Moments

See off ....

Model Exams came and went. We had some holidays before our board exams. So we used to go to football ground and shared chats every evening just to refresh our minds but one day this refreshment process went in a reverse order for me.

"Do you know, I heard Shashank and Sneha, did 'that' before they broke up." one of the stupid said.

"Did what?"

"Biology process. What else could they have done?" he replied.

I wanted to punch him right on his face. But I had no rights to do such a thing.

"Shut up!" I shouted, "Can't you talk something sensible," I said this as I headed towards my cycle. I was about to leave and while going I again heard some insane talks-"This is nothing. I even heard that she has three boyfriends. Two from her new school......" another from that troop started.

My blood boiled from inside. Why was I even listening to that shit? So I decided to flee from those senseless talks, and headed to my home. As I was riding my bicycle I was just thinking-'Are these rumours really true?' But then I thought again-'C'mon, I spent one full year as her friend and now I doubt her character?' That was the day when I realized that, when someone is happy with their own life, many assholes try to spoil that person's image in society. Same was happening to Sneha.

She was a rich girl, had a relation in class 10, roamed with boys. So what? Many teenagers do that. That was no big deal. To be frank it was not only with Sneha. There were many girls in my class who were made targets of such crazy gossips.

I still wonder, how could they talk about their own classmates in such a way? We criticize a girl for no reason other than that, she is beautiful and friendly with boys. For our society "a girl who talks to boys and is beautiful" means- a girl full of attitude, a girl with at least 2 or more relations, a girl who flirts, a girl who, no offense, is a 'slut!' C'mon, Indian society; grow up and remember your cultures, of which you are proud of. And I assure you that last thing about 'slut' thing is not my creation at all. It is what I hear from many people, about such girls; those girls who are pure by heart.

Well, if I start talking on this topic even 90,000 words won't be enough.

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So finally it was March 2012, month of my board exams. No thought of girls. No thought of nothing other than studies. But reading was never my cup of tea. Well irony of this line is, I drank a lot of lemon tea that whole month to keep myself awake all night to cover chapters, whatever I was capable of. Exams were not up to the mark. Still I was happy because with two years of frequent bunks on one side, no one could do better than what I did. So main part of my teenage was over i.e. 12th board exams. But I was still to decide which course I was going to take. It was a very tough decision. Those days or even now for that matter, engineering or medical is the only keyhole to success in India. But I was least interested in Engineering. And Medical was not at all in my mind, reason- I was not from a financial background to go for medicine and secondly I have a phobia of blood.

Not choosing Engineering, when majority of students opt for it, was the most daring step taken by me. My dad always supported me after some 'whys' and 'don'ts'. But for my mom, whose dream was to see me in IIT, it was indeed a shocking news. It took 2 days for me to make her understand that Engineering is not everything. And as a hurdle to my tries of convincing her, all my friends from science stream were ready for Engineering. You won't believe, it was the hardest time that I went through.

By God's grace, she somehow agreed with me. But question was- where to find a college. No way was I staying in Odisha anymore.

"Bangalore?" I suggested.

"No you are not staying in hostel," groaned my dad. Reason; he never wanted me to face any difficulty.

"Dad, I will not stay here." I said it intensely.

"No one is saying to say here. Search a college in Hyderabad," he suggested or I think he ordered.

I had no problem with it. He wanted me to stay at my grandma's place. And he even insisted mom to go with me. In less than a week after my exams I was ready to face the world by not opting for Engineering. But wait? What was I going to do? Well, I too didn't know it until I reached Hyderabad. Well story at Hyderabad is long way from here.

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So everything was decided. Dad reserved seats and got train tickets. We had only 2 days for packing. It was a Sunday; my dad and I went to buy some bakery items to eat on train and even some chocolate boxes for my small cousins. We were standing in front of "Jigyasa Ice Cream Parlour", a small food parlour irrespective of second part of its name. As he went in, to select some chocolates, I got myself a soft drink as it was a hot summer afternoon. I was facing the road and taking small sips of it when suddenly a white SUV stopped in front of that shop, and from it got down two girls- Sneha and her friend whom I never saw before. It was the first time in those 2 years that I saw her. She noticed me just as she was heading towards the shop. She waved her hand to me. I too smiled in return.

"Hey Prithvi, after such a long time." she said smiling.

"Yeah," I didn't speak much because with me was my father who was a real enemy of a girl companion of mine.

"Hmm. So how are you?"

"I am good; I am heading to Hyderabad for my studies."

"Oh wow. Cool."

"Never thought of meeting me in these two years huh?" I asked her in a different tone.

"Hey idiot, I wanted to contact you but I was not in touch with anyone after I came here from Indore. And I tried contacting Abhi......"

"I bought everything, let's go Prithvi," a voice came from back of my dad, which broke my conversation with Sneha. He was unaware of what he did.

I was left with nothing now. I had to go. And all I could say as I left Sneha, with her friend, in front that shop, was-"Bye." And in return I too got those three alphabets-'b' 'y' 'e' and 'Orlando'. Orlando, a lover from Shakespeare's play- As You Like It, was the name given to me by some of my friends. And I was glad that she remembered it even after such a long gap of 2 years. There was something that was weird. When every girl was showing me an exit gate from her life, then why was Sneha making entry over entry, in my life, unknowingly for sure. And there I saw her for the last time before a gap of 4 important academic years of mine, and her life too. It was the last time I saw her and stupid of me, who didn't even care to ask her number to be in contact. Thanks to Shashank, most ironically indeed, who planned a get together after graduation, because of which I met Sneha again after 4 long years.

Yeah, many things happened, changed but one thing as fresh as dew was her memories. I wanted to meet her, talk to her and then this happened- The Trip.