Aditya was coming back home at the end of one more of those moribund days he had spent. Same old training schedules, tests, assignments, grades. It was the last day of the month, so he better draw money from the ATM, for he had to pay for the rent and the dinner "dabba wallah". So, Aditya stared wearily at the human chain, in front of him chanting "Mera Number kab aayega", at the ATM counter beside Food World in Parihar Chowk. He just wondered if Life was all about this MANTHRA. Just then, somebody tapped at his back. He looked back to see a face as crumpled as the Monday morning tie he was wearing. Suddenly, the tie tore open to reveal a dark interior with a white lining and it started barking at him. It took him sometime to realize that he was being asked to move forward as the one before him had. So, he stepped forward and the barking stopped. Aditya wondered if the whole world was angry at him.
He wouldn’t have seen that girl, had it not been for those eyes. She had come out of the ATM when he was being fired at the other end. She was enjoying her Black Forest in the Food World bakery beside the ATM office.
Aditya would bet a “SPDP” at “Deepak Chat”, that he knew those eyes. He could have asked her, if she knew him, for she too stared back familiarly. So he waited who would take the first step, but the chain behind him would not, for his chance had come at long last when he didn’t ask for it. He wouldn’t mind waiting 15 minutes more having waited last 45 min. He wondered why life had to be so harsh the very same day. Couldn’t he postpone it? So, he dragged himself half-heartedly. That’s when it struck him; she was from the same college as his. He had seen her so many times and every time he had gathered the courage, his friends were there to pull him back. They would say she looked really ugly, dark and hefty. He knew she was good at heart for she had helped him on the very first day at college after his seniors had had their fill of ragging. She had spoken as an angel. He had known she was the same he had searched all along. But what if I speak?… what will my friends say?..what if they make fun of me too?…. and so many such what ifs???…He would quieten his mind with great pain and hope for another chance like the fish in a drying up pond hoping for rains. Enough was enough, Aditya had decided, he wouldn’t die anymore, he was gonna take the world by the scruff of its neck and speak with her. Lifez rulez seemed “Unbreakable” right then. But, he was gonna break it for her. He jumped in with whatever leftover energy he had. Drawing money from the ATM was gonna cost you how much anywayz, for it was ICICI ATM. So, he quickly poked his card into the ATM’s mouth which it wouldn’t gobble. Aditya would have fell on the ATM’s knees if it had any. But, you know LIFEZ RULEZ, for a change here ATM ruled. Finally, our ATM cleared its throat , gave some weird sounds, reminding Aditya of his tryst with Aloo paratha, Aloo gobi and Panneer Butter masala at nearby ShivSagar. Fortunately, ATMs were designed only for Noise pollution, no air/gas pollution, he thought. So, the screen changed to the “welcome-screen” he had created in his Java-Oracle project. He keyed in his PIN. ATM got into trans. Aditya was getting restless, only if he had stopped the world for 5 mins, withdrawn money, stood beside her and played the “RESUME” button, but, LIFEZ RULEZ. Then, at long last a “smiley” figured on the screen with its face distorted saying “Your Last Transaction stands cancelled. Please Try again”. Aditya wondered what was the smiley smiling at when the whole transaction stood cancelled. Probably, smiling at him. “Every dog had its day”, but did it apply to ATMs too?, he wondered. Should he try again or should he hurry back to her? What if she had left, he would have to re-run the whole queue again? TO BE OR NOT TO BE?… He chose NOT TO BE. So, as soon as the ATM spat out his card, he took a well-received catch and almost jumped out of the ATM. He broke through the queue to reach the other side, where the bakery stood. He was sweating, panting, as he had after the Marathon during the HALE health week. His heart was beating fast. His eyes swam through the crowd as though an eagle eyeing its prey. But, he couldn’t spot her, but he too wouldn’t give it up. He strode to the parking lot where the Bakery had its Chaat Section. She was nowhere to be seen. There was something creeping inside him. He was in no mood to give in now, for he had chosen to NOT TO BE against all RULEZ. He went to the road, wondering if she was standing at the Bus stop beside Food World. Nope, it was not gonna be his day. His, heart sank, tears welled up. He started the long agonizing walk back to the queue from where he had come so far. But, suddenly something caught his eye. It couldn’t be true, for there she was alighting from the Food World doors. What a fool he had been, he didn’t check inside Food World. Suddenly, all his grudges against Life, Lifez RULEZ, ATM seemed to wither away. He stepped forward confidently and started “hey Madhavi, wait for me”. It gave him a start for it wasn’t his voice at all. It was of that dark, smart guy in his jeans and kurta, who was paying the bills right beside the Food World Exit. Madhavi looked back, gave a smile and spoke “Iam here, take your time, darling”. Aditya’s face turned blue. His dream of world stopping over had come true. He would see nothing, hear nothing nor sense anything. He stood there dazzled, puzzled, and all the “zzled” you could find in the Oxford Dictionary. Their eyes met again and she did give a smile. Aditya just managed to broaden his cheeks and stretch, with greatest agony, his parched lips. And suddenly, she was gone. Aditya kept staring wide with the smile he had sculpted with such great difficulty.
