chapter 7

The rich canopy of Banyan trees was welcoming all the guests, chirping of the birds at the time of sunset was like background music for this cinematic view, as it was getting dark, I increased my pace of walking so that I should not miss the beauty of the setting sun… I have heard the stories of lake Vihangam from many of my friends back at my home town… so I was excited …Many students were already returning back in groups… so I was worried that I was late… but fortunately I reached there and the whole sky was drenched in orange hue… the beauty of the twilight I have observed back in my village also but the reflection of the orange colour in the lake and the combination of the blue and orange appeared somewhat serene… I stood under a huge tree, which was witness to that beauty may be from a century… aerials of that tree were spread everywhere surrounding almost half of the lake… birds returned in their nests on that tree were having a day’s conversation with their loved ones… still water of the lake painted with colours of sky made it difficult to decide what was more enchanting water or sky… I was standing there, don’t know from how much time… I heard a soft voice… it’s getting dark… I was sure, it was hers… before turning back, I thought it’s the game of my mind again… I was instructing my mind … not again…And I turned towards the voice… she was there… she was looking at me… I pinched myself…It wasn’t a dream…She was there alone… why … God … again and again … I looked upwards … She repeated … It’s getting dark… It confirmed, she was talking with me…Yes, I replied in a shaky voice…She added, ‘I am afraid of darkness…’‘Oh! Don’t worry’, I replied instantly…‘Thank you so much… ‘, she replied …. Her voice was so soft like the silence of the lake…‘I found you…’, she completed the sentence…And the deep pit in my stomach … deepened with her words… Is it a coincidence? Meeting Sanyogita, frequently, does she think the same…my mind was buzzing with multiple thoughts…‘Did you say something… I am afraid of darkness… Thank God … you are here… will you please assist me till that gate outside… I was reading the book sitting in that corner…’ , she spoke like the gushing water…I just hummed…‘And after that I was lost in the beauty of the sunset, I didn’t realize… and suddenly… it was dark…’, She clarified…I hummed once again…‘Let’s move… ‘, she instructed…I hummed again…I was unable to lift my eyes and gaze at her… her presence … was it a reality… or I was daydreaming … I was fumbled… but it was reality … I knew…She started walking without looking back as if she was sure… I will be with her… I will follow her… I will assist her…She was walking hurriedly…‘They close the gate at 7.30…’, she clarified…Now I understood the reason, why she was running…I was just happy; she was with me… I was with her… no… I was behind her… following her… she was comforted by my presence… These thoughts were sufficient to make me feel excited…In that excitement… I realized later… she didn’t ask my name… or told hers… there was no further conversation … Just we walked together for ten minutes till the entrance… that’s it…She thanked me once again at that gate… and she disappeared from there… towards the main gate of the college… she didn’t look back… as it is in movies… I was waiting … she will turn and will wave at me or rather will give me her most adorable smile… but nothing happened… It was not a film… It is reality Mr. Sharma… I instructed myself… You were just a body guard for her… I started laughing at myself with these thoughts… what a girl… we have met almost four times… since yesterday… and she hasn’t given any hint that we have met before… I heard the peon was blowing whistles… so that if any visitor is left … they should leave … I started walking slowly towards the boys’ hostel…I was again in a dilemma, why are we meeting repeatedly … what is the proposal of almighty for us… or is it just chance meeting… is it love? 'No, no, I think', I spoke aloud…And someone, who was behind me… he patted on my back and asked … what happened… In a shock, I said, ‘Nothing…’And directly went towards hostel cafeteria for dinner… so that I would come to my senses once again and land in reality… When I started eating … I realized … I was really hungry… but the subji was not at all spicy , dal was watery … rotis were burnt… I desperately remembered my mother … who in spite of her hard work in the field was very particular about my meals from my childhood days… being the only child of my parents … they have raised me with lot of care and over affection… and here this food … I took some more achar and started eating my second roti… when the gang arrived…Babya said , ‘You are very fast Mr. Sharma… directly lake … haan…’I was shocked with these words… but I didn’t show any expressions on my face…Chandrya said, ‘Sameep…’This was the first time, somebody called me by my first name…I felt at home…Hamm… I replied …‘Don’t hide… we know everything… we get to know everything in this premises immediately…’ , he added…‘Ok… I replied but nothing happened ….’‘Why … you took her there … and you talked nothing with her…’, he asked in a shock…‘No.. no … you are misunderstanding… I didn’t took her there… I just assisted her back..’, I clarified …‘That’s the same thing, you came back together means you have gone there together … ‘ , he laughed…‘No , Chandrakant , may be I said in a loud voice… ‘The whole cafeteria was looking at us anxiously…Chandrya said to them, ‘Nothing … you continue…’I realized my mistake, ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean it…’Gang leader was cool today, he said, ‘Chalta hai yaar… but don’t speak lie… tell us the whole incident…’And I told them, ‘What happened … how she asked my help and we returned back…’Rohan said, ‘Mr. Majanu, you missed the golden chance… you should have at least told her, your name… you are really idiot…’…I responded, ‘Yes, that’s true…’And the gang left without listening to any startling news …Dr. Archana Pandit