It was the day, everything was planned, the ideas were thought, the content was revised, the examples were all perfectly fit, now only thing remaining was the right time to start the show. It was 03:50 PM when I started for the venue but I went to have a cup of coffee. It was 4:00 PM when I finally reached the venue. I saw a tall girl facing the room and this was the girl because it wasn't the first time I was looking at her. But the tall word comes to the picture now because she was standing and she was taller than I had imagined or thought. Yes you are right before this I always saw her seated.
“Hey.”
“Hey, hi Ashutosh? Right?”
“Let me guess, Ashna? Right?”
'Who else were you expecting.' I thought
Now I could see confused expressions and a nervousness which was weird.
“Prepared?” I asked.
“Yeah kind of. ”
“Well then we are going to win don't worry.”
We entered the room. There were participants all around mugging up from papers, all ready to go and vomit out everything. I sat beside her and had a look towards her printed papers which were open in her two hands.
“Don't worry its alright. Its no big deal you'll do it.”
“Well I have done it before I ll do it again but”
“But what?”
“I am kind of nervous”
I didn't know how to respond to that so I looked away as there was an announcement made about the proceedings and we were told the rules and regulations of the debate. And then it finally started, there were two guys called at first and they were speaking against each other and this was how every team was supposed to do. A person for the topic and another against. I pointed towards the movement of legs of one of them.
“Look at that, it’s a negative point he scored.”
She didn't respond
After a while other team came and I again pointed towards the pen the guy was playing with
“Don't play with your pen when you are there”
“Okay sir. But what makes you think you can point these mistakes as if you don't commit any.”
Now that was rude I could have been cocky and sarcastic and replied, but something in me asked me not to for she was innocent and sweet and tall.
It was our turn. The topic was “Euthanasia (Willingness to Die) - Should be Legalised” and a day prior to this I gave her a choice and she wanted to be against it.
I started for the topic and it was going well she had some points but they were being rebut well, it was then she said something out of the picture.
“God has given us life, he has the right to take it back we humans aren't supposed to be the one to decide. He is the supreme power.” She said and I felt she would cry the next moment.
I could sense she was way more inside the topic emotionally and I was like 'Come on girl if god was the one to give lives then why was it your Dad's tiny swimmer had to win the race to get your Momma's trophy and then result in you'.
“Well, I am afraid my opponent here has made a point and that is something resulting in null and void. I don't get it. Being a science student, having a subject that is namely biology in her first semester and she says that god has given us life. Now either I can laugh at it or I can explain it up if she isn't aware of the things she should have been aware of.”
I could see an expression and then another and then yet another and she was completely blank and then I thought I should help her out and then I added another point, and she finally had some time to think and then it ended well.
It was over we were called by the three judges for the remarks. As the others prior to us were called. I heard something on the way.
“You were awesome there.” She said.
'You were awful' I thought and we had reached the judges so we were facing them.
“Bravo boy! What's your name?” and she was looking into the sheet and added “You are brilliant Ashutosh.”
“Well, thanks ma'am”
I could sense the ignorance Ashna was feeling.
“You just are awesome, just continue like this and you will be great.” another judge said.
“And you?”
“Ashna ma'am” Ashna said
“You could have got better marks if you had” the judge was saying and I couldn't help not completing the sentence and said “not kept your hand in your pockets while speaking.”
“Bingo.” The judge said.
She had kept it in her hood’s pocket and it wasn't chained up so she was moving her hands from inside while speaking.
We thanked them and started heading towards our classes.
“I kind of didn't know that I had my hands in my pockets and why would somebody care where my hands are. I don't care whatever she said.”
“You can just forget it in stead of talking about it. By the way what about your schooling? Where did you study?”
“I studied in Chennai throughout and you?”
“In different Kendriya Vidyalayas all over the country.”
“Even I could have but my dad went to those places and we stayed in
Chennai. He works in Air Force.”
“Even my dad works in Air Force but he took us all, along where ever he went.”
“Anyways you have good expressions and actually you are a way more expressive, your body language is the part you need to work on to be near to perfection and to be actually perfect. Use them for advantage and not as you do now and you'll be awesome.” I added
“Many people say I am expressive.” She said.
We had reached block number 34 and it was the basement of that block where we finally reached and started waiting for our classmates respectively that is she was waiting for her's and I was waiting for mine. I just came to know that all her classes used to be in 108 and she came to know that mine used to be in 109. I went to the washroom on the 2nd floor and after I was back I didn't see her and I joined my classmates and spent the evening.
As I entered my room as usual I opened my laptop and started surfing, I saw three messages in the inbox folder. The other two I didn't respond to but the first one was from her. It said
'It was great. You are real good in debate. And I need to learn a lot.'
I didn't know how to respond so I just texted a 'Hi'.
'Hi. Whats up?'
'Nothing much. What about you Mr. Debater'
'Come on just don't stick to this one thing I am not only a debater.'
'then?'
'You ll come to know sooner.'
I don't know why I said that. I was regretting it.
'I wanna know now.'
'Okay I am glad you asked.'
'Then tell me.'
'Oh no. you can call me Mr. Debater I don't mind.'
'No I wanna know.'
'I don't mind telling you.'
'Then tell me.'
'But I don't wanna tell you.'
'Go to hell.'
'That is where I belong. Who told you by the way?'
'Tell me.'
'No.'
This 'no' was sent, seen and not replied and it meant she was angry maybe. But there are many ways to talk to a girl even when she doesn't
wants to. And if she is angry all you need to do is just change the topic.
'By the way whats the color of your toothbrush?'
'Why?'
'You know what a toothbrush is right? Or the concept of a toothbrush is quiet new to to you? '
'Its pink.'
'Whole pink? It must be pink and white.'
'Yeah white and pink. Why?'
'I just asked casually.'
'Nobody asks the color of somebody's toothbrush.'
'You are calling me a nobody and yourself a somebody now?'
'No not like that. I kind of meant to say that nobody asked this ever. Not to me and I guess not to anyone '
'Thank god.'
'Why?'
'When I started reading your message it was like “Most humbly and respectfully may I have the honour to state that I meant....” oh that was real boring.'
'I didn't get you.'
'May be you'll get it tomorrow or may be day after tomorrow. Not a big deal unless you are throwing a party for all when you get it.'
'Now that is offensive.'
'Is it?'
'yes'
'Then yes offenses.'
Now I didn't realise this simple thing that these jokes were quiet new for her and she wasn't used to mocking and all but that was how I was I couldn't help it.
I didn't get any response to my last message and I started being busy in other things.
It was the next evening that I saw her online and sent a 'Hey'.
'Hey'
'Hey hi' she replied.
I was about to type something but there was another message.
'Why don't you join AIESEC?' the message said.
'What is this now?'
'Its an organisation. They conduct a Group Discussion and then a Personnel Interview for admission.'
'Whats the full form of this AIESEC?'
'I don't know.'
'Okay you are joining?'
'Yeah the form is for Rs.50 I bought it today.'
'Wish you luck with that.'
We continued to chat online and then I checked my mail. The results were out, so I texted her.
'I stood first and you stood third individually and overall we won because I got 29/30 and you git 22/30 and the guy who came 2nd was 23/30 so its simple.'
'Where are the marks?'
I sent her the screen shot of my laptop.
'Congratulations' She said.
'To you too.'I replied.