The Typical Indian Girl

'Interesting Opportunity'

“Hi, my name is Anaida.”

Laughing noises from back.

“I am here to do my graduation in political science.”

“Look at her dress.”  Some more laughing.

“I am a local and not from any other state.”

“Do you remember ‘never been kissed before’?” More laughing.

“Enough you girls!” She was about to turn to the girly laughing session going behind her, when she heard his strong voice and rather turned to look at him. He stood there glaring at the girls behind her, who were making fun of her.

“Sup with you man?” one of the girls shouted back at him. “Can’t I have some fun, or I’ll need your permission for that now, huh?”

“Shut up Nutts, let the girl at least speak first. And yeah you need permission to have fun ‘coz you in my group, but if you wanna continue like this, you can leave right on.”

Anaida just stood back and watched all the drama happening around her. After Ankush’s commanding statement, she was feeling overwhelmed, as no guy, ever, had taken a stand for her before today. She turned to look at him and found him smiling at her.

“Do you wanna say something else, dear?” Dear……oh my god.

She shook her head, still shaken up from the little drama. She was about to start walking back to her seat when he heard him again.

“You didn’t tell us your hobbies”, he said smilingly and in a completely different voice what he had used against ‘Nutts’.

“Umm... I like reading.” It was the safest answer she had been giving everyone all day because if she said listening music, she’ll be asked to sing and if she said she likes dancing, she’ll be asked to dance, that too in front of everyone.

“Safe answer.” She shot back him a look, it seemed he had just read her mind. “What kind of books do you read, novels, study types...”

“Novels. Romantic novels. Danielle Steel, Nicholas Sparks, Judith Mc Naught……” she knew  he is going to ask her the names of her favorite authors, so she started without being asked but she was shocked and stopped in middle of her sentence by an unusual request.

“Perform a romantic scene from one of your novels.” He said with a wink on his face.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come now. Ok I’ll make it easier for you. Umm… I’ll give you a scene to act. Imagine that…..”

“I said my hobby was reading, not acting.” Anaida said, pulling up her courage a bit.

“Then don’t act, my love. Just say some cheesy lines from your novels. I’m sure you can even create some.” He said circling around her.

“No. No, I don’t memorize lines from my novels and no, I can’t create some.” And with that she went to her seat, picked her bag up, caught Deb’s hand and walked out of the classroom.

***

“That was ragging!”

“You just walked out on him!”

“Okay maybe ragging is too harsh a word. But that’s not how ‘introduction session’ goes.”

“You just walked out on Ankush!”

“You know once I’m into university union, I’m gonna do something about this.”

“No one ever walks out on him!”