There is a saying that ‘Oil lamp will glow brighter when it is about to be extinguished’, which was true even in our case. We did glowed brighter in the final year without the knowledge that it is going to end shortly.
By now we did know about each other. We knew each person’s character, reactions, strengths, weakness and moods. We know who is true friend? Who is just a friend? Who needs to be avoided? Who needs our attention? We did not have any enemies. We did have few issues with everyone but no enemies. We were excited for being the seniors in the college as our college. Also we were happy that the college fest will be organized by us.
As I discussed earlier having a girl friend was considered to be a matter of pride during college days (we did not know the disadvantages of having one). We used to think that a girl can be impressed only by having a flashy bike or car or hefty bank balance of your parents. Me, neither Shashthri no Seena had any of them. Also we were too busy in having fun that we did not give much thought about that. Only Shashthri had few crushes but I and Seena just adored the beauties from distance.
It’s too hard to write the moment when you like someone at first sight. It’s too complicated. It’s unexplainable. It did happen to me. I can’t forget that day. We three of us were sitting at our usual spot at Navrang bus stop. It’s been only a week since the first year P.U.C classes were started. We were analyzing the people in bus stop at once my eyes singled out a person among the crowd. She was not very good looking nor was best in the lot. But I could not take my eyes off. She looked at me at twice wondering ‘why the hell he is staring at me?’, I dint care. I just wanted to see her. I crossed the average staring time at girls, which is usually 5- 10 seconds, also it went on way beyond minutes. Within minutes (for me it was seconds and for her hours) bus came and she rushed inside the bus and dint had courtesy to look back. Bus moved at fast pace. I was feeling like I lost something in bus and need to catch it. At last I turned to both of my friends and told ‘Maga, I think I saw someone special’.
Next day our hunt started for that girl. I needed to get much information on her before getting acquainted with her. We reached college at 9.30 and started waiting near women’s entrance gate (we had separate exits for boys and girls as boys used to unnecessarily rush through exit whenever girls used to pass from it). We scanned each and every female face passing through the gate. We dint even spared the female lecturers. Time was running out. It was 9:55, classes would start at 10:00. Shasthri told that she might have taken leave, Seena told she is not from this college may be from Basaveshwara College, Shasthri told she might no been studying at all, Seena told she might be from other college came to meet her friends, Shasthri told she might have came to drop or pick her sister. Finally to lock up their mouths I saw she rushing towards gate as time was up. I told ‘Maga, there she is’. At last we got a confirmation that she is from the same college. We rushed towards boy’s entrance gate as there was only 2 mins left for the class. Once we entered the building I saw her running towards stairs of ‘B’ block. Even our class was at ‘B’ block. We ran behind her. She was terrified seeing 3 goons chasing her. When we reached first floor she took right turn our class was at left. They both took left turn I took right and followed her. She entered her class. I stopped and noted that it was first P.U.C science class. I was not in mood to attend the class. I was kind of happy.
After class Shasthri and Seena came looking after me and asked ‘where the hell were you?’ I replied absent mindedly ‘Maga, I think I got my dove’.
‘Dove’ is a bird similar to pigeon, but here in Karnataka that word has lot of meanings. Dove is a person who is your lover or a person with whom you are just flirting or a person whom you think you will/can love or dove also means pretending/telling lie.
The right meaning can be asserted by the situation and context of the usage. What I actually meant was ‘A person whom I think will/can love’.
To proceed further I made to-do list:
1. What’s her name?
2. Where she stays?
3. Get to know whether she actually likes you
4. Make an female accomplice in your class
5. Make up a plan to speak to her
6. Get to know all the things she likes
7. Assert that she is single
8. Confirm she has interest in you
9. Once all is done ‘go for the kill’, propose to her.
10. If she agrees to your proposal don’t dance have some dignity in front of her
11. If she rejects don’t cry in front of her.
12. Mean while keep a eye on her surroundings as someone else would have got same feelings for her and you might have to warn them
Those were my 12 commandments which I need to adhere strictly so that I wont fail.
Step 1: What’s her name?
It was the easiest task. I thought of talking to her directly, but to have some curiosity I asked one of my friend Suma to help me out on this. I showed that girl to her and explained that she has to approach her friendly and ask her name. She did it and I came to know her name. Her name is ‘Ashwini’. At that time I felt that was the most beautiful sounding name I have ever heard.
Step 2: Where she stays?
