21st June 1982

PLACE: Ahmedabad (IMI campus) (P.s: I know its IIM)

Dear diary,

You know you're the most precious thing when my baba gifted me you, i was like i will capture every beautiful moment i experience and write everything in this diary, then i realized, being the only girl in the entire batch, What shall i even write? I topped in economics, I topped in commerce, I thought i deserve to get my post-graduation in IMI Ahmedabad, One of the best campuses in our country. But why the hell you gave this opportunity only to me, not to the other talented girls out there. When go to mess, I am the only girl to have meals over there, and every eye focusing me like an alien. And what the hell go with the restrooms? It took the whole one hour to search for the ladies restroom which is five hundred meters away from my classroom. Why the hell it's happening only to me. God, it's the second day of my periods. 

God, Where the hell you got stuck, anika bose? but like a ray of sunlight in the dark night. like a glass of water for a thirsty person in the desert, i got a friend in the very first day. but baba always warned me not to get close to anyone so sooner but he came as a saviour. Kavish talwar, a Rajasthani who sits next to me in the order. My god who sets the order and say where should i sit. this college is the complete mess. Ma, Baba, i am missing our home. Ma, baba please take me back. 

Avinash smiled when his mom wrote the first day about the college in the most hilarious way. Even though she wrote in the misery of being one single lady in the entire campus, he read with a smile, he felt like his mom stood there and explain him about her day where he busted to laugh when he was old. She usually narrates everything to him in a hilarious way to see him laughing without any worries. One of the best memory with his mom, Tears crossed his eyes thinking about their past together. By then, he got a call from his only mother-like sister, Arushi who took care of him like her son, since their parents passed away. 

"Hi mother India" - he said as soon as he attended the call. 

"Someone's mind seems too good, What's special, My baby brother?" - she asked her over the phone. 

"Yeah after a very long time, i felt mom's presence around me..." - he replied with a smile. but the happiness on the other side faded away when Arushi heard about her mother after a long time. 

"Again dreamed?" - she asked him in a very low tone. 

"It's for real, come back home, i have a very important thing to share with you..." - Avinash said and rested the phone but Arushi became restless after having the conversation with her brother. It took her back to the days where he had panic attacks on late night and screaming his mother's name multiple times. she tried a lot to bring him normally. She drove the car at its high speed to reach as she didn't want the history to repeat.

***********

Place: CHENNAI

She started to roam around her room and trying to figure out the meaning behind his continuous gaze. she still couldn't come out of the fact that the person who disturbed her dreams for months actually stared at her with a serious look.

she sat back in her bed keeping her palms in her heart which ached whenever she recalled his smile mixed stare which gave instant goosebumps to her entire body. she laid back in her bed and her mind had only one simple question in her head. Can anyone please temme the reason behind that gaze? She closed her eyes, His gaze came before his eyes, she opened her eyes in an instant. 

Enough is Enough, ani... you don't think about this gaze thing ever again... you're not the cheap type. Breathe in, Breathe out... but he looked at me... anika Seshadri... stop it... go out and get some fresh air... you need some space... - She thought and went out. 

Without her knowledge, her legs started to move towards his house direction. what did the hell happen to you?  she asked herself and moved out of the apartment and rushed towards the park and sat next to parimala while ordering herself a tender coconut to her. She drank one, the count reached to two, the count reached to three, still, the ache in her heart didn't take the name of fading away. 

"Plan B also failed... why are you so tensed?" parimala asked her when she saw her so tensed for the first time in the history. 

"Expect the UnExpected..." - Anika replied and asked for another tender coconut. Parimala eyes went wide when she found shivaay coming towards her while crossing the road. But Anika didn't bother and concentrated on her tender coconut which was drinking to get rid out the feelings. 

She spilt the entire coconut water in the instant when he called her name by nudging her shoulder from her back. she started to cough and turned her face towards him while coughing. 

"Are you alright?" - he said while rubbing her back, she had nothing to say or nothing to feel other than his touch, which made her very difficult to breathe. Before getting his attention, it was a different story on her hand, but after getting his attention, she could feel the single train track changing into two parallel track. His touch, His eyes, His voice with tenderness took her to the another world where only two peoples are present, none else. 

She managed to nod while wiping her mouth with her hands, he immediately took his kerchief from his pocket and wiped her mouth. Her eyes went wide when he did that. He took back and handed the kerchief in her hand. 

"I just came here to tell that i will be having my Jee main coaching from morning 8 AM to 2 PM in the afternoon, and your re-exams starting in august, right... we just have two months, so be there at my house at 4.30..." - he said in a calm tone. 

"Okay, I will be there at 4.30 in the Evening..." - she replied back.

"I said you have to be there at 4.30 AM in the morning... And In the evening, you should be there at 3 pm in the evening... we have very less time to cover large portions..." - he said and those words were like thousands of volts of current passing through her body. Parimala started laugh while cupping her mouth. 

"4.30 AM is little bit earlier right..." - she finally asked. 

"In your board, you should write all the exams... I hope you remember that... then i assured your sister... so be there at 4 am in the morning..."

"Now you said 4.30... why suddenly changed the time to 4?" - she asked in a crying tone which made him chuckle at the spot. 

"Because we have five subjects and only two months... see you at 4 tomorrow morning" - he went while winking his eyes which made her heart fluffer again. 

"Did he just wink his eyes?" - she asked parimala who handed her another coconut and nodded yes.