Unrequited Love!! (Part 1)

My head felt heavy and my heart was pounding as fast as it could. But before I could control myself, I collapsed on the floor, only to find myself on a hospital bed the next morning  I woke up. My mother was sitting beside me,with my hands in hers, and my dad was talking to the doctor. I  wasn't from a wealthy family, but my dad earned enough to meet our simple needs and uncomplicated desires. But now, when I looked at my father, I sensed tension in his eyes. Maybe the doctor was asking for a huge fees, which probably my father couldn't afford. The room was really big and air-conditioned as well. I asked mom about the fee thing, but she manoeuvred the topic to my health. I realized that I was right, the cause of their tension was indeed money, but I didn't say anything. I immediately felt utter hatred for myself, for landing my parents into such a situation, and that too for him.....

This story started two years ago, when I entered college for my graduation. Nervous, and anxious, I was looking forward to the happy and memorable three years which I was going to spend there. But as they say, "Destiny hardly cares for what mortals wish." In my case too, destiny had something else in store, something, which at that time i was completely unaware about.

As I was about to enter my B.Com first year class, my eyes fell upon a group of boys who were busy discussing something with one another. I should have moved on to find a suitable seat for me, but for some unknown reason I stood there. The bell rang making the boys disperse, and that's when I saw him. He was in the middle of the group, and was now heading towards his seat. I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was quite tall, with perfectly toned body which was giving him the royal look. His chiseled face was strongly adding to his charisma. Few short strands of hair fell over his overhead which only glorified his features and those deep brown eyes - they held so much mystery in them!

A sudden tap on my shoulder broke my spell. I turned around to find the Principal with raised eyebrows asking me why I  was standing there when the whole class had already settled themselves. I chose not to reply. I quietly headed towards a vacant seat, just behind where he was sitting!
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We were supposed to get our roll numbers for the session in the last class. The teacher called out our names alongwith our roll numbers , and told us to raise our hands accordingly. Aratrika Sarkar - Roll number 20, I raised my hand. Yash Singh Roll number 21, he raised his. Fuck! Was it really happening? This was an unexpected and pleasant surprise for me. I didn't expect our roll numbers to be so close. Now this meant that we would be sitting next to each other in all the exams that were to follow. I immediately thanked God with all my heart!

Later at night, while I lay on my bed, I kept reciting his name in my head with a smile on my lips. Was it love? Or just an infatuation? I didn't have an answer, but I was sure that I have never felt this strongly for anyone before!!

In the next few days, I managed to get his address from the list in which all of us had to write down our address to be kept in the department. I was absent on the day when the list was made, so I went to the department next day to write my address, and then I saw his address and it got imprinted on my mind quickly. I realized he stayed quite far from our college, whereas I stayed nearby.

I started getting up an hour early everyday, to reach the bus stop from where he used to take his bus to college. It gave me the chance to see him for some more time. We saw each other everyday at the bus stop but we never spoke anything. It went on like this for the first three months. I got up early, reached the bus stop before him, and then took the same bus and sat on his other side, and kept looking at him until we reached college. Then, one day, outside the college canteen, he asked my name. For the first few seconds, I stood still, my hands cold and throat dry. Then I meekly answered , "Aratrika." But gauging his expression I guessed he couldn't understand my name, so I repeated myself, and this time a tad louder. He flashed his absolutely gorgeous smile, brought his right hand forward, and said, "Hi, I am Yash." We shook hands and then together walked towards the auditorium where the Cultural Group was to audition students for the play of "Romeo & Juliet."


(.... to be continued)