It was 27th December 2009. As I walked out of my house... My hair wet while my body was still warm of the hot shower I had had 5 min ago. I dialed my friend Ritika's number. Ritika, though, a year younger was a nice friend of mine n we did click." I am on my way. jaldi tyaar ho ja. I will not wait!" I said and disconnected the phone as I trailed off for her house. It was around 7:30 pm, not too late but dark enough for a winter night. I was headed to my tuition class in Old Colony. With a science reference book in one hand and a phone in the other i managed to pull back my wet now cold hair as they fluttered across my face. I was soon about to leave for my cousin's house in Delhi.. To be precise... 4 am next morning. my 10th class preboard exams were approaching and as my parents suggested, I decided to study at my cousin's house for a week since she too had her first year finals and that would mean ' the right kind of environment for me to study' as my parents liked to put it.
As I was about to reach my friend's house i called her again to meet me at the main road since I was already in a hurry and dint wanted to waste time marching all the way down the street to her house. We headed to our destination which was a good 20 min walk. I usually went there by a rikshaw or someone dropped me but that day I decided to walk, partially since that would give me more time to talk and partially because a long walk to and fro would help beat the bitter cold outside. I wanted to return a book that I had once borrowed from a friend at tuition. Though the book was quite helpful, I dint wanted to be unfair and keep the book to myself and so I decided to return it just before I leave. A little too thoughtful I guess but that was me, Samaira Garg, a 15 year old girl belonging to a baniya family, which was well known in the vicinity around because of the goodwill which our forefathers had earned over the years.
As I started walking and chatting up, i walked past a couple of horning autorikshaws and rash motorbike riders. And I passed across a guy, sitting on his bike and talking on the phone with his back to us. Though I know, that’s nothing unusual… one might see innumerable such guys stopping by the road to attend a phone call but I don’t know what made me turn and look at him as I passed.
“Hi…” I heard myself saying. It was Sameer Kashyap.
Now this guy over here needs a little bit of introduction. He was a 17 year old guy. He was fair, tall and healthy but not plump. He was my neighbor. Now one more thing that I’d like to disclose here is that I had a huge crush on him back then. Maybe a little too dumb to understand it at that time or maybe I couldn’t catch up with the pace with which the thoughts of the children my age were growing.
My heart skipped a beat as he smiled back. A smile too sweet to handle. “Hi! How come you here?” he said.
Ritika recognized him instantly and I suppose she preferred to give us some moments of ‘privacy’, ironically in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of a descending day as she dint nudge or interrupt for the next 2 minutes.
While I explained him the reason of my presence there, I felt his soft gaze over my face… his eyes not willing to move away, only blinking as necessary.
He was dressed in a blue shirt and loose sky blue jeans, over which he wore a hand knit maroon full sleeve sweater. He had moderate features and a clear skin. Gray patches on the cheeks and chin were clearly visible marking his approaching adulthood.
“Come let me drop you”, he said as soon as I ended. My heart again skipped a beat at the offer. All I wanted to do was to jump on his backseat and go on a long… a really long drive eith him where I could just look and look at him with no hurry to complete an errand or the fear of the neighbors noticing.
“No no... Thank you but we will manage. We are fine.”I managed to say as I recollected myself from my thoughts. But he dint budge a bit. He was adamant. “Where are you headed to exactly?” he asked as I explained him the route to my destination. “But sorry I cant trouble you like this, plus here is my friend too… How will you manage three?” I added.
I turned to look at Ritika as I mentioned her and found her little steps behind as if emphasizing on the privacy she intended to give. Ritika was a thin girl with a short height and an everlasting grin on her face. She was a happy go lucky king of a girl who managed to throw herself into peals of laughter even at the silliest jokes. Though she sounds dumb as being described by me but she was quite lovable as she had a big warm heart for everyone around her.
“I’ll manage but I cant risk you going alone at this hour of the day.” He argued. This time my heart had skipped around 10 beats on a guess. Sameer Kashyap was showing concern about my safety. This really meant something. Finally, I gave up.
By then, Ritika decided to join in the conversation.”Oh, no problem! I will walk back home. Waise bhi aj bhot thak gyi hun yarr!!” She said. I dint know whether to stop her or simply let go. I did the former but she had already started walking. I was left with no choice but to comply. I felt a little nervous now and the bitter cold outside seemed to have no effect on me now.
I saw his grin as I sat behind him. God! Who knew that this ride was going to change my life after that… at least the coming year. He adjusted the rearview mirror and put the key in ignition.
