The Connection

The Second Wave

My heart was pounding hard while the 'Online' status of Paridhi changed to 'typing...'. It wasn't changing, I thought she was writing a long essay, 'a long critical appreciation essay'. Two minutes... Three minutes... Five minutes... Wait. Something's not quiet right. I tried going back to my conversation window, nothing. The screen stood frozen. It was then that I realized my phone was hanged to death. Software issues! Removing the battery pack, I hurriedly pushed it back into the battery compartment. No sooner I pressed and kept holding the power button, the screen came back to life, illuminating my face in the dimly lit room. Then came all the unwanted graphics provided by the manufacturer. A failed attempt to give a warm welcome to the users. A few more minutes to connect the internet and my mobile phone beeped, sending vibrations through my palms. "1 new message from Paridhi." Inhaling a huge amount of midnight oxygen I commanded the device to open it.
"Wow..." Read the message, when the mobile phone beeped again.
"That was a sweet thing you did there. Any girl would love to read something written for her. And that piece was..." 
Quick deep breaths. 
"You find any chances?"
"Of course I do!" Replied Sayali, "I told you she's going to like it. Now the only thing you have to do is talk. Regular talks. REGULAR!"
Sayali was anxious to know what Paridhi's reaction to the confession was. So I forwarded her the screenshots of my unwanted, absurd confession to the girl, Paridhi. After going through all the screenshots, Sayali was now offering me the "light of hope". 
"Well I can manage to do so." 
"You have to!"
"I will."
"That's the sprit!" She said adding a winking smiley.
_____________________________________
        
         Another normal day. I entered in the vast quadrangle through the foyer of the senior college building. I have been following the rule of calling or texting my friends beforehand than arriving at the college and wandering like a loner. But today, my schedule had shifted a little on the reckless side. I stopped short in the middle of the quadrangle after realizing I'd arrived alot earlier than usual. 11 am. Maybe not too early, but I enjoy my final sleeping hours during this time. Anyways.
Then with a sudden outburst, a familiar voice called out.
"Nikam!"
        Shetty and I were sitting on the red roofed stage on the left of the quadrangle. Talking about our journey in "Ruia". 'Explore. Experience. Excel'. The sun was pouring its harsh light on the surface. Felt like mid-summer in the month of February. Both of us moved under the shed on the right.
      The last space under the shed is usually isolated due to the graffiti of shit created by the residential birds, making the black marble look white. But we were lucky enough to find the place wiped clean by the housekeepers. A square foot of space was enough for both of us to settle down our lean torsos. In front of us was the canteen window, where the juniors were passing time. Off lecture, maybe. They were approximately 30 yards from us, but I could tell that they were not into any dialogue with each other, rather punching the mobile phone with their thumbs. To our far right hand, students had queued up outside the office windows waiting restlessly & sleepily, at the same time, to get their work done. The quadrangle was totally occupied to edges thanks to the shade it provided against the sweating winter heat.
     We were engaged in a conversation where Shetty was educating me about how awesome his new phone, 'Nexus 5' is. He showed me some advanced features supported by the newly launched gadget. Shailesh came in. And now, he was telling, rather showing off the functions of his not so new iPhone 4s. I was the technically backward guy here. Still on Gingerbread. So I drifted my conscious away from the current conversation and stared dead at the first floor chemistry lab's corridor.
While they both were engrossed in the faceoff between iOS and Android, I caught a glimpse of Aanchal outside the chemistry lab. I kept on looking. It went vacant. Meanwhile Vishwesh joined us.

"I got myself a new mobile." Vishwesh announced.
"Great! Which?" I questioned.
"Nexus 5" he declared placing the shining new phone covered in a matt red cover on my palm.
"Dude, I have bought the same!" Shetty said.
Now the three of them kept on arguing which one is better. I pushed my mobile deep inside my left pocket of the casual trouser.
There she was again, standing in the corridor. This time I smiled at her waving my hand at shoulder level. Then came Chetna. She waved at me with her teeth clinching smile. I waved back. Two short people were behind them. From this perspective I could only see one of the forehead. One person moved ahead, her eyes now visible to me. "It's her!" My mind shouted. It was just a fraction of second when she stepped back. Loud laughs and unclear dialogues were audible even at this distance, when Aanchal screamed, "Fugga!"
Some rough movements were seen outside the chemistry lab. Efforts were taken to pull someone towards the edge of the corridor by Aanchal and Chetna. The person was indeed 'Sayali', 'Fugga' as they called her. Aanchal came up with this name, reason her fluffy cheeks which looked like balloon. Even Sayali loved balloons, so "Fugga". Sayali turned herself and sat on the chair edging the first floor corridor. She was now facing the opposite side from me. I was staring dumbly. Aanchal looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. She looked at Sayali sitting down in front of her, said something, turned her gaze to me, smiling even more. I looked at Chetna. She was smiling too. I didn't knew the fourth person, but she was smiling at me too.
"What's wrong?" I asked myself trying to look away.
Aanchal pulled up Sayali making her stand. Turning her like a valve, she shouted, "Rohit!"
I looked at her. She looked at me already blushing, yet trying to make an obvious hiding from the unplanned moment. Waving at her I smiled. She waved back.
"Hie!" That was not even audible. I read the parting of her lips. Benefits of a good eyesight. Wait! How does that 'hie' sound? I had never heard her voice. Anyways, keep that thought aside. I kept waving like a fool. Seemed like some fairytale. Rapunzel standing on the top, dropping her mile long hair for me to make a climb, reach her and say... Instead I could use the stairs. Yeah that was a better option. She stood still, not moving an inch. Wow! Felt like the time has frozen. We were lost in each other. Wait. No! It was Aanchal the time freezer, who kept holding Sayali from behind, by her waist. With a force full push Sayali escaped, storming away from my vision. Aanchal followed her. Chetna still smiling at me.
That was the longest time we were staring at each other. "3 seconds"
This was the second time we waved at each other. The first time was when I walked in the quadrangle, late evening when we came across Swati, Snehal and Sayali. One more girl, I didn't knew her then. Aishwarya.
"Hie!" I waved at her.
"Hie!" She waved back with a blissful smile.
Simple? Yeah. The first one was as simple as that. What happened between these two "Hie's"?
I can only say, "Our story lies between those two hie's."
                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -To be continued...

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