The girl who sat next to me – Part-9

“Ok bye. All the best in life. If fate permits lets meet in some other bus journey” I said.

“Yea you too. Take care of yourself. Give Nive a hug on my behalf” she said.

She went towards the entrance to take an auto and I went towards the car park.

—–

Neema was standing there right at the entrance of the car park. As soon as she saw me she came running and jumped on me.

“Happy birthday Vikram” she said and kissed my check.

“Neema!Public, please” I said.

“It’s my husband. I will kiss him anytime and anywhere I want. I don’t worry who sees and who doesn’t”

“You are reacting as if I’m returning from Bangkok”

“Still I missed you a lot. It’s been threeeeeeeeeeee days” Neema said.

“Ok now get down from me. Already I have 15 Kg in my hand I can handle another 60 Kg.”

“It’s 58 now” she said getting down from me. I stretched my muscles to show that I was tired.

“When we were in love you were lifting me as if you were lifting a feather but now see you’re reacting as if an asteroid has fallen on you.” She said with a mock anger and turned her face 180 degree.

It felt great seeing Neema after a gap of three days. Even I missed her a lot but just this hugging and kissing with so many people around I wasn’t comfortable. Yes I did all this when I was in love but being a matured individual I tried to avoid it. Neema never really minds these things.

“Ok how is my darling?”

“I’m your darling,” she said playfully.

“Ok darling how’s my other darling Nive”

“She’s there with her grandpa where our car is parked. He doesn’t even let her feet touch the ground”

“You’ve brought here even my dad huh? What am I coming back with an Olympic gold medal”

“Ha ha not only your dad, aunty is also here”

“Superb my whole family has come to bus terminus to welcome me. Thanks for the hero’s welcome.”

“Ha ha. Tell me did you sleep well yesterday?”

“I didn’t sleep at all. I had company?”

“What? You didn’t sleep the whole night?”

“Yes there was someone who sat next to me I told her a story to cheer her up”

“Someone as in? Boy or girl?” She asked me arching her eyebrows.

“Ha ha girl”

“Why are you laughing for that? I just wanted to know”

“Ha ha ok ok”

“Don’t laugh,” said she and hit my left arm again.

“My hands are paining hitting you”

I smiled back. She had many questions which she asked while walking to our car.

“What story you told?”

“Our story”

“Oh oh I think before the world ends everyone will come to know of our story”

“May be, you know how I tell stories”

“Ya I know. Poor girl she didn’t know that she’ll be featured in your next story. Somebody is surely gonna sue you someday for using their name without permission”

“Let’s see when it happens” said I.

We had reached the area where our car was parked. As soon as Nive saw me she jumped out my dad’s hand and came running towards me.

“Careful,” shouted my always worrying dad.

After Neema it was her daughters turn to jump on me. This time I didn’t find it tough to lift someone who is around 50 Kg less than the other. She came forward to kiss me on my left cheek.  I showed her my right cheek instead.

“Kiss me here darling your mom has already made my left cheek wet.” Without protesting my angel gave me a sweet kiss on my right cheek.

I was lifting Nive on my right hand and I had put my left hand on Neema’s shoulder and walking towards my mom and dad who were so happy to see me back all in one piece.

I like lifting Nive with one hand and putting another hand around her mom’s shoulder. There is a big portrait of us in this pose in our hall.

“Ok get into the car. The road will get crowded in a while” said I to my family members.

“Don’t be in a hurry dude” said Neema.

Nive imitated her mom, “Don’t be in a hurry dude” she said and laughed. Nive irritates Neema whenever she calls me dude.

And as usual Neema gave her usual reply, “Don’t dude dad.” Nive looked at me with her pleasing eyes and said, “Daddy.”

“It’s ok Neema,” said I. Nive showed her tongue to Neema. Neema came forward to give her a fake slap. I pulled Nive away from her mom.

