A Strange Love Story

His eyes darted towards her unknowingly. Why did he look at her everyday starting from the day she joined the university? Sitting on the bench near the tree, she always had a book with her.

Her character always fascinated him. She was always alone from the day she joined the university till today. He hadn't seen her talking to anyone unless they go and talk to her. She wasn't there for any college trips or competitions but there was never a dull moment for her. Always wearing a smile on her pinkish red lips, she was a natural beauty with just the thickly lined kohl on both up and down of her eyes.

He excused himself from his friends' gang and walked to her, finally finding the courage to talk to her. There was an inexplicable urge in him to get to know her, to find out the real her.

“Trivedi” He called as he sat on the bench a little far from her.

She closed her book very delicately as if it would hurt the book. That was one thing he noticed about her. The book she held was always fresh and crisp even after she uses the same book for over a week.

She adjusted her nerdy spectacles and turned to him with a smile.

“What's up Oberoi?” She asked holding her fingers between the pages of the book wherever she stopped reading.

“You know me? Surprising” He told in order to start a conversation.

“I'm honoured that you know my surname. I mean come-on Oberoi, who doesn't know you?” She asked and he looked at the changing expressions of her expressive eyes with awe.

“Isn't that flattering Trivedi?” He asked playfully and she shrugged.

“I hear your name every now and then so I thought everyone knew you” She told shrugging.

“Oh so that's the reason you thought I'm famous?” He asked and she nodded. Which century was she living in? Doesn't she watch news?

“Now if you excuse me Oberoi, I'm in a very crucial part of the story” She told.

“You can continue. Do you mind me sitting here?” He asked and she nodded.

“If you sit here, see all those bird eyes searching for you as if searching for their meal for the day? They'll come as a flock and start chirping from here. I need silence while reading. So please” Though she told it with a smile, he sensed the irritation in her tone as she looked at the few girls who were asking his friends for him.

“Uh—ok” He told awkwardly before slowly getting up from the bench with a 5% belief that she'll stop him but that never happened. She was back to reading her book and he slowly walked back to his friends but before he could reach them, the bird eyes she told previously, cornered him. All the other days, he enjoyed their attention on him but today he just looked at her while she was busy reading. She was a tough nut and he was determined to crack it.

*

Next day

“Trivedi” He called as he sat beside her and she turned to him exactly the way she did the previous day after slowly closing her book.

“Seems like you have no plans to let me read in peace Oberoi?” She asked with a smile and he chuckled.

“Well no. So tell me one thing. Dairy milk or milky bar?” He asked and she looked confused at him.