All for a Photograph - Short Story

When it comes to guys, I fall for those who are extremely articulate, intelligent or good organizers. No, never! Looks were the last thing in my mind. Those were the saddest days of my pre-Final year when seniors part ways with us! I was sadder than any of my seniors! I m gonna miss my big time crush, JITHU.  What would drive me to go to college daily then!?!? But then you see, realities of life have to be accepted.

Ah! Did I mention that JITHU falls under the second category (intelligent) was technically sound, with excellent aptitude, damn gutsy. How he used to grill us (juniors) with his shrewd questions in the mock interview.  JITHU is not the dream boy kind for whom every gal falls for. In fact he will look awful, not to mention his adverse proficiency in communication. In my friends circle, I was tagged ‘DuST(Dame Sans Taste….u stands for nothing. Just that it was easy for my friends to call me dust)’. But who cares. He was definitely my kinda guy. Just the sight of him, I would go gaga.

At last it was the GRAND FINALE .After so much thought, carefully chose my costume and spent extravagant time getting ready and there I was in the farewell-party, trying very hard to strike a conversation with him and take the relationship to the next step, but as usual failed miserably. On top of which I was admonishing myself for being so absent- minded about my camera. How could I forget the camera? I repented that I could not take back with me, the Kodak moments with my “ALL-TIME-COLLEGE-CRUSH”.  Anyways I was dogged determined, to get his photograph. I mentally registered the names of the girls who were flashing their cameras throughout the party and kept myself engaged by just observing JITHU amidst the brilliant flash that exploded from cams.

That was the last meeting-up with seniors (lump in throat….). A week later I went hunting for the girls who played photographers that day, to accomplish my mission “JITHU-SNAPS”. (It is sounding too weird now. But believe me, I did this.) One particular album captivated me, which belonged to ROXONA. To my surprise, this album had cute JITHU in many group snaps. I said to myself “wow, this exactly is called serendipity”. I asked her with a glee for the photo negatives so that I can print photographs for myself. I was extremely happy and excited about the bonanza of getting his photographs (what I wanted was a single photograph). She immediately asked me “You cannot be spotted even in a single photograph, why would you need this?” .Point!!! I was totally unprepared for the question and moreover I was in no mood to cook a lie. ROXONA was a total stranger to me; we both have never bothered even to exchange recognition smiles in the campus or in the hostel. That was the kind of relationship we had (Huh… Can’t even call that a relationship… isn’t it?).  But, without any hesitation, I nonchalantly told her that JITHU was my crush and I desperately need his photograph.

               ROXONA looked at me aghast. Her mobile beckoned her; she spoke over the mobile in whispers. She immediately grabbed the album from my hand and added curtly “I need to go somewhere right away”. She literally shooed me out of her room. I cringed, but still put an innocent face, left the place. I was musing about the incident, her all-of-the-sudden haughty behavior.”Oh! Let ROXONA go to hell.”I was only worried that she refused to give me the photo negatives. I said to myself “That’s OK. Big deal. Where there is a will, there is a way”.

               Next day I was chatting my way through the evening with one of my closest friends. She mentioned that a new pairing-up has happened over the farewell. I was all ears (Any girl would be… after all it is a GOSSIP!).She casually told that ROXONA proposed JITHU (ya, my crush…) and JITHU accepted. Waaat!!! Aaagrh…… Kill me!!!What did you just say? I prayed, for that one moment my ears failed me or I heard the names wrong or something of that sort. But unfortunately I heard everything right!!!

               Shucks!!!!Now all the missing pieces fall in place. Perfect. Her crimson face, haughty behavior, her refusal everything one by one flashed in front of my eyes. I couldn’t face her anymore. For sure, ROXONA would have told JITHU about my crush for him, my desperate photo hunting and they certainly would have laughed their heads out leaving me agoraphobic.

               Whenever I see them (that too together……hmmm, yes most of the times), the very thing I would be doing is either hastily search for the biggest pillar to hide myself or duck myself amidst the crowd. There were even hopeless situations when I would be helpless, nowhere to hide, I would then want the earth beneath me to open and hide me.

               Wait!!!This is not the end of this episode. My dearest friend so called “FATE” seemed to be really not so happy with what all it made me undergo. So it did give a final touch. Many a times I used to pat myself for having achieved this. Yes, out of the software companies that campus recruited us and the hundreds which span across INDIA; I managed to get into the same organization as ROXONA. Irony is I, MAANASAVEENA and my darling ROXONA were put up in the same building.  So that I could or rather I had to face her day-in and day-out, break into a smile (a dumb-one of course).How cool is that?Nowadays I say to myself “Maanasa, this is called Life! All in the game !!!”