9.Is this Flirting?

“Still don recognize me” the next message. Now all my roommates jumped into the scene. We got in deep discussion on what to reply for every message.

Anu said reply, “yes na, you are our senior at NSS”. Divya interrupted “Why do u use anna? That will lose a potential proposal..” all 3 of us were baffled, we never expected this from Divya.

(*’anna- Elder brother’ in Tamil.
That’s the way we address our seniors in college.)

Reading our puzzled faces she added, “You like someone proposing you, don’t you?” I nodded with a smile, and asked, “So how shall I address him?”


“Let that be your next reply..”, ‘brilliant’, I replied as instructed, “How shall I call u?”

“Does that mean u found out..”

“s u r our NSS senior : - )”

“hmm.. well, call me Kiran”

"k kiran nice to hear from u..” I typed it reading aloud. Anu stopped me, “Do you want to end this conversation?”

“No”

“Then why do you give such a dull reply?”

“So what do I reply?”

“Ask him, ‘when is the next meet?’” this was Maria, she was in my NSS unit.

I could see the other 2 nodding their heads in acquiescence, so I replied, “When is the next meet Kiran?”

“Keep checking the nss notice board” I read it aloud.

I had very little experience in small talk, and when it came to a guy, I had none. So, I looked up for help. Anu and Maria looked as puzzled as I was, on what to reply next.

Divya again “Don’t reply. He will start the next topic.”

I didn’t think that was a good idea. Anyway, I had no options, so I waited. Just as predicted, came the next sms, “Do u hav prev knowledge on carnatic music?”

This time I didn’t wait for others, “yes, my mom taught me, I hav won many prizes at skool in singing competitions”

“wow just as I had expected, then y don u join the college’s arts club”

“That would be gr8. How should I join? R u a singer?”

"nope I play miruthangum, I ll tell u when the club next meets : - )”

“Thanks a lot”, as every other message reading it aloud while typing. Maria stopped me this time, “Doesn’t that sound terminating?” looking at Anu for support.

I looked at Divya, “Hey that’s a good reply add this, ‘bye for now, we are leaving for dinner'”

Anu protested, “Why do u want to stop?”

Maria, “Besides we are not going for dinner now, and Elvia doesn’t want to end this conversation”

Anu, “Neither do I” and looked at me, I nodded.

Divya, “You don’t want to look desperate. This is enough for now. Keep him in check, so that he will come back without getting bored. You give guys too much, they tend to get bored. Believe me in this” sounding more like a date adviser of a teen magazine.

The 3 of us were never been more puzzled. We felt like in a fantasy. The same question ringing in our heads ‘How on earth she knew all this?’

As if answering the question in our mind, “I am from a co-ed school and have known guys both at school and tuitions”

Realizing it had already taken a long time to reply, I replied, as instructed by the date adviser half heartedly.

*acquiescence – acceptance.