2 august , 2023 // day2
Rahul woke up at 5 AM, but unlike other days, he felt excited and thrilled—thrilled at the prospect of seeing that girl. He took a cold shower and shaved his patchy beard. Choosing his best T-shirt, he layered it with a stylish shirt, put on new jeans, and laced up his brand-new Nike Air Force 1s. As he got ready, he couldn't help but glance at himself in the mirror repeatedly.
Noticing his unusual behavior, his aunt teased him, asking, "Are you going on a date today?" Blushing, he replied, "Nah, chachi, a date in the early morning? , And who would date me?" he added with a laugh. His younger cousin chimed in, "Who wouldn't, bhaiya? Remember the day I posted our photo on Instagram? My classmates went crazy! Ishita even asked for your mobile number."
"Ah, but they're a lot younger than me," Rahul replied, shaking his head.
"Three years isn't that big, bro," Atharv countered.
Just then, their uncle walked in and asked, "What's going on, guys?" Atharv shifted slightly, a hint of apprehension on his face, but Rahul shared a close bond with his uncle."Nothing, chacha, just some morning talks," Rahul said casually."Ah, good, good," his uncle replied, then turned to Atharv, adding, "If you need any help with your studies, ask Rahul bhaiya. Try to be like him." Atharv nodded .By then, his aunt had brought breakfast for him. As he finished eating, he glanced at the clock and saw it was already 6:55. Grabbing his bag, he rushed out the door, praying to God all the way to the bus stop that he would see her that day.
He arrived at the stop at 7 AM, but his heart sank when he realized she wasn't there. A wave of thoughts flooded his mind—maybe yesterday she was just visiting the college or had come to see relatives who might live nearby. Determined to stay hopeful, he decided to wait.
Around five buses passed by his stop at three-minute intervals. Continuously checking his watch, he saw it was 7:10, and three buses had already gone by, leaving only four students waiting. Feeling defeated, he decided to give up and climb onto the next bus.
But as he glanced to the left—the direction from which the buses arrived—his heartbeat quickened, and a surge of adrenaline coursed through him, an indescribable feeling. There she was: the same pretty girl, radiating innocence, hurriedly crossing the road and making her way toward him. By the time his mind registered her presence, she had reached the stop and stood just two meters away.
His heartbeat was so loud that he felt like she could hear it, but sadly, she was wearing her earbuds. Yet, he could hear her long breaths from her brisk walk. His mind urged him to speak to her, but his fragile heart held him back.
Caught in the dilemma of whether to approach her or not, the bus finally arrived. Just like the day before, they both took their respective seats, but this time,
Rahul felt increasingly disappointed and frustrated with himself. As the bus moved, he continuously urged himself to go and ask her to sit beside him, but each time he resisted. After a few stops, a boy sat down next to her, igniting a wave of anger and disappointment within Rahul. He couldn't help but steal glances, wondering if the guy was engaging her in conversation. Each time he saw they weren't talking, a small sense of relief washed over him.
Just like the day before, they reached college, and she vanished into the crowd. Rahul headed to his lectures, thoughts of her still swirling in his mind. He was more happy than he was sad, the joy of seeing her outweighing any disappointment he felt. Rahul's DSA lab, scheduled for 1 PM, was unexpectedly canceled. While his friends decided to head to Sukhana Lake to enjoy the afternoon, Rahul opted to take the 1 PM bus home, hoping to catch a glimpse of that girl on her way back. The buses from his college departed at two times: 1 PM and 4 PM.
He reached the bus and grabbed a window seat. A moment later, a girl approached and asked if the seat beside him was empty. He politely replied yes, quickly moving his bag to the rack above. Just then, the same girl from the morning arrived and sat directly behind him. He couldn't help but smile, questioning his luck; if she had arrived just 30 seconds earlier, she would have been sitting right next to him.
But guess what? The girl next to Rahul leaned over and asked the girl behind him if she wanted to exchange seats, as she wanted to sit with her friend. She agreed, and in a matter of seconds, Rahul—who had been questioning his luck and destiny—suddenly felt like the luckiest man alive. Rahul turned to her with a smile and said, "Hi." She looked back at him, her face lighting up with a warm smile as she replied, "Hi" in return, settling comfortably into her seat beside him.