The Delusion

I was in the class when suddenly my phone beeped. An unknown number was
flashing on the screen. I don’t know what got me to pick it up in the middle
of the class, while equally hiding myself from the professor, in an attempt
not to get caught.

“Hello? Who’s this?” I whispered through the phone.

“Hey Rick! It’s me!” a female voice announced. It was her.

“Listen, I’m attending a class,” I said.

“Oh? When’d it be over?” she asked.

“It’d be over soon,” I said, though I knew it had just started.

“Fine. Can we meet near the library?” she asked.

“Okay, wait for me in the lawns,” I said and hung up.

I had entered a strong and complex dilemma. There was an important lecture
going on, and on the other hand this girl was asking me to meet her. I had to
make a difficult choice. Or did I even have a choice at all?

Well I can turn out to be a bit of desperate at times. I decided to leave the
class and go meet her. The question was: how?

I needed some solid reason to sneak out. Just then, I got an idea!

I gestured the prof. (showed my pinky finger) and she got the signal. I didn’t
want to leave such an interesting lecture. However, this way it seemed
rather a better option. I had left my bag in the classroom, while sneaking
out. I had to return. And that too, quickly.

I reached the library, almost making a run. And there was she, sitting at one
of the benches installed there. Her face seemed to have lost its glow. Maybe
she hadn’t put her make-up on.

Whatever be her appearance, her presence had always felt intriguing.

“Hi,” she said affably, bringing me back from my thoughts.

“Cut the crap, and come to the point,” I greeted her, still panting.
I had no time for sharing pleasantries, since I had almost bunked a class and
was kind of freaking out.

“Well, that’s rude,” she said.

“Whatever...” I replied.

“Listen, I have not been well these days,” she confessed.

“And…?” I asked, waiting for her to elaborate.

“I have restrained myself from social media as well; deactivated facebook,

uninstalled apps like messenger and whatsapp,” she continued.

“Ah, study determination goals…” I smirked.

“No it’s all because of the… Anyway, I had to reinstall messenger for you,
but you seem to have deactivated your account as well. So I wanted to meet
you” she said.

She’s interested in having conversations over the app!

“Why so?” I asked, trying to sound genuine.

“See, I wanted to tell you… I mean… I never thought I would have to say it
this way… But still…” she seemed to hesitate.

My heart rate seemed to have doubled the normal rate.

Is it a dream or something? No, this is really happening. One chance. That’s

all I ever wanted. Say it dammit! Say those three magical words!

“I want notes…” she said. Now what the hell was that for? I swear I could
almost hear Lucky Ali in the background, singing Tod Diya Dil Mera at the
very moment. Maybe someone nearby was listening to the track without
headphones on. What I’m trying to say is, that my entire world of
imagination got annihilated. Too much excited few moments ago, I was on the
verge of crying any moment.

Someone seemed to have whispered into my ear,”Tumhara bohot bada waala

kataa hai pandit,” Just kidding, this was my inner me.

“Okay... So you want notes, eh?” I asked trying to keep my calm.

“Yes…” she said. I felt stuck in the middle for firstly, I hadn’t prepared any
notes and why the hell did I sneak out?

Though hurt, how could Mr. Showman let his image get damaged in front of
her?

“Hmmm… which chapters?” I asked.

“All chapters, actually…” she replied meekly.

My insides were burning because of this incident. Still, I had thought it’d be
better if I fake it.

“I can’t give you notes on all chapters, sorry…” I said.

“Arey, I’ll return them once I‘ve got them photocopied. On the spot!” she
said.

“Not that, I can’t give them to you because I don’t have them…” I said.

“Huh?” she interrupted, making a face that one could rarely reject what ever
she was asking for.

“I… I… I don’t have them right now, since a friend of mine has borrowed my
notes on most chapters. I’ll give you those I have, for now. You may take the
rest of them later. Okay?” I lied.

“Sounds good. See you tomorrow, then…” she said, getting back to the normal
mode as her goal was accomplished.

“I won’t come tomorrow,” I said. I had to make notes, not war. And for that
I needed time.

