. anything."
She started pondering.
"He told me that his hostel is Hostel East."
"What?"
"Hostel East."
"But our hostels are numbered 1 to 9."
"He told me that each hostel has a canteen."
"Ahh .. there he is right."
"And he also mentioned that during examination time, the canteen wale bhaiya brings tea to their rooms so that they could stay up all night."
"Bhaiya naukar baithe hai kya .."
"Aapke paas kya abhi institute I-card hai?"
"Yeah I always carry it with me."
I took out my I-card. Passed it to her.
She started looking at it with keen eyes.
I thought she was admiring the golden chip placed on the top-left corner of the card.
Suddenly, she broke into sobs.
I got up and sat beside her.
"Don't cry."
"He is toying with me. Now I am sure. Once he told me that they don't have I-card 2nd year onwards and asked me to buy a sim using my I-card. He was lying all along. Maybe he studies in HBTI or any other ordinary college."
After hearing the word 'ordinary' from her, I pondered whether she really fell in love with him or his college. For next few minutes I was sitting silently beside her. The magnitude of her sobs had dampened. Then I thought it would be a good idea to cheer her up.
"So do you watch movies?"
"Yeah"
"Recently kaun sa movie dekhi?"
"Ra.One"
"Kahan dekhi lappy(laptop) pe ki theatre mein?"
"Multiplex"
"Aur koi film nahi mila tha kya ... paisa barbaad kar di."
"I know."
"Which multiplex - Rave Moti or Rave 3 ?"
"Moti"
"We often go there. Abhi recently I saw 'The Dirty Picture' in Moti. It was a nice movie. You should have seen it in the theatre."
She blushed and quoted - "You liked it."
Then I remembered Vidya Balan and realised what I was blabbering.
"Arrey nahi not from that point of view. Story mein dum tha. You should watch it because of its storyline."
"Rockstar dekhi?"
"Haan. It was a very nice movie."
She pulled out her Tabeez (Talisman locket).
"My mom gave me this tabeez today and told me to wear it. She got it from the dargah where ranbir went in the movie. And with God's grace I met you who opened my eyes."
Kanpur was closing in. The houses which initially ran parallel to the rails 10 meters away, were now converging towards the tracks. I got up. Picked up my luggage and proceeded towards the gates. Uncleji made me promise to meet him when I came to Jamshedpur next time. I promised with a fake smile. I didn't say anything to her.
I was standing at the gate, facing the gushes of cold wind.
After a moment I turned, I saw her smiling standing behind me.
I smiled back.
We reached Kanpur Central.
I got down ready to bargain with the auto-walas.
Meanwhile, I was also scanning the platform for other fellow IITians.
A silhouette following me went unnoticed.
I stopped and turned to find her walking close behind me.
She gave a doe eyed smile and forwarded her hand.
"Hi, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Pooja Mishra."
There was silence in the compartment for quite some time.
I could see the girl thinking about each and every moment she spent with him.
I knew that expression very well.
After hearing that I was from IIT Kanpur, one character which had evolved the most was Uncleji.
He started treating me as if I was a part of his family. Just moments ago he wasn't even looking at me, but now I was showered with food and stories. He offered me Gond ka Ladoo, Poha, Chanachoor and what not. I liked Thekua the most. It had an ideal hardness, above which they are regarded nothing less than a stone.
I brought myself back from the world of delicacies into her world of dilemma.
"I think you are right. Maybe he is fooling me. My mom had warned me not to blindly trust people. She was right I should not have trusted him."
"Look ..." [ Whatever she said was true btw. Moms are always right. Still I was wondering what to say next to make her feel better. ]
"... there are chances that I may be wrong."
"There is a way we can confirm. Why don't you call him and ask him who is the President of our college. Tell him that the cult secretary of your college is your friend and needs the contact of this person."
She dialed.
"Hello, hi. Who is the President of your college."
I was trying hard to grab the guy's voice leaking out of the speaker.
"Why do you want to know? Are you still talking to that senior? I told you na, stay away from him."
"Actually meri friend called me. She is the cultural secretary and needs some info on the President of your college. What's his name."
He took some time. Maybe Googling.
"Dhande"
I was trying to control my laughter.
"Thanks. Bye bye."
"Bye."
"Was he correct?"
"Nope. The correct answer is Sanchit. But I am still wondering from where he lifted Dhande. He is a second year like you so there are chances he might not know. Even I didn't care when I was a Sophomore."
"We need to figure out some other question."
After five minutes of silence ...
"Are you sure? Hasn't he ever mentioned how our college is .. Hostels .. Canteen .. Mess .. anything."
She started pondering.
"He told me that his hostel is Hostel East."
"What?"
"Hostel East."
"But our hostels are numbered 1 to 9."
"He told me that each hostel has a canteen."
"Ahh .. there he is right."
"And he also mentioned that during examination time, the canteen wale bhaiya brings tea to their rooms so that they could stay up all night."
"Bhaiya naukar baithe hai kya .."
"Aapke paas kya abhi institute I-card hai?"
"Yeah I always carry it with me."
I took out my I-card. Passed it to her.
She started looking at it with keen eyes.
I thought she was admiring the golden chip placed on the top-left corner of the card.
Suddenly, she broke into sobs.
I got up and sat beside her.
"Don't cry."
"He is toying with me. Now I am sure. Once he told me that they don't have I-card 2nd year onwards and asked me to buy a sim using my I-card. He was lying all along. Maybe he studies in HBTI or any other ordinary college."
After hearing the word 'ordinary' from her, I pondered whether she really fell in love with him or his college. For next few minutes I was sitting silently beside her. The magnitude of her sobs had dampened. Then I thought it would be a good idea to cheer her up.
"So do you watch movies?"
"Yeah"
"Recently kaun sa movie dekhi?"
"Ra.One"
"Kahan dekhi lappy(laptop) pe ki theatre mein?"
"Multiplex"
"Aur koi film nahi mila tha kya ... paisa barbaad kar di."
"I know."
"Which multiplex - Rave Moti or Rave 3 ?"
"Moti"
"We often go there. Abhi recently I saw 'The Dirty Picture' in Moti. It was a nice movie. You should have seen it in the theatre."
She blushed and quoted - "You liked it."
Then I remembered Vidya Balan and realised what I was blabbering.
"Arrey nahi not from that point of view. Story mein dum tha. You should watch it because of its storyline."
"Rockstar dekhi?"
"Haan. It was a very nice movie."
She pulled out her Tabeez (Talisman locket).
"My mom gave me this tabeez today and told me to wear it. She got it from the dargah where ranbir went in the movie. And with God's grace I met you who opened my eyes."
Kanpur was closing in. The houses which initially ran parallel to the rails 10 meters away, were now converging towards the tracks. I got up. Picked up my luggage and proceeded towards the gates. Uncleji made me promise to meet him when I came to Jamshedpur next time. I promised with a fake smile. I didn't say anything to her.
I was standing at the gate, facing the gushes of cold wind.
After a moment I turned, I saw her smiling standing behind me.
I smiled back.
We reached Kanpur Central.
I got down ready to bargain with the auto-walas.
Meanwhile, I was also scanning the platform for other fellow IITians.
A silhouette following me went unnoticed.
I stopped and turned to find her walking close behind me.
She gave a doe eyed smile and forwarded her hand.
"Hi, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Pooja Mishra."
