The Bucket List

Chapter-5

The investiture ceremony, as an event manager I planned it quite well. The titles for the council committee were to be awarded today.

"Guys, tempo!" I shriek. The lack of enthusiasm in the band's instruments didn't go with the perfection I adore.

Everything is just perfect and planned which I anytime on this earth won't let someone screw it up. I wave at Naina as she sits on one of the chairs allotted to the audience. She waves back.

Sure I left a bit early to check on the arrangements and didn't see her dressing up. She looked really pretty in a pink sari and golden earrings.

The dress code is formal for everyone which is very fine managed by all except me. I am wearing a black sari with golden borders pinned up on my shoulder and silver earrings. I walk a bit slow, faster than a turtle though. I am not capable enough to handle something too long behind which my legs disappear.

And there he is, Karan, walking through the door in a ...tuxedo. Wow. But he doesn't see me; his eyes are fixed on the crowd arriving through the door and don't wander around the stage where I am.

He would see me in my formal and his eyes would linger on me for the rest of the evening, this is what I expected but I guess it is the other way round.

"Hey, do you want me to help you?" I see Kyra."Do you need a hand with something?"

"I would appreciate that, the ribbons and badges need to be arranged in the order."

"I'll do that."

The band starts and our director walks in followed by other staff members.

Our eyes meet as he finally turns towards the stage. He bats his eyelashes at me in a dramatic way, not the thing that I actually expected but it worked just right. I reply with a brave action, a wink.

The program begins with me giving a terrible speech on leadership and school spirit.

I invite our Director to do away with the titles. I voted Karan obviously, we are friends, after all... close friends.

I'm a part of his group now and that makes me feel special.

"The Presidential title goes to", the whispers and guesses from the crowd increase every second, and damn there it was, "Mr. Karan Maheshwari."

All of our faces split into a big grin. Students applaud as he makes his way up to the podium where I am present with his badge and ribbon. Just the way I planned it. I watched him with adoration as he gets ribboned.

"Congratulations!" I said when we stepped back.

"Thanks." He smirks.

The ceremony continued giving away the rest of the titles:

· Vice President (Academics, Mentoring &Extra Inputs) - Abhisekh Agarwal

· Vice President (Discipline) – Nakul Prakash

· Vice President (Events & Co-circular) – Dhriti Sharma

· Vice President (Physical Fitness and CSR) – Karthik Acharya

· Vice President (Student Counseling) – Ananya Ghosh

Karthik approaches the dais.

I hesitate to shake my hand with him, questioning the possibility if he remembers me from the coffee shop. I look at Karan to feel safe and a little less awkward about ribboning my best friend's enemy but he is in a deep conversation with Dhriti.