It’s a New Year!
A fresh winter wind, passed-on from December, embraced me as I entered the school. It was 8.45 am and cool puff of air blended with sun shine just rekindled my senses.
As I was stepping inside the school gate, a lot of things cherished me.
The beautiful winter - which is obvious as we experience hotness round the year; just a little chinless is enough to makes me happy. New Year - I know it’s just another day yet it makes me happy. Maybe there are celebrations all around, which I can see in person and TV. Maybe people are greeting each other; exchanging gifts and sweets. School after leave – It’s been a long time, I have seen my friends; and some girls too. Yeah! there are a lot of cute girls in my school. But yes, you read it right - I get to see. I watch. Trust me, I ace it.
I always SEE them but never opened. At least this year I get some courage to talk to the girls. Not to the level of Ram but to the level of Dine.
Ram is a genius, when it comes to girls. He is just spontaneous with them. Whether he is spontaneous with us? That's a question to think about!
Dine is not much of a conversationalist and likes to respond in one-liners (punch lines). Its short and fun. Sometimes, annoying as well.
Talking in big sentences is out of my table of course! But as short responses, I can.
So, Go Dine (Inspired from Go France!), I composed myself and proceeded. That’s when I felt an eerie sensation at the back of my spine. I turned to see my biology teacher walking next to me.
Catherine miss!!!
I heard a dog barking, snuffling my anxiety, from distance. Crows cawing frantically from atop the tree.
With a stern look and an erected back, she looked like an imposing statuette moving forward. “Happy New Year madam,” I greeted her with a forged smile. Along came a series of greetings from around, “Happy New Year” “Good morning” “Happy morning.”
She didn’t nod, respond out loud or even smiled yet we got our answer. She signalled through her eyelids, which closed with the shutter-speed less than one. Meanwhile, her head tilted up front, for a micro-second. I was simply awed by such a unique and majestic gesture. But the answer papers, she carried on her arms, terrified me.
But then I smelled a sweet aroma coming from behind, deviating me from the papers. It was a girl. Yeah! A pretty cherry-on-the-top girl – Keerthi. And with it, came the sweet cooing of Asian Koel, hiding beneath the leaves, from the majestic Peepal tree near the church.
Keerthi is a popular girl of our school among teachers as well as students. While, teachers like her studious nature, we – followers – admire her for being Keerthi. She is cute as Koala and lively as a sunbird. Being a School People Leader (SPL), she often speaks in the assembly and all I hear is the sweet melody of Magpie Robin. A girl as delightful as her deserves some followers. Adding to that is her walk; splendid and sophisticated as any cat species, augmenting her looks and appeal.
She came in colours on that day; no uniform. Yes! It’s her Birthday – January 2. That’s another thing about re-opening day. I get to see this sparkling cat swaying her way meticulously through some dull and dusty stray dogs; both passive and dominant ones.
***
“What ma? How were the holidays?” enquired my class teacher with a charming smile.
Reji sir! High-school sweetheart. Sweet, calm and handsome teacher, who taught us English. Unlike other teachers, his English was clear and understandable as most of the teachers fashion IDIOcratic language, which I believe is some idiots with aristocratic expression.
We start the year with an hour of prayer in a church; most common thing to witness in the Christian Missionaries. We spend around 10 minutes in class before assembling in front of the church for the Mass. Reji sir was using that time efficiently by posing questions about holidays. After one or two answers, silence filled the atmosphere.
“Alright, lets wish our birthday girl!” He swapped the topic after sensing the uneasiness in air.
This, for sure, was the topic of interest to us as we know very well about the reward. And its good to start a year with a sweet. Right?
Cheerfully, we sang the birthday song.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to dear Keerthi
Happy birthday to you!
There was a little variation in tune as the rhythm peeked in the third line. A few of us got excited to call her dear. And we continued…
May God Bless you
May God bless you
Blab bla bla blab bla bla
Happy birthday to you!
While lines like – may God bless you – doesn’t really made sense, I continued with pure joy. Because it’s not about the birthday girl but what she holds!
The song ended but not the noise as rhythm was replaced with applause. I wondered why we clap at times. Is it a gesture of appreciation? Or greeting someone? Or motivating ourselves? Or getting rewarded? – I never knew.
I was confused, yet kept the momentum going by clapping hands.
Keethi started to distribute chocolates. A few shook hands greeted her and took the chocolates and others just pounced onto the chocolate box like a starving cat and wished her without even looking at her eyes.
As she was approaching me, I composed myself to look her at eyes and wish her before touching her box. Sitting at the corner of third row, I was sweating profusely out of nervousness and she was distributing chocolates in the second row. She was done and turned towards me. My heartbeat raced.
She came and offered me her box. I trembled and never looked her on the eyes. Like a flash, I raised, looked her, wished her and went down. I told her something, which I couldn’t remember except the word happy.It was blank. She smiled though.
After she left, my friend mumbled, “Dude, how did you do that?”
“How did do what?”
“Your WISH!”
“What’s with that?”
“You don’t know anything. Do you?” his smirked. I noted a slight change in his attitude, and it heightened my curiosity. I looked back. The whole bench was giggling and so did the Keerthi, with her occasional gaze.
“What did I say?” I lost myself.
“Happy New Year not Happy Birthday, you fool!” He continued laughing.
Oh my God! – I snapped, irritated.
We came out of class, maintained the line and walked to the church. While everyone was making fun of me with that incident, I was happy for making her laugh. The feeling of her being happy swept away my awkwardness and I took a confident stride towards the church side entrance.
