Chapter 12 : The Greeting June 7, 2008

“You go to hell. Don’t talk to me ever again.”, someone said to me. I looked towards my left and realised she was none other than Palak…..

“He’s a looser…come on Palak, lets move away from here.”, Isha said to Palak trying not to look at me.

One of the common characteristics of Isha and Palak was that they both were over-possessive. Infact I think every girl on this earth suffers from this problem. They believe the things they like are ISO certified and no one is allowed to make an opinion against it.

I looked around to find out a single person favouring me. Thank God, Apurv and Sandeep were still out there.

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The news of my so called ‘fight’ with Sinha Sir reached every department and classroom of the school. I also came to know that I was the first one to behave to him in that way since years. He should have deserved it a long ago.

“Himaaansshhhuuuuuu…”, Sadhvi madam screamed while rushing into the classroom as soon as the lunch period started. She was our new class-teacher and more unfortunately our chemistry teacher too. Behind him, Sinha Sir entered slowly in his usual style.

I stood up. After receiving a fatigue couselling from Apurv and Sandeep, I knew what I was supposed to do.

“Do you realize what you’ve done Himanshu?”, Sadhvi madam asked. She sounded more dangerous than she looked.

“Leave it ma’am. He won’t do that again.”, Sinha sir said. He pretended as if he really meant it. I hate when he fakes sympathy.

“No sir, it seems he has become over-confident. How dare he misbehave to a teacher.”, Sadhvi maam said. She was making the matter more serious than it really was.

“Sorry Sir.”, I said. As was told to me by Apurv, saying sorry is a sure-shot solution to every argument.

And it worked this time too. After few minutes of scolding and some more fake expressions from Sinha Sir, the thing got settled. But Sadhvi ma’am still looked unsatisfied. She wanted more of this.

“Let me see, how well you perform in the terminal exams..!”. This was Sadhvi Maam last statement before she left the class.

And it suddenly reminded all of us that we people were having our 1st Terminal Exams from next week.

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THE NEXT DAY

It was Friday, the last working day before preparation leave. Although strength was very short today, but still I had come for a special purpose – to ‘make-up’ again with Palak. But alas!! She was absent.

“Hey Isha, wass up?”, I asked Isha who was sitting alone and trying to study something from her chemistry book.

“Yeh, what now?”, she said in attitude. I think girls believe its their birth right to show attitude, on the contrary, if boys do the same, they are called anti-social.

“No, nothing. So you gals, still angry with me?”

“Hmmm….well sort of.”

“But I apologised to Sinha sir naa….what’s the matter now.”

“Yeh, thats true. Ok….guilties forgotton from my side.”

“And what about Palak?”

“I don’t know. You know naa…Sinha Sir is her favourite teacher. Insulting him means insulting her.”

What a weird creatures these girls are, I must say. I decided to leave the things for God, at least till the exams get over. Right now, the most important thing of concern was to study Mathematics as there was a good possibilty that Sinha Sir won’t be giving me good marks this time.

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I TERM EXAMINATION

I couldn’t study very much because of my IIT coachings plus my crap activities that included sitting on the internet, chatting with girls on yahoo etc.

Our school authorities had put an awkward sort of sitting arrangement for the exam. One 11th standard student with a 7th standard one on a bench. I had got a slim-little boy having specs as my partner. He was looking studious but surely was not. I can say this because he made me solve at least half of his maths paper during exam.

My English and Sanskrit papers went well. For physics and chemistry I calculated the passing marks. It came out to be 22. So, I tried my best to attempt at least 30 marks of question paper in these exams. In mathematics I attempted 70 out of 100 marks and was damn confident that I’ll pass it surely.

After considering this condition in studies, who will believe I was the topper of the school.!!!

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Due to exams I didn’t get time to counsel with Palak. But as the exams got over, my mind started to ache for it. I decided to ask Isha for help. Its always good to make girl’s best friend in you favour.

“Why don’t you give her a ’sorry greeting card’?”, she adviced. Still I was unable to understand why I was supposed to say sorry to Palak. I fought with Sinha Sir and had to apologise to Palak. What a weirdo..!

“Hmm..thats quite a nice idea.”, I replied calculating the average cost of a good greeting card in my mind. Of course, money was also a priority.

“A good one from Archies would be nice, isn’t it?”, I asked Isha.

“No, be creative yaar……”

“Like what?”

“Let it be hand made by you. She’ll love it.”

“Ohhh..”, I replied. Now this was too much for me. Anything that involved drawing sketches was out of reach for me. Even my biology diagrams of class 10th were drawn by my younger brother for me.

But when it comes to a girl, boys can do everything. So I accepted the challenge. Although, I was not sure, how I’ll be able to do it.

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THE GREETING

“Be creative”, I reminded in my mind.

I worked on the greeting-project for about one hour before I totally got extinguished. Finally, the greeting card was complete. I know I had reached the ‘corners of creativity’ and wasn’t sure if Palak will like it or not. But this was all I could do.

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“Hi Palak.”, I exclaimed. It was the lunch period. And she was busy in arranging her notebooks in school-bag. She looked at me, and again got back to her work.

“Cold response.”, I said to myself. I reached the empty bench behind her. She looked up with a question mark + irritation on her face. Wow, I don’t know how girls manage to show multiple emotions at the same time. But who cares..! She was looking damn beautiful.

I stretched my hand with an envelope (containing greeting card inside).

“This is for you.”, I said softly and also corrected my posture which looked like I am proposing her.

She flinched her nose but took it. She revolved around and opened it. The front page of greeting was blank white. She turned the page and found a note written in my hand-writing:

To,

Palak

“Its a white rose. As much pure as our friendship.”

Your friend,

Himanshu.

She turned towards me.

“Where’s the white rose?”, she asked.

“On the front page.”, I replied smartly.

“But there’s nothing in it, just a blank page.”, she said in a confusion and turned the greeting upside-down to make sure if she’s right.

“Ohh…the rose is white and the page is also white, may be that’s why you are not able to see it.”, I replied.

She laughed and laughed and laughed and finally held my hand.

{rest continued in Chapter 13}

PS — 4 more chapters left. I am too excited to finish it.

PS — Megan Fox rated sexiest women of the world.

PS — Its quite interesting not to have a girlfriend. (Poor excuse of not having one)

PS — Question of the Day: A R Rehmaan or Bryan Adams??

PS — Movie I would like to see: Sarkar Raj

PS — Adios