The Thing We Call First Love

Chapter 9 - The Mesmeriser

In the morning break I stood in the corridor alone looking at the trees. Tears welled up in my eyes. I was trying hard to control my tears. I didn't want anyone to see me.

Suddenly I felt a pat on the back. Without turning to look who it was, I asked who was it. But I didn't get an answer but what I got was an even harder pat. Now I was furious. With a ferocious face and bloodshot eyes, I turned to look who it was.

It was Pravesh. I still remember his reaction. Poor guy was scared. He was perplexed. He was curious. I could see every emotion in just that one look. He asked me what had happened to me. I just stood there without knowing what to answer. In all that commotion, I had forgot to control my tears. They came pouring down. I'd never been so embarrassed in my life.

'I DON'T KNOW.  I SHOULD HAVE JOINED COMMERCE WITH YOU.' I just blurted out the words. He thought that I was missing him and started consoling me. Poor fellow had no idea that it wasn't for him.

Jokes aside; I was lucky, really lucky to have a friend like him. To have a person who really cares is very rare. After 5 minutes of conversation, he headed back to his class since he had to meet some teacher. I didn't inquire about the details.

I decided to wash my face and so I headed towards the rest room. I had to cross her class to go there. I didn't feel like looking for her and went straight past the class without gazing through the window. Well it was not because I was mad at her. I didn't want her to see me in that disgusting state.

I went to the rest room, washed my face; looked into my bloodshot eyes in the mirror. It was red like I was having a hangover. On my way back, I saw her standing in the corridor looking my way. I froze for a moment.

A strange emotion that I couldn't understand was going through me. I didn't want to talk to her but my legs headed towards her. My mind ordered me to stop but I couldn't. That's when I realised that my heart had taken over my body or should I say love had taken control of me. It was like she was mesmerising me. The mesmerised me walked towards her like a puppet.

I stopped just about two feet in front of her. I didn't utter a word. The silence prevailed for about five seconds. Those five seconds made my heartbeat go wild. Then finally she spoke 'ARE YOU OK? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN? WHY ARE YOUR EYES SO RED? I SAW YOUR DEJECTED FACE WHEN YOU CROSSED MY CLASS AND I JUST WANTED TO CHECK WHETHER YOU ARE FINE.'

And that was that. I was speechless. Tears welled up in my eyes again. I did everything to control it but it wouldn't stop. I started crying in front of her. Before she could speak, with great difficulty I gathered the words and told 'WE HAVE BEEN SEPARATED.' That was all I spoke.

The next words that came out of her mouth shook me. Those words were enough to keep me happy for a week, no a month ; no no no, it was enough to keep me happy for a lifetime.

'NO ONE CAN SEPARATE US' was the words that my ears heard. My tears just froze. It was like time had just stopped around me.

I just stared at her. What should I reply? I didn't get any words. My mind went blank. She was smiling. Her smile just made me the happiest man alive. I didn't know for how long I was frozen. The next thing I could hear was the bell.

Break was over. Everyone went to their classes. Without uttering another word she did too. But I didn't budge. My angel had just blessed me. I didn't want to go to class but I had to. With great difficulty, I went to the class and sat there smiling like an idiot.

The words 'NO ONE COULD SEPARATE US' kept ringing in my head. My bloodshot eyes disappeared. My tears disappeared. The magic called love had healed me.

I couldn't concentrate anymore to any of the classes. I waited for the lunch break desperately. I wanted to talk to her again. I wanted to ask what those words meant. But unfortunately, I couldn't talk to her again that day. Circumstances didn't let me. But I managed to wave her bye in the evening. She waved back smiling.

I went home in a flash abadoning my friends and took my phone. 'REACHED HOME?' I texted. I had to wait for another hour for a reply. After that the replies continued till 10.30 pm that day. A day which began as the worst one ended up being the best just because of my Ramya.

Since I didn't wait for my friends that day, they got angry. I apologised to them. But they didn't forgive me for a week. Finally, it was ice cream that did the trick. After that, a week went with everything being perfect.

It was a Tuesday morning when the news came. A boy of my class had beaten a computer science group boy. Who knew that that fight would change my life? It was a start of a new era in my life.