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The morning sun was already high up in the sky when I finally dragged myself out of bed. A quick glance at the clock revealed that I had overslept, and I cursed myself for it. "I should reach college early to plan something!" I thought as I rushed towards the main gate of my house.
As I approached my automatic gate, it obediently swung open, granting me passage. I stepped out onto the pavement and began briskly walking towards the metro station a few meters away. The station was my lifeline, and I couldn't afford to miss the earliest metro to Andhra University.
However, fate had other plans for me. As I walked, my smart watch began to buzz insistently. Its holographic display lit up with the name "Mitra," but I ignored it in my sole determination to reach college early.
My feet pounded the pavement, propelling me forward with every step. I could feel my heart racing in my chest as I pushed myself harder, my mind focused solely on my goal. With each passing moment, the station grew closer, and I knew that I was getting closer to what I wanted.
As I hurriedly entered the metro, the doors closing behind me, my smart watch beeped again. I glanced at the holographic display, seeing the name "Mitra" flashing urgently. But I ignored it as usual, too focused on my goal to reach Andhra University on time.
As the train began to move, I settled into my seat, mentally preparing for the day ahead. But just as I was beginning to relax, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing a message from Mitra that read, "I'm at your home."
My heart sank as I realized my mistake. I should have messaged him about my hurry, about my urgent need to get to college early. But it was too late now. I had left him waiting, and I knew he wouldn't be happy about it.
Just as I was about to reply, my phone rang again. I sighed and hit the ignore button, not wanting to deal with Mitra's anger just yet. But then, a message came through that made me feel even worse.
"You left already? I hate you!"
I felt a pang of guilt in my chest as I looked away towards the window, lost in thought. I knew I had messed up.
***
I scanned my smartwatch at the classroom door, feeling a sense of anticipation as the automatic lock clicked open. I stepped inside, looking around the room for any sign of the girl I was supposed to talk to. It was 9 o'clock, and I had plenty of time to come up with a plan.
Quickly, I made my way to my seat, my mind already working overtime to come up with the perfect opening line. But as I sat down and looked around the room, I realized that I was at a disadvantage. I didn't even know the girl's name; let alone how to approach her.
To make matters worse, the anonymity of web3.0 made it difficult to even search for her online without risking getting roasted by others. And in the classroom setting, my options were minimal at best.
As I began to brainstorm ideas, a sense of desperation crept in, I had no idea that I was about to face three failures in one day. But even as the challenges mounted, I refused to give up. I knew that I had to keep trying, no matter what.
"Come on, think, think!" I muttered to myself, tapping my fingers against my table. "There has to be a way to do this." I thought with no idea that I’m going to witness three failures that day.
***
Failure no. 1:
Before the class started.
After brainstorming for 25 minutes what seemed like an eternity, I could hear the sound of girls approaching the classroom. Panic set in as I realized that time was running out, and I still hadn't come up with a plan.
In a moment of desperation, I grabbed my phone from my pocket and placed it under my desk of Abhi. It was probably the dumbest idea I could have come up with, but I didn't have any other options at the time.
I quickly made my way back to my seat, hoping that no one had seen me. As the group of girls entered the classroom, I watched as Abhi took her seat, completely unaware of the phone hidden beneath her desk.
But my relief was short-lived, as Mitra entered the classroom with an arrogant expression on his face. I didn't even notice him at first, so focused was I on Abhi and my plan.
Mitra sat down beside me without saying a word, and then he suddenly spoke up, his voice filled with contempt. "You came early to stalk her?" he asked, his tone laced with disapproval.
I turned to him, taken aback by his sudden appearance. "Hey No…… Mitra," I said, trying to explain myself. "I was just-"
But Mitra cut me off with a dismissive gesture of his hand. "You once again proved that friends are important until you get a girl," he said, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut.
I had no words to respond to him at that moment, as I had something more important to do. All I could do was sit there in silence, watching as Abhi unknowingly sat on top of my phone, hoping that my plan would somehow work out.
I was waiting for her to notice her phone lying on the shelf, but she was deep in conversation with her friend Amita. With time running out before our professor Chakrapani arrived, I turned to Mitra who sat there, arrogant and unresponsive.
