High School Romance Revisited

Chapter 10 - The Proposal

I don't know why but Mahen's words were still running inside my head. His words seemed like those old times when he often tried to show that I belonged to him. Our relationship was never the lovey-dovey types. We used to maintain distance from eachother during classes and sneaked out occasionally. Not to make out but to talk.

Mobile phones weren't that popular in those times. Though Mahen coming from a rich family already had an advanced phone while I was okay with my small and simple device. So naturally the time we had between classes we made the most of it.

But that's the best part of school romances. You knew you would be meeting him everyday and still waited. Speaking over phones didn't match that excitement of talking face to face.

For us everything was very simple. Even Mahen never proposed me in a grand gesture; he just declared his love while we were walking back to class from the library. Rather it was an accidental proposal.

A smile danced on my face remembering that day.

Flashback

Every week two students are selected from each class to help with library work. Our new session had just begun when our class teacher had declared Mahen and I will be assisting the librarian for the first week.

Mahen made an irritated face while I was very excited. The library had ordered new books on photography and assisting the librarian meant I could get a glimpse of those books too.

After the classes when I was preparing to wrap up so that I could report to the duty soon I heard raised voices in the corridor in front of our class. I quickly rushed to check what happened.

"How can you deny this? I thought books are your first love!" Mahen stared at Rai with shock.

Chitra and Koushik kept laughing while Mahen kept on pleading Rai. "Forget it Ganguly I am not exchanging my duties!" Rai declared as she pinned few papers to the message board.

"Oh come on! Does this work look more exciting to you?" Mahen asked pointing at the notice board.

"What happened?" I asked interrupting. They turned at me. "Good that you are here. May be you can put some sense into this dumbass's head," Rai said giving me a nod.

"I am a dumbass? You are a dumbass. Who enjoys library work after school?"

"Well I do," I quickly added.

"That's because you are boring!" He didn't just say that! I was about to protest when our librarian Mrs. Bose appeared from nowhere and ordered us to follow her, "Mahendra Ganguly and Deepannita Ghosal, I believe you two are selected from 10th Grade? Follow me."

She marched away not even waiting for us to answer. I threw a you-are-so-dead look at Mahen before following her. I heard Mahen telling Rai, "You wait Mukherjee, next time you ask me to do extra time at the backstage I'll give it back to you!"

Rai, Chitra and Koushik laughed and didn't pay any attention on Mahen's irritated mood.

Students from other classes had already assembled at the library. We too joined them. Mrs. Bose appointed us the shelves we will be arranging. I volunteered for two shelves Photography and Physics. Not even asking Mahen for his opinion Mrs. Bose asked him to help me. "But mam I wanted to work on the economics section," Mahen protested.

"There's no new books for that section so you may help Miss Ghosal. Or do you want me to report back to your class teacher that you were neglecting your duties."