Once upon a time..... I fell in love

Chapter 1. Rahul Khanna

I was getting late for the college, "Shit! I am not gonna make it to Mr. Chopra's class on time again." These were my usual thoughts almost every morning. God! Why don't I learn anything from my routine? From waking up late in the morning to whatever I do during the day lands me in trouble.

'Rahul Khanna move your ass faster otherwise you will miss your lift.' I told myself trying to get out of bed.

"Dad, please can you drive the car a bit faster I am going to be very late for the class." I said to dad pleadingly.

"You can't be any later than you already are. And your teacher must be used to it by now and moreover he will be embarrassed to see you early in the class." Dad said sarcastically.

I thought, "I should have got that damn bike fixed on time, sometimes it is so embarrassing to have parents. Whoever came up with the idea of having parents? And even worse living with them."

"You are not a small child anymore you should learn to get your things fixed on time. And moreover eating your breakfast in the car, don't you think you are old enough to wake up on time and eat like other family members. It is so embarrassing to.....forget it."

I got off the car and made sure I wouldn't bang the door which I really wanted to do but I wasn't ready for another speech on manners.

"Bye dad thanks a lot." I said with a fake smile.

I was walking towards the college gate thinking about the torture I had been through. I saw Rajveer in the parking lot waiting for me. "He doesn't look happy", I thought. Even though he is my best friend but sometimes he is difficult to deal with too.

But I love him a lot so I tolerate whatever he says and I know what he will say next, "You are late again how we are going to face Mr. Chopra again today; sometimes it is so embarrassing to be your friend especially when I have to enter with you in the class and that too late. Do you know we are late almost every day for his class and mostly it's because of you." Rajveer said annoyingly.

"Stop it Rajveer! I have started to hate the word 'embarrassing' or any word starting with the sound 'EMB'. I don't know how many times dad said this word today. I feel like a depressed guy I wish I had no ears today so I didn't have to listen to dad's big long speech. Do you know how happy I was to see the college building today sitting in dad's car, I thought I was going to suffocate and die in that damn car."

We both laughed loudly. Our laughter died down once we saw Mr. Chopra with his sullen face in the class.

"May I come in sir?" Rajveer asked.

Mr. Chopra looked at Rajveer and said pointing at me "He doesn't need to ask to come in. He is son of a king who doesn't need permission to enter in the class. Isn't it Rahul?"

"Sorry sir, I was going to ask."I said.

"When? After 10 min when the class will be over. Listen boy, I don't care if your dad has a big business and makes a lot of money but if you don't attend the classes I will make sure you don't pass this class."

By the time I sat in the class I fully comprehended the meaning of the word embarrassment. Now, that he let me sit in the class it was all ok. The bad part was over and then I didn't need to worry about what had happened since morning.

Rajveer was my best buddy in the whole world he never entered in the first lecture without me even though he came on time every day. This time too I entered the class because of him; if it were me alone Chopra wouldn't have let me in. 

Rajveer was a good student and he liked reading everything and anything. If I talk about myself I hated books, college, classrooms, professors and even stationary items. Anything that reminded me of studies deserved hate. For me open book was always an invitation to sleep, without fail.