And then it occurred to him the girl always read novels with sad endings. He couldn't think of a reason but it made him sad, very sad.
This staring routine continued for a week after which he decided he could no longer stay there silently and need to talk to her.
He accidentally dropped the book near her table and she bent down to pick it up for him.
She smiled. He smiled. Problem solved.
Raj took a seat beside her. She didn't seem to mind.
Raj Mehrotra, the player, the biggest flirt of the college was finding it difficult to initiate a conversation with a girl.
"Hi, I am Raj" he finally mustered the courage to speak.
She looked up from her book and replied "Hi! I am Ashka"
She said it in a well groomed, polite voice. Her Voice was sweet like that of a bird; and Raj was lost in her eyes, her voice, her smile.
"Umm, Raj are you okay?" She asked ,bringing him back from his thoughts.
"Oh yes I am Raj" he said absent mindly.
'Fuck you Raj, you said the same thing twice' He said in his mind.
"Yes I know!" She said in her sweet voice.
"Well Ashka, I know you love reading books and I am disturbing you but can we talk? I mean-uh-about books?"
He asked.
"Oh yes, I love talking about books"
she replied.
"Ok so why do you read sad stories only."
Silence.
Too awkward for him, she was used to it.
"Ok tell me about yourself. What are your educational qualification?"
He asked breaking the awkwardness.
"Well I don't think you ever noticed but we are in same college you are in B.com and I am in Arts." she said
'WHAT.THE.FUCK'
his mind yelled. '
How could you not noticed this beautiful girl in college? And arts?'
Well Ritika (his 50th ex girlfriend) was from arts.
"You are not to be blamed. I usually spend my days in library and classes and I rarely go to canteen or field." She said as if reading his thoughts.
"Yes! that explain it. I don't even know how college library looks like (or for that matter any library except this one)" He said and immediately Cursed himself for his stupidity. She loved the peace and he didn't even know how it looked like 'STUPID'.
But she smiled and said
"It's ok! Everyone have their field of interest, yours is soccer, mine is reading."
He was stunned
"you noticed me in college?"
"You are the captain of college team so obviously I know you"
"Hmmm right" he replied.
'Think Brain Think, Before that silence creeps in.'
his brain was working fast.
"Well so why are you here?" He asked.
'WHAT WAS THAT, who any other than Raj comes to library for any other purpose than reading books?'
his brain was malfunctioned.
"Umm to read books since the latest ones are available here and the variety of books is better than that of college" she replied and all this while that cute dimpled smile was there on her face.
"Hey! Its already 11:25, I ought to leave now." she said glancing the big library clock.
"Yeah" he said.
'PLEASE, PLEASE don't go, stay! Stay here, with me. I can listen you speak forever'
his brain was being controlled by his heart and it was certainly malfunctioned now.
She picked up her bag pack, kept the book carefully in the overflowing book shelf.
"Good Night! It was great talking to you." She said.
Raj replied "yes the pleasure was all mine. Bye!"
And he saw her walking away. A car waited for her outside, she sat inside and whirled away.
