Ruhaan: So, what do you wanna know?

Mitali took a sip from her coffee and said,

Mitali: The Real Ruhaan.

Ruhaan: Hm. Okay,well, I was born in Pune. I moved to Mumbai when I was 8 years old. And then I met Tapasya and Adi. They were my classmates.I was the kind of a kid who would sit in the first bench everyday and spend his free time in the library reading books. You know, sometimes I wonder how on earth would people like Tapasya and Adi even want to  befriend me?

Mitali: So you were a nerd.

Ruhaan: Yeah, and a very serious one. But as time passed , I got to know that there are things more important than books. Tapasya and Adi were the ones who introduced me to the world out there. They are the best friends one could ever have.

Mitali: Hmmm......so....Falling for Tapasya was before being introduced to the world or after that? 

Ruhaan's face flushed in embarrasment. He just smiled.

Mitali: Wow.....I didn't know that even boys blushed! That's something new!

Ruhaan: Okay, stop pulling my leg now................I fell for Tapasya the first time I saw her. She was on the swing and she was laughing . Adi was pushing her from behind. And she just.......looked soooo beautiful. Her smile. Her eyes. I was mesmerised.

Mitali: You were in the second standard for God's sake?!

Ruhaan:(laughingly) Yeah, but as silly as it sounds, I was in love with her.

Mitali: You know, I thought your friend was a lover boy, but I guess that nick name suits you more!

Ruhaan: Adi is not a lover boy. He doesn't know a thing about love. He's a very good flirt though!

Mitali: Yeah, I know that.

Ruhaan: No,you don't understand, Mitali. Adi is in search of love. Sure he doesn't understand a thing about it but, he needs someone who would teach him that.

Mitali: (Sarcastically) Tell him to hire a private tutor.

Ruhaan: (making a poker face) Mitali....

Mitali: What? They don't charge much.

Ruhaan: Why are you like this?

Mitali: Default hai, bachpan se. Change nahi kar sakti.

Ruhaan chuckled.

Ruhaan: Jokes apart....Why don't you give Adi a chance? I mean, what worse could happen?

Mitali: (sarcastically) I could die.

Ruhaan: Come on! 

Mitali: Alright..Alright.....Maybe I would.

Ruhaan: So you would consider dating him?

Mitali: Maybe.

                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sahil and Shaynatani were busy working in the library. Nobody was there, except them.When,

Sahil: Hey, Shanu, could you pass me that list?

Shanu: Which one?

Sahil: That one.

Shanu: Which one?

Sahil: That one.

Shanu: Sahil, stop messing around! Which one do you want?

Sahil chuckled and threw all the papers that lying on the table, up in the air. The papers were flying in the air. Shanu gaped at them while Sahil was busy laughing.

Shanu: What's wrong with you?

Sahil: I don't feel like working.

He yawned.

Shanu: Isliye tumne saare papers hawa mein ura diye? Do you know, how much time it would take us to rearrange all this?

Sahil: To kar lenge dono milkar.

Shanu: Oh Mister! Kis duniya ke khayal dekh rahe ho? Mai yeh sab kuch thik nahi karne vali! You are gonna rearrange all this.

Sahil: Arey!

Shanu: Aur nahi to kya?! Tumne saara kand kiya hai to tumhi saaf karoge na!

Sahil: Vah dost! Yahi teri Dosti!(Faking anger) Jaa mai tujhse baat nahi karta!

Shanu: Oh nautanki ki dukan! Yeh sab drame baazi kisi aur ko dikhana. Mere sath yeh sab nahi chalega.

Sahil: Acha! To phir to ek hi rasta hai.

Shanu: Kya?

Sahil started taking slow steps towards her. Shanu shuddered in nervousness.He suddenly started tickling her.

Shanu: Aye! Yeh to cheating hai!

He kept on tickling her.

"Sahil bas karo!", Shanu yelled between giggles.

Sahil: To tum meri yeh papers rearrange karne mein help karogi?

