That party at the end of the first mid-semester exams turned out to be the last one that we had in our first semester. No, there was no significant reason behind it. It is just that we didn’t get time for that for the rest of the semester. This statement might sound a bit weird considering that the end of the semester came in the month of December. Yes, it is true that in between we had more than two months but most of that time was consumed by the studies only.
The pace of the studies was a little slow till the time of the first mid-semester exams but it picked up after that as the syllabus ending date loomed. The number of assignments increased and as a result, tutorials and labs got busier. Right after Diwali break in the last week of October, we had our second and last mid-semester exams. Yet again, I could manage around 70 % marks only. Before we could get some breathing space, the last dates for submissions of various assignments were announced. So, the first half of November got dedicated to all the pendency that I had accumulated over the first semester. That included the Engineering Drawing lab which made me toil over numerous sheets spread on the drawing board for hours and even then the results were not exactly pleasing to the eyes. The nightmare got over when Prof. Parmar finally signed on all the sheets even though I could see him shaking his head every now and then as he moved from one drawing sheet to another.
That was the last day of the first semester and I was one amongst the 25-30 students who had to come to the college till that day in order to complete all the assignments and the formalities associated with them. The rest of the students had already started preparations for the finals.
The month of December had arrived and there had been the onset of the winters. The early morning and nights had started getting colder. We were already done with the practical exams and now it was time for the big daddy. The main exams were scheduled to start in the second week and I had started getting a bit anxious. Just last evening I had checked the question paper of the previous years and found that the books that I had won’t be sufficient to complete the course. For at least two papers, I needed additional books. So on the day of the last practical paper, I didn’t leave for home after the exam. Instead, I walked straight into the library, a place where I rarely visited. I had in my hand a small chit containing names of the books that I had expected to find there. My hopes were dashed in a minute by the librarian Miss Asha.
“These books have already been issued” prompt came the reply when she checked into her computer.
“Shit” I muttered under my breath. This was not totally surprising. Students here were not exactly fools or lethargic like me. I started to think about the alternatives.
“Ma’am, can you tell me about any other book on Physics which will be helpful in getting decent marks in semester exams?”
She looked at me in a hostile way and wanted to utter something, but then restrained herself and raised her hands towards a section at the far end of the library.
“Thanks,” I said and started walking towards the physics section. A girl was already there, crouched and peeking over books on the lower shelf. As I reached nearer, my heart skipped a bit.
Sameena was right there in front of me.
“Hi” She smiled
“Hello” I waved my hand. “How was your practical exam?”
“It was good. I, fortunately, got the easier one. I finished it in flat 15 minutes but had to sit for another hour for the Viva. What about you?”
“We had communications today, so you can imagine” We both laughed and our laughter attracted the attention of Ms. Asha too.
“So what errand brought you here at this hour?” I asked
“I am searching for Dr. Mehta’s book on Physics,” she said and then dropped her voice “Frankly, this college has one of the worst libraries I have ever seen. My school’s library was much bigger”
I thought of my school’s library and then I remembered that I had gone there just once.
“Yeah” I nodded “Even I was looking for this book only but I don’t think so you will find it here”
“Damn” she was annoyed “I wasted fifteen minutes searching for that”
“I guess we will have to buy it. Nobody owning that book is going to share it now that everyone knows how a major chunk of Physics paper comes from that book”
‘Hmm’ she nodded absentmindedly. A thought suddenly came into my mind. I was hesitating a bit to say this thing but when I saw that Sameena was still indecisive about what she will be doing about that book, I went ahead.
“I am going to Book house at Jhotwara to buy few books including Dr. Mehta’s. If you wish, you can accompany me ..” my voice trailed as she suddenly looked at me. Then a smile broke on her face.
“Even I was thinking about that only. It is better to get the book today so that we can prepare for exams in peace”
“Great” an even bigger smile appeared on my face “let’s go then if you don’t have any other work here”
“Nope,” She said placing the books in her hand back onto the shelf “Let’s move”
We booked an Ola auto from Mansarovar and went straight to Jhotwara. Before that, I had thanked my stars that I had money in my pocket that day. We didn’t speak much on the way. When we reached the book store, we found that it was crowded.
“Oh, God! Is there some sort of sale going on here?” Sameena exclaimed.
It was not exactly a surprise. Almost all the colleges had their practical finished today only. So of course that entire crowd was here.
“No, just the guys like us who remembered that exams are right around the corner” I chuckled but she was not amused.
“Ok. You wait here. I will get the books.” I tried to calm her down.
“Are you sure? There are so many people” She was still unsure.
“Don’t worry” I smiled “We are habitual”
I was not doing this for the first time. Tearing into the crowd, I was at the counter in a few seconds. When I returned some 10-12 minutes later, I had two books in my hand. I handed over Dr. Mehta’s book to her. It was a slightly old edition.
“Where’s your copy?” Sameena asked me.
“They only had one” I shrugged.
“No. I can’t take it. You bought it and ….”
“Don’t worry. The shopkeeper told me that will get more copies in few days”
“When? Once the exams are over? I hope you remember that this will be the first paper”
I laughed “Yes, I do remember. Let’s do one thing. You keep this book for five days and then I will keep them for the next five. Or we can do vice-versa.”
She chewed at her lip as she thought about it.
“Yes, that can be done. I will be able to complete it in 5 days and I won’t require it afterward as I prefer to read my own notes on the evening before the paper”
And then she suddenly remembered something
“How much do I have to pay for the book?”
“Not needed” I raised my hand “we are sharing it so no issued”
“I am talking about paying the half of it. I won’t accept the book without that”
“Hmm” I looked at her stubborn face and then my eyes fell on the other side of the road.
“Do you like coffee?” I asked
As I was returning home that day, every now and then my face would break in a smile. We only stayed for around half an hour at the coffee shop and most of the talks were centered on studies only, it had been such a wonderful experience. There was a kind of bliss I was feeling that can’t be put in words. That day had also given me an opportunity to meet her again in 5 days when she will hand over the book to me.
To be continued ...
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
