A Coffee at Dawn

Chapter 12: Wishes

The room seemed more like a market. I had asked all the representatives to put a word about the cultural event discussion in their respective classes. I had summoned for the meet at 2:30. With proper calculations, I had planned the meet to be over by 3:30 and so that I could get free and Aarti and I could move out.

Manav had asked me to take charge and he had given me the liberty to do what I thought was right.

I reached the so called dance hall of our college, which was a classroom with no benches. It did have a green board though. As I entered I could see gangs of students standing at the corner, centre every possible place and lost in their world. For most of them such things were an escape plan, a medium to bunk classes.

Few of them noticed me enter and went mute and a few did not bother to even turn there head. Not because of arrogance but because of ignorance. Neeti came along with me. She was a trained singer. God sometimes is extremely generous. She was great at studies, I had heard about her stories from my senior friends. She was an amazing singer and the most friendly being in the college. And to top it all she was the prettiest among her batchmates. Manav was a lucky guy.

"You should start, and you can't keep waiting till they stop!" Neeti pushed me scream on my day one as a lead.

"Yes! I would appreciate it if we all talk with each other rather talking amongst groups like this." I smiled and turned towards Neeti. She gave a thumbs up and moved to the side. I heard the crowd laugh at it and gradually went silent making way for me to talk.

"Well, thank you! I hope you all know my name by now and i dont need to go on with the introduction all over again. So this is just an introductory meet." Students were still assembling. Only one girl out of Aarti's gang had turned up. I hardly new the entire gang. "So, before getting into serious planning and working towards the fest, let us all have fun, fun meaning lets play music tracks at random and lets dance and freak out. I guess before getting serious, having little fun always helps." I finished to see many excited faces and a few clapping here and there, the rest talking and discussing among themselves. In this small chaos, I saw Aarti heading towards the room through the window.

"Well, let us plan for that on this weekend, I shall get the required things arranged. Till then what I would want all of you to do is, put in a word in your respective classes and take the names of the ones who are willing to take part in the cultural. The entire plan will be shared with the entire college soon and I guarantee this would be something different." As I completed Aarti entered with her rest of the gang. My part in the meeting was actually almost done. I wished she was here to see how I managed on the day one as a lead.

Neeti and I signalled everyone to disperse as we had to discuss a few things and head out as well. Everyone left except for Aarti. Seeing Aarti stay back, I was surprised and Neeti did not understand anything. Aarti stood silent at the corner busy medling her phone.

"She is your friend right?" Neeti was perplexed.

Well friend to the world, not to me

"Aah! yes. She is. I dont know wh-a- I mean.."

"Stop fumbling, its evident from your face. I am your senior, you need to play games with me in this." She laughed and left the room telling the discussions would happen when i was free.

She left the room, I turned towards Aarti to see her already staring at me. I just smiled and went towards her. She was leaning onto the window sil and her so called college bag in front. Such kind of bags were replacements to the gunny bags I felt. Extensively large. She could fit in almost everything in it. She caught me staring at her bag and snapped her fingers to break my eye contact with her bag.