Wine, a book of verse and thou by my side
I had finished my work and was eyeing the coffee flask in the college room when Shaila entered.
'Coffee, a book and thou by my side' I quipped and started pouring coffee.
The aroma and the first hot sip after three continuous lectures! Shaila closed her eyes and nodded appreciatively.
A few minutes passed.
'Those very words were the beginning of a romance in our college.'
'Where? What? How? In our college?'
Shaila laughed
'You remember Jyoti?'
I could not. We teach different subjects to different classes.
'That tall girl with long hair. She must have passed out by now.'
I have recalled students on the basis of fewer, vaguer details but not this time.
'She used to diligently attend all my lectures.'
'No, I do not know who you mean. But what happened?'
'You know how these girls circulate autograph books, slam books at the year end? So Jyoti circulated her book. I scribbled something and passed it on. It reached boys in the class. Shekhar was one of them.'
My face remained blank.
'You don't remember Shekhar? That round fellow from Mauritius. Dark, medium height, he wore glasses.'
'So?'
'He wrote those very words of Umar Khayyam and returned her book. Jyoti did not understand them. She came to me asking what it meant.'
'Then?'
'The message took a lot of time to sink but then she changed. Started taking care of herself. Shekhar and Jyoti started being together.'
'Then?'
'I met her recently. They are married and have a kid. Shekhar has a job in Mauritius but every six months they are here.'
'Wow! Everything is here around us but we spoil things by being either unobservant or very demanding.'
'Yes, true. I have often remarked this.'
I had finished my work and was eyeing the coffee flask in the college room when Shaila entered.
'Coffee, a book and thou by my side' I quipped and started pouring coffee.
The aroma and the first hot sip after three continuous lectures! Shaila closed her eyes and nodded appreciatively.
A few minutes passed.
'Those very words were the beginning of a romance in our college.'
'Where? What? How? In our college?'
Shaila laughed
'You remember Jyoti?'
I could not. We teach different subjects to different classes.
'That tall girl with long hair. She must have passed out by now.'
I have recalled students on the basis of fewer, vaguer details but not this time.
'She used to diligently attend all my lectures.'
'No, I do not know who you mean. But what happened?'
'You know how these girls circulate autograph books, slam books at the year end? So Jyoti circulated her book. I scribbled something and passed it on. It reached boys in the class. Shekhar was one of them.'
My face remained blank.
'You don't remember Shekhar? That round fellow from Mauritius. Dark, medium height, he wore glasses.'
'So?'
'He wrote those very words of Umar Khayyam and returned her book. Jyoti did not understand them. She came to me asking what it meant.'
'Then?'
'The message took a lot of time to sink but then she changed. Started taking care of herself. Shekhar and Jyoti started being together.'
'Then?'
'I met her recently. They are married and have a kid. Shekhar has a job in Mauritius but every six months they are here.'
'Wow! Everything is here around us but we spoil things by being either unobservant or very demanding.'
'Yes, true. I have often remarked this.'
