The evening dust had barely settled in Allahabad and it was still April hot with no sign of shower for days to come. Most people would have been drenched all day long through dull and boring lectures that never came to an end but this sudden wave of callousness seemed to have infused new energy into my blood. I pounced a look at the clock and pressed the 11 digits on my mobile in quick succession. After a long ringtone that reminded of the latest Bollywood flick, a husky voice picked up.
“Hello?”
“Binay, I’m in love!”
“Me too.” A cold reply to the excitement I was shrilling with.
“Wait, wait. That cannot be true.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I know you can never fall in love. You are a flirt and will always remain one.”
“Exactly. And I know you can never fall in love. You are a cold-hearted reptile and will remain one.”
“This time, I can assure you that I feel the warmth inside. I think I’m sure that I’m in love.”
“Great news then. When are you introducing me to the lucky girl?”
“I don’t need to.”
“Of course, you would not. I always knew you were jealous of me.” He butted in quickly.
“I mean I don’t need to.” I repeated again.
“You mean I know her?”
“Possibly better than me. I think I’m in love with Sneha.”
“L6? I thought you people would never even patch up!”
“My God! How can you even think about it that way! No way!” I was full of protest. He was supposed to be my alter ego… a second self should not have erred. “Sneha Agarwal.”
“You mean the Sneha Agarwal?”
“Yes, now you got it right. The Sneha Agarwal,” I said calmly.
“You people have been playing behind my back! How long has this been going on?”
“I just realized.”
“And have you told her about it? What did she say?”
“Control your excitement Binay. You know I can’t rush things through. I have dropped a lot of hints.”
“You are playing code-decode with her, huh! How did she respond?”
“Nothing really so far. She liked the poem I sent her. It was about a love story and how friends lose connection and fade into oblivion. Another one was on the moral support she must have got from defeating me in that last challenge.”
I could almost feel Binay slamming his head as I went on.
“Well, what do you think?”
“I think I should rather take my chances before you make any further advances.”
“What?”
“What What?”
“What chances?”
“You accept that I know you well. I would not let you waste your life for a girl like Sneha and vice versa.”
“How can you say that Binay. I thought you would support me.”
“What better can I do? I know you would never make a move and she would never take a step; your love story is over. Sneha is a wonderful girl. Let me handle her.”
“You did not say that right?”
“You haven’t made any move right? I am sure you never would. If I propose to Sneha today, would she tell me no? Well, probably she would, but not out of conscience thinking of you.”
“What should I do?”
“Nothing. Just like you did nothing when Rishabh took her right before you and proposed. Just like you said nothing when she sincerely needed a friend to console her.”
“She needed no consolation.”
“When a guy breaks such a news to a girl, she needs consolation. Well, as I was saying, you were not there at that time. Just racing with your mathematics. And now you suddenly realize out of nowhere that you are in love!”
“How did you know that I had a crush on her when Rishabh broke that proposal to her?”
“I could read your face. I believe Sneha did as well. That was why she refused.”
“So what should I do now? I know I am sincerely in love now.”
“Well, just as I said, do nothing. I am not getting in your way like Rishabh did, right. But in order to make the lives of the two of you miserable any more, let me propose to Sneha and be the scapegoat.”
“It’s beyond my comprehension Binay. You would not do that right, why would you! You have the charm, the charisma to turn any girl around. You know how much I love Sneha and you say that she loves me too…”
“Wait, wait, wait. I am not there to tell anything. Ask her if you want to know what she thinks. I just told you, that you would never propose to her. She would forever be waiting. Just to make things simpler, let me be the scapegoat.”
“You don’t want to spoil our lives by doing that right?”
“Of course I don’t. But what choice do I have? Only if you could stop pulling hints and dropping clues on her and did something rather concrete. Something like telling her how much you are in love, just like you are telling me now.”
“You know it Binay. I feel odd talking to Sneha and she changes the topic so well. I can’t be offbeat about myself for more than a minute. I could lose a friend in putting my word.”
