FIVE

FINAL YEAR OF COLLEGE

It was final year.
We were a mere teenage kid when we’d entered but now, a grown up matured adult. But none of those reflected on me. Everybody knew what they would be doing after this and where they were going. They had plans.
Me??
I didn’t know about attending my lecture tomorrow forget about one year hence. And as far as Natalie was concerned we were still at the same place where we were couple of years ago. No progress whatsoever. But the intensity of our so called romanticity was at extreme. Now everybody in my circle knew about her and what I felt about her. They too knew she had something for me. But the sheer courage wasn’t there within me. 2 and half year of this. It was a part and parcel of my life now.  
It was a routine.  
But all the nice things have to come to an end they say. So it did.
She found out I was into her. One my fren’ told her about me. I saw him pointing towards me and talking to her.
 
 Me???
 
I ran away.
 
After a week there was a college fest and we would all be let say “suited up” and partied like there wasn’t any tomorrow.
As we were standing and not knowing what we were doing because of the suiting up we’d done (which ofcourse was at extreme). There she was looking at me as if screaming from inside, “U idiot just say Hi, I’ll talk thru the rest.” But I was so much suited up I couldn’t figure out exactly whether it was her or not. Everything quadrupled. Nothing was static. I tried to focus on one Natalie, but she seemed many. I couldn’t figure out which one was for real.
So that night I was in a good mood…………………..
 
Next day I was completely unsuited up, just incase she came.
But same old story. She came, sat couple of feet beside me. But nothing happened.
Remember the kind of things we do as a guy. Things which are pretty stupid and lame. A love song is sung at the stage and we all stand up and scream like hell and stare towards the intended and feel as if the song is exactly made for both of us. Rite? I did the same. Would dance on the DJ night like a complete fool while my eyes stuck upon her. So I did all of those except the part of actually approaching and talking to her.
So as we were returning back home that night, one of my friend came hustling towards me and gave his cellphone and showed me a number.
He wasn’t bothered about catching his breath and said, “I got her number for you. So u a*****e call her.”
 
I didn’t replied.
 
He said, “If u don’t I’ll kill you.”
 
He handed his cellphone and said in the most audacious manner, “Call her”
My hands trembled as I got hold of his phone. My heart began to beat bazillion times a minute. I saw an evil Satan infront of me forcing me to do the unthinkable.
 
I hit dial and the phone rang.
 
It did for about minute and a half. As it was ringing I prayed to GOD thinking please don’t pick up. Please don’t. I was that afraid. I was about to talk to the girl whom I’d just admired and watched from distance for the last 2 and a half year. It was nerve racking for me. Simply surreal.
Then as I was just about to abandon, the ringing stoppd’. I knew what it meant. She had…………..
 
“Hello”, said Natalie from the other side.
 
I trembled, my hands shaked….. But then I said, “Hello! Is it Natalie?”
 
“Ya, but who’s this?,”she said.
 
I introduced myself and said, “Do you know me?”
 
She said, “Yes”, in the most flirtatious or as I should say friendliest manner.
I was simply overjoyed knowing that she knew my name, but then I kept my composure and said, “How are you?”
 
“I’m fine, U?” she replied.
 
Ok then I lost track. I had no words to say….. I looked at my friend and teleported my thought to him. He in the most humble way “kicked me” and teleported his answer “carry on talking”.
 
Then a normal first conversation started between us…. “Where was she from? Blah blah……… I felt I knew her for ages. The mere easiness with which we talked was unprecedented.
 
All of a sudden I told her, “Natalie I want to meet you and say u something.”
 
She replied, “Noooooooo. Pleeeeease.” Distancing herself from the phone and probably smiling at the same moment.
 
I enquired, “Why?”
 
“Just”, she replied.
 
Then after a long pause again I asked her, “Why?”
 
“I have a boyfriend”, she answered.
 
I looked at my friend. I felt a cold breeze albeit it was summer. I felt as if all my organs dropped down to my feet and felt empty and cold from inside. But then I reconciled saying, “I knew that.”
 
So I gathered myself and tried to talk normally. Which I was able to. We chatted for an hour avoiding the topic I’d raised. All this time I would catch my friend along with me and Walk and Talk. And he persistently showed me his watch time and time again as it was his cellphone I was using. After a long chat in terms of my friends’ call rate but transient for me, I bid her goodnight. Don’t remember exactly what we talked about, but I guess that’s the exchanging of electron taking place. I mean sheer chemistry.
 
I was eager to see her and meet her. But then tomorrow was Sunday. No college……