Infatuated

All it took is one look, just one smile.
I felt Jittery. Stupid. Uncoordinated. Shy.
Ah! It has definitely been a while.

Same old butterflies back in my stomach.
If only I was a naive young teenager.
But here I am; in between, not completely a grown up (either).

About few things I’m absolutely sure.
There will be no “us”.
We will not have any future.

It may sound a little insane.
But I will still enjoy every bit of it.
Because I am Infatuated. Again.

Recipe to make cold coffee

Step1: Call friends for a sleepover at your cousin’s place in Mumbai.
Step2: Make sure the AC doesn’t work.
Step 3: Also, make sure that the house is on the last floor of the building so the heat from the whole day disseminates down during the night (or something like that).
Step 4: Wait until everyone starts feeling super hot.
Step 5: Offer to make cold coffee (even though one has never attempted this daring feat).
Step 6: Bring the milk out of the fridge.
Step 7: Realise there is no sugar or coffee powder in the house.
Step 8: Buy the ingredients at a local store.
Step 9: Put all the 3 ingredients into a 500 ml EMPTY Bisleri bottle.
Step 10: Close the cap of the bottle firmly.
Step 11: I repeat, CLOSE THE CAP.
Step 12: Shake the bottle vigorously.
Step 13: If you have not closed the cap as instructed (twice), please wipe the mess and start all over again. (A handy hint: Try to clean thoroughly so cousin doesn’t suspect anything when she returns). Finally, enjoy the coffee.

(A)Typical morning @ MICA

(Any day of the week)

8:00 AM: Alarm rings. Hit snooze.
8:05 AM: Alarm rings again. Therefore, hit snooze again.
8:10 AM: Alarm rings faithfully for the third time.
Damn! Is it morning already??
Open eyes unwillingly.
8:12 AM: Check messages.
Screen displays ‘Two new messages’.
First message from Manu: “Please, please please wake me up at 8:45.
Otherwise I will get a grade cut. I have already bunked classes.”
Second message from Neelanjan: “Wake me up before the class.”
Short and definitely not sweet.
Why o why do I agree to do this every morning?
Curse myself.
8:14 AM: Fall asleep again.
8:15 AM: Some one knocks on the door.
Nammy mutters some thing in her sleep.
Knocking continues.
I reluctantly get up, open the door.
Sayantika is standing outside (who else?:D).
She has come to collect the MICAVAANI key.
She is not only fully awake but has already bathed, dressed and ready to
attend the class.
How the hell does she manage to do this every single morning without fail?
8:16 AM: I give her the key.
She starts saying some thing about MICAVAANI.
All I hear is, “Yesterday XYZ did not come…blah blah..and some more blah”
Seeing me fall asleep while standing upright; she smiles, says bye and leaves.
8:20 AM: I head towards the washroom grudgingly.
8:35 AM: I return to my room. Realize I have to wake Nammy up.
8:40 AM: Me: “Nammy, time for class. Get up!”
Nammy: “Hmmm…..”
Me: “Nams, we’ll be late and we may not get attendance.”
Nammy: “Mmmmm….”
(Trying once more, a different tactic may be??)
Me: Hey Nams, don’t you want breakfast?
Nammy: (no response)
8:45 AM: Get ready myself and check the time.
Wonder how to wake this Neel-and-Manas-dragged-me-to-Chota-and-I-slept-
at-three girl sleeping oh-so-soundly.
8:48 AM: A flash of a bulb! There it is! An epiphany!
8 49 AM: Me: “Nammy, don’t you want to write in your new green book?”
Nammy: “Mmmm…Yaaa…”
She gets up!
High-five!
Different incentives for different people – as simple as that.
Me: “Will you wake Kirthana up?”
Nammy: (Nods her head and leaves)
8:50 AM: I call Neel. He doesn’t pick up.
Call him again, no answer.
I call Manu. He thankfully picks up.
Me: “Manu, get up. You will get a grade cut otherwise.”
Manu: (mumbles something, I cannot comprehend it)
Me: “If you leave now, you can get breakfast too”
Manu: “Ya ya…coming”
(As I said, different incentives for different people ;))
Me: “Wake Neel too.”
8:52 AM: Lock my room.
Go to Ankita’s room, knowing the fact that Madhu would have woken her a few
minutes ago, yet, she will be sound asleep.
Wake Ankita and Guneet up.
8:55 AM: Eat poha, a bowl of papaya and drink coffee in the mess at breakneck-speed.
Don’t they give awards for doing this?
8:59 AM: Run to class.
9:00 AM: Made it on time!
Mission accomplished!!
Answer roll call.
Time to sleep again.