based on a true incident

filmy title for a filmy incedent....

one evening (late evening to be more precise) NS gets a phone on her land line. as fate wud have it, no one else but NS is there to pick up the phone. NS picks up the phone nonchalantly n says 'hello'. from the other side, an old forgotten boyish voice asks 'is that NS'. NS is shell shocked. its been years.....

• since she got a call on landline phone


• n that too a boy!! (how intriguing. lets move on...)

'yes' replies NS in a tone with overtones of anxiety and excitement. 'Hi this is ASR, remember we were together in XYZ school, Class XY ?? ' NS virtually falls off the chair out of excitement. how cud she believe her ears? how cud she be talking to this guy after over 7 long years?? was this a joke or some freaking rj playing a prank?? doesn't seem so...

the conversation proceeds..this is infact mr ASR, form NS's school days.

the background (no this is not a reference to the story by saki)

its believe that ASR had had a BIG crush on NS during school time and had once gathered all the courage under this sun and confessed it before NS. but NS as we knw she is - focussed and pdhaai oriented shot down the offer with blunt 'no'. our poor guy then settled with a 'friends' status with NS. at the core, ASR was a nice guy, intelligent, hardworking friendly. so NS didnot shoo him away and would talk to him at times. he even tried to be intouch with NS once they were in college but all attempts were brutally shot down by NS.

cut to - present

the call seemed to be a bolt from the blue - truly filmy in all respects. quasi 'long lost love'..naah just kiddin. ASR had called for a reason. he was getting married and wanted that his school time friends must be there. quasi reunion for their batch. reliving old memories of the glorious past. he was presently in dubai and wud be coming to india as the wedding was in dehradun sometime in december. the conversation was mostly drenched in nostalgia - they sharing numerous small incidents they had during school time -

• how he used to call her 'tashni' for her characteristic attitude and style;


• how once he got a friend of his click a photograph of both of them studying together - NS got pissed off and the fury was captured in the 'kodak moment' pic (which NS later tore into a zillion pieces);


• how he dreaded her caller id phone way back in school days which wud show before taking a call that our dude had called (ASR still vividly remembers the caller id phone) - worse still, most of the times NS's mother or brother wud pick the phone and our guy wud be at a loss of courage and volume to speak any further;


• the 'casual dress' for teacher's day celebration and how charming she was looking that day (used to be a day of reckoning for all school going teens)


• many more such incidents - am at loss of memory - sorry NS - old age you see

NS had a real good time chatting with ASR, reliving old tension free days of schooling, the pranks, the gossips et al.

NS is all charged up to meet ASR now for his wedding and other batchmates. lets see how this pans out - dekhnnge Hum Log

gave a good patient hearing to the entire thing. she sounded eleated and excited like a kid who just got a sweet candy out of nowhere. it was a plesure to hear that tone in her voice. more so coz for a long time off late had, not found her in such a good mood, given what she has on her personal and professional plates at the moment :)

{p.s. - this entry has been included on request made by NS ;)}