Love is so blind that it just happens unexpectedly.
You may fall for anyone!
Would you let go of your policy if you fell for someone you shouldn't? What would you choose-your policy or your beloved?
The yellow, long and pointed flowers of the silver oaks opened their mouths to drink the energetic beam emerging from the giant star. I, in a brown top with white floral patterns and grey jeans, swallowed my anxiety, looking through the big window glass of the registrar’s cabin.
Akshat sir was inside with my tenth and twelfth mark sheets, first-year grade cards, and my old university's transfer certificate. He was spellbound opening my file and showing each of them to the registrar who observed the same with intense care. They faced each other, sitting on opposite sides of the registrar’s desk.
I was outside, in the corridor of the first floor of the admin block based in some other corner isolated from our Law block of the university. The registrar’s cabin was air-conditioned and had good lighting just like the staffroom except that it was more spacious and deeper inside the campus. I saw a maid rushing with a tray having a cup of coffee. I wished I could grab it and sip it at once.
I felt weary after walking, for around twenty minutes to reach there, making our way between the bushes, silver oaks, rabbits, and Akshat’s fans including students and teachers who wished him and spoke at least two lines before bidding him. “How is he the apple of everyone’s eyes? What was so special about the young professor, Dr. Akshat Malhotra?’, wondered I.
The registrar ma’am sounded like an introvert for I could only see her skim my documents and nod at the millions of words Akshat uttered to recommend me. Aww! Akshat sir was very kind-hearted. I didn’t know how he had been marketing me for the past ten minutes but I realized that he went on supporting me more than his level best. I couldn’t take my eyes off him who was engrossed in fighting a great battle for me. He was dressed in a light green formal shirt, black formal pants, and a long black coat.
I mistook him for not having been stare conscious until he caught me admiring him through the window glass. I felt awkward. I just smiled and shifted my vision to the ma’am inside as I blushed a little. I could sense Akshat sir staring and smiling at me.” Oh shit! What have I done? So awkward! What would he think of me?”, worried I, closing my eyes for a second. A moment later, I managed to look at him who blushed and nodded at me. I shrugged and he pointed at my documents which the registrar was still busy skimming.
My joy knew no bounds. My career, education, and life were only in his hands and he perfectly saved everything despite my silly attitude. I sighed, nodded, and smiled back at him. He pointed at me and made a gesture of smile followed by a hand gesture of super. I blushed and our eyes were lost in each other despite the transparent blockage between us.
I hesitated to look away for he might judge me to be selfish, egoistic, inhuman, and arrogant. I began to sweat. I couldn’t find my pulse in my hand. When I placed my fingers on my neck, the pulse was absent there as well. I was shocked and began moving my fingers here and there on my neck and still couldn’t feel my pulse! We continued staring at each other.
The registrar tapped her desk twice and Akshat turned at her. Phew! My eyes were released and I turned at her. They gestured for me to come in.
She asked me why I wanted the transfer to which I replied that I wanted more exposure and opportunities which I will find in popular deemed universities such as Janki University. Akshat sir had advised me not to reveal the true reason lest it wouldn’t sound professional. “Akshat sir, you are great! How do you think of every possible permutation and combination? Aww!”, thought I.
She nodded and then asked me if I was ready to pay the management quota fees of two lakh every year. I agreed for both my parents were senior surgeons at a reputed private hospital. She informed me that I should be writing three subjects from the first year during the next backlog exams just for equivalence of credits. She concluded that she would conduct a meeting with the board and update Akshat sir who in turn would be updating me by the very evening.
I was happy that finally the overwhelming problem of my life was solved. “Yes, yes, yes!”, I wanted to hop with the rabbits on the lawn. A bright and fresh ray was incident on me as I left outside the building with Akshat sir. I showed it as it enlightened my hand and commented, “Akshat sir, this isn’t the mere Sun. It is the ray of hope you have gifted me.”
As he smiled-the ‘no-big-deal’ smile, I described, “Akshat sir, what you did means a lot indeed. “I caught his palm and promised, “I will never forget your selfless and sweet help, sir. I can’t believe that you postponed your itinerary for me.” I looked around and concluded, “All of these still seem to be a dream that I would never wish to wake up from…”
Tears began rolling down my cheeks. I closed my eyes and wept. He tightened my palm, consoling,” Naomi, calm down. Please don’t cry. You will officially be my student very soon and my students should be stronger than smarter.”
I opened my eyes and looked at him, justifying, “Akshat sir, I am serious. Initially, I thought that I owed you just a twenty but now I realized that I owe you my entire career for you have done something which my parents too denied and gave up saying that I won’t be able to continue my second year in Pune and that I had to start my college all over once again. They had also scared me that I would have to waste this entire year for there wasn’t literally any scope to get a transfer.”
