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 voice directed us to a tall and strong man of around Akshat sir’s age. He was dressed in a brown suit; all in brown though. He gave a wicked smile at Akshat sir and neared us. Akshat sir greeted him with a simple ‘good morning’ and whispered to me that the body-builder-like guy was one of the Chairpersons of the college. I too greeted him with a ‘good morning’.
The Chairperson smiled at his smartwatch, accusing us, “Akshat and Naomi, you guys are literally two bodies but only one soul. “We bulged our eyes and shrugged at each other while the chairperson corrected his remark, “OH sorry two bodies but only one brain I meant, not a soul.“
He continued, “It's twelve-thirty in the noon now and you guys call it morning? Huh! I wonder what you learned back in your elementary classes!”
“Sorry sir, good afternoon!”, wished us, in chorus. We then looked at each other and were puzzled again. The Chairperson laughed and commented,” OK now I realize why you recommended her, Akshat. Anyway, I am sorry, Naomi. Janki University can’t take you…”
I was taken aback. However, I was reluctant to give up at once. I asked him to explain the reason behind his judgment. He kicked out a burst of wicked laughter again. “It’s because of your beloved Akshat sir who snatched away my LLB seat from the prestigious University of Delhi”, shouted he. He sat on the bench, and rested his right leg on his left, as Akshat shrugged.
“How dare you, Mr. Akshat Malhotra? Huh! You managed to grab an LLB from the University of Delhi only because I had put my seat on hold during the counseling that year. You completed your LLM and Ph.D. there and joined my family’s university. Unfortunately, I did not get any other seats that year. You fucking made me study at IIM Ahmedabad and pushed me into MBA or business which my parents wished for while I wanted to pursue Law. Well played, Akshat!”, narrated he, clapping and frowning at us.
“Rishabh Sir, please mind your words. It was your fault to have been waiting to anticipate a seat at a better university till the very last counseling round-the very last minute. Stop targeting me and now my lovely student, sir. It wasn’t my fault at all! Any student would have grabbed the seat available in their hand for the university in question is highly supreme…”, defended Akshat.
“You!”, yelled the Chairperson. We grabbed the attention of the maids eating, sitting beside the trees opposite the lawn where we stood. They stood up and watched us curiously.
“Keep your illogical logic to yourself, Akshat. Do you even get how much I had struggled by taking three years to drop out to just get the damn seat? How come you could just grab someone’s hard-earned bread and flee like that? “He sighed, cursing, “You shameless soul! You are the tiger which dined a lion’s meal while the latter was away looking for some better food…”
Until then, I had only been staring at their faces but it was high time I had to do something for I got their story and realized that Akshat sir was innocent. I couldn’t see him being looked down on by the evil guy. I spoke out to the Chairperson, “I am sorry to interrupt you, Rishabh sir. But I am again very sorry to say that your mentality is wrong. Who asked the lion to go away? Not the tiger, right? Then how was the tiger intentional, sir?”
He frowned at me while Akshat sir pinched me.
”Naomi, you won’t understand the struggle of a cobbler unless you stich a badly torn out shoe yourself. Am I right? “, queried he.
I stood puzzled and looked at Akshat sir who felt helpless as well. I nodded at Rishabh and the latter clapped. He looked at Akshat sir and announced, “You silly guy, see how successful you have become today. But, now, finally, my turn has come to repay your cunningness. Hahahaha!”
Rishabh turned back at me and concluded,” Exactly! So, Akshat’s dear student, let go of this year and start your degree afresh next year. Janki University-I I will welcome you with pomp and show! Understand the pain of sitting at home and preparing for an entrance examination while your friends around you would have already started pursuing their degree and even going for pieces of training under experienced advocates! “
He came closer to me and roared, “Do this and only then you will understand what your support system did to me and ruined my life.”
When he was about to leave, Akshat sir stopped him, “I will resign, Rishabh sir.”
I shook my head at Akshat. Rishabh turned back as Akshat continued, “Sir, you hate me to the fullest. I know that you have been tolerating me here at your university despite you being one of the Chairpersons and having all the authority to dismiss me only because the director of my esteemed college recommended me to your uncle. You couldn’t oppose your uncle, the founder.”
