CHAPTER 8: The Last Leg

They were walking, hand in hand, a cool pleasant breeze blowing nicely. Both of them did not utter a word. While Amit was lost in the romantic aura of the evening, Payal's mind was busy contemplating her future action.

"About this Vidya...." she started.

"Do we really need to talk about this right now?" 

"I think we should. Amit, there is something that I think you should know."

"Are you confessing something to me?"

"Yes, I am. But it's not about me. It's about you. There is a thing that you don't know about yourself, and I think you should be aware of the facts and reality."

Now what the hell was that all about? Amit wondered. Who knew him better than himself?

Payal continued.

"Your mind is right now suspended between imagination and reality. People around you, the ones that you think are around you, some of them don't exist."

"Please don't talk in circles. Come to the point."

"Amit, your two closest friends, Ravi and Vidya, they don't exist!" she blurted.

"What do you mean they don't exist? Just because we are in a relationship, I won't have you speak like that about my friends to me."

"Amit try to understand what I am saying. Ravi and Vidya exist, but only in your mind. In reality they don't. You have a problem and we need to solve it."

"Payal, what is this all about? You are telling me that the last three years was a figment of my imagination? That all the times I had with my best friends never really happened? Are trying to say that I'm bloody crazy?"

"I am not calling you crazy Amit. It's a psychological problem, and there is treatment available. I just want to help you."

"Telling me that I am imagining people sure helps, sweetheart. But in case you wanted to break-up with me, there are much better and healthier ways than calling me a psychopath. Vidya was right, I had my priorities mixed up."

"Amit, don't do this to me. I do love you, I really do, inspite of everything. I just want to make you see the reality."

"Make me see it then, because right now I feel blinded."

"I'll try. Why do you think Vidya and Ravi are never seen with anybody else other than you?"

"Because we are the best of friends. And both of them are introvert."

"That is fine, but why would they disappear every time that you are in somebody else's company? Have you ever heard anybody else talk about them? Have you talked about them with anybody other than me, ever?"

"No I haven't. Because if I do, everybody says I'm crazy. They may not be the best looking in the world, but they still are my friends, and I would do anything for them. Others don't like them, I do. Nobody talks or befriends me, they do. And you say they don't exist?"

"Exactly what I mean. Can't you see? No other person can see or hear them other than you. That's because they are present only in your mind. You are not crazy Amit. The condition is called Schizophrenia. And it can happen to anybody. I am here to help you."

Amit pushed her hand away.

"You are a real bitch, you know that? You get me emotionally involved with you, and now you are trying to convince me that my friends don't exist, that I am bloody schizophrenic. Tell you what. I am really messed up right now. I need to go and be alone for some time. And if you can, I would be grateful if you don't go around telling every Tom, Dick and Harry that Amit is crazy."

He walked away. Payal stood frozen. A couple of tears rolled down her cheek. Was this the beginning of the end?

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"Just leave it dude. You've still got us." Ravi said, putting his hand on Amit's shoulder.

"It just ain't fair. Why do I need to choose between my friends and my love? Why me?"

Amit looked out at the horizon. He was sitting with Ravi and Vidya on the white sand of the Ganga river which flowed right next to the campus.

"You see this sand, Amit?" Vidya said. "The harder you try to grab it, the faster it slips away. Its better that she dumped you sooner rather than later before things got more serious. And as Ravi said, we are still there with you."

"She didn't dump me Vidya, not yet. That girl loves me, I know that for sure. The problem is choosing between two parts of myself and I don't know what to do!"

"So you still want to go to her at the first chance you have?" Vidya exclaimed. "What the hell man! It has been us who have been with you when you were all alone. We came to your rescue when everybody else was only concerned about bullying you. We gave you the best moments of your life. And you are thinking of leaving us for one girl who just entered your life a couple of weeks ago and gave you your first kiss? Now, is that what you call fair?"

"Damn it Vidya! You just don't get it do you. I want both, my friends, as well as her. My friends won't have her, and she thinks my friends don't exist. What the bloody hell am I supposed to do?"

"I think I know what we can do right now." said Ravi. "Just forget everything for a moment. Be at peace, feel as if nothing happened. Damn, I really feel like going into that water. Anybody game for a splash?"