“Mitra, can you give me your phone?” I asked him.
He just sat there, unyielding and motionless, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
“Please, it’s really important da,” I said, tapping him on the shoulder.
He shrugged my hand away and still didn't say anything.
I couldn't waste any more time, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I reached into his pocket to grab his phone, but Mitra protested with a loud "Dey, Dey!".
Fortunately, I knew his password, so I unlocked his phone and called my own number. The phone began to ring from her shelf, but just as she was about to grab it, I ended the call.
As she picked up the phone, she realized that it wasn't hers. Curious, she tapped on the phone to see my handsome face as the screensaver. I couldn't help but feel a little flattered.
I looked away, pretending not to be interested, but she noticed me and tapped me on the shoulder.
I felt a rush of blood at her touch but tried to hide it as I turned toward her. “What's up?” I asked, trying to keep my cool.
She passed the phone over to me, and I couldn't help but notice the small smile that flickered in her eyes.
“Thanks a lot!” I said while pretending to search through my pockets for something.
Realizing that it was the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation, I turned to her and asked, “Hey, what's your name…?” But before I could hear her response, the whole class suddenly stood up, causing me to glance toward the dais.
My heart sank as I saw that Chakrapani sir had finally arrived, and I knew that my time was up.
“Well, there goes my luck for the day,” I muttered to myself, accepting my day’s first failure with a heavy heart.
***
Failure No. 2:
The interval breeze.
The class was exhausted from sitting through three consecutive periods, and it seemed like everyone was eagerly waiting for the interval bell to ring.
As soon as it did, most of the class got up and started making their way to the cafeteria, leaving only a handful of students behind.
Mitra didn't bother to ask if I wanted to join him, and I wondered if it was because Abhi was still in the classroom.
Lost in thought, I didn't notice the gentle breeze blowing in from my left until I heard a low voice hesitantly calling out, "Hey."
I turned to see Abhi standing beside me, pointing toward my table. Confused, I looked at my table and saw a pink handkerchief lying there.
I immediately realized that it must have belonged to Abhi, and it had blown over to my table in the breeze.
I picked up the handkerchief and handed it to Abhi, who took it slowly and gave me a nod of thanks with a smile in her eyes. I couldn't help but get lost in her cute expression, but before I could say anything, she turned and headed toward the washroom.
As she walked away, I gathered my courage and called out her name, "Abhi," but my voice was barely a whisper due to my lack of confidence. Unfortunately, for the second time, I had to accept my failure.
***
Failure no. 3:
Disperse with wicked Mitra.
“I’m sorry, Mitra,” I said, taking a deep breath and trying to keep my voice steady. Mitra responded with a small, “Hmm” and kept walking beside me.
With two failures in a row, I was feeling pretty dejected. I knew I had to make a last try during college. “I must be the 21st-century Gajini,” I thought, determined to not let my failures hold me back.
As we walked out of the classroom, the final buzzer rang and all the students began to come out of the block towards the campus tram. I saw Abhi and Amita walking ahead of us about 15 feet away. It felt like 15 miles to me.
Desperate to catch up I quickened my pace. I was just about 2 feet away from Abhi when I felt a hand pulling me back. I turned to see Mitra with a wicked smile on his face. I knew it was time for him to take revenge.
I gave him a pleading gesture and tried to restrain his hand. But Mitra held me back again and said, “Don’t you want to know about yesterday’s surprise?”
My brain locked up. I couldn't decide whether to choose Abhi or Preeti. After a brief pause, I decided, “Preeti is the evening chapter, let’s concentrate on Abhi for now.”
As I made up my mind, Abhi got on the tram. I tried to run to catch it, but Mitra grabbed my arm and said, “You can Macha! This is my revenge for leaving me in the morning,” with a louder, more wicked voice and a huge smile on his face.
As the tram started to pull away, I stopped and bent forward, exhaling my heavy breaths. I watched it move away with a face full of sadness.
Soon, I saw Mitra laughing continuously. I felt my blood boil and I hit him twice, hard.
