The Perfect Photo

Chapter 6

Monday evening.

I looked at my watch. It was 10 minutes to 4. My Foreign Exchange Management professor still had a lot of energy in him and was going on and on about option markets and was often making direct eye contact with me. I once felt sorry for being the good girl who listens in class. Professors felt the need to get the approval of the good listeners and keep making eye contact with those select few. But I was in no mood to listen today. It the last hour of the day and if Neha's information was right then, the first year econ class has one more hour left, which would give me adequate time to leave, walk up to their block and catch hold of Pritam before he could exit the classroom.

The first year block was conveniently placed away from the rest of the years to discourage ragging. Any senior student found inside the first year block would be subject to strict punishment. So we will have to sneak in without being spotted by the professors who may recognize us.

"That will be all for today. Please make sure you finish your assignments and submit them by the end of the week", finished my professor. I grabbed my bag ready to walk out of the room but decided to wait for the professor to make his move out first. I had to ignore some of my classmates who wanted to discuss the assignment with me. The assignment can wait. I had to find Neha and start making our way to the first year block.

I came out of my classroom pulled my phone out of my left jean pocket and dialed her. I could hear her ringtone ring somewhere near me. I frantically looked around and found her standing behind a pillar a few yards away. She was eating an ice cream cone.

"Sorry. I came a bit early, and I got bored.... and hungry. Strawberry is too good. Do you want to have one too?", she asked.

"No, I'd skip this time. Let's make a move", I rushed.

"I don't want my ice cream melting in the sun. We have ample time. The first year class isn't over for another hour. It won't take much time. Five minutes max.", she begged.

"Okay.", I said, and waited for her to finish her ice cream. I gave a cold stare to some of my class guys watching Neha savor her ice cream, through the window. 'Cheap pleasure', I thought to myself.

Neha finished her ice cream, and we started to walk towards the first year block. The sun was a bit harsh today with the temperature close to 38-degree centigrade. It was November for crying out loud, why is it so hot now. I regretted not having an ice cream myself. But there were other things on my mind.

"You look way better today," she said

"I sure do.", I replied.

The weekend was one of the worst I could remember in recent times. I hardly got out of my bed. I skipped dinner on Saturday even though Neha bought me food. I got up on Sunday at noon and ate the stuff I had to eat for dinner the previous night. I rolled on my bed the whole evening and went off to bed without having dinner. Neha tried her best to comfort me multiple times, but I put my foot down refusing to be cheered up. I forced myself to be pathetic.

As we entered the first-year block, I tried to act as casual as possible. It was just the first-year block, and we weren't really there to do anything terrible. But I somehow felt I had illegally crossed the Indo-Pak border and was walking into the enemy territory.

A couple of departments were already done for the day, and the students were outside their classrooms chatting with each other. I noticed a few heads turn our way. Maybe it was just natural, but it made me start freaking out. Maybe I should have come alone. Asking Neha to accompany me might not have been the best idea.

"Let's maintain a low profile. Keep your confidence low, Neha", I said.

"What was that supposed to mean ?"

"Take that as a compliment. We are not here to make an entrance."

"Calm down, you goodie-goodie. We are just two seniors here in the first year block. We are not causing any harm. Consider us to be two lionesses strolling through the fields where there also happens to be a herd of antelopes grazing. But the lionesses are full from lunch; they are not there to hunt. Similarly, we are casually strolling through the first year block, and we are not here to find and rag anyone..........", she paused. "None but one," she cackled. "That Pritam dude. I want you to catch that antelope by its neck and drag it across the field and slowly let it bleed to death. Do not devour it immediately but rather let it lie dead on the field for the vultures to dig into. That would send a message to the rest of those stags not to mess with the Queens of the jungle."

"Eeewwww. That's pretty savage Neha. But I am not here to destroy and humiliate him in front of everybody", I said as we reached in front of the first year economics classroom.

"Then what are you here for ?"

I did not have an answer to that as I looked through the window of the first year econ class. I thought I would know what to ask him once I come face to face with him. I felt comfortable speaking to him that day in the juice shop. So I felt it would just come to me today.

We were standing at a safe distance from the window, not to attract unwarranted attention. I scanned the classroom looking for that familiar face. Everyone in the class was paying utmost attention to the lecture. All because of them being first years, I thought. A couple of more years and half the class would be peering into their mobile phones under their desks.

After a minute of scanning, I finally spotted the guy whom I was looking for. He was sitting one row from the last, corner seat. He was wearing a thick round black framed spectacle giving him a nerdy look. I could distinctly remember that he was not wearing that during our previous encounter. He was writing something in his notebook. He looked sincere. I had one guy whom I had a good impression of, and I did not want to spoil that by asking him for the truth. Suddenly, I did not want to do this anymore. I wanted to let this be an unanswered question. I thought I was better off leaving this issue and moving past this.

"Neha. Let's...", I stopped. I caught him looking out through the window now, straight into my eyes.

I wanted to see fear; I wanted to see an apology; I wanted to see the truth in his eyes. But nothing. He was looking at me with no expression like as if the episodes of Friday did not happen at all. A few moments later he looked back into his notebook again.

I felt my stomach turning. How can this guy show no emotion? I wanted to rip that cold stare and shove it down his throat.

Neha was right. I had to hunt this stag down. The professor left the room, and the class slowly started to empty. I had to make my move now.