It was a dull and cold, usual morning of December. I was in my Higher Secondary School. Being a punctual dweeb, I was going to school via the old and rickety school bus. Actually, I had missed it and so I was going from second trip, the one meant for students at primary level. But it was okay, I had a really good reputation at school and the peons, gatekeepers and bus drivers all knew me as a very good student. Moreover, no one will dare to rebuke me anyhow.
I sat on the window seat. Kids were fighting and yelling like kittens. There was only one difference between them and kittens, i.e. I hate cats but love children. Children like me too and therefore about half a dozen of them were talking to me from all sides, front seat, back seat and from beside. Some even piled on the others to get space to talk to me.
On my side sat Dishant, a really possessive child, who was shouting at everyone saying, “Just stop disturbing. Can’t you see we are talking?” I was irritated at this possessiveness and told everyone to be quit. The bus stopped at a bus stop and I peeped out of the window. It was my moment. I saw an awestrucking, handsome boy sitting on a bike gossiping with his friends. I said to me, “This is exactly the look that I want in my boyfriend. How cool it would be if he becomes my boyfriend.”
The bus started moving again and I was again involved in the mess going on earlier. The bus stopped again and I peeped out again. To my horror, the same boy was there on his bike staring at me. It send a shock to my spine and I was forced to look back to confirm if it is he? He was smiling. I dropped my eyes off from him. For the next two stops I didn’t dare to look outside the window.
At third stop I looked out and lo! He was there again. This repeated for next two stops as well, when at last Dishant told me to exchange seats with him. Dishant was observing all this and I was happily surprised at the understanding nature of the kid.
I nick named that boy as ‘B.N.-5’ meaning ‘bus number five’, which in turn represent that he stalked the bus and I saw him 5 times. I had skilled the art of nicknaming for 5 years with my best friends. We three set argots for every person and every crucial thing so that we can gossip easily in front of everyone without letting them know what we are talking. But seriously, remembering them all perfectly really takes a nerve. I kept this incident from my besties and told it only to my sister.
After a week or so, we three plus my sister planned to bunk the coaching classes and to roam around the city on our scooties. And funnily, bunking here means taking permission from the teacher to do so, who was otherwise in friends with us. He gave the consent easily and four scooties were all set to unleash the adventures of the city. In the parking area of a mall, we four were standing to decide what to do next when suddenly I saw the same boy in a car. He saw me too and flipped his neck towards me as car moved on. I shouted at my sister saying, “See! He is the guy about whom I told you a week ago”. Now it was all clear to my best friends that I had hidden something from them and they gave a scorned look at me. I couldn’t keep it anymore. We were best friends since 5 years and they knew everything about me. I cleared out, “Guys! He was just a stalker nothing more. There is nothing more of “he and me” thing in the future, I guess.”
But I guessed wrong. Whenever I returned from coaching classes at around 6’ o clock in the evening, he was there on the way waiting. I always ignored him but blushed as I passed past him. This continued for a week, then a month, then two months, then three, four and five. He kept on standing at the same place at the same time, wearing the same colored clothes that I did wear.
On May 28th, it was Garima’s birthday. We were in the last year of our school so we three skipped coaching classes and celebrated the birthday in a posh restaurant. I returned and was retrospecting the birthday bash and just tittered in myself. The timing of that titter was wrong. I was in my own thoughts and didn’t notice B.N.-5 standing. He thought I smiled at him and started stalking me to my home. I noticed him when the home guard opened the door. He came to know my address.
Then one day he followed the bus and found where I read. Everyone knew me in the school as I was the head-girl. He asked one of the boys about me and he told him my name and warned him to stop pushing for me as I am very attitudinal and keep boys at my fingertips or something (I came to know of it later). Next day he sent me a friendship request on Facebook. I accepted heartily and the series of chat started where he told me a lot and ofcourse I came to know his real name.
Gradually I lost interest in him. He was a hero when I looked at him and an idiot when I talked to him. I chose brains over looks and blocked him. All the mediums of communication snapped and I moved to a University for Graduation.
Today, after a year I saw him again in the market bearing the same heart melting smile. I couldn’t stop myself and moved towards him and asked, “Why…? I blocked you and it has been a year”.
He said calmly, “I don’t know why you blocked me but it is okay. I love you this is what I know and I can pass years with your memories. I don’t demand anything from you but let me live my moments”.
I felt guilty of ditching him for some stupid “whatchamacallit”.
But what can I do? He is such an idiot…
