30 July, 2008

Through the Window.....

"Today you won't go to the window!", I warned myself. It was half past nine, her usual time to leave for the college, and my only chance to see her off, of course from a distance only, through the window.

Its been 1 year, I started this daily ritual apart from treating deities of our miniature indoor temple. Although I have to miss my first lecture daily, which I know is dragging me towards Mrs. Bhagat's office, the mortuary of those errant students who dare to bunk her lectures. But as they say, you do not get anything for free now a days, you have to pay a price, price that is set on basis of how desperately you need something. In this case....someone!

It all started when I was forced to join a society get together of our building and I accidentally or rather fortunately bumped into her. No heaven sponsored rain.....no violins played, no flower shower, not even a single clap by society kids, who even clap at silly jokes of Mr. Sharma! An i-2-i contact, a casual "sorry" offered....a "stupid" remark received... and the moment was gone.
Although I have relived the moment many a times with different appropriate props and sets, in my thoughts of course(you have to be economical with a pocket money of Rs.500..)! But still I regret wasting the real time opportunity to stretch the "Sorry-Stupid" sequence.

Since then, its been a one sided game, me playing all kinds of shots, of course through the window. I have tried all plausible, in fact weird color combinations, almost all sort of hair styles ranging from Beckham to Lalu, but she is least bothered about what happens on the other side of window. But wait a minute, I do not know whether it is my hallucination or she really sometimes glances at the open window. If she doesn't, then I have no choice but to continue, but what if she does??? What would be my next step?? I need some sort of litmus test to prove it.

After sessions of brainstorming, a GE bulb lit up in my mind. And it goes like this, I would not open the window for one week continuously and notice her reaction from apartment of my friend. The conclusion would be based on the observation. If she notices my absence(inferring she notices my presence too..), she would look up at least once and I would then convert the fantasy into reality. But what if she doesn't! I do not want to even think about it since I have a positive frame of mind, infact my blood group also suggests the same too, being B+!

So the judgement week came... Six days passed by and I had become damn sure that she had spondylitis or something of that sort. Of course, I mean, what else can one conclude if she did not look up even 1/2nce leave once, being a B+ guy! And then came the last day, I had to somehow manage a draw at least... if not win this test match of 7 days to pacify my self respect and to safeguard my dignity in my own mind.

I was all eyes when she came out, dressed in a red top as if symbolizing danger and a pair of blue capri pants seemed to be warning of blues waiting to enter my life. Her gogs were busy keeping her hair in position, in short...looking as pretty as ever. My eyes followed each step, her sandals echoing in my heart beats, my nails fighting a lost battle with teeth...all this came to a hault when she reached the point, most suitable to look up to my window....she paused, my heart sank like Titanic, without leaving bubbles, and then............................................................then what, she took another step!
I had failed the litmus test, as my color changed to pale yellow due to disappointment instead of pink of excitement.

My heart was broken, my tears had slept on cheeks itself. I pledged to myself and my window at bedtime that I would never ever look at her, even if she begged me and if ever I faced her, it would be with a utterly gorgeous girlfriend to make her envy and repent for her ignorance. And that I would attend Dr. Bhagat's lecture unmistakably and much more if I had not fall asleep.

The next morning, I was reading news paper and my eyes glued on an article, which talked of never lose hope is the moral of the story and that girls like Never Say Die attitude in boys. I looked at clock, it was half past nine and guess what, I was fixed again at window.

Com'on....what else can you expect of a B+ guy !

04 July, 2008

Innocence unlimited

We all were waiting anxiously in the hospital. My aunt was busy promising bribes to all deities, she had ever heard of and to those also, of she hadn't. My cousin(her son) was walking to-and-fro like a pendulum, relentlessly chewing on his helpless nails. He was the chosen one, to be a father on that destined night.

I don't know why, but most of us choose to take avatar on earth only at night(less traffic may be..). And surprisingly unlike what happens at teenage, you don't get a scolding instead a warm welcome from family!

Finally, the doctor came out of the battlefield like a Samurai warrior and our eyes lit up like 100 watt bulbs."Congrats man, you are blessed with a girl child",was all he said and gave a bear hug to my cousin.

Everybody jumped out of his seat with sheer joy, cheering each other. But our party was spoiled by an old spectacled nurse reminding one, of old bollywood classics.

All of us were too eager to get the first glimpse of the child. But only my cousin(who had become a father overnight...literally) got the VIP pass for the premier. And for rest of us........we pasted our faces on the window glass pane of the room. He went inside upto the bed, sat down, caressed the forehead of his wife and turned to see his daughter. Through the window, I could see tides of emotions in his eyes,all in unison...... love,affection,surprise, a sense of responsibility, all that emanates from fatherhood.

At first, my cousin was a little hesitant to take her(daughter ofcourse..) in his lap, as he thought, she was too fragile and delicate to be handled by rough-tough hands of his. But after assurance of his wife and nurse,he took her although unconvinced... It was a picture-perfect scene-my cousin with his daughter in lap, sitting beside his wife. They had become instant celebrity!

After two days, it was my turn to have my niece in my hands. And then I felt as if feelings of my cousin had replicated in me too. But I lost all my fear as soon as I took her in my arms. The only emotion left was of amazement and ecstasy. She looked too innocent, cute and delicate like a flower with her eyes closed and mouth open(inviting flies)! I was completely engrossed with my thoughts when she opened her eyes. And then....the funny 'rituals' started, elders making funny faces to make her smile. The most interesting being, my maternal uncle trying his luck, who is considered to be a very practical and wise figure otherwise. In fact, he got the prize too, a lovely smile, of course toothless but priceless!

But since pages of calender flip really fast, so she had transformed into a two-year kid from a two-day baby, when I saw her again on her visit to our home. She was still very charming and innocent. But sometimes innocence could also prove fatal. And this time, I fell prey to innocence and it costed me my brand new mobile.

Actually it was my mistake, I gave her my mobile to play, ignorant that she had a habit of throwing mobiles out if it did not unlock. However, it did not pose any threat to her parents, since my cousin lives at ground floor. And since mine, being a shy mobile resisted to open up, it was thrown out. The irony being, my flat is at first floor!