Primary Ardor

I still remember the day she looked at me. The day she smiled at me. The day she conversed with me, as if it did matter. I could see nothing but the gleam in her eyes. The year of 1999. I was still in school then, grade eight to be precise. She on the other hand was at least an inch or two taller than me and I really hate this part…at least half a decade elder to me.
I used to meet her everyday then. Dad’s car had broken down then. Thus, I had to rely on public transport to ferry me to school and back. That was the first time I actually talked to her. “Hi, my name is Nikhil”, I would say. “Hello”, would be her reluctant answer.” I saw you at the city park once. Do you stay nearby?”, I asked. She curtly replied,”Yup, bang opposite the park”. Just then her bus arrived. I cursed the driver and realized that she was gone only when I heard the bus accelerating.
“She’s the one”, I said to myself. If there’s any one it’s gotta be her . I made it a point to reach the stop before time and then as a gush of fresh air, she would arrive. A formal hi and talks over weather would be the only conversation between us. This even though may seem insignificant to me now, was enough to make my day. Dad was surprised when I started talking about saving fuel, being independent when the car was right again and I insisted on using BEST. My dad was proud, but little did he know that his son was in love.
The date was 16th of July 1999. Heavy clouds strangled blue sky and it seemed as if it might unleash its might any time now. Mom handed an umbrella to me just as I was about to leave. The wait at stop paid off when she arrived. She looked stunning. I wish I could tell her. She seemed more cheerful than usual. Her bus was late which I did not hate. She talked about college and college festivals. I just couldn’t hear what she was saying. I could just see her large eyes expressing each word that flowed out of her lips. Her long tresses were waving playfully in the fresh monsoon air. Her perfume almost swayed me away. I wanted to hold her and tell her how much I loved her. A brief spell of shower almost came as a gift when she stood under the same umbrella that I had got…Thanks mom. Then suddenly….it happened…her bus it was here again. Bye bye.
Next day, I decided that now was the time to tell her how I felt about her and in a very flimsy manner, got a rose for her (RED!! Can you believe!). It was the stop again. Her again. But this time she wasn’t alone. She was with Derek, our local macho. Seeing a rose in my hand, she playfully asked me who was it for. “For our class teacher. It’s her birthday today.”, I lied. “So sweet”, she said and pecked on my cheek. It turned red. Derek playfully slapped me on the other one, even it turned red. And then….they went off.
Holding both my cheeks, I wondered how quickly everything happened. I consoled myself saying after all it was love at the bus-stop which any way would’nt have materialized. She however left me in a stranded Pose holding nothing but a Red Rose….