21. Why couldn’t I?

I was not a good actor. Matter of factly, I was not really willing to hide how dull I felt. I guess Krishna got the point. I saw him mash with another girl, perceived as the beauty queen of our class, at times even the entire year. But I rather felt Sundari as nothing more than a well fed duckling decorated with tonnes of costume.

Sundari a malayali, was fair and had a glowing complexion and gave too much thought about make up. She was enthusiastically mashing, my apologies, speaking with Krishna.

The next day I saw Krishna and Iswarya in an enthusiastic 'mash', oops, sorry again, 'discussion', leaning over the lawn fence. I have seen a lot of such people sitting or leaning over it and talk for hours together. I wondered whether the fence was built for small talk.

I always wondered, 'what do they speak for so long?'. Even if it were about the nuclear deal it wouldn’t take this long and certainly the G8 summit is no fun. Then what else is it.

When I came back to hostel I couldn’t resist bursting out, “What on earth these people speak for ages?”

“You should ask them and not us”, Maria.

“Ask Anu, she must have had enough experience to answer you” Divya, with a smirk.

Anu controlled blushing and acted innocent, “Hey we don’t speak that long.”

“Ok anyway you people speak, what do you speak?”

“Honey what did you have for lunch?” Maria imitating Kiran.

“Only a handful of sambar rice darling.” Divya as Anu.

“Oh dear, you got to take care of yourselves, eat well, you don’t have to be a kid always, do you?”, I as Kiran.

“Ok sweet heart, I know you want me to grow…” Maria as Anu.

Anu blasted, “Stop it gals this is not funny.”

Me, “Then tell us what you people speak”

Anu turned back acting like she was busy with something else, and as if she got deafened for the past minute.

I checked my mobile which was still in silent mode, since the time I silenced it for classes. It showed 2 missed calls, as usual from mom.

I called her back, “Hello mom”

“hello honey how are you, are you alright?”

“Nothing went wrong in the past 10hrs after your previous call”

“Don’t tease me. I was worried you didn’t attend the call’

“Mom please, don’t over react, I forgot to unsilence my mobile, so didn’t hear your call.”

“I am not over reacting, you sound annoyed, what’s wrong?”

“Oh mom please, I am perfectly alright.”

“No aunty, she is lying, she want to mash with Krishna..”, Anu shouted.

“Whose voice is that? Is that Anu give the phone to her”, mom.

“No mom she is just pulling my legs, I ll talk to you later, bye” I disconnected the call and jumped over Anu, and she was laughing being hit by me.