Yours... Even Though You Are Not Mine

ACT ONE

When It All Started…

Navi Mumbai

It was Mid-April. Summer was at its peak. Usually every college in Mumbai had farewell party for the seniors. So did our college…

So as it was farewell celebration in our school, we were supposed to reach at the venue before the seniors. The venue was our college itself. So that we can arrange all the stuff such as snacks, soft drinks a bit of a light dinner and of course the entertainment that includes dance-drama-singing or whatever we can do to make our seniors happy. After all they are going to leave the school for god’s sake and leave us alone as well… in my second thought I used to think farewell parties were just a bribe the school used to give their students to let them know that even thou we fucked your childhood with the worst teachers and subjects, even if they didn’t have the best quality of studies to offer us they still want you to announce that OUR COLLEGE WAS THE BEST!! when you leave their campus and get admission in another campus..

Our college was a well known college in Navi Mumbai. It was formally known as Tilak Junior College

Well, it was another morning for me. I was in no hurry again. Life was awesome I did not have to worry about the early morning lectures, shouting professors or pending homework, So for the day I woke up at 11, we were supposed to reach there at 4:00 PM. I got ready in the best possible clothes in my wardrobe… I wore a red T-Shirt with black strips on it & a black trouser… I was not really found of jeans those days with a black leather shoe! Of course a pair of socks beneath it… all and all looked well enough to attend a farewell party.

That day my friend Naresh came to pick me up. He was the only guy in our class who had a bike a Bajaj Boxer… He was a nice guy 6ft 2inch tall & a gold chain in his neck the gold rings in his hands there were total of 5 in both the hands and why not his dad has 2 jewelry shops in Mumbai, he was a rich guy. He picked me up at 3:00 PM…..

‘Where we are going first?" I asked while jumping on his bike’s back seat,

We are going to get married at the Bandra court you idiot he said looking at me and kicked started his bike we both burst into laughter. On our way I teased him as if he is my wife and I hold him tight from back, and said u don’t drive well darling would you mind if your husband drive and I laughed at my own joke kiss my ass u jerk he said irritated..

Where are the guys I asked shocked as I if have forgotten to wear my pants…

Oh they! They reached there and called me up to pick you & be there on time don’t worry he said calmly.

We reached at our destination in 10 minutes. He stopped the bike at the main gate of our college I get down there, and he went ahead to the parking area to park his bike. I stood at the gate watching all the girls of our batch dressed well in Indian dresses we all knew each other very well I talked to some girls as I was very good in cracking conversation with girls..

Oh you looking pretty I said with a wink to a girl in our batch

Ya I always doo look the same Heena said quite arrogantly…

Is that a fake smile on your face? I asked

No, why would I fake a smile she said shocked with my comment

Ya I knew it you are damn happy to see me again with a wink… and a naughty smile the add-on

You’ll never change, come inside everybody is waiting she smiled and said waving her hand in the gesture to follow her.

In the meanwhile Naresh came sorry bro! The parking area was full so have to found some another space to park my bike he said disgracefully how could all the bastards in our class got bike’s I said in his reply of no space in the parking lot..

Maybe they’d have rubbed their asses to get it from their dad he countered sternly dumb asses I shouted and we moved in..

It was well decorated our college managed to do some good work at last, finally the stage the buffet system the stereo system the chairs they were kept in the perfect order.. Some geek students of our batch were already sitting on the first row.. It’s not an examination hall or a quiz contest I wondered why they loved sitting on the first row even in our class those were the faces that could be easy visible on the first row… ‘Book insects’ I thought in my mind and moved away from there..

Hey Maddy I heard a voice shouting at me, I turned my back even Naresh turned along and we saw Raj waving his hands in air as if he has came at the airport to receive us..

There they are Naresh said and moved ahead towards him…

What’s up brother raj said and we hugged each other, This could have been your farewell my brother I said just to tease him.

Why not you asshole!! he replied disgustedly Naresh and I went into a huge laugh…

Raj was our senior in the last year and senior of my seniors’ before that, so practically it was his third Farwell party! Poor guy..

Where are Shrikant, Peter and Venket Naresh asked raj, snatching the Maaza from his hand

Hey you can get another one from the food area, give me back my Maaza raj shouted and managed to snatch his Maaza back.

Ohh the Stud is here peter said coming towards me hugged me and punched me as he was doing it from past 5-6 years… Peter was probably the 2nd fattest guy in our school after Saad one my senior or u can say Raj’s old friend… Shrikant kept smiling he was not the guy who use to laugh or talk a lot I wonder how we became such good friends as he was one of the top rankers not in our batch but in our college as well.,

Naa Naa, the stud is there itself I pointed towards the stage .. Peter, Naresh, & raj they leaned towards the wall to see whom I was pointing…

Ahh, the blackboard Naresh said (Blackboard= Venket) he was a Tamilian and most of them have dark complexion, they all saw him and without saying a word we moved towards the stage where our stud was having a conversation with one of our professor Hegde Sir!

