Chapter
3
Medhavi was a
distant number two topper in the class. Though she competed ferociously to
bridge the yawning gap of marks between her and Shaan, she failed every time.
So her only aim now was not just to match Shaan but also to beat him.
She was hell of
an ambitious woman. Only being beautiful was not enough for her. She wanted to
prove to every student and every professor in the university that she was the
brainiest woman too. Most of all she wanted to prove it to Shaan who she
thought was her fieriest competitor in studies as well as in looks.
She could do any
thing to do it. She even wept endlessly the day the examination results were
declared, year after year. Shaan- her archrival always overtook her. She did
not relish being overtaken all the time. She was angry with Shaan and she
washed her anger towards Shaan by the tears gushing out of her eyes.
On the other
hand Shaan used to admire her secretly. He all the time thought of befriending
her but felt shy.
Then when she
was in the final year of the college she finally decided to befriend Shaan.
When you cannot beat the enemy, join him and she did.
One day she saw
Shaan walking in the corridor of the college alone little lost into his own
thoughts. She posed as if she did not notice him and collided with him. She
pretended that to be an accident.
She acted
startled and sheepishly said, “Hey Shaan. I am so stupid. Couldn’t see you
coming. I am sorry. Hope I did not hurt you. Did I?”
Shaan said, “I
should be asking that question to you. I was a bit engrossed in something and
did not notice you. How silly of me?”
“No. I am
perfectly alright.”
“Same with me.
Let me collect your belongings lying all over the floor.”
And Medhavi
deliberately touched her fingers with those of Shaan. Shaan felt a pleasant
shock; Medhavi could always do that to any of the male species. She was so
beautiful! She was brainy too!! A heady mixture of beauty and brain no male
could ever resist.
Shaan was
handsome too in his own ways and Medhavi could not escape the sweet sensations
though she wished to only pretend to begin with. But it was really happening
now and she could not resist. No female could resist Shaan. Shaan was all
brains! He was handsomely smart too!! A heady mixture of brain and smartness no
female could ever resist.
“I always wanted
to meet you privately,” Medhavi said. “But we will meet this way, I could not
have imagined. I am mighty thankful to this collision.”
Shaan agreed. He
said, “I am glad too to meet you this way, just me and you. In our various
classroom sessions meeting you occasionally was not the same.”
Shaan took
initiative, “Can we go have coffee?”
Medhavi nodded
in affirmation. “Yep, why not?”
Then they went
to the college café together.
College café was
the only place in the college that was visited most by the students. Students
preferred to spend their time here more than in their classes or in the
library. Here they had the advantage of studying the opposite sex in a more
congenial environment. These studies were far more interesting than the drab
lectures on the drab subjects by the drab professors in the drab classrooms.
Many gossipy love stories developed and bloomed here. Many ended in tragedies.
In short the café was a hot joint. It used to be crowded throughout the day.
Getting a solitary table in this kind of crowded venue was a very difficult
job.
But for Medhavi
it was easier than it was for the other students. She was the most beautiful
girl around and her charms worked with everyone. The café manager would always
oblige Medhavi by somehow arranging a corner table. Today also she could easily
manage one.
Shaan and
Medhavi settled on a corner table. Shaan called the waiter and ordered for
coffee for two and some snacks to go with coffee. He would need to pay more for
using the waiter service. Normally all the students used the self-help. It was
the special occasion for Shaan and he was wiling to spend.
While sipping
the hot coffee Medhavi put up her proposal to Shaan, “Can you help me in
bridging the yawning gap between your grades and mine? Though I am number two
in the class after you, it feels as if I am at number ten because of the huge
gap between your marks and mine. Don’t worry. I am not eyeing for number one
position, that’s always yours. All I want is to achieve a decent number two. I
need your guidance. Is that OK with you?”
Coming from
Medhavi, he had no hesitation to accept this proposal. He thought to himself,
“Wasn’t I looking forward to become your friend already? You are so beautiful
and intelligent.”
Expressly he
said, “Medhavi, it’s done thing. OK with me.”
Medhavi asked,
“When do we start? But not in your hostel room. I will not like to go to boys’
hostel and I hear that the meeting hours are restricted. Good thing that I am
still a day scholar. Can you come to my place? My parents live nearby. Just one
or two hours every day? Hope I am not asking the moon. I am sure you can do at
least this much for me.”
Shaan had no
objection to this kind of arrangement. He nodded, “Yes. Sure.”
“Shall we start
tomorrow?”
“Yep”.
If you liked
it so far, you may like to read the novel "Good People".