Living yesterday, today

“How do u spell phenolphthalein?” She asked turning around. I raised my hand.

“Yes you”.

“P-h-e-n-o-l-p-t-h-a-l-e-i-n”.

“Good. Sit down. What’s your name?” I told her.

A few heads turned around to glace at my direction.

“What color does it assume on being added to an alkali?” It was me who answered it once again.

A few whispers this time around.

Half n hour later as I turned around to stow away the copies in the bag I found a lanky fellow standing over me. I stared at him stoically. He was extremely gangly with a long neck protruding from his torso.

“Hi! I’ am Nitin”

“Hi!”

“So you are new to this class. Where from?”

“My dad got transferred to this place a week back; as I result I had to switch schools. Previously I was in ______________”. I told him.

“Glad to meet you”

“Same here”. I lied.

He took me around the class introducing other students who stared at me apprehensively.

I had walked into a cordoned area it seemed. I smiled sheepishly at them to avoid being tagged rude.

During recess I scoured the campus with Nitin leading the way. I stole occasional side-glances at him. He seemed a snooty guy. The way he walked suggested this fact. But he was fun.

Recess had a lot to offer. There was this girl in the class whom I had not noticed initially.

And now I more than noticed her. Reticent as I was, stared at her blankly.

Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…

The bell sounded and I trooped back to the class. Gosh! She was good.

I nudged Nitin and asked her name. He told me.

“She’s a booby trap buddy. Don’t fall for her.”

I decided to disregard the warning.

Later that day many incarnations of devil walked into the class. Chemistry was palatable but math and physics weren’t my cup of tea.

14:20 and the final bell went off.

I packed my bag and walked down the corridor. There were several questions ricocheting in my mind.

Will I get to like this school? How good a friend will Nitin turn out to be? What about this girl? How will I get back home if dad does not turn up?

That’s it for the day folks. Chao!

I let out a sigh and closed the diary. Slowly I shoved it in the gap on the shelf. I ran my hand along the row and pulled out a blue leather bound one. Ten down the line.

I flipped through it. Time indeed flies. It seemed only yesterday that all this had happened.

Nitin is in IIM now. Sophomore year. Our bond had sustained the ordeal of time. I am graduating this year. Job secure and rest assured. That girl is somewhere out there still lassoing guys maybe. I sighed once again but did not close the diary. I flipped on …………………………………