"I sure am." smiled Vidya.

"Dude, you know I can't swim, and on top of that I really am not in a mood for fun."

"You don't require a mood for fun. Enjoy the fun, and your mood will improve automatically. C'mon now, don't be a spoilsport."

Amit got up and walked with them into the water. The water was cool and surprisingly clear. They kept walking ahead. The water reached upto his thighs.

"Guys I think this much deep is enough." Amit said.

"Hey, you unsure of your height? Come along man, it's just upto my waist here."

Amit walked towards Ravi. The water was rising steadily. It seemed as if it was till Ravi's waist. But here, it was rising now above Amit's belly. He stopped and closed his eyes.

He felt at peace. Maybe people were actually right about the holiness of this river. His mind was relaxed. There were strong undercurrents in the tide, but he didn't care. He wanted to feel like this forever. He felt his feet lose the touch of the river bed. He felt light. Why did he have to make any decisions to reach his destiny after all? The river was taking him there with it. 

"So you think we don't exist?" he heard Vidya say.

"No, I don't." he tried saying. But the words never left his mouth.

***************************************THE END**********************************

CHAPTER 7: A Slice of the Past

 He was running as fast as his tiny feet could carry him, tears rolling down his cheek. A couple of pebbles were thrown in his direction which hit him on his back, but not hard enough to hurt him. The other children were roaring with laughter behind his back.

"Coward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he heard someone yell.

"What a girl, look at him run holding his skirt." another voice said.

Amit did not look behind. He just wanted to run away from everybody. They think he is a coward? Let them. They think he is not manly enough? Let them. When he grows up, he'll show all of them what he is made of. He would be a bigger man than they would ever have dreamt of. But till then, he had to get away. Away from all the teasing, bullying that he had been experiencing ever since he made friends with them. He knew he was physically weak, but one day he would show them brain always prevails over brawn. As of now he just wanted his mother.

"Amit, wait!" a voice shouted behind him. Without stopping he turned around to see tiny Vidya in her usual pink frock trying to keep pace with him. He was so full of anger that he didn't bother to wait. He couldn't wait. His head was boiling with anger, eyes sore with crying and all he wanted was his mother's arms. He continued running out of the park and across the street into the compound of his home. Just as he opened the gate, there was a loud screech behind him followed by a shrill scream. He turned around to see a mass of pink drenched in red lying in front of the car which couldn't stop in time. Everything suddenly seemed to move slowly as the crowd gathered and Amit was frozen at the porch.

*************************************************************************

Amit woke up his face dripping with sweat. It was still dark outside. He checked the time to see that it was just 3:20 a.m. He took a sip of water into his parched mouth and laid back on his bed thinking about the dream he just had. The very same dream that had been haunting him ever since the incident happened when he was a seven-year old kid running away from his bully friends. Vidya was his only friend back then but she did not survive that accident. As a toddler, it was one Vidya who came to his aid when he needed a friend, and now at another turning point in his life, another Vidya had become close to him. Too much to be a mere coincidence. Maybe this was the way God played his games.

He pulled the rug to cover his shoulders and thought about his last conversation with her.

"I hope you realise your priorities soon. You are totally messed up Amit." These were her last words before leaving him. It was a clear message that he could either have the one person who had been his friend and stood by him throughout or the one girl who had stolen his heart, his mind, his life. Why did he have to make a choice, damn it! Why can't he have both, a friend as well as a partner. He new life was all about choices, but never thought he would be at such a juncture where whichever choice he makes, ultimately he would lose a part of himself.

He then pulled the rug over his head and closed his eyes in a vain attempt to catch some slumber which had long gone.

********************************************************************

S-C-H-I-Z-O-P-H-R-E-N-I-A

Payal typed on Google. She had to know about it. Was it really a mental illness that Amit was suffering from, or rather, was she in love with a lunatic? Could it be cured? If yes, How?

A million questions had crossed her mind ever since she discovered that Amit's closest friends were actually imaginary. Why did he have non-existent friends? How come nobody realised what was wrong?

".....a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of the process of thinking and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social or occupational dysfunction. The onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood......."

