Sandy, Love for Six pack and Her

Sandeep got off from his new Pulsar and strode towards the club.`surprised ah! you must be some one who was born with proverbial silver spoon in his mouth , running a bike and that too a pulsar? No, this is not another young man going bad because of dirty money seen all around. Sandeep just liked his friend Vinny loved that roar of engine when it was about to give wind a run for its money. Bike was his only true friend, Sandeep was always accused of being phlegmatic, someone who never really got attached to people, someone whose eyes were never welled up with tears or so his friends claimed. He doted on his pulsar and yeah only 180 cc would do for him. He claimed of getting goose bumps hearing his slave’s voice when ordered to pick up . “ghon ghon grrr grr “ and slave used to pick up at master’s behest and master used to get thrilled. The very master was goinn to have a pot shot at his second love, yeah pool what else? He was already running late by 10 minutes, still he felt running around didn’t go well with his image. Always a bit careful about his perception , young man sauntered the pool room with characteristic swagger in his walk.

So He entered the pool room, and all eyes turned towards him. He took the
stick and hit a straight shot. The guys clapped. He was 'Sandy' and he was on his way to becoming the coolest dude of all!!

He bent, to hit another one. And felt his stomach. "Man, I really need to work out on my abs". Ah another those of pretensions, pretending to be perfect. Perhaps six pack abs was a criterion to live in this world? Perhaps peer pressure and a bare Salman Khan was taking its toll on him. No one knows what triggered it in him, not even his bum chums appreciated this freakiness yet they survived him and pampered him.

With a gloat over his face too much perceptible on his face he got into the gym and worked out for an hour. When he came out, he saw her. She was playing badminton. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was also an employee of his company. And she hated him. Why this abhorrence ? Some one please told him . He had many night ruined over simple boy girl chemistry which does turn awry in some cases, who says affinity is always as positive as sulphur is to oxygen.

Ok, ok, he was not good-looking. He wasn't even one of the smartest
guys around. His colleagues actually referred to him as 'The Gainda'. How he hated that name!! of course he was doing his his best to get rid of that ugly tag, how he hated Rehan and Abhi for that , for coming up with a blatantly honest nickname; he still hated them somewhere in corner of his heart for being so honest. But he agreed what friends are if not honest? What they are if not ones kicking your ass and telling you how horrible you are. True these company waalahs never did don Rehan or Abhi’s mantle yet he had this paranoid feeling, somewhere down the line they all are doing it, laughing at his expense. Now he sorely missed that honest brutal criticism. But still the girl has to be wooed , and yeah days winged back to the time he met her.

And on the first day she had come, he had shamelessly ogled at her. But that was because he had never seen anybody like her. She blew him away. “She is one for me”, he gushed to his close companions. And for courtesy they nodded in affirmative. She was a blue eyed princess, who charmed many alike him. What to do now? He remembered the day , he was made to drape his wrist in rakhi when he failed to show his affection for a girl. Whom to blame? Yeah, usual suspects Rehan and Abhi. He let a faint smile come through.

He stood leaning at the doorway, dreaming about her, still toggling between his past and present. “Yeah she looks better than that girl Shreya who did that Rakhi act to me”. And then his cell-phone beeped. "Oh God, I will kill the creator of this technology with my own hands!!"
It was Rehan. His college mate. "What’s up Sandeep? Are you happy? What is life for you yaar?” Naah not a marketing survey, this one seemed a profound question, This one took some time to sink in? “What Rehaan means? Seems I have seen it coming” and Sandeep plans to call back his tormentor , one who did so many pranks at his expense.

Posted by Pranav and Ruchir

Dipped in oil

I was waiting at the bus stop. it had been 25 minutes past 6. I was thinking, "Have you ever seen people who don't think about the person who is waiting amongst 35 others on a bus stop? I didnot even have to take the bus. It was disgusting smelling people at the end of the day, when all you want is to sit and enjoy caffeine. It was high time all these people stopped having a nonstop party in their college and realised that some people have long tiring days and standing at a busy bustop can be very annoying. There I saw Akanksha and her friends walking lazily towards me

I still remember I was wearing a black kurta and jeans and had completely forgotten I had left my hair they way it was in my live sketching class. Akanksha came and gave me a big hug and whispersed, "I've gotta tell you something" Can it be anything new?, I thought.

"Anki do you ever have anything new to tell me?"
Anyways so are we walking to Crunchy corners ?

All the others nodded. Seriously i wondered if these guys could ever think without the smoke in their heads. As usual seated at crunchies we are cribbed about how our teachers sucked big time and we would be so much better off if we had just been working somewhere. Little did I know i would miss the day i sat on a round wooden stool and stare at a nude lady. The smell of charcoal that would not wash away after the bath i had at night. The joy of dipping my brush in turpentine.

Akanksha was getting impatient about people taking so long to order, she snatched the menu from Vinny and said, "Everyone will have a cappucino, Thanks!" I patted her, and said come tell me what is it? - Stop sccaring people with whats boiling inside you! She snarled back at me. She gets very irritated when she knows someone know what's going inside her head. She looked at me and said, "It's interesting, you have to hear how it all started. He's not even someone i would want to talk to or would like to know more about. Can I stay at your apartment tonight?

She stared back at me. But I was too lost. I felt I should have paid more attention to her, But I was too busy thinking about this design I had to submit. I looked at her with a vague smile and said, Sure you can stay with me. Akanksha and I knew each other since Class 9, when her family moved to Mumbai. We had spend nights togather studying and mostly discussing how people changed everyday. How we were changing as well, but we tend to stick around each other everytime one of us needed to talk. One more such night. I had a feeling I was going to let her down tonight by not giving her my 100%. It had never been so difficult talking about fear to her, Never been so difficult to tell her, I need to tell you something much more important that what you are going to talk about?"

The others were gladly arguing which movie they will watch the next day being a lazy saturday. As we all walked out of Crunchy's and said our good bye's I felt a detachment, a disconnect from them. Reh' looked at me and I felt the pressure to tell someone but today I didnot feel like talking to anyone. I looked back at him with a tired smile, and he teased back" I am telling you all this turpentine seems dope you too much"

How did he know it's the turpentine? - I smiled and thought it was just a coincidence.