PART 1 ~ When I First Met Her ~

It was in the middle of March or April, I don’t really remember the date, I entered my biology tuition class for the first time, and my eyes fell on Baisakhi (well you don’t expect European names like Janet or Julie from a boy Indian family to see). Yes! a boy, then I was in XI standard, just passed out my middle school examinations and was enjoying the freedom of teen hood, which was fast, insane, and miraculous. Growing up lately to know what love was, but failing enough to distinguish a broad line between love-affection-infatuation-and sexual attractions. Whatever it was, I still don’t know, and the best part of it is I don’t want to know either.

                                Days passed as we listened to gibberish talks of our Biology teacher. Pretty not much could describe him except that he was divorced three times but still hit on every single girl that came unto his life. His queer odd looking beard hid his big lips which seemed as if was hanging from his mouth. He always wished everybody in his class would turn up ending Doctors, but maybe I was too dumb for that.

                                I rarely heard what he said, I was engrossed in Baisakhi’s face, maybe it resembled a lot too much to Priyanka Chopra I thought……………

                                Meanwhile I had started taking mathematics tuition in Air’s Sir’s class, Damn! He was a boring teacher. I use to to have my classes on Tuesdays and Fridays . My maths tutor was enough handsome  even at the age of thirty,to top the list of youngsters having the ability to mould a girl’s heart at the first sight . If I was gay trust me I would have fell in love with him.

                                Whatever, he had a bad habit, drinking excessibly, smoking frequently. But, the most

Astonishing of him was that he didn’t lose control of himself even after drinking tones of vodka. May be the tremendous and extensive pain which he had and was experiencing in his life restrained him from being out of his mind even for a second.

                                In the mean time my affection for Baisakhi started arousing as days went by. I heard that she had a bitter love experience lately. And, may be that was the time when I thought boys were really smarter than girls.

                                “He’s that guy, I fell in love with”, said she pointing her eye brows to a boy around 17-18 on the other side of the road the guy was in a Punjabi and blue jeans holding a little girl in his hand. He was looking rather funny as if he was the father of two children. I didn’t look much, just a glance was enough.

                Oh! I forgot to tell you …………

                                Every Saturday me and Baisakhi use to attend our biology class. I always searched a moment to start my converses ion with her, but eventually fell in.  But finally one day I got my chance.

Even having an old school friend with his notes ready for me I turned him down and asked Baisakhi that I wished to photocopy her notes. Well that was a chance, at the photocopy shop the xerox machine had gone of. God had blessed me!! I took her phone no and promised her that I would call her and return her copy the very next day. She left.

                                I felt like dancing of a plane at that moment, but at the very next moment I remembered that I love my self more than her and I control myself from jumping of the plane (even though I never had the money to get a plane on the first place, but this thought didn’t come to me at that that moment). It was around 5pm when I called her up recharging my account balance which usually never had crossed the highest limit of rupees 8.

                                                                       “Hello! How are you”, I asked as an act of chivalry. 

“I’m good, so you are bringing my copy on tomorrow evening, right?” she was quick.

“Yes, yes! Believe me on that I never break promises”, (may be that was the biggest lie I had ever said to anyone.

“Anyway, what are you doing?” I was pretty bad at continuing a conversation which usually for me never lasted for more than 40 seconds with friends.

“Text me I will reply”, she said.

“Okay”, (maybe she didn’t know but I thanked her for saving my balance)

But the very next moment an awful thought on my mind.  How can I text her?  My SMS typing speed was slower than the walking speed of tortoise. But still I gathered my wits walking towards the recharge counter twice that day, (usually I dropped in once a month with a ten rupee note in my hand, even the shop keeper smelt something fishy). I recharged my account with rupees 11 which gave me nearly 100 free text. It took nearly 5 days to send 100 text s, I was no more but whatever the case I had blended myself with her mind, I was no more a stranger. I used to accompany her every day after biology class convincing her  that I had to go her way so as to buy fish food which as if was available only near her house.

                                In the mean time I had joined Bengali tuition at Ananta Sir’s. He had classes only on Tuesdays which conflicted the classes with my math tuition. I talked to my math tutor and changed my batch from Tuesday to Thursday.

                                The first day I entered my changed class on Thursday I felt as if the whole world had prayed a hundred hours only for me. It was Baisakhi in the fourth bench second row of my new batch.

“God bless me “, I mumbled. I sat just behind her, and miracle happened –mathematics class was no more boring! But I never heard what sir said (except for the funny parts of course. Whatever the case, I started attending my classes regularly.