Book Fourteen

So now that a mode of communication had been established, we started talking to each other more than often. Almost everyday, in fact. Initially it was about school work. Then he started telling me about his friends and the things he did for fun. I did the same. So we got to know each other a little better and there were just more things about him to fall in love with. One time he told me a story about Doyal and Pritpal

Pritpal asked her, "What shampoo do you use"

Doyal answered, "Pantene"

Pritpal: So does it make your hair soft, shiny and straight.

Doyal: Yes it does, actually.

Pritpal: Alright, so now let's talk about the hair on your head.

I was so stupid I sort of didn't get it at the time but then I got the joke after I hung up. Lol.

And since our new house was under construction at this time, Mom, Dad and Siddhi always used to be out in the evenings. I'd always stay home with the excuse of homework to do and call him. We'd talk for an hour, sometimes two. I am surprised by the amount of things we had to talk about. We didn't talk that much in school actually. He'd play football with his friends during the break and I'd hang out with the girls and watch him play sometimes.

Book Thirteen

So while the play practices were on, I happened to start getting over him slowly. I realised it had been about a year since I liked him and it was practically madness. Seeing that this was going nowhere and there was nobody to talk this about to, I thought it would be best to move on. And I was fairly successful also. But then one day, I left my school diary on his desk during the recess by mistake and my phone number was on it. So when he returned it to me, he repeated it twice to me. And I hopelessly fell back into the love trap. So this was on a Friday afternoon and he called me Saturday morning with some Sanskrit homework to talk about. Apparently a "shloka" that he didn't understand. So I read what I had to him and I think he took notes. I'm not sure though because if he did, he was really fast. And then he asked me what I was upto. I said I was watching Tintin on cartoon network. He said he was going to play football in a little while.

That, right there, was our first phone conversation.

Book Twelve

Esther ma'am is our History teacher and she came up with this brilliant plan to divide the class into little groups and have us perform the different battles. There were 3 battles and I can't for the life of it remember but I do remember that I was in group I and Keshav was in group III. Guess who else was in group III - Parul.

And it is necessary to mention that at this point, Parul was also madly in love with Keshav. She had his phone number and started talking to him with the excuse of group logistics to discuss. Plus she has filled out several slam books and referred to her crush as Calvin & Hobbes which she explained to me was a number based theory where the first and last name is 6 letters each. And honestly, Keshav is the only person that fits the bill. And then Durgesh was in my group and all he kept harping on was that if there was a role for a person that cried a lot, it should be assigned to me.

So that failed badly and I was already beginning to lose hope that anything would happen between us. I mean, from what I can see, he likes talking to her and they spend so much time practicing for their stupid play together.

Before today, I had no idea I could get this envious of another person. NO IDEA.

Book Eleven

We have a new Chem teacher this year. Her name is Anshu Shore who I began to hate but more on that later. And for one reason or another, she wanted us to stand and introduce ourselves. This sort of thing always made me uncomfortable. Anyway so when it was my turn, I got up and mumbled my name. And she gasps "What? Malai?"

And the whole class burst out laughing. That was the most embarassing thing that happened to me. I don't want people to call me Malai but that stuck on for the longest time. Not only random people who I didn't care about start calling me that but Keshav did too! FML.

Book Ten

This sort of the first week of 8th grade and things are going well so far. I've been sitting in the last bench right behind Durgesh and Keshav and since I've known Durgesh for the longest time, there's always an excuse to talk.
Today Keshav told me that I emailed him for some book over the summer break apparently. And I got so confused because I sent no such email. He asked if springflower_manali was my email id which it was but I didn't email him. I tried to figure out how someone could use your name to send emails. I'm so stupid though. My password was springflower and my password question was what is my name. So the D section people hacked in. And I know this for sure because Manvita called me one day to fill her slam book over the phone. Which was so strange but again, I was stupid.
Anyway so I thought that he got offended by it and I tried to convince him that I sent no such email. Fortunately he didn't make a big deal about it. I actually don't know what the email said even; except that it had a thank you element for some book I borrowed :S

Book Nine

Hello 8th Grade!

I actually surprise myself by the amount I can remember from 8th to 10th grade. And everything has to do with Keshav. Almost everything. The important "schtuf" anyway.

