28. End of the Trip

We were lost for breath on mom’s words. Before anyone of us could answer mom continued, “Don’t stay awake late into night and spoil your health, go to bed on time”

With a sigh of relief we nodded.

In a couple of days we finished our trip and came back home. Sharing all the pics in Orkut and telling the tale to all my chat friends kept me occupied for the week.

Anu cried on the last day over breakfast. Mom and I asking were her what’s wrong, “I ‘re never been so happy in my life, thanks a lot for all this”, still crying.

Dad, “Why do you cry for that, relax, you are always welcomed here”

Mom, “Yes darl next time when Elvia comes here, you come with her. Infact we felt more than pleased to have you here”

“Thanks aunty, thanks uncle..”, unable to control the overflowing ire and tears.

I, “Mom she is just getting emotional she will be fine”

Mom, “Why not stay here for the next week?”

Anu, “I will love to aunty but I have to spend at least this one week with papa and I have to get my things”

All of us reached the railway station to bid adieu anyway we met her again on the 1st day of our 3rd sem.

The results have come and the worst part is I am one of the so called 9 pointers and hence I have to go through all the same, “If only you had put in some more efforts..” right from Divya to Mom. Thanks to seniors and their superb strategies.

Life went on normally, now we are seniors at the NSS though we had 3rd yrs still above us. But still it felt great to boss around the juniors. Answering their numerous questions like we pestered our seniors last yr.

Using this curiosity to the best various clubs and associations in the college conducted a lot of fresher related programs like, “Path Finder”, “Where you will be after 4th yr?”, “Pharos” etc etc.

We had a new guy from NCC and my classmate, joining NSS in the 2nd yr, Shantanu Redddy. He was too silent he spoke rarely except to his friend a guy who was already there in our unit.

One day I ventured, “Hi Shantanu..”

“hi Elvia”

“Why did you quit NCC to NSS”

“Hmm.. training myself to be tuff and disciplined is good but I wish I am more social and had chance to mix with people”

“But you rarely speak”

“here I am speaking” with a smile. I smiled back and returned.

Even in class he rarely spoke to someone other than his own little circle of friends but I didn’t bother much about him.

All of us had to give a seminar or a talk on any environmental subject in teams of 4. People who were greedily garrulous stumbled and fumbled. Anu the shy doll even after hours of practice in our room skipped more than half her speech.

Then came Shantanu’s team, he initiated the seminar with a brief intro and gave way for the others though he did it well my preoccupation about him as a male Anu I thought he skipped most of his talk. I was soon proved wrong.

He concluded the seminar with numerous facts and data for more than allotted time without any break in his flow and most astonishingly he never referred at his notes even once. He is not the only one to give such a performance but I guess most of us never expected that from him and we gave a lengthy applause.

I was speaking in length about Shantanu back in room that Anu and Sangeetha, my new roomie started teasing me.

Kiran’s flirting with Anu continued and Anu felt more happy about Kiran. This stopped me from stopping Anu.