The computer screen displayed.

"I really don't know what to do, Neha." she told her roomie who was sitting next to her reading the information on the computer screen.

"Do you really think that you are in a position to do anything?" Neha asked. "Get a grip over yourself Payal. This is a psychiatric case, and you are no doctor. I feel its better you let it go, the earlier the better."

Payal sighed. Maybe Neha was correct. But should she give up without a try? Maybe she would, but first she needed to know more about his condition and she continued browsing the hundreds of web pages that google had thrown back to her.

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Chapter 6: IS IT ????

The door burst open and Payal rushed inside and collapsed on the bed. Though a little unnerved at first, it took just one glance for Neha to understand what had happened with her best friend.

"God help me now." Payal said.

"Why are you bothering poor God? Let's see how we can help you. Let Him help the other praying people of the world." replied Neha.

"I don't know what came over me, Neha. Damn, it was all too sudden, I just could not get hold of myself or control myself from going with the flow."

"But you did enjoy it you naughty girl. Come out with the details, I'm waiting."

"It wasn't like I intended to smooch him or anything. Just that the evening was nice and I suggested that we go for a walk around the campus. It was raining slightly and then I asked him a question to which he just looked at me, not answering. Somehow, as if programmed my hand slid into his and it was a different world altogether. Nothing seemed to matter, and in a timeless fashion, it all happened. Totally out of control. What the hell was I thinking? I haven't even known him for a week yet and I went ahead and locked lips with him."

"Huh, so much for just a simple kiss. I thought you went all the way through. What's wrong with you girl?"

Payal threw a pillow at Neha's face which was deftly caught.

"So do you think he is head over heels in love with you?"

"It seems so. The way he looked into my eyes said all that his tongue could not."

"And what about you? Is this still a bet for you or....?"

"I think the bet is the last thing on my mind right now. I don't care what that haughty bitch thinks of me or herself. I need to unravel a mystery before I jump into this deep well, and for that I need your help."

"Always ready to do anything for you babes." said Neha. "Just spit it out."

"There is this girl Vidya from his batch and a particular Ravi. Both of them are supposedly Amit's best friends. I want to know more about them, Vidya in particular. Can you use your contacts in the college for me?"

"Sure shot. I'll let you know as soon as I get some information. Till then, I would love to hear some more description of your first kiss."

******************************************************************

"What do you expect me to explain Amit and how?" Vidya said in exasperation.

"Vidya, do you realise that this could break our friendship? All three of us are friends for heaven's sake. These things would destroy all those wonderful things all three of us have shared over the past years. And you know that I can't live without you both."

"Why would you bother with us now? Ravi is practically mum about everything and you now have other interests to look forward to."

"What do you mean?" asked Amit.

"I saw you Amit. I saw everything with my very own eyes. I was right near the SMS building when it all happened."

"You were following me?"

"No, I just wanted to know what you were up to."

"Is there any difference? Vidya, what's wrong with you? Why are you bent on breaking our friendship?"

"When did I ever say anything about breaking our friendship? You are the one suggesting that we break it. I just wanted to take it to the next level, thats all."

"So did Ravi. I am just saying that you forget all that has happened and we can be as we were a few days back."

"Do you really think that now things are going to be 'normal' ? Or have you been brainwashed by that muse of yours."

"She has got a name, and don't bring her into this debate unnecessarily."

"I am not bringing her into the debate, she is coming herself." Vidya said, pointing behind him.

Amit turned around to see Payal approaching them from a distance.

"Now Mr. Romeo would have to tend to his Juliet. Vidya'd better leave." said Vidya and got up to leave.

"Vidya, please sit down now. She isn't bad at all. I want you to meet her. Can't you just give her a chance?"

"Sorry, but I have better things to do. And another thing. I hope you realise that I can NEVER be with you when there is another person other than Ravi around. I don't like it, and neither should you. I hope you realise your priorities soon. You are totally messed up Amit."

Saying this Vidya disappeared from the cafe. Soon enough Payal entered and sat opposite Amit.

"What were you up to just now?" she asked.

"Forget it, after the conversation with Vidya I'm not really in a mood to discuss anything." he replied.