“You can give me a hundred reasons, but you must propose in the end and don’t expect me to do that for you. You know I would be a fool to lose Sneha this way, and if you don’t, I won’t mind cutting the crap.”
“You have any second minds?”
“Not now, at least.”
“Well, wait a few days. I would definitely give it a shot. Before that, I just want to resume the dialog we have missed. And keep me informed when you have a talk to her.”
“Are you sure? This looks like a reformed Mitesh now. What are you having in mess these days?”
“Just the rice and curry most of the time. They make the chapatis and different varieties of local vegetables but they are not my taste. Miss the puchkas of Bengal.”
“Well, I don’t relinquish them without you. I have also stopped potatoes to stay in shape.”
“You are a frame already! What do you want? A Miss India?”
A hearty laugh eased the tension building up. “Do talk to her. She is one girl you should do anything for.”
“I am absolutely sure. Could not agree with you more.”
“What’s up in college?”
“I took part in the Bengali dance in the cultural festival. We bagged the second prize. Hard luck with the cultural pavilion although learned a lot about Bengali culture meanwhile. I am just exploring Allahabad these days. Not much activity planned in college until the end semester exams. I was part of the institute magazine team but it would take some time before we get a copy. There was a brawl in the team amongst the third year seniors I believe, but it does not matter. I am sure we would have a good magazine in the end.”
“I am quite sure you would. Never had a doubt about your writing skills. But stop using that as a tool to impress. There are other ways as well. I am sure you would be creative enough.”
“I would try to put my best foot forward. How’s everything turning at your end?”
“There’s nothing much worth talking. It was a busy month, being the end of the financial year. Between the office for CA and classes at Xaviers’ there isn’t much time to spare. Add to that the tuitions for CA and I am almost running on my feet all the time. Calcutta is a busy place and there’s no time to rest. Still looking for a better place to inhabit for the night. I’m on my way, almost there. I’d talk to you later but do keep me informed about how things turn out.”
“Sure I would. But keep your cool. Don’t mess my life in front of Sneha.”
“You really thought I would?”
“I could never say.”
“Hello?”
“Binay, I’m in love!”
“Me too.” A cold reply to the excitement I was shrilling with.
“Wait, wait. That cannot be true.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I know you can never fall in love. You are a flirt and will always remain one.”
“Exactly. And I know you can never fall in love. You are a cold-hearted reptile and will remain one.”
“This time, I can assure you that I feel the warmth inside. I think I’m sure that I’m in love.”
“Great news then. When are you introducing me to the lucky girl?”
“I don’t need to.”
“Of course, you would not. I always knew you were jealous of me.” He butted in quickly.
“I mean I don’t need to.” I repeated again.
“You mean I know her?”
“Possibly better than me. I think I’m in love with Sneha.”
“L6? I thought you people would never even patch up!”
“My God! How can you even think about it that way! No way!” I was full of protest. He was supposed to be my alter ego… a second self should not have erred. “Sneha Agarwal.”
“You mean the Sneha Agarwal?”
“Yes, now you got it right. The Sneha Agarwal,” I said calmly.
“You people have been playing behind my back! How long has this been going on?”
“I just realized.”
“And have you told her about it? What did she say?”
“Control your excitement Binay. You know I can’t rush things through. I have dropped a lot of hints.”
“You are playing code-decode with her, huh! How did she respond?”
“Nothing really so far. She liked the poem I sent her. It was about a love story and how friends lose connection and fade into oblivion. Another one was on the moral support she must have got from defeating me in that last challenge.”
I could almost feel Binay slamming his head as I went on.
“Well, what do you think?”
“I think I should rather take my chances before you make any further advances.”
“What?”
“What What?”
“What chances?”
“You accept that I know you well. I would not let you waste your life for a girl like Sneha and vice versa.”
“How can you say that Binay. I thought you would support me.”
