I had totally become an alien in terms of studies. I was not in talking terms with Tanay and had unfriended Rimsha from facebook and from my life. Mid-semester exams were just two days away but I kept myself engaged with Upasana. I used to go sometimes to Rishi’s room to check about his preparations. But never bothered about how he was doing.
I always noticed that Upasana used to be kind of disinterested during the chats but I wanted myself to be occupied as I was disconnected from the world of studies and true-friendship. I was lost in my own world. On the day of the first exam as I was moving to the exam hall, Dennis and Tanay came to me.
‘Hey... done with Section 67?’ Tanay asked.
‘Almost,’ I answered with utter disinterest.
‘Okay, then can you please deal with it. I have been knocking my head since last night but yaar kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai.’ Dennis said.
‘Seriously, we chewed Rishi’s brain but dimag me kuch gaya nahi, pata nahi ye banda bolna kya chahata hai.' Tanay spoke.
I then realized how devastatingly I was ready to goof up my paper. I did not know what they were talking about. The only section from which I was familiar was Section “Upasana”.
‘Just mug it up…and puke.’ I said and moved to sneak out.
While going to the academic block I got a good luck wish from Rimsha, in the form of a text message. It read: You cannot spare yourself from getting a good luck wish from me. N I know I’m nt 'dat' bad looking. It brought a smile to my face.
The question paper appeared like a death sentence which was signed by the setter as a punishment for ditching my studies. Someone aptly said: the question paper is like a dick… it gets hard and you are fucked up. I asked the invigilator how early I can leave. Each of the student seated in the hall fixed their eyes on me while the invigilator gave me a frowned look. My handicap condition made me sit quietly and I stared the question paper again to think what least things I can puke out. I cursed myself for opting law since we cannot bluff anything. After a whole half hour I begged the invigilator to take back my answer sheet and I came out of the examination hall. The whole corridor was vacant. While going towards my hostel I tried to call Upasana. But my call was disconnected and it followed a text message saying: DON’T DSTURB. I WNT 2 STAY ALONE. EXAMS. STUDIES. BUSY. It was more a telegram than a text message.
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‘Have you gone crazy? It’s utterly IMPOSSIBLE dude!’ I exclaimed.
I got to know from Tanay that Rimsha’s research paper was selected and she was going to attend an Annual International Conference on Law and she was pretty excited to go to California. In each terms Rimsha was giving me a tough competition and I felt in some corner of my heart that she was becoming an eye sore. I then decided to study hard and stand up for competing with her.
‘Yeah, No…I mean I haven’t gone mad. We all were at IT LAB when she was reading the mail. She really had worked her ass off for it’. Tanay said trying to concentrate on notes I got from Prakriti. After getting boorishly raped in the last paper I had decided to study with Tanay.
What the hell this girl was doing? She already had had her summer internship at Trustman Management Consultant, Delhi. She was working with Prakriti and Dennis for the upcoming National Moot court competition at Amity Law School, Delhi. And now she has landed up with paper presentation at an international conference.
‘You know she is an anomalous, nobody likes her’. Ire was clear from my tone.
‘You don’t make any sense’, Tanay said looking at me angrily and continued ‘and can we study now?’
I decided not to think much about Rimsha and get engrossed in studies. As expected my next exam went much better than the first one. Tanay had made me learn everything. He had confirmed all the important portions from Rishi who always had excellent terms with teachers. I was satisfied with my performance. Upasana was even seated in the same room. After coming out of the room I asked her- “so how was it? I saw you wrote a lot.” I tried to sound much ironical.
‘You’ll get to see when the result comes.’ She winked.
Her bright and shiny face made my heart skipped my heartbeats. I looked for my group and saw them busy discussing the paper. I have never understood in my whole life why these people need to discuss the past? Why on this earth after each exam do they need to put their heads together about the answers, go to the teachers enquiring the correct ones, scratch and beat their head if they find it wrong. And at last examining whether the exam went well or they were at hell. Why can’t they just follow Upasana’s theory- ‘Let the result come.’Predictions are good but we cannot change the upshots. As mine was okay. I was least interested to join them.
I was turning to the mess when some juniors (Note- all girls) came to me. I was confused. As one of them was just about to start I gave them a puzzled look.
She spoke, ‘sir, tomorrow we have Oindrila ma’am’s paper. She praises you a lot for your writing and presentation skill. Could you please guide us’?
Now more than confused I was shocked to hear this. Oindrila ma’am praised about me, that too amongst juniors, in front of the whole class! It was next to impossible. I always believed that teachers always remain a step ahead to screw up the students and take revenge of whatever they have suffered in their past. Each and every teacher is awarded with a freaky nickname. They are mostly recognized by those names. I guess they are the most disliked creature on this face of the earth. People call teaching as the noblest profession but then why I see most of them remain so dull and dry? But in case of Oindrila ma’am the above mentioned concept stands somewhat different. She always had a smile on her face which made her look charming. Precisely, she was just the copy of Rimsha. But, I always argued with ma’am for never giving me highest marks. It was always taken away by Rimsha. According to ma’am the marks depends on quality and quantity both. She had related her marking scheme with the food service at a restaurant. According to her a person can only be satisfied in a restaurant if he gets a delicious food with the right quantity for which he was paying. Really, weird funda. I personally never liked her that much as the other students did. She was not doubt adorable and to large extent cute but to me she was never good. I remember in her first class I was kicked out when I was caught being online on facebook.
