First chapter - here


It's a date.

Those words were on my mind all night, and the next morning as I waited and waited outside my class for her so that we could walk to our seats together. She didn't come. The school bell rang and my teacher came bustling in and urged me to my seat. But she didn't come. I spent the rest of the school day imagining all sorts of horrible things that my adolescent mind could dread have happened to her.

"And if x equals four point five.." droned on Ms. Lata, our Algebra teacher.
Maybe she was hurt...a broken ankle. Poor thing.
"then the square root of this equation is?" Or malaria? There have been a lot of cases around lately.
"Second bench..? What is the answer?" Maybe she'd fallen off a cliff! I shuddered.
It's a wonder how your mind jumps from the sublime to the ridiculous in a matter of seconds. But at the worst possible times.
"Young man? Are you even there?" My bench partner Raj nudged me. I nudged back, lost in thought.
"Young man! This is class! You can sleep all you want at home. Now give me the answer!" And with a sharp rap on my desk, I was pulled back into reality with a stern looking teacher breathing like a bull in front of my nose. I swear I could see her breath billowing from her nose.
After a few prods and nods and fifty different hand gestures from Raj , I finally got the answer and was allowed to sit back and resume my dream.

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That evening as I dropped by her house to check up, I was greeted by her mother at the door and the smell of fresh pancakes in the kitchen. Her mom made the best pancakes and chicken sandwiches in the world. Armed with a plateful of pancakes, I entered her room. She was fast asleep. Have you ever seen a baby sleep? It's the most wonderful sight in the world, as if there's not a thing in the world that can worry it's little soul. She sleeps like that. I stood there, watching her chest move up and down steadily, sound asleep. I wish I could have stood there all day. As I placed the plate beside her bed, she woke up with a start.

Neha: Hey, how did you get here?

Me: Your mom let me in, obvious na? You're on the fourth floor. I can't just jump in through the
(Lame joke, but she smiled.)

Neha: Yeah. Well, what are you doing here anyway?

Me: You were missing in action at school. And I brought you homework, courtesy Miss Lata. She went ballistic on me today.
(yeah..and tell her about my daydream..)

Neha: Lata, and angry at you? I don't believe you. You're the teacher's pet.

Me: Daydreaming isn't one of her favourite things you know.
(Just don't ask what I was dreaming about!)

Neha: What were you dreaming about? Wait..forget that. Are we still on for this weekend? I'll be up and about in a day or two. It's just mild food poisoning I think. No biggie.
(Phew! I was about to die out here!)

Me: Definitely. Wear shoes though. My fat feet can really hurt.
(Yes. More lame jokes. That should impress her alright. Idiot!)

Neha: Haha...get lost! You're not that fat anyway. Cuddly, but not fat.
(Ego boost times ten! I could have sworn I was growing wings!)

Me: Well, I'd better get going. You get some rest and I'll see you at the ball.

Neha: Bye!

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I don't think I've ever been that excited ever! And scared. What if I really do tread on her toes? What if I fall down? What if I fall down ON her? What if she never shows up? No, she could never do that to me. Could she? What if, what if, WHAT IF! Aah...I was driving myself nuts with so many useless questions in my head. What I really needed to do was learn to dance. In four days. Fat, pudgy me(but also cuddly), had to learn ballroom dancing in four days!
Four days!! I didn't have time!!
I rushed back home and called up Anu, my neighbour. She'd been learning the salsa for quite sometime now, so I hoped to goodness she'd teach me.

*click*

"ANU!" I shouted over the phone. "Emergency! Need. Dance. Quick!" I ate half the words my mind wanted to say. But she understood anyway.
"Sure! Easy. When?" she replied.
That was the thing with Anu. She never needed explanations or reasons. If she felt it was worth doing, she'd do it.
"Start tonight if possible?"
"Come over for dinner. We can start in the living room. I'll tell mom you're coming."
"Awesome! You're a lifesaver, you know that?"
"Yes I do." I could almost see her lopsided grin as she said those words.

*click*



Next time:
I find out how easy(or tough) salsa really is!
(And spicy too. In the naughty way as well.)

Chapter I
Chapter III

Neha.

She was the one. I didn't know it at first. Who does, right? It's not everyday that you meet someone and think, "Man, she's awesome!" Well, it wasn't for me either. In fact, I barely even remember how we first met.

Back in school, I was pretty much the good-studious-decent kid in class, at least as far as the teachers thought. Also the students. But at least I wasn't a geek. Fat, but not geeky fat. Just a bit pudgy. She was in my class in the eighth grade. Sat right behind me in fact. Sharing lunch boxes, chemistry notes and gossip was all we did. Back then, hooking up was the last thing on my mind, more so, hers. For then, we were friends. Just friends.

