First Date !

Woow! What a topic to write on! And I hope even to read on…

“Dude, it’s the best shirt you have got” Raunak screamed in anger.

I just frowned at him and said, “But I was thinking of wearing a T-Shirt”

“You just said you would better go with a Shirt”

“After checking my shirts I decided to wear a T-Shirt”

He bent down his head and started playing Highway Rider in his mobile.

I moved aside the shirts to the end of the bed and took out the neatly ironed T-Shirts and spread them one after another. The blue one with a saying on it got rejected because it seemed too plain, the red and white stripes went aside because it had collar and I thought of going out without collar. I just thought that would look more bold and stylish.

“Finally I have these three, which one should I wear?” I asked him again.

He did not even raise his head. I hit him on his shoulder.

“What the hell is your problem? Why don’t you just pick anyone? You wasted my 20 minutes in selecting a shirt and now you want to select a T-Shirt. Wear anything and go” he yelled at me with his eyebrows furrowed. He was literally staring at me in anger.

“Dude, it’s my first date”

“So what? Why the hell are you eating my time?”

“Just get lost. I have Sid to help me.”

Raunak laughed for a whole minute and said, still laughing in bits, “That guy will help you in selecting a shirt? He never knows and never cares what he himself is wearing.”

The T-Shirts were still spread out on the bed, with the best three on top of everything. The shirts had been piled up in one corner of the bed while Raunak was sitting engrossed in his game on the other end of the bed when Sid walked in with the TV Remote still in his hand.

“Dude, you are leaving?” Sid asked me.

“Not now I will leave at 6 PM. Still four hours to go” I replied back.

“No, I meant you are leaving room? By the way you have cleaned out your closet it seems like you are packing. All the best for your future buddy. We will miss you” he said looking at Raunak.

Both the rascals starting laughing loudly, even rolling on the bed, spoiling the neatly spread T-Shirts. I dint feel bad because they were laughing at me, I felt bad because they again spoiled my selection and put me in doubt.

How would they know what a First Date is? What romance is? How it feels when the heart beats softly but loudly? How it feels to present yourself the best in front of someone special?

They only knew making fun of lecturer in class and messing up the instruments in our Electronics labs. Ofcourse I too was involved in all of their pranks but at least we need to get serious at times. I still remember when we three had finished our experiment in one of the lab and were just chit chatting sitting at our table. Sid started collecting the IC’s from everywhere he could reach out and started his creativity. Raunak and I were fully immersed in some irrelevant discussion until he shook us out. What we saw a design of four legged animal with a long tail, all neatly designed on the table with the help of the IC’s. He said that was a Lion and it resembled our lecturer and now that would attack us. In front it he had placed three IC’s and said those three IC’s were us. Then we started playing with that, each one of us holding an IC and circling around the lion trying to tease it. We were so merrily playing with that until the same lecturer standing behind us since past few minutes finally said, “Please for college name’s sake stop playing like kids. This is Electronics Lab, not Kindergarten. I am even ashamed to punish you guys for this.”

The only thing which we said in mind at that time was, “Thank IC’s, he won’t punish us!”

But now, we were in our room and at the least when your friend needs your advice badly. After all he is in love, with the most beautiful girl in the college.

Yes, she was the most beautiful girl in the college. We had decided to go out that Sunday for a cup of coffee. Being summer, the longer days helped us meet in the evening.

I had started sweating, sitting on the bed still thinking of what to wear when both the rascals had run of the room just because some song started playing on the TV and both of them were diehard fan of the steps of beautiful heroine dancing for the first time in her Saree!

They both walked in when the song finished and stared at me.

“You still have not finalized your shirt?” Sid asked.

“He is wearing T-Shirt, not shirt” Raunak told him.

“Just get out. You guys are not my friends, you both are my enemies.”

They laughed again and started selecting shirts for me but both selecting different ones everytime and arguing with each other that the one they selected was better.