"Oh, she was here? Where did she go? I would have loved to meet her."

"Well, I told her the same thing. But she wouldn't listen and left seconds before you arrived."

"Wow, she must be pretty fast as I didn't see her leave."

Just then, Payal's phone rang. It was Neha on the other end.

"Hi Neha. Any news for me?" Payal asked her.

"Yes, and the news isn't so good." Neha said on the other end.

"What is it?" Payal asked and got up and moved away from Amit, lest he found anything suspicious.

"I asked around a lot, practically everybody that I know among our batch and our seniors. And everybody had the same reply."

"And what was that reply?"

"Payal, there is nobody called Vidya or Ravi here. Forget Amit's batch. There is no Vidya or Ravi in the entire institute."

************************************************************

Chapter 5: The Confluence

Neha was lying on her back under the soft whirring of her bedroom fan all alone, thinking. Were they doing the correct thing? Was a friendly bet turning out to be more than just fun? It seemed so, when she looked into Payal's eyes. No-one thought it was possible a month back when they had their first ragging experience. The snobby senior girl who taunted Payal's simple looks and plaited hair.

"Here is the latest guy repellant." She had said, those words still hurting like hell.

"You don't need looks to get a good guy." Payal had replied curtly. "I can get a much better person than you can even dream of, someone who would be mine because of what I am and not because of how I look."

"So you mean I cannot get someone like that flocking around me?"

"Maybe you will, but mostly it would be just people who would not think beyond your body."

"You are one arrogant bitch, you know that? Fine, you find one such guy and I'll have my head shaved off. How 'bout that?"

"In that case, you'd better take an appointment in the parlor" 

These were the last words uttered by Payal before she stormed out pulling Neha along with her.

*******************************************************************

"This Vidya seems to be one heck of a confused girl to me. But what are you so upset about?" Payal asked.

"You won't understand. Vidya has always been there for me whenever I needed her. Through my ups and downs in life. And this time, though I really want to help her, I can't. That's quite depressing."

"Maybe I won't. But if you have called me in this cafe just to worry about some Vidya's problems, then I have better things to do."

"So it does not affect you at all if some girl is so serious about me that she has rejected one of her closest friend's proposal?" Amit asked, his eyes voicing his feelings.

"What I am more interested in is, why are you not serious about her? If she has been so close to you, been there for you always, then why not go for it?"

"I have my reasons."

"And I would love to hear them."

Where was this leading? Amit was all confused. Would she understand if he told her the reason? Taking a deep breath he said,

"There is somebody I feel for strongly, and that's not Vidya."

"Woah woah woah. So now this is going into an endless loop. Ravi loves Vidya, Vidya loves Amit and now Amit loves somebody else. Sounds more like the story of some Hindi movie to me."

Ask me who it is. Ask me damn it. C'mon Payal, ask me.

"Maybe. But it's far from enjoyable."

"You know what, I would love to meet Vidya. She seems interesting though confused."

"We'll see if we can. She doesn't really hang out with anybody other than me or Ravi."

"Sure, now let's get out of here. Its becoming quite stuffy inside. Let's go for a walk around the campus. It's a beautiful evening, why ruin it in here."

Amit paid the bill and off they went. That late August evening was actually beautiful. The onset of the monsoons had the trees smiling a deep shade of green. Up in the sky, they could see various birds flying in different formations as if to celebrate the cool air. The scent of the soil was still fresh and the cool breeze just made it more pleasant.

They walked in silence along the long lanes of MNNIT campus. There were curious glances from the students hanging out on the stairs of the MP Hall, the teachers going out for their evening walks, the students playing basketball. Though it made him feel very uncomfortable, Amit decided to ignore them. He knew he would become the hot topic of discussions int the hostels, but being with Payal compensated for all that.

As they were walking, they reached the quiet lanes near the SMS building. Suddenly Payal stopped.

"I didn't ask you this earlier as I thought you might feel uncomfortable. But can I know who is the reason behind you refusing Vidya?"

Amit looked into her eyes. They yearned for an answer. An answer he wasn't very sure would yield the desired results for him.

"Payal, I really don't want to talk about it."