Akshat confessed,” But, today, right now, I will go away from your place, sir. Please don’t punish a studious and brilliant student due to your illogical vengeance…”
Rishabh’s rage crossed all frontiers this time as he grabbed Akshat’s collar and scolded him, “What the fuck did you just say? Illogical vengeance? Huh! Do you know much it hurts whenever I see my qualifications anywhere or remember that I couldn't the dream career for which I struggled for seven years? All because of you, you fucker.”
“OK now, this is getting violent, Rishabh sir. Shall I call the cops?”, threatened I, taking my mobile out of my pockets.
He released Akshat’s collar and frowned at me again. He explained, “Akshat Malhotra, don’t you dare resign for I want to see you suffering seeing this ‘lovely’ student of yours who seems to be close to you, cry day and night wasting one entire year. So, technically, even if you resign, it won’t help her, Dr. Akshat.”
He laughed, yelling at us, “Solid revenge plan, right?” and left with his legs pressing and thrashing the poor grass.
I broke down and squatted down on the grass. I wept aloud, covering my mouth with my hand. Akshat sat down beside me and rubbed my back. My entire world had turned upside down in the past few seconds. I rested my head on his shoulder and drenched his suit with my tears as he wrapped me in his cozy arms.
I looked at him, crying out, “Akshat sir, thank you very much. You indeed tried your level best to get me a transfer here. I can’t believe that I went to the extent of making a cruel sin by forcing you to resign your precious job for me. I doubt even if one’s kins would be ready to make such touching sacrifices. I am sorry and thankful to you at the same time, Akshat sir…”
I wept as he consoled me, “I am sorry, Naomi. Don’t give up. This is not the end. You can still…...” I stopped him, released myself from his arms, and got up. As he too got up and stood, I blamed myself, “Heavens have always been unfair to me, Akshat sir. I have no luck at all. Neither did I get loving parents nor a promising career. I screwed my own education…”
I walked away, weeping to myself and hurrying towards the front gate.” Naomi, listen to me! Stop!”, called he, running behind. I didn’t care to respond at all until he screamed, “Halloo!”
I stopped. He had neared me. While he bent and touched his legs, breathing hard, I smiled at him, at the scenes of the first time we had met in the bus, the answer sheets I had dropped from his hands, him pulling me on his lap and offering a flower in the midst of the silver oaks, the precious gestures through the glass at the registrar’s cabin, his meek hug, his meek brown eyes, the simple and cute Gobi Manchurian party and finally, his decision to resign for me, flashing past my eyes. I had never been this close to a guy ever before.
A drop of tear rolled down my cheek. I was interrupted by a twenty rupee note that flew away from his pants pocket. I bent, took it, and offered it to him. I disclosed, faking a smile, “Look at how strange life is, Akshat sir. Our interaction began with twenty rupees and is ending now with the same.”
His eyes too were on the currency in my hand. “At least keep this with you as a memory. Will you, Naomi Dixit?”, asked he. I could feel the tears concealed behind his light brown pupils. I nodded and packed it in the first zip of my bag.
“Naomi, you will still be my student here. I will do it. This can’t be our last meeting. There can’t be such a small purpose behind our interactions all this while”, promised he. I told him that there wasn’t anything beyond this point and that we had to accept the harsh truth.
“No, there is still the last try I can do and will do for you. Didn’t you say that I build the future? And you are my future although we belong to the same generation…”, confirmed he. I smiled and asked him if it was feasible.
“Give me some time. That’s all I need to prove my point and bring you here.”, said he, catching hold of my palm. I let his palm and refused to have false hopes.
” Goodbye!”, said I, heading towards the gate and leaving him behind. No sooner had I set my foot at the end of the campus than I turned around to glance at the beautiful lush-green campus one last time. I smiled at the bunny sitting on the grass to my left and blinking at me as it hogged its carrot.
I waved at Akshat sir who looked away, secretly wiping his tears. I closed the gate behind me and just left.
Will Naomi still get a seat at Janki University? Will Akshat manage to help her?
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