Imperfect Two

Chapter 23

"This is your best work, Mahuamuff."

"You really think so?"

"Totally! I love everything about it. It's very...well...you."

She giggled and eased the canvas onto the wall for it to be judged alongside the other entries.

Dude sat back playing with silly putty as she came back to her spot. Her overalls were covered with paint flecks. She had put her hair up into a bun, some of which was falling out of the clip. She had tied a red bandanna around her head to keep it out of her face. She was completely in her element. This was her home.

She sat back in her place and spoke to Dude for the next two hours. They didn't budge. She felt like she hadn't relaxed and spoken to Dude about things in ages. She heard his stories. He laughed and told her about the newest girl he had a crush on. She leaned back against the pillar and stretched her legs, almost ready to ask a volley of questions about this new girl when she heard a crackle of the microphone.

"Attention, girls and boys! We are finally ready with the results... Are you guys ready to hear them?"

After a loud cheer, the judges relented, "Okay, okay! The third place goes to Rohan Pillai for "The Girl by the Window."

Mahua and Dude clapped hard as Rohan ran up the stage to collect his prize. The stage backdrop showed a snapshot of his canvas. Not bad.

"Second place to Candice D'Souza for "The Marketplace."

Mahua was awestruck when she saw the picture on stage. It was beautiful. She had brought in every aspect of the nearby marketplace, right from the grumpy vegetable seller to the little cart full of plants for sale. Dude commented, "Well placed."

Mahua shook her head and said, "No. This deserved first place. It's fantastic work."

"No doubt. But who deserves first place, we are yet to see."

"And finally, first place goes to Mahua Suman for "The House."

She never thought she'd hear Dude whoop thatloudly. Then again, she never thought she'd enter an art competition organizedby the college so there was a first time for everything. She rushed up on stageand collected her prize. From up here, she saw the faces of all the people whohad participated. She grinned looking at them cheering for her. They were allsplashed with paint, just like her. Her eyes sought Dude's who was leaningagainst the pillar. She then found another person sitting in her spot, lookingrather comfortable. Through those glinting glasses, the brown eyes took inevery aspect of her painting on the stage backdrop instead of looking at her.And then the eyes met hers.