"But I do. Come out with it once and for all."

Slowly she slid her hand into his, entangling their fingers. Amit's brain was stoned. He could not think. He could feel the blood pumping hard in his body as she gripped his hand tighter and pulled him closer. It was drizzling, but he could not feel the drops. The world around him was suddenly out of focus and he could see only those hungry eyes. As if magnetised, he felt his face going closer to hers until there was just a tiny gap between them.

"Why can't you just muster up some courage and say it?" Payal asked him, her face just a few centimeters away from his.

"I don't know, my brain is all dizzy right now."

"I think I can cure that...."

Saying this, she closed her lips on his even as the drizzle turned into a downpour.

*****************************************************************

The mystery of fate

The sun was on its journey down the horizon by the time Amit was returning back to the hostel. The sky was a beautiful picture of orange, yellow and violet streaks. A cool breeze was blowing his hair upwards. Was it really happening or was he in a dreamland, he thought. The sun went down everyday, breeze blew all the time. But it was only today that he realised the beauty of these simple things. The flowers seemed brighter in color, the grass greener. Could life be any better?

As he was walking along the lane, he received a thump on his back. He turned around to see three of his classmates walking besides him.

"So at last, the silent Amit's got a girlfriend huh? Man, we really thought you were useless in this aspect." joked Abhinav.

"Dude, it was just a friendly coffee. No need to get hyper." Amit replied.

"Oh yeah. A friendly coffee that ended up in 'licking' fashion, with the icecream of course." Raju said with a wink and all four burst out lauging.

"You can justify all you want mister, but the crimson color of your cheeks and that silly smile is totally giving you away. Awesome, so today we have some gossip news for our online group."

"Go on, boil your heads, fry your necks assholes. If you start putting up any nonsense about me on that group, you just beware." said Amit and walked away.

He knew they were just pulling his leg and never meant to do any such thing. But could it be true? Was he really falling in love?

By this time he had reached the hostel and was walking in the corridor when he passed room number 154, which was Ravi's. Had Vidya told him already? he wondered. 

Amit knocked on Ravi's door. After several moments, the door opened. Ravi was standing still, glaring at Amit.

"Hey, you alright? You don't look so good." Amit said.

What happened after that was so quick that Amit didn't have any chance to react. The blow landed flat on his face and he stumbled down on the floor.

"You bastard. You knew it all along. Still you played with me right? Wanted to see some fun did you? How's that? Is it funny enough or should I add some more humor?"

Ravi was fuming. Amit staggered to his feet. He could feel the blood pumping in his cheek as it began swelling.

"I guess its better you vent out whatever anger you have before I do any explanations." Amit mumbled.

"Explanations eh? What the fuck do you think you can explain? Can you explain why you let me fall for Vidya while all along both of you were together? You knew it all along. Still you never confessed to me that both of you liked each other. No, you wanted some entertainment. Let Ravi propose to her and get rejected. A perfect television soap scenario. Then you can be the hero who wins over the heroine. Screw you!"

So this was what the Toblerone and Hershey's debate was all about. Damn you, Vidya. What the hell have you done? Amit went slowly and held Ravi's hand. Ravi pushed it away and leaning on the wall he let himself slip down on to the floor and suddenly burst out into tears. Amit went and sat down beside him.

"I guess its someone else who has to do a lot of explaining, not me." he said.

Payal sat down on her bed in her hostel room. She just stared at the floor, her mind racing with thoughts. Had she just had a date with a guy she barely knew? This was crazy. Nothing made any sense at all. The supposedly studious and career-minded Payal had just had a coffee and icecream with a senior guy. Oh God, what the hell was wrong with her?

Just then, her roommate Neha arrived. She closed the door behind her and jumped with glee. 

"Mission successful!!!!!!!!" she screamed and began dancing. 

Payal looked at her and smiled.

"Not yet sweetheart, but the path to success has just begun." she said and both of them danced together in the small cramped room.

The First Date

Preface:
Hi folks and my apologies for this damn long delay in updating this chapter. The idea of the characters describing themselves doesn't seem to be working....so i'm now shifting to third person style. Hope that the story picks up some pace now...... :) :)

Chapter 3.