This was also easy task. Me, Shasthri and Seena got in the same bus in which she was returning to home. She was seated in front and we at rear. Every minute she was looking back. As her stop was nearing she was getting worried. She got down at Malleshwaram 15th Cross. We also got down and followed her. She was running as if we are following her to kidnap. She took a turn in a gully we entered that gully exactly after 10 seconds. She was suddenly vanished. We searched for her. But we couldn’t find her. At last we concluded that she stays in the same gully.
Step 3: Get to know whether she actually likes you
This was bit difficult task. But I used my knowledge about Indian movies to assert the expressions and reactions of a girl whether she is actually interested in you. I used to just jump in front of her and surprise her and try to find out what her reaction would be. Whenever I did that she used to smile shyly. That was the first signal. Next I used to send only Shasthri and Seena to bus stop and ask them to observe her if she is looking for me. The response was ‘Yes’ from my friends. Once I was wearing black T-shirt and she was also wearing black dress when I passed in front of her one of her friend whispered something in Ashwini’s ears and she laughed. I assumed that it is for the common color dress.
Step 4: Make a female accomplice in your class.
I needed someone to introduce to Ashwini. I dint had enough courage to go and introduce myself to her. I thought it would be too rude of me. So again I approached Suma, I told her my plan, she has to speak to Ashwini and get acquainted and introduce me to her later. I will take things forward from there. But she dint listened to me, she refused. Till date I don’t know the reason why she dint agreed. May be she thought it’s a lousy idea but she could have informed me and I could have thought something better. So this step was skipped and entered directly to step 5.
Step 5: Make up a plan to speak to her
This was the hardest lesson I learnt in my life- It’s bloody too hard to speak to a girl. After step 4 was dropped I made up my mind that I will speak to her directly. That day I prepared myself and recited each and every sentence at least 10 times before going to her. We reached bus stop by 4 pm and waited for her. She came at 4.35 pm. My friends goaded me to go and speak to her. I was too nervous, but I steeled myself and went to her. She saw me, and raised her eyebrows asking ‘what’s the matter?’ I tried to open my mouth but it was not opening, I felt as if fevi quick or m-seal has been put in to my mouth. My voice was totally lost. I doubted whether I was a mute or what? I started shivering; the shivering originated from my bones and shattered my whole being. I don’t know how long I was standing dumb struck in front of her and all the people in bus stand were looking in wonder at me and my friends encouraging me to speak, but I dint hear their voices or the traffic sounds I was hearing my heart beat which was on fast pace and blood rushing towards my ears. At last she spoke and said ‘My bus came, I’m leaving’.
That was the last time I ever tried to speak to her. All the other steps of to-do list were dropped. My friends made fun of me. I don’t know the reason why I was not able to speak to her. May be I dint had guts.
Later in the same week Shasthri blasted me and taught me the tactics of approaching a girl. He gave me lecture for half an hour everyday. One day he told that he will help me out by talking to Ashwini first and will introduce me to her later. I was so happy that I hugged and kissed him on his cheeks. So the location was same ‘bus stop’ and time also same ‘evening around 4.30 pm’. The scene was revealed as below:
Open
Bus stop – enter Ashwini.
Shasthri approaches Ashwini.
After approaching her he will look toward us and smiles and his smile says to me ‘Main hoon naa!’
He will look toward her, she will look toward him
He smiles, she smiles
He smiles, she smiles
He smiles, she will not smile and ask ‘What?’
He is still smiling, she is looking at him seriously.
He is still smiling, she lost interest
He is still smiling, she will ask ‘What?’
He is still smiling and asks ‘Is Sandhya your class mate?’
I ask Seena ‘who the hell is Sandhya?’, Seena to me “don’t know maga, my be Shasthri’s new girl friend’, Me -‘Why is he asking about her?’, Seena –‘Don’t know’
He is still bloody smiling, Enter bus – she leaves.
He is still bloody hell smiling, approaches us
I ask ‘Maga, who is Sandhya?’, He replies ‘Who the hell knows? That name flashed to me’
I look at Seena, he is trying to control laugh, I laugh, He laughs.
All laughs.
The End
After that I stopped thinking and trying such goofy things. But by that time she was branded as ‘Mahesh’s dove’ in college. The branding of any girl was very important in college as many boys will be behind one girl. Before making any kind of progress they will enquire has anyone seriously claimed their target. They will decide on progressing based on the credentials of the claimer, if he is weak then they would try to progress. Her branding was strong as no one proposed to her till the time I was in college. Which I think she dint liked, may be she thought she was branded to a coward.