Hegde sir was our Sports teacher; the reason Venket was his favorite because of his sports skills. And yes the Tamilian was a great sportsman getting two back to back sportsmen of the year award. But this year I was one of his hardest competitor.. At least I hope so.

Maybe this was the reason he was buttering our sports teacher? Aahhmmm..

But we were very good friends first and competitors later…

Hey partner I said and patted back on Venket’s shoulder, while Hegde sir looked me as if I have interrupted him during the rapid fire round and he was about to win a gift hamper’

Hey jerk you came said our smiling Tamilian and we hugged each other so do the other guys did; we greeted Hegde sir as he left as alone…

So at what time will the party start I asked Venket looking at my wristwatch

He said yawning let the senior’s come first I knew poor guy was bored with the conversation with our very own ‘Harsha Bhogle" of our college… Mr.Hegde, I still don’t what was his first name as everyone in the college use call him that itself.,

It was 7:00 pm and the entire senior’s where made seated to the chairs which were kept nicely facing towards the stage and all the geek students who were at the first row has moved there way for the Principal-Vice. Principle and the all other staff members…

As the celebration progressed it felt great we had great fun as expected it was dance drama and singing and a bit of book reading form one of our very talented ‘GEEK’ Aazam I mean how could he managed to carry a book with him to a party venue.. It was a bouncer to me..

As the party headed towards the end there were some prize distribution to be made, the best Dancer which went to Arya for his great Bharatnatyam skills.. And many more prizes.

And then it came to the BEST STUDENT OF THE YEAR yes you read it right it was given every year to the student who has managed Great studying skills and good behavior in the college with the staff member and with the student as well.,

Our class teacher Pushpa Miss was the anchor that evening she was one of those teacher who I think use to take out all his grudges with student because she had a fight with his husband every morning, don’t know? Maybe? I guess??

And then she began the announcement first he played with everybody’s emotion saying Any guesses? Any guesses there were only two name which everyone shouted one it was Nitin Desai and second was Durgesh Pandey,

And then she broke the suspense and announced The student of the year goes to none another than Durgesh pandey and she had a glass of water and the clapped surrounded my ear all around the stage and the school., the guy stood and went up the stage to collect the trophy from our principle MR.Kurup. He acknowledged everyone’s claps. And stood there on the stage

And that’s when Pushpa miss shot the bullet in my head, I mean not actually, but sort of.

Yes she used to look like a bandit queen…

She said So what to do you think guys was he deserving everyone clapped harder to prove that yes he was dam deserving guy… And some of his friends screamed undoubtedly 200 percent and claps were still on, ok wait now calm down everyone she said showing her right hand to the students as ‘goddess laxmi’

So who deserve the Worst student of the year and she smiled cunningly looking at me.. I knew she has shot the bullet and she said again I think it should be brother of Durgesh isn’t it Durgesh she looked at Durgesh and he also nodded his head. ‘Fuck’ I said,

YES DURGESH IS MY ELDER BROTHER! Still there wasn’t any such trophy or award to be given to the worst student of the year but her saying was all enough… The crowd started hooting and clapping, for one second I thought as if I have won the Oscars award for the best actor?? Naa I couldn’t be luckier than ‘Leonardo Di Caprio’ we both had a similar story… Neither he won an Oscar and not even me.

Even thou I have attended three farewell, this one is the best raj said laughing and trying to control his laugh after noticing my anger. But friends are friends they kept hooting and shouting as if seriously I have to walk towards the stage and collect some memento, if there would be one I had to reach there it would have called as ‘Walk of the guilt’ I felt like killing my teacher but still managed to standup smile and wave my hands like "mujhe apna vote zaroor dijiyega"

The party ended on that note all the teachers and professors were busy giving the entire senior’s tip for their bright future and suggesting them the best college in Mumbai.

We all junior were out of the gate, Raj, Venket, Shrikant, Peter they all called an auto and went for dinner I said I won’t be coming because I was sleepy, Naresh was also suppose to join them but I convinced him to drop me home and then join them ‘he agreed.. He came on his Bajaj Boxer to gate and said common dude am hungry let me thro u at your place and then drive again to the group I was about to take the back seat of the bike the… I heard a female voice saying..

Hey Maddy You Going??

Hey Shatabdi, where were you all thru the party Naresh said looking towards her

I was busy laughing, that’s a big compliment buddy she said looking towards me maybe? and couldn’t control her laughter, I heard her giggles it went like someone had played my favorite music in my earphone in loud volume but on the other hand I knew she was pointing that ‘Worst Student Of The Year’ topic I didn’t looked at her and kept my head down..

But finally I managed to look at her face … And then what I saw was something that made my Life… <3

ACT TWO

Shatabdi

I was looking at her, her eyes had something to say, a passionate desire. Strikingly beautiful – she was. The soft drizzle rendered her