Amit sat on the table opposite Payal. It was a very awkward situation for both of them. A million thoughts running through both their minds.
'What am I doing here all alone in a coffee shop with a person I haven't even talked with properly before?' Payal thought to herself. Never before in her life had she been so impulsive. But then, she had never seen a more intriguing person before.
On the other hand, Amit was confused. He wasn't sure if it was even a crush. Still he had shamelessly asked her for coffee. And now that he thought of it, she had readily agreed to it too. Was there an invisible force which was bringing them together like magnets? Well, time would only tell that.
"So what will you have?" he asked, in an attempt to break the silent deadlock.
She looked up at him with a sigh of relief that the silence was broken at last.
"A hot Cappucino should be fine." she said with a smile.
He ordered two cappucino's to the waiter who left with a grin.
"So, how do you like our dear ol' MNNIT?" he asked, unable to think of anything else to start the conversation with. It was the first time he found himself tongue-tied with a girl.
"Do you want me to rant about how good and nice everyone is? Or are you asking my honest opinion?"
"Say whatever you feel comfortable saying."
"Frankly, I feel that we are just convincing ourselves that we love this place. We make friends and then somehow ignore the reality. The hostel conditions are quite pathetic considering that the institute has a stature of being an NIT and such wonderful food which ends you up having diarrhoea every week. What's there to like about it anyway?"
"My God, you really know how to criticise. Sorry for asking such a sensitive question, but that was the best I could come up with."
"Is this your first time with a girl in this coffee shop?" she asked without trying to appear too inquisitive.
They heard a chuckle at the bill counter. Amit glared at the manager and turned back to her.
"Apparently not. I come here quite regularly with my friends, which includes girls too."
"But it is your first time all alone with one, right?" she teased him.
"To tell you the truth, yes." Now was there a tinge of crimson on his cheeks or was she imagining it?
"So, why do I get this honor??"
"Hmm, so now you want praises to be showered on you, is it? It has got nothing to do with honor or anything. Just consider it as an attempt for friendship. It's not illegal or harmful as far as I know."
"That's left to be seen based on what you do from now onwards. So you mean to say that this is a friendly cup of coffee and not a date."
"That's exactly what I want to say."
"Ohh, and I thought there was a guy interested in me. My bad luck I guess." she made a mocking sad face.
"Well, who knows what's in store ahead? I was trying to be humble. Actually I am quite fascinated by your attitude. We haven't really met, I find you walking all by yourself on the road and I ask you for a coffee. Without a second thought you agree. Any normal girl would refuse such an attempt by a stranger guy."
"Damn you! For a few moments I thought you were not one of the normal chauvinists. Guess all men are the same. If you think that I have any intentions of hooking up or sleeping with you, then we'd better stop it right here. First of all, you are the one who acted shamelessly by asking me out without knowing me. Why I agreed? Because I hardly have any friends here and wanted to make some, and a cup of coffee seemed inviting after the dance session. So what do you say? If you feel I'm acting like a slut then it was good meeting you sir, I can pay for my coffee myself."
"My my. You are one real energy pack. If I have insulted you in any manner then I'm really sorry. I'm not one of those persons for whom girls are just meant to be objects of pleasure and I do believe that guys and girls can be friends. So I deem it fit that I pay for the coffee this time, you can do it next time. But I think I'll have to clarify one thing. I am really attracted towards you, whether it is just a friendly attraction or something else, I don't know myself. But you can be sure I won't misbehave anytime. So, friends?"
Amit extended his arm for a handshake which she accepted with a smile. As the coffee was finished, they got up and went to the counter to pay the bill.
"So that was it huh." Payal said. "A hot cup of coffee to make friends with a hot girl. You technical guys are really pathetic when it comes to courting. Since I have accepted this friendship, I deserve an icecream at the least."
"I had just offered my finger and now you are grabbing my whole hand. Fine, its okay this time." And grabbing two icecreams, both of them went out into the street.

Chapter 2 - He came, She saw, and They conquered

PAYAL SPEAKS

I couldn't make out much of him in the first meeting. He seemed to be just another guy lost in his own world, maybe something up his sleeve, but an introvert all the same, not bothered by what people around him felt or behaved. But this opinion was soon to change a couple of days later when we came to check out our practices a couple of days later.

