Pending Abandonment

PREMIÉRE

Arya was moving towards her hostel when a group of giggling girls beckoned her.

"Hey Freshie! Here.", a girl with long straight hair and porcelain white skin called her.

"Yes?"

"See that guy over there-", she pointed towards a guy with short curly hair. He had a grey shirt on with navy blue trousers, slightly slouched but still tall.
"Go and ask for his number."

"But ma'am"

"Are! This service is mandatory for the juniors. It's your duty to your seniors."

"But ma'am-"

"You want something worse?", Arya remembered the tales of ragging told by Deeksha. She didn't want to go through anything of that sort.

"Ok, I'll go."

Arya took slow and nervous steps towards the grey shirt guy. He looks friendly. She thought as she neared the guy. The guy was constantly throwing his head back as if enjoying a hilarious moment, it felt as if she were about to interrupt a friendly moment. She tapped on his shoulder, she turned around, giving way to the glorious face of Samir. Arya stopped to look at him for a moment and then turned to answer the guy she had come to take the number of.

"My seniors asked me to get your number. Can you please give me your number?", the guy smirked while Samir had his eyes fixed on her nervous frame.

"Why should I do that?"

"For the sake of College Pamphlet?"

"What?"

"It was written that the college provides for a friendly environment, where the seniors help and care for their juniors."

He laughed heartily, amused at how quick-witted yet silly Arya was. He was confused by her answer but amused nonetheless. Anil, his name was, wrote down his number on her hand using a pen provided by Arya, accompanied by his name in capital letters. It was almost as if he wanted her to remember his name, and maybe even jot down his number on her phone. Arya smiled hesitantly and muttered a 'thank you'.

"Thank you won't do.", Arya stopped in her tracks. What does he want now?

"Do I have to ask for someone else's number for you now?"

Anil smiled slightly and said," Not that. Treat me to a cappuccino."

"Okay. But when?"

"You have my number. Whenever you like."

"Okay.", Arya held her head down and marched towards the girls. What is this now? Treat me to a coffee, what if it turns out to be a date? Ahhhh.

"Here you go", Arya forwarded her inked palm towards the girl and they jotted down the number, excitedly so. He was handsome and friendly, it wasnt a surprise he was popular among girls.
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Quantum mechanics was messing her mind up, it was so different from the classical Physics she had studied. Maxwell and Newton moved aside as Pauli, Schrödinger, Planck took over and it wasnt easy. While studying Stark and Zieman effect, she couldnt bear to sit down and gulp elementary particles anymore. Arya got up from her brightly lit desk and moved out of the tiny room, inhaled the fresh air of campus. The top of trees were dancing as winds slightly touched their heads and moved to an unknown direction. She slowly moved out of the building to treat herself to a cup of tea. 'When not glee, have tea' Arya recalled Deeksha's stupid one-liners.

"Bhaiya ek chai!(Brother, one tea please.)"

"Mere Lie bhi ek, adrak wali(One for me as well, with ginger.)", rang a voice from behind. Samir. Arya was calm on the outside but all she wanted to do was hyperventilate. Butterflies in her stomach wandered around frantically, she felt like a love sick high school girl. She knew she would embarrass herself if she tried to look at him, so she stared into the abyss of the tea shop as she waited for the hot beverage to arrive. Samir came forward and stood beside her, her heart shook inside her ribcage.

"Lo!(here.)",  the chai wallah called. Arya stepped forward, grabbed her chai and scurried away to the nearest table. She felt Samir's stare on her but decided not to look in his direction. It all seemed odd to him, just a few days ago she smiled foolishly at him but now she was deliberately staying out of his. Maybe he read the situation wrong. She was probably trying to be friendly to a senior to avoid getting into trouble.