Maanav's face paled and the girl looked at me, astonished. Maybe she couldn't believe someone could do what I did just now.
"She -" Maanav was cut again. But not me, his girlfriend did.
"I am in my second year. Biochemistry." She said. "And what's your problem-"
"The problem is pretty simple. I am hungry and you're standing in front of my locker without an ounce of care about the fact that I am standing here, patiently waiting for you to finish so that 'I' could access my 'locker'. So, if you could kindly leave, I could eat something." I said, glaring at her obnoxious face.
"Let's go. She's a fucking bitch." The girl pulled Maanav's hand and left the lab.
I rolled my eyes and opened my locker. Siddharth stood beside me, leaning against the locker, and said, "Character improvement."
"What do you mean by that?" I replied.
"If this was the high school you, you would have pulled her hair by now." He said.
"You give me an impression of a school bully, which I, definitely was not." I said.
"Well, you were not, but you were at the borderline. The only reason why people would say you were not is because you never used violence for fun. Only when someone provoked you, is when you would proudly show your canines." He said.
"I think that would be fangs instead of canines." I said, after closing my locker. I took the bag on my left shoulder and opened the bag to stash the books.
"I am correct regarding it being canines. Fangs are found in reptiles. Canines are found in mammals." Siddharth said.
"Sid, you never understand the difference between literature and science, do you?" I asked, rubbing my forehead. Hunger was giving me a light headache.
"Well, I don't think there should be difference. Life is based on science. Literature is based on life. So, literature is, surprise, surprise, based on science." He said.
I took out the flask from my bag. I poured a cup of tea into the cup of the flask. "Well, I don't know," I sipped, and feeling much better, said," that can be used as an analogy. But, what you said is debatable. "
We left the lab and headed towards the main building. The atmosphere slowly changed from a quiet, tranquil ambience to a loud, crowded one, towards the building. The orientation program seemed to end on a high note and freshman-year students seemed to be excited.
Feeling nostalgic, I said, "Remember how we were back then. Loud, crazy, very very energetic, like we could conquer the world if we just wished."
"Those funny mishaps that kept us alive when things started becoming serious. " Siddharth said.
"Like you asking to 'buy two' coffee but got one and had to share with Jaya. " I said.
"And Jaya's crazy fall on her face on those pavements, when I got the coffee. " He chimed in.
"And the crazy monkey attack, where the monkey stole a popsicle from my hand. " I said.
"And ate it in front of you. " He laughed. I laughed as well. It felt as if it were just yesterday when those incidents occurred.
"Two years." I said, melancholically.
"Two years." He affirmed.
When we entered the building, I saw Jason again.
"Hi. Orientations over?" I asked.
"Yeah. Kriti asked me to hand over these leaflets regarding the schedules and stuff. " he said.
"Oh, by the way. Jason, this is Siddharth. Student council. Chemistry department." I introduced him to Siddharth.
They nodded at each other. "Are you the new member of the student council?" Siddharth asked.
"Yeah. I joined this year. " Jason said.
"No wonder why you seemed familiar. I was the one who recommended you from the chemistry department. You've got grades, man." Siddharth said.
"Thanks for the recommendations. Are you coming for the council afterparty?" Jason asked.
"No. I have a thesis to start. Have you started your thesis, Jazz?" Siddharth asked me.
"Stuck in the first page." I said helplessly.