“Sorry, Macha,” he pleaded, rubbing his sore arm.
“Ask me to join you this evening, and I will rip you apart,” I said in anger, making it clear that I wasn't going to let him get away with it.
***
4:30 p.m., Tenneti Beach Park, Vishakapatanam.
“The sunset is so beautiful today!” I asked Mitra to see as I stepped down from his bike before the gate of Tenneti beach park.
Mitra looked a bit melancholy, and I knew it was because of our earlier quarrel.
I apologized to him for the fifth time, hoping to make amends for my mistake. "I'm really sorry, Mitra. I didn't mean to hit you this morning. I'm here because I want to make it up to you," I said, hoping to lift his spirits.
"I know you're here for Preeti," he replied, as he parked his bike and put the stand down. "Don't try to sugarcoat it, Macha."
I knew he had caught me red-handed, and I couldn't help but let out a small smile. We walked towards the beach, taking in the cool sea breeze and the sound of waves crashing against the shore.
“Ok, Will you let me know that the surprise is at least now?” I asked him with curiosity.
He didn’t reply to me yet again. My frustration retained and I decided to stay away from him today I thought. “He will spoil the day once again,” I thought.
As I settled into my usual spot, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building up inside me. Mitra, already seated in the first chair, was visibly excited, eagerly waiting for the girls to arrive.
He turned to me and gestured for me to sit beside him one last time. I couldn't bring myself to accept the invitation and turned my face away in rejection.
Realizing that I shouldn't appear too desperate to see the girls, I decided to order a coffee instead. "I'll just order something to drink while I wait," I thought to myself.
I reached for my Smartphone and scanned the QR code on the table, bringing up the menu in a holographic projection. I quickly made my selection and paid for my cappuccino with a simple retina scan.
As I waited for my order to arrive, I felt a growing sense of confidence, bolstered by the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. And then, just as I took my first sip, I saw them – the three girls walking in together.
My heart raced as I spotted Preeti in her green dress. She had changed her outfit, but her magnetic charm remained the same. "There she is," I said to myself.
Amidst the lively ambiance of the open cafe, with the chatter and clatter of customers all around, my attention was fixated solely on Preeti. As she and her friends chatted away, time seemed to come to a standstill for me, and each passing minute felt like mere seconds.
My gaze remained fixed on her, taking in every detail of her appearance and mannerisms. The way her lips moved as she spoke, the way her eyes lit up with excitement, the way her hair fell softly on her shoulders - everything about her was simply mesmerizing.
The hustle and bustle of the cafe faded into the background as I found myself lost in her presence. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered at that moment except for her and the enchanting aura she exuded.
For those few minutes, I was transfixed, unable to break away from the spell she had cast over me. But a cute girl aged around 8 could break it.
Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't even notice Preeti turning towards me. My heart skipped a beat as I wondered if she had caught me staring at her. But as it turned out, her attention was diverted elsewhere.
"Hi Akka, I'm from the Vision Covid 2045 foundation. Would you like to donate something for us?" The voice belonged to a girl in a pristine white frock and shoes, with hair that matched her outfit. In her hand, she held a QR code, presumably for making donations.
Preeti's smile widened as she listened to the girl's request. "How cute!" she exclaimed, reaching for her phone to scan the code and donate a whopping ten thousand rupees.
The rest of the people at the table were taken aback by the generous amount, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at Preeti's ability to give so freely.
As the little girl thanked Preeti and turned to leave, Preeti had one more idea. "Wait! Let's take a selfie," she said, grabbing her phone and a mask from her wallet. I watched in amazement as she carefully donned the mask, never once breaking her cheerful demeanor.
It was then that I saw something that made me feel like the dumbest person in the world. "Is she Abhi?" I blurted out, standing up from my seat in excitement.
I noticed people beside me noticed behaving weirdly, so I cooled down at once.
Soon after we exchanged a few glances, Preeti's phone rang and she excused herself from the table to take the call. She immediately attended the call, “Hello, Yes Dad. I’m starting now.”
“Some urgent work, I have to leave. Sorry and bye guys.” She waved bye to all her table mates.
