Chapter X

The day started off with the dream I had the previous night about her. I woke up with an overwhelming urge to see her for the first time. Could she really exist? Or was it an elaborate prank the universe was playing on me? Just for the kick of it, I started planning the best way to make the memory unforgettable. I already knew her schedule by heart then. Was that weird or sweet? You be the judge. By noon I had come up a with plan to surprise her after her college. By the way, Google maps. Thank you.

So there I was with the perfect plan, pondering over the tiniest of details- again and again. I should cover all contingencies that may arise and ensure that the end result is unchanged whatever happens. I started playing out different scenarios in my head. Even small things like there was just a 1000 rupee note in my purse didn't slip my mind. That's one thing I needed to take care of. Note to self: Go to the ATM and get some change before boarding the bus to her college. But as I left my campus listening to some music (that we both liked), that single thing slipped my mind.

I was now looking into my purse that I had taken out of my pocket at the bus stop. The 1000 rupee note was staring at me, asking me
-" How are you gonna board a bus in this city with me you dumb-ass?"

I didn't know a thousand rupee note could demean me like that. I asked around for the nearest ATM and started walking fast towards it. As I left the bus stop area, my legs had started running on their own. I was running out of time to reach her college during the small window of opportunity she'd be able to meet me. I needed to speed things up.

Tried the ATM. No money below 500. The Paulo Coelho quote from Alchemist that had been ringing in my head all day resurfaced, casting a shadow of self-doubt over my well-thought out "plan".

Disappointed, I started thinking of this as a sign from the universe that I shouldn't go meet her. I wouldn't get embarrassed by the prank that the universe was playing on me. Maybe I was fooling myself, believing that I wanted to see her really really badly.

I checked my pockets for the room key to go back to my room and forget all about this.

I was terrified on not finding it in my pocket. Damn... Where had it gone? I went back to the ATM and checked the surroundings. Nope, nowhere to be found. I decided to walk back to the bus stop looking down on the ground all the time. Was this the second sign from the universe?

I decided that if I found my keys at the bus stop, I'd take it as a positive sign from the universe and go surprise her. My heart was pounding faster than usual- not knowing what was gonna happen. And partly because I was scared that I might have lost the last key to my room, again.

Imagine my surprise on finding the key at the exact same spot where I had stood at the crowded bus stop. I must have dropped it from my pocket when I had taken out the purse. Remember? When I saw that annoying 1000 rupee note staring at me with it's "judge-y" eyes.

Oh damn. 1000 rupee note. Still don't have any change for the bus fare. Now the universe is telling me to go see her. If the universe ensured that your room key didn't get lost in that crowded bus stop, it can also ensure that you don't get embarrassed by anything that's about to happen.

I spotted a bunch of college kids at the bus stop. Assuming they spoke English, I decided to go over to explain my situation. I did just that, leaving out some details although. They told me they didn't have any change on them as well and was waiting for their friend to bring some for them. And if I was willing to wait for a bit, they'd give some change to me when their friends came.

Roughly around the time they finished telling me this, the bus to her college showed up. What do I choose? I was getting more frantic with each passing second, shifting my gaze back and forth between the bus and the college kids. I told them that that was my bus and started running towards the bus. Damn it. Now, I'd have to come up with something while I'm on the bus. It was getting late.

I sat down at the last seat and tried to explain my situation to the conductor. He started cursing me in Tamil and took the 1000 rupee note giving just a ticket back to me. I didn't understand whatever he mumbled to me in Tamil after that.

Out of the corner of my eye, to my left, I noticed a girl watching my conversation with the conductor. She might have been wondering what was about to happen to this helpless guy stuck on a bus with nothing but a thousand rupee note. So when I suddenly turned towards her to ask for some change so that I could pay the conductor, she was surprised that she became part of the strange experience that had been unfolding before her very eyes.

She took out her purse and gave me 20 rupees. I used it to pay the conductor upon which he returned that annoying 1000 rupee note. The note went back into my purse with a grin on its face, laughing at all the trouble it had caused me. God alone knows when it was going to start cursing at me again.

I wanted to return her money, but didn't know how. I offered to give my phone number so that I could meet her somewhere and return the money. She politely refused and I didn't want to keep bugging the nice girl who was kind enough to loan me 20 rupees when I was practically broke in a bus. So I went back to my music. My mind had wandered elsewhere thinking about the challenges that lay ahead until I get myself to her college and see her.

I texted the girl whom I was going to meet. Telling her that I had ordered a present for her and the delivery guy would be coming to her college to deliver the present. Would she see the message before getting on the college bus home? Why can't all these scary scenarios just get out of my mind and leave me alone? Those thoughts had kept me occupied until I reached her college.

Once I got down from the bus, more scary situations started presenting themselves. I called her. Phone's switched off. She must usually switch it on once she's on the bus. Will I miss her? Does the universe have anything more in store for me?

Saw some students getting out of the college. Tried her phone again. Still switched off. I was getting more and more anxious each second. Just when I thought I couldn't get any more anxious, the college buses start leaving the campus. One by one the buses start leaving the campus gates. I started counting. One bus gone, three more to go.

Had she seen the message??

Or checked her Whatsapp??

Second bus gone, two more to go.

Heart beating at 2x speed now.

Will she get off the bus? Won't she? Will she?? Won't she?

Should I try her phone again?

My phone starts ringing. It's her.

Crap. Is she already on the bus?

Is she going to ask me about the delivery of the present?

Third bus going by now. One more to go.

Heart racing. Again.

I pick her call.

-“Heyy you. Get off the bus. I'm here”, said me.

To hell with the surprise. I just wanted to see her at that moment.

-“What do you mean you're here?”, came the reply.

-“I mean there's a present that I wanted to deliver for you. And the delivery person is waiting outside your college. So get your butt off the bus now.”

Can’t believe I managed to reply like that, trying to regain my composure, almost unsuccessfully.

-“Wait wait. One sec.”, said the voice at the other end of the phone.

Phone call truncated.

I WhatsApp her.

-“Turn left at your college gate. Keep walking. The delivery guy says he's waiting there near an ATM.”

-“What are you saying? What gift?”

Did she get off the goddamn bus? Did she?? Or didn't she?

I started pacing frantically on the road. Went and hid behind the walls of an ATM nearby to surprise her if in fact she did get out of the bus. Decided it was stupid and came onto the main road and waited for her. I realized I was Ross wondering if Rachel had got out of the plane in the last episode of friends. Did my Rachel get off her bus?

I got off the bus, said a voice that connected the both of us even though she hadn't opened her mouth. And at that moment, I was staring at the most pleasant sight my eyes had laid upon in a long time, her.

(To be continued)