She glanced at me, then hurriedly headed home. Maybe she was frightened by me.
I was puzzled—why would she rush off right after I waved a friendly hello? This was really confusing.
I couldn’t help but worry whether she might tell her parents about the encounter. I was anxious and wanted to talk to my best friend, Pruthvi, but he wasn’t around. So, I decided to reach out to my other close friend, Vijay, who was known as the “love guru” at college.
“Vijay bhai, hello!” I greeted him.
“Bro, tell me—what’s her name?” he asked, not even acknowledging my hello.
“How do you know about her?” I inquired.
“Friends know everything, my dear,” he said with a wink.
“Got it. Bhai, I’ve got something important to discuss,” I said, visibly upset.
“Go ahead, brother,” he replied with a reassuring smile.
I explained what had happened the previous night.
“First things first, she’s not the type to spill everything to her parents,” Vijay said, sipping his chai. “And remember, not every girl will smile back when you say hi. You need to give her some time.”
“Do you think everything’s okay?” I asked, eager for reassurance.
“You’ve definitely made an impression on her heart. Don’t worry,” he chuckled.
I didn’t see her for an entire week, and I felt utterly dejected. My usual routine was disrupted, and I found myself listening to melancholic songs from ‘Tere Naam’ and visiting temples, hoping for a sign. When all else fails, you turn to the almighty. That night, I saw her again after dinner, and this time she smiled at me. Her smile seemed to invite me to talk to her again.
My mom, always keeping a close watch on me, never had much faith in me due to my mischievous nature. At 10 pm, I managed to sneak out, which was unusual for me. I found her engrossed in a boring soap opera on Colors.
“I’m feeling a bit uneasy and sweaty. Could I go to the terrace for some fresh air? Would you mind joining me?” I asked.
“No, I’m watching ‘Kasauti Zindagi Ki’ and can’t miss today’s episode. You can go; just come back soon,” she said, smiling as she returned to her show.
“Sure, Mom,” I smiled back and headed to the terrace.
Once outside, I locked the door behind me for safety. She did the same from her side.
The human mind is like a child, often failing to grasp emotions. She greeted me with a smile.
“Hi Avinash. How are you? How are your engineering studies going?” she asked warmly.
I was taken aback—how did she know my name and details?
“Yes, it’s going well,” I responded politely. “But how did you find out about me?”
“I asked your neighbor, Riya, and she filled me in,” she said, playing with her hair.
“Thank you, Engineering,” I thought to myself, smiling.
“Really? By the way, could I know your name?” I asked.
“Let’s make a deal. Find out everything about me,” she said with a playful wink.
“Well, to be honest, I don’t interact much with girls—I’m quite busy,” I admitted, handing her my phone number.
“Could you give me a missed call so I can save your number?” I requested.
“We have a shared phone at home, and I can’t guarantee I’ll call you,” she said, returning my smile.
“That’s fine. You can just delete my number from your call history after we talk,” I suggested.
“Alright, I’ll try my best,” she agreed.
Just then, a loud commotion erupted from her house. Her brother was shouting at the top of his lungs.
(to be continued..)