Before I could reach her to talk something to their table, she almost left.
Mitra got up from his table and held my shoulder to make me sit with them.
“I’m confused! Is she Abhi, or Preeti? ” I asked Ayesha and other table mates with curiosity.
“Her name is Abhinava Preeti. Family members call him Abhi and we friends call her Preeti.” Ayesha replied with a smile. “By the way why are you so curious about her?”
I was more confused than confident about saying the reason, “Will explain to you all about this later for sure.” I turned towards Mitra, “Mitra, we have some important work. Come with me.” I grabbed his hand away from the girls waving to them, “Bye buddies!”
As we moved a few meters away from these girls, I asked Mitra “Is this the surprise you were talking about? You knew this?”
Mitra laughed out loud, “Yes. I knew this. Before I could explain in the morning, you hurried to college leaving me behind.”
"I owe you an apology, Mitra. I completely misread the situation," I admitted, feeling embarrassed. "But hey, let's not dwell on it. Why don't we grab some ice-cold cola and catch up on everything.” I smiled at him, hoping to ease any tension that may have lingered.
***
4:00 a.m., 3rd
September 2044, Upstairs of our home, Visakhapatnam.
I was eagerly waiting for my dad’s casual meeting that was scheduled for the day. The excitement was such that I couldn't sleep well the night before. I woke up early at 3:30 and got ready on the parapet by 4. I knew the sun had much time to rise, but my eagerness for today's discussion overpowered everything.
As I sat on the parapet, I noticed the birds chirping far away. "This must be the perfect time for a parent-child conversation," I thought to myself.
“Only, Dad shouldn’t make reference to The Lion King again.” It was the only thing I prayed to god that day.
Soon, the darkness began to fade, and I could hear the bell sound from the puja room. “Dad must have finished his puja now.” I thought getting ready in my seat.
My dad noticed my early arrival and asked, "You're here already?"
"I didn't want to be late," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
He nodded, admiring his new shawl with red and green borders draped over his shoulder. "Looks good, doesn't it?"
I couldn't help but agree. In the year 2044, few people besides the Pujaris could pull off a traditional Hindu look quite like my dad. With a Kumkum bindi, white dhoti, Chandan namam on his shoulders, and a flower in his ear, he looked every bit at the part.
With the view of this attire I was confident, “Today, there is no Lion King.” I began to look at the rising sun, admiring the beauty with my eyes.
“So, how is your new college? Are you planning for your preparation?” he enquired still looking at the rising sun.
“Yes, I’m!” I kept my reply short.
“And about your love life?” he asked without hesitation.
I turned towards him with a glance of shock,” How could he be so direct with this question?” I thought.
“Yeah good, but needs time” I spilled over the beans decently as I continued admiring the sun.
“In just 2 days?” he asked me as he turned towards me.
I didn’t move an inch, not sure how to face him. I just replied, “I mean. Probably I’m taking baby steps for it.” still looking at the sun.
“Aditya, Let me tell you something that my ancestors once told me,” Dad said looking back at the sun.
“Why God? Why?” I cursed myself getting ready to listen to another remix of “The Lion king.”
“My granny used to claim that everything is prewritten on our forehead. Everything that happens in life is what is predestined. ” Dad continued, “But, I used to ask, ‘then why should we work hard?’ Granny replied that working hard is also in our destiny.”
He looked towards, “See Aditya, you may believe it or not this is true. Be it our career or life partner, everything is prescheduled. Sometimes, you may need to work hard to get it.”
“I only knew how to explore, not to work hard,” I replied looking at my dad. “But, I’m worried if I could get her. I mean ‘it’.”
"Don't worry about
it," my dad reassured me. "Everything is already planned out for you.
Just keep exploring and working hard, and you'll get what you're meant to
have."
I nodded slowly, feeling a sense of relief
wash over me. "Thanks, Dad. I feel better now."
"All is well," he
said, folding his hands and looking up at the sun.
And so, I began to realize
that Abhinava Preeti was meant to be mine. It might not be easy, but I knew
that we would be together in the end. I decided to work and get her at any
cost, but I never expected things to go so easily out of my hand.
***
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