The time was running and I had spent 50 minutes in just trying to select a shirt. Finally with a big frown, I left them and went to take a bath. After spending for a complete 30 minutes under shower when I walked out, I asked myself, “Why don’t I take such a clean shower every day?”

Even those rascals were shocked to see me in bathroom for such a long time. One out of the bathroom, I sprayed half the bottle of Deo on my body, almost wetting myself again, but this time with the deo instead of water. I suddenly picked up the red and white stripped T-Shirt and wore it.

“Dude, that is not good. It just doesn’t suit you” Sid said

I looked at him and then turned, bit tensed, towards Raunak.

“I feel its ok, but you have got lot better options. I still feel you should go in a shirt rather T-Shirt.”

I started looking at the shirts again when Sid said, picking up all my shirts, “This is fine now. Don’t started getting confused. Just go with this or else you will end up spending the whole evening in room just selecting a shirt.”

“He is right, just go with anything buddy. She is from our college and has been seeing you since a year. She is not seeing you for the first time, doesn’t matter what you wear, she knows you get thrown out of class every day” Saying this, Raunak winked at me crookedly.

Finally after thinking for a whole of three and half minutes, I decided to go as myself, just go in the dress I wear normally and go plainly. I felt much relieved but in some corner of my heart there still was a small thought running continuously. Everytime my heart beat, the thought echoed, “Am I looking handsome enough to go out for a cup of coffee with her? Should I change my T-Shirt?”

I looked at the time and it was still 3:10 PM. I was ready exactly two hours twenty minutes! Never in my life was I ready before time. Scolding myself for that, I removed my T-Shirt again neatly folded it and rolled on the bed. The hot water bath and the heavy breakfast from the Darshini were slowly showing the effect. My eyes were being forced to close and take a short nap. Before I thought of something else, I fell asleep.

I smelled coffee. I raised my head from the coffee cup and saw her face. She looked as cute as ever. But suddenly she started shouting my name. I panicked in confusion. The smell of coffee grew stringer as her scream loudened. But wait, why is her voice like a boys voice? Something was wrong. I tried my best to get my brain to work. It needed more caffeine. I smelled the coffee again and tried my best to concentrate on what was happening.

“Viz, Viz, get up man” Raunak was shouting holding two cups of coffee.

Shocked to my nerves, I got up, sat upright and checked the time in my watch. I thanked God million times as it was still 4 PM. I was happy as I hadn’t missed my first date and I was happier because her voice was still cute and not as bad as Raunak’s scream!

“Dude you saved me. I was asleep. Would have missed the coffee also.”

“That’s why I got you this coffee. This is the proof man, a friend’s coffee saves you and a girlfriend’s coffee costs you!” he winked at me handing me the coffee cup and went out to watch the TV.

“You bathed in hot shower then that Deo and slept. Just like working on somethin the whole day and then throwing that into dustbin! Why the hell you wanted to get ready so early? You have grown mad or desperate?” Sid asked sipping the coffee.

I just looked at him blankly rubbing my eyes and sipping coffee. It took the whole coffee to wake me up from my sleep. After finishing the coffee, I left the two buggers with their TV and their discussion on if Heroine of the film should be beautiful to attract the crowd or if she should be talented to make sure the crowd comes back for next movie.

Washed my face, put on the same red plus white striped T-Shirt, tucked it in neatly, saw myself in the mirror, not much happy, tucked the T-Shirt out, took the deo, shook it well and sprayed the remaining half all over my T-Shirt.  Neatly put on my Red Tape shoes, polished them, held my helmet, took my bike keys and looked at both the rascals. They were still busy in their discussion, not even bothered to wish me luck. I waited for another two minutes hoping they would look at me and say something, atleast a kind feedback that would boost my confidence. But they were more bothered about films than their friend!

I walked out of the room, banging the door loudly that was loud enough to disturb their discussion and stepped to my bike. Sat on it, put on my helmet, checked the time again, it was 5:15 PM, adjusted my ass on the bike seat, kick started the bike!

To be continued…

Vishal…

Tweet