It was one of the meekest lecturer’s hour and attendance registration was going on. The class stayed calm and when the lecturer read out Rakesh’s name, few cheeky boys shouted ‘Aarthi’, aloud. Both Rakesh and Aarthi were stunned. From then on, the teasing and trolling continued and the boys kept saying, ‘build good rapport guys’, in a high voice.
The teasing continued for over a week and Aarthi was at the verge of crying anytime. She did not wanted to repeat the mistake of, reporting a complaint to the lecturer and look childish again. She tried not to react and ignore it all.
Suddenly, next day, the usual teasing and trolling were all stopped and there wasn't even, the slightest evidence of it. Aarthi was puzzled. She was glad that, the non sensible annoyance came to an end.
“He has got a girlfriend, it seems”, said Aarthi’s friend to her.
“What?”
“Yes Aarthi! I got very upset after hearing that. Someone got lucky”, sighed her friend and continued, “Rakesh did not wanted to disclose that. But, he did not like those guys teasing him, pairing up with you. So he told them about his girlfriend and also promised those guys, that he will introduce his girlfriend, when the time comes. Hmmm, at least from now on let me concentrate on my studies. All the girls, as far as I know, are upset.”
‘A girlfriend for him? That's seriously impossible. That girl must be a dumb for choosing him. God! Please save that girl from this ego tycoon’, thought Aarthi.
It was again the time of cultural events. This year Rakesh chose not to get involved. Aarthi as decided, would never participate. But, she was happy instead, to see him staying away from limelight. Even after seniors and staffs encouraged Rakesh, he decided not to take part. The sequential and catastrophic misunderstandings with Aarthi, made him unwilling to take part in activities, that might intensify his guiltiness. Still, he wasn't ready to apologise and he would never be.
His mom, on the other hand, kept telling him to apologise and move on. Instead, he wanted to stay away from Aarthi, as much as possible. And he realised that, his expectations were all just a mirage.
‘She is still angry. Her anger had probably got moulded into hatred. The way she looks at me, the way she fought with me the other day, the way she avoids me, says it all. Then why the hell did she bother to gift me?’, he thought, as he kept staring at the ceramic boy. ‘God! These girls are seriously tougher than Engineering. They are just a messy, mysterious puzzle. May be not all! Just this girl. She is being so, only to me. Mom was right. I had humiliated her and that's why, she erupts hatred, like a volcano, whenever she sees me’, he thought. But, he never wanted to hide away the guilt remainder, the ceramic piece of art. He smiles at it, in the morning, in the evening, underneath the moon, every now and then.
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