“Ok ok you both be good children and sit in the car,” said I and took the driver seat. Nive wanted to sit in my lap, Neema didn’t allow at first but she protested and made it finally.

“It’ll disturb daddy, come here sit in my lap,” said Neema.

“I want daddy’s lap,” said Nive.

“It’s ok let her sit.There won’t be much traffic now” said I and started to take reverse. My dad was also looking behind and instructing me. He has been doing this since for the past 10 years. I don’t know whether it’s due to the lack of confidence in me or his over protective nature.

Once I took reverse I did a U-turn and stood in the queue where cars were exiting one by one.

“Hey Neema today is your salsa performance right. Have you finished practicing?”

“Only now you remember huh?”

“Ok tell me”

“Yea everything is done. Come to the auditorium sharp at 6. If you come late I’m going to kill you”

Nive was hitting the horn while we were taking and imitating it too, “paampaaaam, paampaam”

“Take your hands Nive the people in front will get annoyed” said I to Nive.

There was only one car in front of us. He gave the bill and went out crossing the speed breaker cautiously. Next was our turn.

“Neema give me the ticket soon.People are waiting behind” I asked her but she was in no sense of hurry. She slowly opened her purse and handed me the parking receipt. I gave to the one who collects them. He took it and allowed us to pass.

Right when our car was about to cross someone came in the middle. I had to apply my break immediately to avoid hitting her.

She apologized immediately and asked, “Sorry sorry” but I couldn’t hear her voice as I had closed my windows for AC.

Then she started staring at me. She stared at me all the while till while she was crossingItoo continually staring at her. Only after the car behind honked the horn I left from that place.

“Who is it?” Neema asked carelessly digging something in her purse.

“Rashmi” said I. Neema looked at me with questioning eyes.

I replied, “The girl who sat next to me.”

THE END

 

P.S: Dedicated to the girl who sat next to me.

A Loser’s Love Story – Part-9

My wet dress had begun to dry. I settled back to sleep for a while but when my bus went past hers I saw her laughing all of a sudden. It was because of that b*****d Harish.

“Does he always have to sit near her?”

“He wouldn’t have got any other seat” Selva tried to pacify me.

“Then why couldn’t he shut his a** and go. Why does he want to make fun of me?”

“Who said he’s making fun of you?”

“Yes they are making fun of me. Who else they would talk about”

“You are suffering from OCD dude, lets meet a psychiatrist soon” mocked Selva.

“My a**”

“he he. As soon as you get angry your profanity increases. It’s kinda funny. Ha ha” he mocked me yet again.

Though our bus sped past them I wasn’t able to sleep. Harish became my worst enemy for no reason. I loathed the sight of him and whenever I spot Neema he always used to be with her. That made things even worse.

The next couple of days I didn’t talk to Neema. It was all part of the plan. After lot of thought I decided that I’m going to surprise her on her birthday. I carefully sketched plans for it. The first part of the plan was to make her believe that I had forgotten her birthday and avoid talking with her till her birthday so that she would be surprised to see me on her birthday.

While I was explaining all this to Selva near our cubicle the next day he said “she would be surprised no matter what, if you jump her apartment’s compound wall at 12”

“If you don’t buy the idea at least keep quiet and let me think”

“Shall I tell you my secret of success?”

“No thanks”

“Listen, it’s not to think too much. Never think too much it only leads to confusion”

“Ok get lost now”

“You can’t be helped” he said and went to his cubicle.

The next part of my plan was to buy roses and champagne but as champagne didn’t fit into my budget I replaced it with greeting card. Till then I didn’t know that even a 2 page greeting card would cost Rs. 50 but I bought that thinking “after all she’s gonna be my wife”

I thought and thought about the birthday message but couldn’t come up with any catchy lines. I didn’t want to copy something from internet so I kept on thinking about it.

“Is this a big deal” Selva asked.

“It is”

“Ok write this” He scribbled in my notepad

“To my better than the best girl in my life.

Will you have coffee with me life long?

by

someone who thinks you’re terrific”

“Short and sweet, it’s enough” he said.