This time he had come all by himself, no sign of the duck-footed Arun around him. We were just having a small break between practices and he had a chat with Nitin and Ayesha, the two main 2nd year coordinators of the dance while all the first years were sitting on the ground. After a few minutes, he turned towards us and stated that he wanted to see one practice. All of us got up and stood in our formations as the music began playing. While everyone was prancing around, he moved inside the formation to take a closer look at everybody's dance moves. I felt my pulse racing as he came close to me and quietly observed my moves and those of my partner's. A small smile flickered on his face which I guessed meant that we were doing fine. After the music stopped, he made all the sweaty and panting 12 dancers sit down in a circle and he kneeled right in the middle of it.
"First let me tell you that your lot has been the best that I have seen in the last three years at MNNIT." he said. "All of you seem to be very good dancers, so I don't need to comment on your dancing abilities. But I felt that something was missing. When I see the dance from a distance, everybody is dancing good and in synchronization with one another, but that energy which makes the audience jiggle along with you wasn't there. Dancing on stage just doesn't mean that you do your steps. You have to bring in that grace, that vigor, which will make the audience feel that you are having fun out there and make them dance with you. And the best way to do that is ? Obviously, just enjoy yourself while you are dancing. There's no need to be afraid of anything or anybody when you are there. We, as seniors are not here to rag you or punish you. We are here just to guide you through the way to setting the stage on fire. And if average dancers like us have done it in the past years, then it would be a cakewalk for the amazing dancers that I see around me right now."
Throughout as he spoke, his face had a single expression, no sign of emotions anywhere. Just that determined look, the look which made you want to achieve something. His husky voice had a hidden energy that would get transferred to the others when he spoke. Soon after that talk, he received a phone call and left the hall.
A few minutes later, we were right in the middle of another practice when Arun entered the hall. Inspite of the playing music, there was an eerie silence filled inside the hall. We stopped dancing and greeted him, as was customary for juniors to do so. Arun turned around to the coordinators.
"So this is the shit you'll have been teaching them to do eh ?" he gave a small pause. "Is this dance even worth showing to the sweepers or the construction workers? Everybody thinks that this is a joke."
Everyone had their heads bowed down. Heart rates had gone up, and I could hear mine clearly in that silence.
"You!!" he pointed right at me. "Come right here."
Head still down, I slowly walked towards him.
"What the hell do you think you are doing here, jumping around like that. This is dance, not gymnastics, do you understand ? Next time I see you dancing like that, you may pack your bags and go back to your hostel. We are making a dance team here, not a circus troupe."
I was on the verge of tears. Quietly I went back to where I was standing earlier. This man seemed to be perpetually disturbed, and it felt that he was venting out some other frustrations on us. Still, there was a way of speaking, and nobody had a right to talk that way with anybody however big or small they may be.
What a starking contrast it was, on one hand a man who though silent most of the time could fill the team with a dose of energy, and on the other, who could compete equally from the other side and suck out whatever enthusiasm was left. After this experience, everybody was rather disturbed and the 2nd years seemed to have lost their usual knack for organising the dance. Arun left after several minutes and the second years then tried consoling us, desperately looking out for positive aspects in his outburst. The spirits were down, enthusiasm drained and it was decided to call it a day.
But was the day really over ?? Well, at least not for me. For me, that day just began when I exited the hall with my bag slung over my bag, and what a day it was to be..................

