The words had barely left my mouth, when I grasp that I have screamed that in the class. Our Mathematics teacher stands horrified at the violent response. For a moment, I thought it to be amusing that I had scared my classmates to their core. Then the absolute next moment, my pride gives way to shame. My ears and cheeks turn red. My eyes, now, fail to face the blackboard. I am embarrassed. The only relief is that my answer is correct. Had it been wrong, I was gone!
"Hey man, your siren is still ringing in my ears," Dev throws at me from the front. "Not ringing actually. Rather banging."
I look up at him, to find that he has pressed a smile between his lips. My look transcends into a glare and his pressed smile into fits of laughter.
"Do show your thirty-twos. The way you are exposing them, they'll fall off." I tell him, sternly.
He moves closer, lifts my face, by the chin and whispers, "Don't be so red. Store this redness for my future brother-in-law."
I couldn't contain myself anymore. My fist was about to project a tight punch at his tummy, when he ran away.
"I wonder which guy would fall in love with you? You horrify all of that gender," He shouts from the corridor.
"I will complain to Kakimoni about your recklessness," I murmured.
After a few minutes, he returns. Dev had brought a pack of chips from the canteen.
"Want some?" He offers, approaching the pack. But I decline.
"Jethu and Jethima have called for Wriddhi Da in the evening. We'll have to drop the news at his place on our way back to school." He said.
"We?" I answer. "You go and invite him. I don't wanna meet him."
"Why? You don't like him?" He asked.
"Oh, if I could explain how much I dislike him," I say. "Makes me solve calculus problems, from graduation books. And Maa encourages him to do that."
"Hey...But you can solve them," He replied. "Moreover, it was you who was eager to get his opinion on how to crack the Entrance Exam. He's Dada's best friend. Jethu, Jethima, Maa and Baba are so fond of him. Plus, he studies in Mumbai. And whenever he returns to Kolkata, he ought to visit our place, often."
I stare at his face.
"Don't stare at me. I like him too. He is ethical, charming, handsome, eloquent and disciplined. I just want to acquire his qualities,"he says.
"Oh, is that why you stick to him whenever he visits? Because you are fond of him," I remark. "But you run away when he makes me solve calculus, because you aren't fond of math, despite taking up PCM in 11th and 12th."
"Well, it's only the mathematics portion of him which I dislike, but apart from that, he's a heartthrob. I wanna be like him in college."
"Heartthrob? And he?" I laugh away in sarcasm. "He's the rudest and sternest person I have ever met. He never even spoke politely with me. Every time, he's on the peak of his attitude. He's pursuing his B.Tech in Computer Science from the brilliant college in Mumbai. But he shouldn't be so proud."
"Oh, he isn't proud or rude or stern. He's such a sweetheart. You cannot see it because you're not."
I stare at him again.
"Man, I don't have time for all this. I have to invite Wriddhi Da," He says.
"You go. I'll wait here." I say.
"Okay."
A few minutes hence, he returns.
"Why will I go alone? You will accompany me."
He pulled me with him.
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