“How come you could come up with a line so easily?”

“How many times I would have written this. Ha ha”

“You moron I’m not going to write this”

In spite of thinking about a good verse day and night I couldn’t write anything so finally I decided to write what Selva said in my shabby handwriting in order to give it a personal touch.

As days were getting nearer I was becoming so restless. I planned to go to Neema’s house and surprise her. Thank god my girl wasn’t the one who loves teddy and Barbie. I hated to give her that present.

At last the D-day arrived, the Friday that I had been waiting for.

“Dude I’m getting really anxious” said I.

“First time no, you’ll get used to it don’t worry”

I got a ping from Neema.

“Why is she pinging me now? I thought of not talking to her till tonight” I said to Selva.

“You want me to deal with?”

“Nooooo” I said rather loudly which made my ever-engrossed-in-computer teammate to get up and watch what is happening.

“Hey” was the ping from Neema.

“Hey hi how are you” I replied after a long thought.

“Too busy nowadays huh?”

“No nothing like that. Temme”

“Tomorrow is my birthday” As if I didn’t know. “So Harish said why don’t we celebrate” Suddenly I became over cautious and waited for the next sentence but there was a pause.

“Oh great” I said my mind winning over my heart.

“I know it’s tough for you to come from Anna Nagar to Besant Nagar. But if you can, be there at 10. He is so particular to cut the cake at 12” I’ll cut that b*****d before that.

“That’s great I’ll be there. Anything for you” I regretted myself for using the last sentence. Did I over do?

“Well then meet you in my house. Oh you don’t know the address right. Here it is note it down”

I wrote the address which I’ve already memorized a thousand times. As soon as I closed the window I immediately informed Selva about what happened.

“Even better, we don’t have to be worried till 12” suggested Selva.

“But what about that goddamn idiot”

“Let him be there what’s he gonna do?”

“I don’t like him”

“But why?”

“I don’t like and that’s it. Get rid of him otherwise I can’t propose to her” I said firmly.

“I don’t think he’s trying to woo her. It’s all your fragment of imagination” he tried to put his idea in my mind which I obviously didn’t buy.

“Selva!”

“Ok man ok. You go continue with your work I’ll see what I could do”

Selva asked me to leave office right after the lunch. I went home and as per his advice lied down for an hour but I was hardly able to sleep. I was practicing what I was going to do again and again in my mind.

I was standing in Selva’s house veranda at 7. Seeing me so restless, his mom asked me to sit in the living room. I went and sat as per her order. Selva came home at about 7.30.

“Why the hell are you late?” I enquired immediately.

“Dude it’s the time we reach home daily. You are asking as if you don’t know”

“I don’t know you should have come early” I said.

“Why Vikram is so restless.Is he going on a date?” his mom asked him. It was too much for me. I don’t discuss these things with my parents. I glared at Selva. To escape my glare Selva ran inside the room to change. He got ready in 15 minutes. We started in his red Volkswagen Polo which on any other day would have been driven by me but that day as I couldn’t concentrate he drove it.

While riding I asked Selva “have you got rid of Harish?”

“Ya” he replied casually.

“Thanks dude” I grinned. “How?”

“There is a girl in her cubicle Rupa, whom I ditched last week remember?”

“Ya”

“Harish has a crush on her”

“Ok”

“So I told her to go out with him”

“How’ll the girl whom you ditched will go out with that loafy idiot?”

“I said I’ll take her out if she goes out with him today”

I sat there perplexed.

“It’s very complicated,some girls are like this, don’t get yourself confused” said Selva. He was right; it indeed was complex so I didn’t think of it.

We went near her house well in advance. Selva parked the car around the street corner. As it was a blind street there were hardly any people around there and only one street light which was there was very dull. I didn’t know whether it was cold outside or I felt like that. Selva didn’t mind coming out of the car. I got down with the paper to memorize my proposal speech yet again.