Friday 22 January 2016

Between Meals



This is the first time I am trying to speak without braces. I always needed a support for my teeth to speak. This is the first time I am speaking on my own. My braces have been like parents to me. They supported me, helped me when I needed to chew. They also made sure, I find love. 

I was in High school. People often thought I was a shy kid, when in fact; I was embarrassed because of my braces, which stuck with me, not unlike clingy parents. She was a transfer student from a neighbouring city and it seemed like the whole class had fallen in love with her; including me. I just wished she never talks to me or notices my braces.

14th  March 1999

It was raining that day and most of the students hadn't come because of the waterlogged streets. I came in hope that I’ll see her. I was not disappointed. She was soaked, in spite of the umbrella; yet she made it. I sat down with my lunch near my secret haunt; the dilapidated mulberry tree, near the primary section where seniors rarely came. I saw her feeding a kid; perhaps her sister. I thought of leaving, in case she sees me. The next thing I know, she was walking towards me. She sat down near me and without speaking, tore a piece of French-toast and dipped it in the ketchup and started eating. I had no idea till that point that she had realized, I existed. Clearly she had. I was short of words, and she was in no hurry to speak. In fact we didn't speak at all.


15th  March 1999

Today, she came again and after feeding her sister, came and sat beside me and kept her lunch-box in between. She was looking straight at the swings at the front. We never even made eye contact. In retrospect, I am glad we didn't, because many things, including eye-contact is overrated when you are in love.

Love is not meant to make sense. Nor does it have a set of set symptoms like O.C.D. where everyone follows a pre-diagnosed pattern of washing hands, keeping things in symmetry and checking locks. No. She was looking at the front and I kept on taking bites off my vegetable wrap. At one point I kept the wrap inside the lunch-box to take a sip of water. She simply extended her slender hands and picked the wrap up; took a bite and kept it back. She waited till I finished my lunch and as I was packing, she left. She never opened her lunch-box, the whole time. Perhaps she hoped I will do the same, but I didn't and her lunch-box was left untouched.


16th  March 1999

I got two sandwiches today; one for her and one for me (I had lied to my mother about one sandwich being too less for me). Of course I loved when she ate from my share, but I wanted her to eat well. She didn't touch the other sandwich till I had started with it. She never looked at me, this whole time.

***

12th  February 2011

It was seven oh clock and I made some fried eggs with toast. I came up to the table and took the first bite and pushed the plate. She took the toast and took a bite and resumed with her crossword. After finishing with our breakfast, I stood up to take the plate to the sink. She stood up. Looked at my eyes and landed a hard kiss on my forehead, holding both of my ears with her aquiline hands. I took my keys, she, hers.

13th  February 2011

It was yesterday. Today I sat beside her, while she was having her cereal with milk reading the daily comic-strips. I was thinking about the meeting I had with the publisher who lived in the neighbouring town. Suddenly the bell rang and she went to open the door. She saw the wooden box where I was lying, still. I could see her stumble and holding on to the door. She came and sat where she was sitting before, and noticed, that I had finished all the cereal, save the two that were floating on the milk.


“You could never finish your food, could you?
” She said.