We got moved to the classroom on the ground floor that overlooks the volleyball court. So no more climbing steps with heavy bags. And then Mamta ma'am (midget stature woman) is our class teacher. Here's what she does on the first day of class;

"Hello class, I am going to be your class teacher. I want you all to stand roll-number wise outside in a straight line." Then she picked the first two boys, made them sit together. The first two girls behind those two guys. Then another 2 guys. And that's how she filed us around the classroom. And the best part - Keshav and Durgesh sit in front of me (Keshav Pandya, Durgesh Pandit). I sit with Swarna Pillai right behind them. I have to officially thank my parents for my last name.

And it gets better - Swarna is down with typhoid so she is going to be off the loop for 2 odd months. That is a whole lot of time I get to bond with Keshav without fearing that someone is watching me or listening to our conversations all the time.

Book Eight

The trip can more or less be concluded in my vying attempts to get Keshav's attention. I actually remember some of the most ridiculous things I have done just to be in his eye. I should probably not go into the details. Somebody should have shaken me hard and said "WTF is wrong with you woman?"

Anyway, so I guess most of 7th standard just passed like that. I hoped we'd meet each other outside school somewhere. Our moms don't know each other. There's just no common friends. This is proving to be more difficult than I thought. But there's definitely a spark. And I know I'm falling deeper and deeper into this.

Book Seven

On Friendship's day in August of 2001, Keshav sent me my very first email on springflower_manali@hotmail.com. It was a stupid email address, I give you that. But I never really got over the fancy names and random things I was obsessed with at the time I made those email ids. There were springflowers, Harry Potter's broomstick names, other artefacts from Harry Potter, Princesses, stars, book characters, you name it.

Anyway, all that is besides the point.

He sent me a friendship's day e-card. And it's funny how I still remember this.

There was a little tortoise and it read

"I hope our friendship lasts as long as this tortoise lives"

Apparently tortoises are supposed to live for 120-150 years. That's really cute.

So I think this is his way of saying he wants me in his life permanently. That's a wonderful thing.

Book Six

Okay so just so we're on the same page; this is still 7th Standard and we're about half-way through.

We have an excursion coming up and we're all going to Ajanta and Ellora. I think this is going to be fun. 4 days of being away from home with the chance of being in his vicinity for 4 whole days. That's pretty awesome don't you think? Well, if you still have doubts, you're not thinking like a 13 year old girl.

Anyway, so we left in a bus and the journey was long, about 8 odd hours. We talked a little bit here and there but not really. Sometimes we weren't in the same bus. When we were, it was always the girls sitting distinctly away from the guys. Let's be honest, until a while back I was supposed to make fun of boys and get disgusted by them. I failed to understand why my stomach dropped to my feet every single time he looked at me.

So when we finally reached the hotel, I was to room with Tulsi, Moksha and other girls who were my friends in VI C. I didn't have any girl friends in the 7th except Gayatri but she wasn't with us on this trip. I spent most of my time hanging out with the girls. All the girls from section A, B and C were fairly docile and kept to themselves. We used to have a briefing session at night where for some reason we meant to take notes about all the places we visited in the day. At this briefing session, the boys would be around so I tried very hard to get my girls to sit around his guys so there was a way for us to talk or smile at each other.

Sometimes it happened. At night, we weren't allowed to loiter or go into the boys' rooms and all. So one time, we heard some sounds and I came out to check. I walked up to Khyati's room and figured she was playing the mouth organ. So then I started walking back and I saw him!

I got so flustered I asked him if his roommates were the ones making loud sounds around there. He just nodded side-to-side and smiled a little bit. I walked back hurriedly but I remember clearly that he was wearing a white kurta and now white is my absolute favourite colour =)

Book Five

So I finally actually like going to school because I get to see him everyday. And I always look for excuses to turn around because he's right there and he - is - so - cute. Plus lately, I've noticed that when I look at him, he looks right back at me.

I think we both keep looking for ways to talk to each other. One time he came up to my desk and asked if I had an extra pencil he could borrow. We had a block test that day so he had a legitimate excuse. But in retrospect, he asked ME and no one else around his desk. That might have something to do with ME and not the lack of a pencil I'm thinking. Right?

This sort of one minute conversations and several minutes of gazing at each other is going to continue for a while. I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.