Once Upon a University Campus

Who was She?

The new translation project took Annika out of the campus every day, but it paid her well enough to tide over impending expenses related to Saahil's vacation which was just round the corner. That day by the time she got back to campus after work it was early evening. Winds were bitter, darkness had befallen bringing along a curtain of light mist. Annika had skipped her lunch earlier that day, food outside the campus was expensive and she had to conserve every paisa right now. Since dinner time was still far away, she got herself a few bread pakodas from Ganga Dhaba. She ambled along the empty Main Street munching on a warm bread pakora as the cool mist hit her face. The campus looked almost eerie since most students were out on vacation, and most of those who stayed back on campus were cozily holed up in their rooms. A little further on that tediously quiet street, she thought she heard the snarl of stray dogs. She could not see them but she it was clear that there were more than one of them, which was rather strange.There were plenty of strays on campus but they never snarled or growled at residents. She had seen them acting hostile towards outsiders especially if they are disturbed. She quickened her pace, the snarling grew louder. Then she heard something fall with a clink.  She almost ran into the mist until she saw the silhouette of a frozen man and three strays snarling around him.  Instinctively she took took one of her chappals- Chandni to her hand and flung it at one of the strays with the accuracy of drunkard. Instead of the dog, Chandni hit the frozen man. A jump of surprise and a string of expletive had finally shaken the frozen man. The missile missed it's target but as intended the strays whimpered and scattered, partly shaken by the missile, partly seeing a familiar face. She walked up closer to wear her Chandni. She broke bits of bread pakoda at one of the whimpering dog as if she wanted to apologize for having scared them. The dogs gathered around her for bits of bread pakodas. Saving the last pakora for herself, she hushed away the dogs. The man was still shaken and his cellphone laid on the road broken into pieces. She picked up pieces of the cell phone and turned around to hand it over its owner. To her shock the man turned out to be Mr.Outsider again.

'The dogs had every right to be riled' was her first thought. 'But in the whole wide world, is this the person I had to encounter at this time on a empty street. That is why they say when it rains it pours. As if my hunger, long work day, cold evening and walking in a torn chappal was not enough that I had to meet this man here again.' she said to herself.

Without a word, not looking into his eyes, she handed him the pieces of his cell phone and stood there waiting for him to start walking. It took him a few minutes to gather himself, to get walking. They were silent. They had nothing to say to each other. He should have thanked her, but he was too shaken. It looked like he had never encountered hostile stray dogs before. That eerie mist hung ominously and they heard the silence as loud and clear as spoken words. The click of his expensive shoes, the rustle of autumn leaves around the sidewalks echoed in that silence. She could hear his deep breaths, had she paid a little more attention she could have heard his heart beat too. She took a bite of bread pakoda, but the crunch of the crispy bread pakoda disturbed the silent equilibrium between them. She shove the pakoda back into the paper bag.

She wondered what was going on in his mind right now. 'He who claims to be on a high pedestal, to whom we mere mortals are inconsequential was today shaken by a few stray dogs! A six year old Saahil would have taken care of these dogs and here Mr Outsider, god incarnate and yet helpless when it comes to stray dogs. And what more he was helped by an 'irresponsible clown' '. Annika chuckled and then pretended to clears her throat in an attempt to hide her chuckle.

Unwittingly their strides went in tandem till they reached the gates of her hostel, after what felt like the longest walk of their life. Approaching the well light courtyard of her hostel, Annika quickened her pace. So did Mr.Outsider. From the corner of her eyes, she thought she saw him turn towards her, about to say something. But she just wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. Her help remained unacknowledged nor did she wait for an acknowledgement. She bolted towards the corridor leading to the girl's wing and did not stop till she was inside her room, door secured.. Her heart seemed to leap out of her rib cage, lungs unable to keep up with her breath. The last she saw him from the corner of her eyes, he had paused, perhaps never expected her to run away without looking at him. Not a nod, not a word, not even a look. Despite the cool mist around, he was crimson as if he knew he owed her a word of thanks but before he could think of initiating the conversation, she was gone. Was he annoyed that she did not give him a chance to speak ? unfair as it was, since he had ample time to at least thank her during their long walk together. Annika brushed it all aside. She could care less for his apology or what ever he was thinking the moment she bolted.