For the past couple of days partaking dinner at 9.30 pm was a regular affair for Chinmoy. He indeed deserved some peace of mind after a hectic day at this WIMWI campus. Usually the canteen is less crowded around 9.30 pm. But the mass usually consisted of the same set of people. She is his peace of mind. Probably the feelings are mutual as she always gave him a pleasing glance whenever she looked at him (well, entire world lives on probabilities...at times infatuations are so good ;) ) .
This always made Chinmoy shy away. At times Chinmoy would also try catching a glimpse of her but with bad luck at its peak, always gets noticed by her friends which made him blush tomato red. Gradually he started loving this game of hide and seek. One day he didn’t find her in the canteen.
‘It’s ok…she might already have had dinner, anyways it’s almost 10 pm now’.
Next day, again no show.
Even the day after too!
Chinmoy looked around; he checked his wristwatch numerous times. He cross-checked the gigantic wall clock in the canteen. ‘It’s just 9.20 pm now. She will come today’ he consoled himself.
Be it lunch, snacks or dinner; Chinmoy never spent more than 10 minutes on food. However; today, he spent almost an hour in the canteen trying to buy time for her. No way! She was not around.
What could be the reason?
Is she not well?
Has she gone somewhere?
Is her boyfriend in town?
Has she gone for a long vacation?
Has she left the programme! (As first year is damn rigor by nature!)
Is it that she doesn't like to see me around and decided to stop coming to the canteen!
These questions raised a tempestuous storm in Chinmoy’s already troubled mind.
He was unable to sleep the entire night.
Next day, although he was getting late for a team meeting, he thought it would be wise to have an ice cream after dinner and go. He finally saw her next to Amul parlor. She gave him a fleeting glance but he conferred her with a glare. Probably his eyes were expressing the thoughts…
‘It’s more than 3 days, where were you?
Do you have any idea how much I missed you?
Aise bina bataye koi jata hai kya?
You do whatever you want to do, I am not gonna look at you’.
She glanced back at Chinmoy with a caring smile and blinked, vivid as if she was apologizing for her mistakes. He couldn't but smile back.
N.B : Love can be best defined when you look into someone's eyes and suddenly you go all the way inside their soul and you both know it...