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Days went by, Neha and I became really close friends. She remained in my class through the ninth and tenth grade. We'd share so much during school hours. But after school, we barely met. Twice a week actually. My tuition classes were very close to her house, and on my way back, I'd often call her down just to have a chat. One day I shouted out her name, and her mom came to the window and said, "She's not at home beta, out with her friends."
I remember taking the long way home, just so I could think of her. My evenings weren't the same without her. We'd sit on a cement block near the nice man selling chaat outside her house, talking about all the nonsense in the world till one of us got called away by our parents. It was fun, easy, carefree. I'd drift away with the magic of her voice. Now here's something about Neha. (Neha...what a name. I can say it all day long..) She wasn't what you call hot. Neither was she extraordinarily beautiful. But she was charming. Everything about her was. The way she spoke, the way her eyebrows wiggled slightly when she got excited, the way the small dimple formed on her left cheek when she smiled. Everything. And her smile...Oh her smile. Her entire face would light up whenever she broke into a smile just like a thousand diyas had suddenly been lit in front of her. Each time she smiled, the room glowed with her presence. But one thing that I'd stare at were her eyes. I never realized what ""eyes are the gateway to the soul" meant till I looked into them.

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One day she called.

Me: Hey Neha.

Neha: Hi. Are you free?

Me: Yeah, sure. What's up?

Neha: Listen, the christmas ball is coming up, and there's a dance.
(My heart skipped a beat. No, two. Actually three.)

Me: Yeah....so?
(Stupid stupid me! Was that the best I could come up with?)

Neha: Well...umm...
(Oh come on! Ask already! I can't ask you now, can I?)

Me: Hey, what's it? Say na.

Neha(going all high and squeaky): Please be my partner!...not like, y'know...just as...erm....y'know....right?
(Oh man! The best thing that could happen to me! I almost stopped breathing.)

Me: Yea, sure. I'd love to. But you know I can't dance right?
(If ever there was an award for worst things to say at wrong times....)

Neha: Neither can I. So we're even then. It's a date.

Me: It's a date.

*click*


A date. That was the best word I'd heard all day. I ran all over my room, played the loudest music, did the ball dance with my pillow, tried kissing it goodnight. (tastes awful by the way) My mum was very amused and pulled my leg all night long. But I didn't care. Something I had dreamed about for the past four months was finally coming true. And it would, in a week.
That night, as my head touched the pillow, the only thought in my head was of Neha in a gown, her arms around me and soft music engulfing us...



Next time:
I prepare for the dance of my life!

Chapter 2

Remember that feeling of wonder when you looked at an airplane fly over your head?
Remember spreading your arms and running across the open field of green, trying to chase it?
(I feel the wind in my hair...)

Remember the look of excitement on your face when mum handed you an ice candy?
Remember giving her a tight kiss after the candy and giggling over the orange mark you left behind on her cheek?
(I still feel the tight squeeze of her hug)

Remember walking hand in hand to school with your friends?
Remember holding their hand while being scolded together by the teacher for not doing homework?
(I still thank him for doing mine coz I fell ill)

Remember singing in tune to the National anthem?
Remember singing out of tune to the school hymns?
(...and to the morning prayers and every poem they taught)

Remember sharing tiffin at recess?
Remember showing off your tiffin box full of maggi?
(then crying over it when it fell down)

Remember the towel around your neck and superman in your heart?
Remember being a fireman, a tarzan and a G.I.Joe wrapped in one?
(I was batman too! :)

Remember your first crush on tv or from school?
Remember your parents going "awww..." and your friends going "hawww..."
(I still blush when I think of her)

Remember waking up for school in the morning and not noon?
Remember feeling all grown up wearing full pants to school?
(leather shoes and your first pocket money...)

Remember using ink pens because they improved handwriting?
Remember lauging over the ink blotches all over your friends face, not knowing you had more on your own?
(I yet cannot write without blotting paper)

Remember getting embarrassed when you hear a couple say "I love you" to each other?
Remember giggling over it with your friends?
(thinking of saying it to a girl at the same time)

Remember feeling proud of your first bicycle?
Remember learning to ride and you never knew when dad let go?
Remember crying over it because he did?
(then realizing you had learnt to ride a bicycle!)

Remember the joy of laughing in the rain?
Remember coming home dripping wet?
(I still do that when I can)

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Woh school ki seedi woh pyaar bhari baatein
Woh syllabus ki tension woh exam ki raatein,
Canteen ki party woh b'day ki laatein,
ruthna manana woh bunk mulakate,
Library mein woh sona woh music
woh movie woh cards ki magic,
Proposal ki planning mein raat ka gujarna,
Fir class k peehche ki seat pe sona
Library mein jakar chehro ko padna
Betuki bato ko seriously lena,
Woh matlab ki batein hasi mein udana,
Na woh din hai na raate na gussa na baatein,
Agar Kuch Hai To Bas "YAADEIN HI YAADEIN"......