“What better can I do? I know you would never make a move and she would never take a step; your love story is over. Sneha is a wonderful girl. Let me handle her.”
“You did not say that right?”
“You haven’t made any move right? I am sure you never would. If I propose to Sneha today, would she tell me no? Well, probably she would, but not out of conscience thinking of you.”
“What should I do?”
“Nothing. Just like you did nothing when Rishabh took her right before you and proposed. Just like you said nothing when she sincerely needed a friend to console her.”
“She needed no consolation.”
“When a guy breaks such a news to a girl, she needs consolation. Well, as I was saying, you were not there at that time. Just racing with your mathematics. And now you suddenly realize out of nowhere that you are in love!”
“How did you know that I had a crush on her when Rishabh broke that proposal to her?”
“I could read your face. I believe Sneha did as well. That was why she refused.”
“So what should I do now? I know I am sincerely in love now.”
“Well, just as I said, do nothing. I am not getting in your way like Rishabh did, right. But in order to make the lives of the two of you miserable any more, let me propose to Sneha and be the scapegoat.”
“It’s beyond my comprehension Binay. You would not do that right, why would you! You have the charm, the charisma to turn any girl around. You know how much I love Sneha and you say that she loves me too…”
“Wait, wait, wait. I am not there to tell anything. Ask her if you want to know what she thinks. I just told you, that you would never propose to her. She would forever be waiting. Just to make things simpler, let me be the scapegoat.”
“You don’t want to spoil our lives by doing that right?”
“Of course I don’t. But what choice do I have? Only if you could stop pulling hints and dropping clues on her and did something rather concrete. Something like telling her how much you are in love, just like you are telling me now.”
“You know it Binay. I feel odd talking to Sneha and she changes the topic so well. I can’t be offbeat about myself for more than a minute. I could lose a friend in putting my word.”
“You can give me a hundred reasons, but you must propose in the end and don’t expect me to do that for you. You know I would be a fool to lose Sneha this way, and if you don’t, I won’t mind cutting the crap.”
“You have any second minds?”
“Not now, at least.”
“Well, wait a few days. I would definitely give it a shot. Before that, I just want to resume the dialog we have missed. And keep me informed when you have a talk to her.”
“Are you sure? This looks like a reformed Mitesh now. What are you having in mess these days?”
“Just the rice and curry most of the time. They make the chapatis and different varieties of local vegetables but they are not my taste. Miss the puchkas of Bengal.”
“Well, I don’t relinquish them without you. I have also stopped potatoes to stay in shape.”
“You are a frame already! What do you want? A Miss India?”
A hearty laugh eased the tension building up. “Do talk to her. She is one girl you should do anything for.”
“I am absolutely sure. Could not agree with you more.”
“What’s up in college?”
“I took part in the Bengali dance in the cultural festival. We bagged the second prize. Hard luck with the cultural pavilion although learned a lot about Bengali culture meanwhile. I am just exploring Allahabad these days. Not much activity planned in college until the end semester exams. I was part of the institute magazine team but it would take some time before we get a copy. There was a brawl in the team amongst the third year seniors I believe, but it does not matter. I am sure we would have a good magazine in the end.”
“I am quite sure you would. Never had a doubt about your writing skills. But stop using that as a tool to impress. There are other ways as well. I am sure you would be creative enough.”
“I would try to put my best foot forward. How’s everything turning at your end?”
“There’s nothing much worth talking. It was a busy month, being the end of the financial year. Between the office for CA and classes at Xaviers’ there isn’t much time to spare. Add to that the tuitions for CA and I am almost running on my feet all the time. Calcutta is a busy place and there’s no time to rest. Still looking for a better place to inhabit for the night. I’m on my way, almost there. I’d talk to you later but do keep me informed about how things turn out.”
“Sure I would. But keep your cool. Don’t mess my life in front of Sneha.”
“You really thought I would?”
“I could never say.”