School day memories are just not about friends or teachers, it’s also your crushes. Crushes that crashed. And leave behind a sweet memory for life. It’s a crazy feeling. Scholars, philosophers and even saints have spent years to decode it. Doubtful if they succeeded. So all those high-on-testosterone, confused teens hanging outside Carmel after-dismissal, the puzzle is nothing new!

Misthi (name changed) was my friend’s sister. We met when I was in class nine. You can guess my situation. All my peers had a ‘Gal Friend’ and so I was supposed to get one too! Or else they would say I have strayed. Not that I was really bothered about their opinion. But peer pressure really works!

Lost in her dreams, my imagination would run wild. In a matter of weeks, I was sure that I would spend my whole life with her. I knew where we would live… some where near a river or a mountain. And Bollywood helped me more. Aftab Shivdasani’s debut movie Mast had just been released. The film was about crushes and infatuation. And it also had an angle of ‘running away from home’. So what else was required?! It was a perfect setup. Humming the tunes of the title – un katil nigaho mein, un gaheri adao mein….hua hua hua mein mast… I would stare at the stars from the terrace of our house and plan my elopement with my sweet Misthi! But there was one problem. A small one… which I wish I could solve. I had never spoken to Misthi about my plans. To be honest, I have had never even spoken to her ever about anything. But I ‘loved’ bragging about our ‘affair’ to my friends. What happened next? Nothing. Nancy ma’m told me about the arrival of a new Jeffrey Archer in the library. I was hocked on to it for the next few weeks. Fortunately or unfortunately, Misthi was nowhere there.

Oh… I forgot to tell you I ‘fell in love’ again in Plus two. The connection was again Bollywood. Yash Copra released his mega romantic flick Mohabattein. Boy! It was one hell of an inspiration. I immediately changed my specs frame to the one, worn by Shahrukh aka Raj Aryan. Even the style of wearing the sweater changed. The radar started beeping fast. The search was on. This time it was the daughter of my psychology teacher. Gosh! Just imagine what would his reaction been had he known it then? Well, I think not much would have happened. For I did nothing but let my imagination run wild as the previous time!

Having said all this, I did get a shock few months back. My cousin, who studies in class eleven, had come to Delhi to attend a cultural function on behalf of her school. I knew she had a boy friend but never knew that she had some awesome guts. She landed at my place with her ‘BF’ and happily introduced him to us. I really didn’t know to react. Neither could I suppress my laughter on seeing kids of just 17-19 years posing as a ‘serious couple’, nor could I digest the ‘alliance’. Or was I jealous?

My cousin’s love story seems to taunt my unfulfilled desire to ‘fall in love’ in my teens!

—

Published in Glimpses 2008

by