As I sobbed, I continued, “My dad is a cardio surgeon and my mom is an onco-surgeon. They have our house but they always live in the hospital. Since I was born, Selvi aunty, our maid has been looking after me. Since I grew up, she cooks, washes clothes, and combs my hair and leaves. In the last year since I lived in the hostel, I have become independent.”
I smiled a little, recollecting, “My grandfather was looking after my academics until my sixth grade. It was only he who had ever come to my school admission, PTM, results day, and many other important occasions. I had to manage my first college admissions on my own except for the signatures. You saved my admission here!”
“While my family never thought of spending a second on me, you invested your valuable time on me, Akshat sir. I will never forget your sacrifice and intense care which even a patient in the ICU may not get. Thank you…”, concluded I, smiling.
He rubbed my palm yet I couldn’t stop my tears. He released my palms and took out his white handkerchief. He wiped my tears and advised me not to worry about anything then.
“I want to celebrate, Akshat sir. How I wish Vyomi was here!”, said I. I wanted to hug Vyomi right away and flood her shirt with my tears of sentiment.
He stepped three feet back, stretched his arms towards me, and called me, blushing and announcing,” Naomi Dixit, congrats!” I blushed back and hugged him very tightly. I wondered how he read my mind so well.
He hugged me in return; we clung to each other and were lost in each other. We didn’t even care that we were hugging there standing in front of the admin block! By virtue of luck, none were there around us then! I was never this close to a guy ever before.
We released each other after at least five minutes! He patted my cheek and suggested that I should let him escort me and we must tour the exquisite campus of the university. I nodded and we set out. We were walking along, inhaling the peaceful breeze blowing my hair which I ensured did not fall on his face like the other day and disturb my life savior. Every girl’s first hero would have been her father or sometimes her brother but in my case, it is him-my future professor.
He showed me a series of canteens all in a line beyond the academic and admin blocks on the campus. There were several chaat food stalls, South Indian, North Indian, and Chinese canteens, soft drinks stalls, ice cream parlors, and pizza corners. They were again surrounded by lawns housing the noteworthy silver oaks on them. He also told me that the hostels were a 15-minute walk from there but we didn’t go there.
I stopped at one of the chaat food stalls staring at the Gobi Manchurian plates taken away by a group of students. The next moment, Akshat sir patted my shoulder and ordered, “Two plates Gobi Manchurian”. I looked at him and shrugged wondering how he understood what I wanted without me expressing it. He smiled, explaining, “I saw you mouth-watering at those plates…I got it!”
Aww! He was just awesome. He handed me a plate illustrating his gentlemanliness. I saw the QR code on the paper stuck on the table and confirmed with the shopkeeper if I could do Google Pay. No sooner had the shopkeeper agreed than Akshat himself took out a hundred rupee note and paid him. He comforted me, “Naomi, it’s the 100 you paid me yesterday…I am spending the same don’t pay me anything later. Let me take this as your treat!”
“Not fair, Akshat sir. You bought them for me and call it your treat!”, said I. He chuckled, denying,” Nope!” He continued, as we walked towards the lawn, “I don’t have any specific interest in outside food. I only love my mom’s homemade food.”
I smiled as we sat on a bench and began attacking the yummy snack with our forks. I completed eating sooner. He was eating slowly which made me doubt if I relished the chaat. I was staring at the three pieces left on his plate while he was busy chewing and looking elsewhere.
I badly wanted to eat them as well for I could never eat anything except the boring rice and curry that Selvi aunty cooked. I never found enough time to roam out and eat or hang outside with my besties. The last time I ever met up outside was after my tenth board exams; it had been around three years. What a hattrick!
Akshat suddenly looked at me. “Open your mouth!”, said he, and I stopped thinking. I turned at him and shrugged. “Halloo Naomi, open your mouth I said! Just do it. I am not asking you to fight against a challenging land dispute in the Supreme Court!”, insisted he.
We chuckled and I opened my mouth at once. He pushed a bite inside. I was shocked. “Akshat sir, but it was for you, right?”, questioned I, struggling and chewing his gift. He fed me the rest and got up. It was the first time a guy had ever fed me. Aww, Akshat! I was never this close to a guy ever before.
I followed him as he walked toward the trash can. We discarded our plates after which he caught my cheeks and blushed, justifying,” Naomi, we celebrated your achievement. So, you deserved more, of course!”
I blushed back and thanked him. I thanked the great heavens that he didn’t catch me staring at his plate!
“Wow! Celebration before achievement!”, mocked an alarming male voice, emerging beside us.
What's in store to obstruct Naomi's admission?
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