Trisha ducked into a corridor, blushing furiously.Godohgodohgod..... what was he doing here?Hadn't he left India years back?What did he think of her now?Did he even remember her?Or did he hate her now?Was he going to be her sworn enemy?

                  The barrage of questions that flooded her brain were forced to a halt as Ankita thudded down the ill-lit hall.She turned to face Trisha with an ex-pression of irritated bewilderment on her face."What?!", she queried.
              
                Trisha turned away, feeling her face go red again.When she finally spoke, she was surprised at how high-pitched and breathless her voice sounded."Aryan."

                         "Aryan?Who's Aryan?And..."

                        The bell gonged just then, saving Trisha the need of facing Ankita's volley."Come on," she said, pulling on Ankita's arm."We'll be late for class."
"But...."
              Trisha fled down the corridor, and Ankita had no option but to follow.

                         But she should have known better.Ankita wouldn't be silenced easily on anything.No sooner had the professor commenced on an earthworm's digestive system in his usual nasal drone,Ankita commenced, too."Who's Aryan?", she hissed in Trisha's ear.Trisha shot her a pleading look."Can't it wait after class?"
                  Three minutes hadn't passed, when Ankita whispered again,"Aryan-hey,that's what Shahrukh Khan named his son." 
              And again."There was a movie by that name,no?"

  Trisha stifled a smile.Boys.Ankita's prime interest.Though Bollywood came a close second.It was her fault.She should have shut up about it until after Bio.Now, the already remote chances of her listening to the lecture had reduced to nil.

                            The bell finally rang,much to Ankita's relief.She yanked Trisha out of the classroom, and into the canteen.They dropped onto a side-table, and hailed the waiter."Watermelon juice, two glasses," Ankita said, and then turned her complete attention towards Trisha.

               "You can run, you can hide, but you can't escape", she sang tunelessly, but her eyes sparkled."So, spill out now.Everything."

                   Trisha smiled."OK,OK.Aryan was in school with me.And....he'd gone off to Dubai 'coz his dad got transferred.But I saw him today.In the hall.Couldn't make out why."

                   "So you decided to hide?", Ankita asked, peering at her suspiciously.

                  "No, not exactly"

      "Then????"

"Well, actually.....this guy.... he... before he went off, I mean....oh!"
Trisha gasped and sat up.Aryan walked in through the door with two other guys, who seemed to be giving him the tour.He had always been good-looking, but now, he looked as if he'd walked straight out of a magazine.He'd grown way tall, and he no more wore his hair in the crew-cut of their school days.It hung to chin-length, and was tinted a mellow mahogany.He'd developed a gorgeous bronzed tan, and looked athletic and muscly.In short, a walking, talking Greek God.

             "Good maal", whispered Ankita.

"Isn't he?", asked Trisha, in the same low, breathless tone.

"How do you know him?", asked Ankita.

               Trisha knew that if Ankita had turned her attention to anything else when such a guy stood in near vicinity, she had better tell all.
           "We were in school together"
Ankita harrumphed impatiently."I know that.After that....??"

                   "And.... he had a crush on me."
Ankita looked triumphant."Yeh hui na baat.You too had a scorching affair in school?I mean, before he took off with his folks.Return of the old flame, eh?"

        "NO.I declined him, yaar."

Ankita stared, her mouth agape."You declined him?"

           "Well, it was school, after all.", Trisha said defensively."But strange thing was, he continued to wait for me to come round.The last day he came to school, he said nothing would ever change for him.That he would always, always remember me.And yes, I must confess, I had almost fallen for him by that time.Whether or not he does,I sure still remember him."

            Ankita remained completely silent after this revelation, a strange thing for her.

But another voice made Trisha's head turn so fast, she nearly criked her neck.

Aryan's.

"Trisha?"He strode down to their table."Hey",he said quietly.

          "Hi,Aryan.How are you?", Trisha said quietly.

"Great.How about you?", he queried, a smile spreading across his features.

"I'm doing good," Trisha replied, smiling back."So, how come you're here?"

"Well, higher edu isn't all that great back in the Gulf.So, I've come back to namma Bengaluru.I stay in a PG close by, with these dudes", he said, gesturing to his friends at another table.

"Oh, okay," Trisha said, unable to think of anything else.

"Well,I'll see you around then.", he said.

"Bye"

He was hardly out of earshot when Ankita screamed, "OMIGOD, Trish!!!!!!You've finally found yourself a guy, too!!!!!!!"
She looked wildly excited, and triumphant.

               Usually, Trisha didn't approve of Ankita playing matchmaker, but this time, she didn't mind.In fact, it felt good.As she looked over at Ankita, she felt a giddy happiness climb to her head, and joined in as Ankita jumped up to hug her, laughing hysterically.

TBC