It was bit difficult and painful for me to come out the situation that I created for myself because I was somewhere in between the generation which believed in 'One Love', 'Eternal Love', 'First Love is last Love' and the 'Move on' generation. I convinced myself that 'May be she is not for you, that's why you couldn't speak to her'. I let her to live her life in her own way and I started leaving my own. Also I followed the famous quote of great Shakespeare 'Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better'. After college I have not seen her even for once. But whenever I pass through the Malleshwaram 15th Cross I do look toward that gully where once she vanished.
Mean while, Shasthri proposed to a girl whom we named as ‘Topi’ (cap, due to her hair cut). She told him that she will inform her reply next day. He came to us very happily and told her response. Me and Seena laughed our heart out. He was confused. We told ‘Maga from tomorrow for next 10 days college is closed for exams how the hell she will tell tomorrow, she just fooled you’.
Love was in air for many people during the final year. Many of my class mates proposed to girls. Few of them accepted, few of them were rejected.
For the college fest many of my friends were in organizers position as we were final year students. So this time getting a time slot for our play and other things was a cake walk. Even this time I prepared a script, which was also funny. But this time it dint happened as per plan as few of the members decided to quit 2 days before fest. They were not happy as many things were done by us. We were left with only 6 people. Everyone thought may be this year we will not be able to perform. I thought something else. I gave one of my friend list of songs and asked him to get them recorded continuously with the specified portion. He did that and we were ready with skit with only songs and the play was called ‘Aslam Bhai’.
It was story about Aslam Bhai (a bhai, played by Seena) who will fall in love with a girl (once again the beautiful and gracious shasthri). We, the Chamchas (me, Jaggu and Ravindra) take advantage of love blinded Aslam Bhai and get all his money. The girl finally runs away with Hero (Long Mahesh) leaving Aslam Bhai shattered. We danced to many song bits. We got it ready, practiced and performed in 46 hours. I just wanted to prove to the people who left the team that we can do it without them. After our performance they came and congratulated us. That was our reward.
Also this year all the boys together watched ‘Dil Chahata hai’ movie which is simply superb. That was the most fantastic movie we watched. We were able to relate to the characters. Shasthri was ever goofy Saif, Seena contempt Akshaye and Me impulsive aamir. We all had good time especially during the Goa episode of Saif. I’m proud to say that I’m from ‘Dil Chahatha Hai’ generation.
Exam was fast approaching. We prepared to the best possible extent and wrote. The day I received call that result are announced I was too nervous. I entered college and Narendra met me and told ‘Congrats Maga, you got first class’. I dint believe what he just told and asked him again, he told yes. I rushed to the result board and was happy to see my register number in first class section and I was the only boy who got first class. I thought that’s a great achievement for a person who got only 3 marks in Chemistry in first year. Seena scored second class, in aggregate he was higher than me as he was consistent in all 3 years. Shasthri the ‘Nidhanave Pradhana’ completed all the subjects bit late. But he is still happy about it and that’s what I like about him.
Thus the most beautiful and adventurous journey came to an end. Today when I look back I feel happy about everything and regret about nothing. All of my friends are in good position today.
The most notorious of all, ‘the trio’ is also in good position. Shasthri is Regional Manager in a company, Seena is also at Managerial position in a Pharmaceutical company and me still a struggling writer.
Ramakrishna and Puttaswamy are working as lecturers, Sharath is working in a Bio-tech company, Karthik is team leader in a BPO, Jaggu is working as HR, Long Mahesh has become business man and Ravindra is acting in serials and shortly to be seen in movies.
The inspiration for me to write this is Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Five Point someone’ novel. I was remembering all our adventures while reading that book. But I felt that in the novel there are many fictional incidences but our college life was so real and more interesting. However, I would like to mention that I have filtered out many things as they are too sensitive and vulgar and I can’t post such things in public forum. Whatever I have written is may be 30% of our college life. But I hope it was interesting to all.
Me, Shasthri and Seena have decided to watch ‘3 Idiots’ on 1st Jan, 2010. No one could enjoy the movie better than these ‘3 Idiots’. We will watch and laugh or cry and also its chance to laugh at ourselves one more time and for many more times to come.
THE END
