Crush.

It was a noisy class of seventy-four, I remember. The Math teacher entered the class with her invisible dominant aura of strict unmeasured silence that could fathom the class, but not for more than a second or two. She carried the class six final examination papers. The noise rose. She pulled back her glasses, into her hair, and shouted: “Silence!”; and attached to it, one brief but long lasting look with her narrowed eyes.

She pulled out the first paper. “Prafulla!” she shouted. A lean figure rose from the corner of the class. He felt shy.
He could have made no mistake, everybody thought.
The teacher smiled, and there were whispers all around.
“99/100.” Everybody gasped.

To my right, sat the girl with her big brown eyes, which innocently showed every expression that ran through her mind. She leaned forward, took out her diary, carefully opened a page and started to draw lines with a short plastic foldable ruler. She made columns for each of the toppers in the class including a small one for her. I continued to stare in jealousy.

She shook, all of a sudden. The teacher had called out her name. With her, I shook.
“98/100.” She returned to her place, not so happy.
“Raviteja, 100/100!” I stood in shock.

To this, she pulled out her ruler again and drew a small line, making just enough space for another column. She wrote my name on the top of it. I was high. I had never had a column for myself and, now, a column in her diary was entirely for me! Ever since I experienced the high, I never left the column for someone else.




It’s funny how childhood crushes are; when you lay in bed, one day before Rakshabandhan, and wonder what would happen. She actually ties the band around your wrist the next day, and you still come home happy!

It’s funny how college crushes are. Much like an ICMR research proposal; it’s always better to put forth your proposal and give it a chance. It is easier to break-up than to wait till your girl has a break-up!

It’s more than funny that I’m speaking of crushes!


p.s.

Crush.
noun, A brief but intense infatuation for someone, esp. someone unattainable or inappropriate.

With this, I have a documented special column and more than a blog.
My thanks Sneha!