AMIT SPEAKS

After her initial phone call, Vidya seemed to have disappeared into oblivion. She hadn't come to the classes for a couple of days and her phone was switched off. I was beginning to get worried when suddenly that day she called me again, this time she wanted to meet in the college cafe, more popularly known as Nesci. I went down to the cafe to find her sitting at the corner table, her favorite.
"Coffee ?" I asked her. She nodded back and I got two cups for the both of us.
"So where the hell have you been for the past two days ?"
"I wasn't feeling well. Just some mild fever." she replied.
"Did your phone also have fever ? Why was it switched off ?"
"The batteries discharged, dumbo."
"Now listen to me." I told her. "I know you are hiding something from me. If you think these excuses of yours are convincing enough for me, then I am sorry to disappoint you. So let's get straight to the point. What has been bothering you?"
"I don't know. I don't know whether it is really worth bothering about. Instead of bothered, I'd rather say I am confused, confused as hell. Let's look at it this way. Consider two amazing chocolates, say one Hersheys and one Toblerone. What you personally like is the Toblerone, but to get it you have to walk a particular distance and it can require time. Now Hersheys has come right up to you and you can have it then and there. What would you do ? Would you take the Hersheys ? Or will you walk that extra mile for Toblerone ? The fact is that Hersheys is as good as Toblerone in many aspects, but you like Toblerone, and by the time you reach it, there is no guarantee that any Toblerone would be left for you. What would you choose Amit ?"
"All this chocolate talk has activated my sweet tooth. Just wait for a second, I am buying a KitKat. Would you also like one ?"
"Sure."
I went to the counter and bought two small KitKats. Didn't really have the cash with me for the bigger ones. I returned with the chocolates back to the table.
"Here is you KitKat. So where were we ?" I asked.
"Hersheys or Toblerone ?" she replied.
"Hmm. That's a tough choice really. Let me guess. Right now for you, these two brands stand for two entities, correct ?"
She nodded back.
"I get it. Now I am not sure about what or WHO Toblerone actually represents, but I think I'm pretty sure who Hersheys is."
There was a pragmatic pause before I spoke again.
"It's Ravi, isn't it ?" I asked.
She looked down and there was a nod. Ravi was another close friend of ours who had been having feelings for Vidya for over a year, but never spoke about it. It seemed like at last he had.
"So would you do the honors of telling me who Mr. Toblerone is ? Or do you want me to stretch my guessing ability to its limits?"
"I think it would be better if it remains a secret as of now. You can refer to him as Mr. Toblerone."
"What exactly do you expect me to say at this very moment?"
"I am just too confused Amit. Maybe I just want someone to tell me what to do for a change. I am not able to decide on this. Yes, I do like Mr. Toblerone a lot, but I can't find anything amiss in Ravi. Then why do I feel the need to say no to him. Toblerone may be my dream, but then, all Computer Engineers don't get placed in Microsoft and Google, do they?"
"No, they don't." I said. "But just to be fair on him, don't take a decision which you might regret. I know him, and he will definitely understand. Just tell him the reason properly if you are going to say no."
She smiled weakly at me. I understood that what she really wanted was someone to confirm what she felt she should do. I felt sorry for Ravi, the poor guy was just being honest to her. But then, one could not blame her. I wondered who that silly Mr. Toblerone was. He'd better be worth it, I thought, since Ravi was a really nice guy.
We sat there for a few more minutes and then she left for her hostel and I decided to check out on the dance practices. I wasn't that much worried about the dance part, the second years were capable enough of doing their job well. It was actually the case that I had an urge to see Payal again. And that I did manage.
While supervising the dance, I went through everybody's performance and couldn't help spending a few extra moments on Payal and her partner. The poor fellow was trying very hard to match her dance and it was quite funny the way he would glance every now and then at her to see if he was doing the correct step. On one occasion, he missed a beat and then almost fell down in his attempt to catch up. I couldn't control a smile from forming on my face.
She was as graceful as ever. Those determined eyes still burning with the fire that I had noticed earlier. I don't know what exactly was pulling me towards her, but I had to control myself from gazing continuously at that face, lest I be considered indecent.
I soon left the hall after giving one of the motivational talks. I had to be prepared to console Ravi after Vidya had talked to him. Maybe she wouldn't do it today in a haste, I thought. I went back to the hostel, thinking about Vidya and Payal alternately, about who Mr. Toblerone could be, about how I can start a casual conversation with Payal. Maybe I could approach her, talk about simple things about the dance, and then change the topic to more general one. Maybe that bloody Toblerone would surface up and show his face and Vidya would build the courage to tell him.
Now I was getting confused. Maybe it was too much thinking for one day and I should rather take it as it comes. But little did I know that life had quite some surprises in store for me, and all of them wouldn't be wasting any time in coming.................