I enquired again to make it confirm, “What did you just say, Orindila ma’am asked you all to contact me. Are u sure? "
“Yes sir, she took the very name of yours”. The junior replied humbly.
It was simply unbelievable; instead of suggesting her favorite’s name…how can she remember me. But then I was feeling like a celebrity. I answered, “Okay. Hmm… after lunch, catch me up at the library but only for 10 minutes. Is that clear?” I said with gravity. They nodded and went for food.
‘U free?’ I asked Rimsha in mess. She was standing in the queue for getting food. I entered the line by breaking the queue. She remained indifferent from my behavior. And so it was sure that she was not at all interested in talking to me. I had forgotten about our last dispute. Fight with Rimsha after every second day was included in my time-table, only the subject of dispute use to get change. Rimsha never use to care about these illogical disputes as she knew very well how moody was I. The moment I got the good luck wish for my first exam from Rimsha I decided not to stretch the matter too long. After all she was the notes supplier of mine. And of course till now; my best friend. Tanay had not joined me as he preferred to tag along with Tushara. Girl friend sometimes comes first on the priority list, especially when you have just missed to pick her call when she was sobbing and you were at loo doing the needful.
‘RIMZ’ I said quite loudly and it worked.
‘Huh? You asked me something’. Rimsha replied sounding perfectly formal.
‘C’mon, Rimz, I need to talk to you. By the way how was your paper?’
‘It was somewhat good. And what I remember, you pledged never to see my face again. Correct?’ Sarcasm was dripping for her tone.
‘Rimz…you know we are best friends and how non-sense I behave sometimes.’
‘Sometimes…ahem ahem…Mr.Vyom Malhotra, you need to correct yourself. You behave such non-sense every time.’ She spoke and walked toward the table.
‘Now do you want me to say sorry to you?’ I asked.
‘I never expect such things or say such humble things from you. You are VYOM...THE GOD’. She said keeping the plate on the table. And she continued…
‘And from next time don’t break the queue from between like you did today.’
‘Okkiessss...Chill’ I said as I took a bite of roti from her plate.
‘Why don’t you take your own plate, Vyom?’ She asked but seeing me not bothered she went to take some more rotis and a spoon. These days I really missed all this care. Amidst of all these, from the corner of my eyes I saw her exchanging smiles with…with… I scanned and saw…RAJ CHAWLA, President of student union. Don’t know why but I felt some type of possessiveness for Rimsha. I asked her- ‘Rimsha, didn’t you miss me all these days or you found someone else?’
‘I’ll always go for someone better.’ she chuckled.
‘Rimsha…please, just answer me properly’ I said groggily.
‘Vyom’ she said pulling my cheeks ‘you look so cute when you make such faces.’
‘Rimz…I can see lot of smiles!’ I exclaimed but ironically.
‘If ever I exchange a smile that doesn’t mean that I am in any way interested in seeing that guy’. She smiled and said.
‘Okay so after lunch?’
‘Vyom…u know what’s tomorrow…its IPC…and by now the whole batch knows how bad I’m in the subject. I really need to study it. Well, what’s with you…u must be prepared’. She spoke sarcastically, as expected.
‘Don’t you know…Rimz, it’s too bad when the whole batch knows that I have already revised it twice, wait…thrice.’ I said in equal measure.
‘Ohh…Wow then…u can teach me the subject…I need not to worry now as God is with me. Right, Vyom.’she played the next shot.
It just then happened I saw Upasana and I was now more interested in watching her. It happens when an extremely beautiful girl becomes your passion. She becomes the most desirable need of life. But then another need- supplier of notes was just sitting in front of me and I cannot ignore her either.
‘The dal doesn’t taste well’, I said
‘I don’t remember it ever does.’ She said and got up after completing her meal.
‘Rimz…I really want to see you today. I don’t even have the notes.’ I said as I escorted her to the wash basins.
‘See you at library, evening, six…and yeah, go and take a shower…you stink terribly.’ She said smilingly and left to her hostel.
Rimsha has always been a bundle of sweetness and an ocean of care to me. I can hardly imagine my study life without her. She took a good care of mine and made it sure that I don’t leave even a single word to study. And as a result I again gained my momentum and speed. I performed excellently in all the rest papers.
I always used to be puzzled about our relationship. My friends always told me that Rimsha was in love with me but being in that attitude she will never confess. Her angelic care for me even sometimes made me believe something like that. But next moment I used to realize that she was ‘just my best friend’. I very often use to think that should I be happy as she is my best friend? Or cry because she would be just a ‘best friend’ forever. But it’s okay…let our friendship make a good story.
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