Shanu: Nahi!

Saying that, she started tickling him back. Sahil ran the opposite side. Shanu chased after him.

Shanu: Ruko to sahi! Jyada hasi aa rahi thi na! Abhi batati hu tumhe!

This cat and mouse game went on for a while. At last Shanu caught Sahil by his arm and pulled him close to her.She could hear his heartbeat. It was very fast, perhaps due to all the running.She looked into his eyes. She could feel him staring into her soul. The world went quiet for a second.

"Are you guys finished? I need to close the library."  And the librarian ruined a perfectly beautiful moment..........

                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daksh and Ananya were returning from Ganguly Sir's cabin after finalizing the list of sports events that would take place in the Meet. Ananya was going through the list, when,

Daksh: To Ananya, tum yahi ki peydayash ho kya?

Ananya looked at surprisingly.

Anu: Aise kon puchta hai?

Daksh: Sorry.....(giggling) I meant, are you from Mumbai?

Anu: Yeah. I'm from Mumbai.And you?

Daksh: Bhopal.

Anu: Kitna ajeeb hai na. Ham ek dusre ko pichle ek hafte se jaante hai, par yeh sab nahi jante.

Daksh: To jaan jayenge. Abhi to sirf ek hafta hua hai.

Ananya nodded and smiled.

Daksh: Aur vaise bhi mai tumhara itna jaldi picha nahi chorne vala.

Anu: Acha, voh kyu bhala?

Daksh: To tum kya chahti ho? Chor du tumhara sath?

Ananya's eyes suddenly softened.

Anu: Nahi....Nahi. Mai to bas mazak kar rahi thi.

Daksh: Tum agar kahogi bhi na , to bhi nahi jane vala mai.

Ananya found herself crying.

Anu: I know.Thanks.

Daksh: Bas yahi to ek problem hai tumhari! Baat khatam hui nahi, ki tumhara nal chalu ho jata hai!

Ananya chuckled between sniffs.

Daksh: Sach mein yaar, itne aasu aate kaha se hai?

Ananya wiped her tears and said,

Anu:  Ho gaya bas! Ab meri tang khichna band karo!

Daksh chuckled.

Daksh: Vaise Ananya, yeh Shayantani aur Sahil ka kya case hai?

Anu: Matlab?

Daksh: Matlab...I saw them today.....uss meeting mein Shayantani was constantly looking at him. And he also looked twice or thrice.Kuch chal raha hai kya un dono ke beech mein?

Anu: Pata nahi. It's true that Shayantani likes him....but Sahil ka pata nahi.

Daksh: Hmmm. Sach hi kehte hai . Love is like a virus. At first you won't feel it but slowly slowly it'll spread in your body and mind, making you weak.

Ananya was surprised on hearing Daksh's opinions on Love.

Anu: Not necessarily, Daksh.

Daksh: Name one good thing about it.

Anu: Have you ever heard of that quote," Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations"? It's like that.Love hurts,yes. Infact ,the purpose of love is to hurt. Hurt till you can't take it anymore.And still be with your lover.It's because love makes you strong and strong doesn't come from being in a bubble wrap for your whole life.If loving someone , doesn't hurt your feelings , it means it's not testing you,it's making you weak. You don't want that.

Daksh kept quiet. He was spell bounded . He had no words coming out of his mouth.

Anu: Kya hua? Kuch to bolo?

Daksh: Kya bolu? Sab kuch to tumne hi bol diya.

Ananya smiled.

Daksh: sach yaar, tumhe to love guru ban jana chahiye!

Anu:(laughingly) Kya?

Daksh: Ha! Love guru Ananya Mathur!

Anu: Guru ma!(laughing)

Daksh: To bolo Love Guru Ananya Mathur ki Jai!

Ananya laughed just like a kid.

"I just  love the way you smile at me and make me feel that nothing could ever go wrong.", Daksh's mind wondered.

And he smiled...................

                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~