“Why? Is it because of the College Fest? How can you be into studies all the
time? How mean and nerdy you are,” she said.

“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes, “Meet me on Monday, and do give a call when

you reach here,” I said.

“Yeah sure,” she said.

“Goodbye,” I saw her off and hurried back towards my class, only to find my
classmates staring at me. Some of them were even giggling, while the
professor continued to scribble at the chalkboard.
Man, I had taken bloody twenty minutes and the most important topic was
already explained. The class was over soon, and I felt tricked and
devastated. Disappointment endeavored, as one is always left with it, when
hit by a dilemma.

While walking back home, I thought about how would I have to start
making notes with those jargons and so much work would still be pending.
She thinks I’m a nerd? I felt like a loser, a desperate show-off who was now
stuck in a trap, by that time.

I decided to take the route via railway station, so that I could use the
escalators, which would help my feet getting a bit of relaxation from
continuous walking.

I reached there, only to find that the escalators weren’t working. Shit!

Repenting over my former decision, I opted for taking the stairs to the
foot-over-bridge, instead.

I was about to take my first step when I saw a lady struggling to get her
luggage through the stairs. She was carrying two huge and heavy bags, and
found it difficult even to lift them up, one step at a time. I thought of
offering help.

“Excuse me?” I asked.

“Yes?” She turned towards me. I noticed her face was veiled with a
handkerchief, and only her eyes could be seen. Her eyes were quite startling.

“Can I help you with those?” I asked, pointing over her luggage.

“Huh? Well… Yeah? Sure! Please…” she said as if she had recovered from
some shock.

Much to her amazement (and mine as well), I took both the bags at once, and
started moving upstairs as quick as possible. Damn, they feel so heavy!

“Careful!” she screamed, while catching up with me.

Upon reaching the top, I kept the luggage down and waited for her to reach
the spot.

“So, which platform are you heading for?” I asked her, when she arrived.
“Umm… Platform Number 9,” she answered. I got her luggage downstairs on
the platform.

“My train should be here in an hour. Can you please arrange me some place to
sit and wait with my luggage?” she asked.

“Yeah sure. Why not?” I replied, trying to figure out a vacant seat at the
platform. The platform was heavily crowded. Many passengers were sleeping
with their sheets laid over the floor, making it difficult even to make way.

“That would be of great help!” she exclaimed.

Now as I left her while looking for some vacant place, it was when I found
Samir, sitting on a bench at the platform.

“Hey, Sam! What’s up?” I greeted him.

“Whoa, Man! What are you doing here?” He asked.

“You didn’t tell me, you were leaving?” I asked.

“Yeah? I didn’t feel like it, actually,” He said.

Back at college, we were like best of friends. We shared almost everything

be it notes, bills, food or even secrets. I contemplated. Really? This is how
things change, friends leave and life… Life doesn’t stop for anybody.

“How come you’re here?” he asked, bringing me back to reality.

“Well I just thought to help this lady…” that is when I realized what I had
forgotten. I had to find her a vacant seat. Maybe Samir would let her take
his seat.

“I’ll be right back!” I excused myself and hurried back towards the lady only
to tell her I had found what she required.

I returned. A bit exhausted. My face clearly depicted that I was

awestricken.

“What happened?” Sam asked.

“You won’t believe me, Sam! She isn’t where I had left her with the luggage!
In fact, she isn’t even on the entire platform!” I told him what had happened
till now.

“Calm down, she must have gone somewhere,” he said.

“Yeah? Like just in a minute she’d walk a hundred steps or cross the
platform maybe getting to the other side, with the luggage she couldn’t even
lift properly?” I said, somewhat annoyed.

I couldn’t figure out what the hell had just happened. Or even why did it
happen at all?

“Okay. Relax. Tell me one thing, and be honest” Sam said.

“Ask.”

“Are you high, bro?”

“Hell, no!” I had never experienced anything like this before.

Anxiety and confusion seemed to be enveloping me.

Who the hell was she? Why did she accept my help? And how the hell could
she possibly vanish with such heavy luggage?

At every moment of our lives, we all have one foot in a fairy tale and other in
the abyss.