The Convenience Theory

7. Cats, Canteen and The Phone Call

"Ow, ow, ow" I whimper as I sit down on my usual seat on our usual table at our college canteen.

Nadira pats my shoulder sympathetically but I know she is trying to withhold a big laugh.

My butt had completely bruised from my embarrassing fall last night. Tiles hit hard. Super hard.

Arjun had been courteous enough to help me get up without laughing at me.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He had asked worried.

"Yes" I winced. It was the only thing I could get out. More out of embarrassment than pain. I have a high pain tolerance that way. Someone who is as clumsy as I am needs that.

Although Arjun had been a total gentleman about it and actually helped me walk till my bike even though I didn't need it, yesterday was officially the worst day ever.

The time I reached the parking I realised my bike had broken down. So, we had to push it all the way to a garage, where the mechanic told me it would take two days to fix.

I should listen to Anaita when she tells me to regularly service my bike. My laziness dug my grave. And according to Mamma, the amount of times I have crashed my bike.

But that is a story for another time.

If I wasn't sure earlier, I am now that my life is like a long, unending Shakespearean tragic comedy.

The incidents become fun stories later but they always happen in front of the one person I don't want them to happen before, aka Arjun Nadkarni.

But then again, he was sweet enough to drop me home and even texted me later to ask how I was.

So, the day ended a tad bit better. But I still ranted my woes out to my mother and how badly my day went, so she let me have Maggi for dinner out of pity. And Dad made that for me with extra butter.

I am a spoiled child for my own good.

I am pulled out of my trance when the waiter places down our orders that we didn't even order. We hang out at the canteen way too much that even staff knows our orders.

Cold coffee for Anaita, protein shakes for Ritwik, hot coffee for Nadira, iced tea for Anamika and a Coke for me.

"Thanks. Please put it in our account, dada (Marathi word for elder brother)." Ritwik says to him and goes back to his phone, which is surprising because he never even carries his phone along with him most of the times. He thinks it's unnecessary unless of course he is talking to a girl which I suspect he is right now.

"Sorry guys I am late. The professor just wasn't leaving even after the bell." Anamika rushes to our table and settles down on her usual seat.

She is the one person who is never late, not even to sleepovers. In fact, she is always before time and then has to wake us up from our prolonged afternoon naps. Poor girl.

"Which professor?" Anaita asks picking up her glass of cold coffee.

"Ugh! Economics." Anamika says.

"Oh, he is the worst." Nadira chimes in "He handles our entrepreneurship cell and is giving us all such a hard time on the Start-up Fair. I almost quit."

"Oh don't, you are going to do amazing!" I cheer "What are you presenting?"

The entrepreneurship cell of our college organizes a Start-up Fair every year. Students from colleges all over Pune come to ours for this competition where they have to pitch ideas for a start-up project to judges. And the best idea and pitch wins. It is like the mini, inter-collegiate version of Shark Tank.