LIFEZ RULEZ……………………………………..
He wouldn’t have seen that girl, had it not been for those eyes. She had come out of the ATM when he was being fired at the other end. She was enjoying her Black Forest in the Food World bakery beside the ATM office.
Aditya would bet a “SPDP” at “Deepak Chat”, that he knew those eyes. He could have asked her, if she knew him, for she too stared back familiarly. So he waited who would take the first step, but the chain behind him would not, for his chance had come at long last when he didn’t ask for it. He wouldn’t mind waiting 15 minutes more having waited last 45 min. He wondered why life had to be so harsh the very same day. Couldn’t he postpone it? So, he dragged himself half-heartedly. That’s when it struck him; she was from the same college as his. He had seen her so many times and every time he had gathered the courage, his friends were there to pull him back. They would say she looked really ugly, dark and hefty. He knew she was good at heart for she had helped him on the very first day at college after his seniors had had their fill of ragging. She had spoken as an angel. He had known she was the same he had searched all along. But what if I speak?… what will my friends say?..what if they make fun of me too?…. and so many such what ifs???…He would quieten his mind with great pain and hope for another chance like the fish in a drying up pond hoping for rains. Enough was enough, Aditya had decided, he wouldn’t die anymore, he was gonna take the world by the scruff of its neck and speak with her. Lifez rulez seemed “Unbreakable” right then. But, he was gonna break it for her. He jumped in with whatever leftover energy he had. Drawing money from the ATM was gonna cost you how much anywayz, for it was ICICI ATM. So, he quickly poked his card into the ATM’s mouth which it wouldn’t gobble. Aditya would have fell on the ATM’s knees if it had any. But, you know LIFEZ RULEZ, for a change here ATM ruled. Finally, our ATM cleared its throat , gave some weird sounds, reminding Aditya of his tryst with Aloo paratha, Aloo gobi and Panneer Butter masala at nearby ShivSagar. Fortunately, ATMs were designed only for Noise pollution, no air/gas pollution, he thought. So, the screen changed to the “welcome-screen” he had created in his Java-Oracle project. He keyed in his PIN. ATM got into trans. Aditya was getting restless, only if he had stopped the world for 5 mins, withdrawn money, stood beside her and played the “RESUME” button, but, LIFEZ RULEZ. Then, at long last a “smiley” figured on the screen with its face distorted saying “Your Last Transaction stands cancelled. Please Try again”. Aditya wondered what was the smiley smiling at when the whole transaction stood cancelled. Probably, smiling at him. “Every dog had its day”, but did it apply to ATMs too?, he wondered. Should he try again or should he hurry back to her? What if she had left, he would have to re-run the whole queue again? TO BE OR NOT TO BE?… He chose NOT TO BE. So, as soon as the ATM spat out his card, he took a well-received catch and almost jumped out of the ATM. He broke through the queue to reach the other side, where the bakery stood. He was sweating, panting, as he had after the Marathon during the HALE health week. His heart was beating fast. His eyes swam through the crowd as though an eagle eyeing its prey. But, he couldn’t spot her, but he too wouldn’t give it up. He strode to the parking lot where the Bakery had its Chaat Section. She was nowhere to be seen. There was something creeping inside him. He was in no mood to give in now, for he had chosen to NOT TO BE against all RULEZ. He went to the road, wondering if she was standing at the Bus stop beside Food World. Nope, it was not gonna be his day. His, heart sank, tears welled up. He started the long agonizing walk back to the queue from where he had come so far. But, suddenly something caught his eye. It couldn’t be true, for there she was alighting from the Food World doors. What a fool he had been, he didn’t check inside Food World. Suddenly, all his grudges against Life, Lifez RULEZ, ATM seemed to wither away. He stepped forward confidently and started “hey Madhavi, wait for me”. It gave him a start for it wasn’t his voice at all. It was of that dark, smart guy in his jeans and kurta, who was paying the bills right beside the Food World Exit. Madhavi looked back, gave a smile and spoke “Iam here, take your time, darling”. Aditya’s face turned blue. His dream of world stopping over had come true. He would see nothing, hear nothing nor sense anything. He stood there dazzled, puzzled, and all the “zzled” you could find in the Oxford Dictionary. Their eyes met again and she did give a smile. Aditya just managed to broaden his cheeks and stretch, with greatest agony, his parched lips. And suddenly, she was gone. Aditya kept staring wide with the smile he had sculpted with such great difficulty.
LIFEZ RULEZ……………………………………..
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