CHAPTER 1.............Is he following me?
Morning 05:00 am;
"Riya.....Riya.....get up.....Beta we will be late for the temple." said my mom taking my clothes out from the cupboard. She woke up earlier than me and here she is all dressed up in her traditional look, to disturb my sleep.
She pulls my blanket and says, "wake up now, come'on. Hurry up." She pulled my hand and made me sit on the bed from the sleeping position and leaves the room. I am just yarning there.
I don’t know why is it so necessary to go to the temple in the early morning we can go there later in evening or at noon, well its open for 12 hours a day. But my mom is so spiritual that she wants me to follow in her line.
I took the towel and went to take bath, i dressed up in a anarkali suit, hairs open and put only kajal and lipstick on my face.
I went down, mom dad were waiting for in the parking lot with the car.
As dad saw me he says, "look how beautiful you are" opening the door for me.
And mom says, "After all she is my daughter"
Their compliments made me feel shy.
The car stopped at the entrance of the temple. I and mom stepped out the car, everybody on the way staring at me as if I am someone from the outer world. They are stunt by my beauty. Its normal for me.
I saw Sristi, my best friend walking towards me. she greets us and asked to me join her as she is alone. I looked at mom and she nodded in yes.
Mom was waiting for dad to park the car and we went ahead inside the temple. As we arrived the aarti had already started, we joined our hands and put the dupatta on our head with full of faith in our eyes .I am standing beside Sristi on her left. Suddenly i suspected someone is staring at me constantly and when i looked at him he turned his eyes to Mata Rani.
A guy in red kurta and white payjama, standing few steps apart from Sristi diagonal to her on her right. He's about 6 feet tall, hairs well combed, face quite fair. He seems to be from a well cultured family. He is the only one handsome among all the people around in this crowd. But why is he looking at me?
I am distracted from the pooja because of him. When I look at Mata Rani he stares at me but when I look at him back he turns his eyes away every time. Are we playing hide and seek in the temple? Oh God! What's wrong with him , Why don't he focuses on pooja?
After sometime I noticed myself staring at him more than he did, I don’t know why am I bothering its not the first time but I think he is very charming. I whispered to Sristi, "Look at that guy, do you know him?"
Sristi opened her eyes and said, "Know.....Whom?"
"Look at your right, he's there, very handsome", I replied.
"There's nobody", she says wondering around in the crowd.
And he is disappeared. I don’t know where did he go but now he's nowhere around. The aarti is over so I think he left.
"He was right here staring at me, where did he go?", i said searching for him.
"So finally you are interested in someone....Riya" she started teasing me.
I sighed, "Its nothing like that , you think too much."
We went outside and from there to home. I was all thinking about him on the way.
Oh no! i am going to be late for the college now, this is only because i went to the temple this morning. I changed myself quickly, carried my bag. As I reached at the door my mom stopped me for breakfast. I took the sandwitch in my hand and ran for college.
Luckily dad haven't arrived for his office, so i asked him to drop me. I am 5 minutes late but that is not the trouble. Today its a tight schedule for me , my day is ruined by all the lectures from morning to noon running one class to another on the corridors. The lectures are boring and I don’t attended them seriously but I have to sit there looking at the boring professors. I hardly chat with any of my friend. In this a new assignment is a hat-trick on my misfortune.
I went to the library for books and notes regarding assignments. It took an hour there and the college is already dismissed. This time there are not much students in college campus. I am heading towards the college main gate and my eyes went on someone in the parking lot beside a car. He is the guy I saw in the temple this morning. He is in a different look now in mordern clothes a style different than his sanskari look but he looked more handsome this way. He is not a student of our college he seems to be a graduate. It is not normal to see him in the college this time because its already closed. So why is he here? Is he waiting for someone? Or is he following me? I am constantly looking at him. He pulled his goggles off that he was wearing and looked me back, he smiled. I felt a bit awkward and I hurried towards the exit gate. I noticed he is watching me going out.
Who is he? Do he know me?
How can we meet twice a day? Something is fishy? I do overthink all the time.
I took an auto and returned to home by the evening. I am exhausted by the busy schedule today.
But the guy is still in my head.
Am I going to meet him again?
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