It was the summer of 2004. Rohit was in the final year of his graduation. He was studying in an evening college & was working in ICICI Bank as a Credit Card sales executive. His life was simple, but sumwhere & sumhow, it was complicated too. Like every 2nd youngster going through this age group. He had a limited circle of friends & while living in a PG near his college, by the name of outing, he just use to go to the super market for daily groceries & laundry to get his clothes ironed. Everything was going okayish, till one fine day he came across a girl named “Pallavi”.
Rohit was attracted towards Pallavi, she was in the same college pursuing her graduation in different stream. Her way of talking, her attire, her smile, name anything about her & he used to be lost in his own imaginations. He came to know from his sources that, she was working in Club Mahindra Holidays, as a Back Office Executive. She was living in girl’s hostel & was stick to her 9 to 6 schedule. Sumhow, Rohit managed her cell number & started sending her Good Morning & Good Night messages. In the starting 3 – 4 days there was no reply. Then on a Sunday morning his mobile beeped. It was a message of Pallavi.
“who is this ?”.
Rohit was thinking, what to reply. In the mean time day passed & he got a call from her in the evening. He didn’t pick. After dinner he sent a message,
“Hi Pallavi, this is Rohit from final year B.Com. (same college as yours). I am a sales executive in a private bank.”
“Rohit ?!?! Do I know you by any chance ?”
“Well, no, not yet. But I was thinking if we can come to know each other ?”
No reply after that. Next day, they were having there 1st final exam. A week passed without any message & call. After the last exam, there college was finished & Rohit was thinking to call / meet her. But Pallavi was out of town. He forgot that she was in different stream & her exams were finished 2 days before.
Some days passed & one evening Rohit was just checking his phone book & saw Pallavi’s number. He messaged her a simple “Hi!”.
“Heyllo!”
“How are you Pallavi ? I was waiting for your reply that day, but you didn’t reply. I thought to meet you on the last exam, but your exams were over before mine.”
“& I was waiting for your message, how do you expect a girl to reply on such a message ? you could have sent one more message after that, or would have called me instead”
Rohit called, “Heyllo”
“Heyllo”, a very sweet voice responded on the other side.
“Hi Pallavi, how are you ?”
“How many times you will ask the same question ? you asked the same thing in your message too.” She laughed, “by the way, I am fine, hows you ?”
Rohit was on the cloud 9, “you didn’t reply in the message, that’s why I asked again. By the way, I am fine too.”
“So tell me, what do you want ?”
Rohit was not expecting this question, he was confused. “I, I Love You Pallavi”
“WHAT ?!?!?!?!?!”
“Hey listen, please don’t hang the phone, actually I don’t know how to make stories & all. I am just being myself & coming to the point”
“See Rohit, you cannot judge anyone with few text messages & one phone call”
“You have seen me, infact you know me”
“Excuse me ? When ? Where ? How ?”
“I am the person, who use to come to your boss for his Credit Card problems. If you remember, we had a cup of tea together in your office only.”
“umm.. Rohit Malhotra ? from ICICI Bank ?”
“Yes! Its me.”
“ooOOOooooOOo, hey how did you get my number ?”
“Please don’t ask me that, I don’t want anyone to be beaten up by you.”
She laughed, “don’t worry, I wont screw him / her.”
They had a talk for one hour approx on that day.
& the series of calls & messages started. By the starting of winter 2004, they were good friends. Yeah I mean it “JUST GOOD FRIENDS”.
(Disclaimer: Any name, place or event in the story does not have any relation with anyone living or dead. Anything like that is purely coincidental.)
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