Beginings....-II

Akshat: Are you in periods?

Jigyasha: Wha...!

Akshat: Since morning, you've been making faces like you have a sharp pain in your lower abdomen.

Jigyasha: Am not in the mood really, so could you keep your wisecracks to yourself today?

Akshat: I'll quit if you stop sulking over a point two gpa score.

Jigyasha: That's not the case. I really thought I'd get more.

Akshat: Nope! You didn't. You are upset because somebody in this college scored more than you.

Jigyasha: Nooo! You are not getting it...

Akshat: Am getting it alright. You are just trying to put up a front here. You aren't ready to accept the fact that you can also come second and you're overreacting. Some guy in the college getting a point-two more than you hardly counts. I got a seven-point-four.

Jigyasha: Can you be anymore mean?

Akshat: If "honest" to you means "mean", then feel free to live among kinder souls.

Jigyasha: Wait, where are you going? I need to go to the library. Didn't get the algorithm textbook yesterday. Will just check if they have any copy now.

Akshat: Like I just said, got a seven-point-four. So library ain't really my gig right now. Also need to take care of some stuffs in the hostel.

Jigyasha: Fine. I'll go alone. Will you come to class in the second half?

Akshat: That is a question to which we will know the answer only in the second half. Akshat started walking towards his hostel while completing his sentence.

          While Akshat was always the more sarcastic type-something that she actually liked-Jigyasha today couldn't help finding his tone more rude than witty. Moreover, she could not fathom the reason for his behavior. He didn't seem to be upset with his scores. She anyways thought he got what he deserved. Yet he seemed off about something.

          It's been eight months since their first day together in that chemistry lab and they had become good friends in a short time. Although different in more ways than one, they were oddly compatible and they both realized it. But today wasn't one of those days. He did not want to come to class but Jigyasha coaxed him to. Every exam that he had given in his life, he felt he was marked less than he deserved. Yesterday had been no different. It's been a life-time of under-performance for him and the feeling was all too familiar, yet it freaked him up more every time. He wanted to be away from this crowd of people that were his classmates but he came for the person he had started to value most in this college. Not half an hour had passed in the first class that he began regretting his decision.

          Jigyasha had been her worst self all morning. Scribbling furiously in her notebooks, mumbling things to herself, making faces. He tried to cheer her up but gave up after a while. He thought she was overreacting and felt irritated. That someone could be so upset after getting a nine-point-two simply escaped him. And their parting conversation had convinced him that she would remain the same whole day long. He decided to skip the second half. He wanted to be alone for some time.

          Akshat was lying idly in his bed when his phone rang for the first time. He did not even bother to see who called. After three full tones the phone stopped ringing. Of course, the person on the other side was Jigyasha. She kept calling after every class, he never bothered to see.

          After spending the entire afternoon in his bed contemplating his life that had been till now, he finally got up. His phone had seventeen missed-calls and two text messages. All from Jigyasha. He knew she would be furious. The first text read "where r u? call me back asap!" second one read "been callin u whole day...do u even care??...am gettin worried here". The second text reminded him of another one he had typed but never sent to her during their last semester exams. A faint smile came floating on his face and he didn't feel sorry anymore. He texted her back, "see you at six, regular spot", took his bag and left.

Jigyasha: Where were you the whole day?

Akshat: With you, enduring your mood till lunch.

Jigyasha: And after that the entire afternoon?

Akshat: Had some work.

Jigyasha: I called you seventeen times. I was gettin freaked out! Do you even care? Do you even know how it feels?

Akshat: I saw the phone later ya.. and texted you back instantly. As for "freaking out", I know exactly how it feels.

Jigyasha: "exactly how it feels", what is that supposed to mean?

Akshat: Nothing. Said just like that.

Jigyasha: It's never nothing with you. I wanna know.

Akshat: We are not having this conversation. Not today of all days.

Jigyasha: Yes we are and I don't think this day can be any worse so just go ahead.

Akshat: Well, remember you had fever during last semester exams? I called you up like five times the day before E-M paper. You never picked up or bothered to get back. I was worried too then.

Jigyasha: Akshat! That happened some three and a half months ago and you're bringing it up now?

Akshat: I never would have brought it up. You were the one dying to have this talk.

Jigyasha: So you were just getting back at me silently by not picking up my calls today?

Akshat: Nope, that didn't happen intentionally, told you I was preoccupied. Now can we please change the topic?

Jigyasha: Okay but we were only talking and am still upset. Why are you carrying this bag anyway?

Akshat: Here I have something that will change your mood totally.

Jigyasha: I pretty much doubt that but what is it?

Akshat: Your algorithm design textbook.

Jigyasha: Where did you get it? It's a library issue but they said they had no copies left.

Akshat: There was one in the teacher's quota.

Jigyasha: And how did you get that?

Akshat: Trade secrets. But see, you are all smiles like I said. In fact, you are the girl who gets wet on gettin a new book.

Jigyasha: Shut the fuck up! And now we are going to have golgappas.

Akshat: No thank you.

Jigyasha: C'mon now! Stop being so grumpy. It's my treat for coming second the first time ever. [She animatedly started dragging him]

          As they were walking, last conversation kept playing up in Jigyasha's head. Now she knew why Akshat had never called her in the entire vacations. They did talk but it was always she who called. She never thought her not picking up his calls once would mean so much. Funny that when she felt she'd figured him out it seemed she was nowhere close.

          Akshat also realized he'd been too rude today. It was not her fault that he screwed up his exams like always. He had made his point but now he had to make it up to her.

          Actually, they both had a long way to go.