I was just about to go for lunch when Anitha barged in to my room
“Hey, I heard Dr. Bhatti asked you to follow him for the evening rounds”
News sure did spread fast.
“yeah” I mumbled
“How do you know him?”
“Excuse me?”
“How do you know Dr. Bhatti?”
“Anitha,He is the Associate Prof of Medicine. He has been teaching in this college for 15 years!”
As though she doesn’t know that.
“I know that silly. I thought you might have known him through your uncle or something”
There was no point getting angry. George’s shadow always followed me and there was nothing I could do.
“No Anitha, I didn’t know him before”
“oh”
I was so happy that I was good in medicine, yet it was so hard to prove it to others.
‘There is no need to prove anyone anything’ Sensible one spoke
‘yeah’ I agreed
“Anitha, I am hungry. I am going for lunch”
I started to walk.
“Wait, I am also going to the mess” Anitha started to walk with me.
“You are so lucky Nina”
Luck had nothing to do with being chosen for attending the evening rounds. I was chosen because I was good in medicine. I thought of telling that to Anitha.
“Your folks are so open minded”
“huh?”
“You know my mother would have killed me if I was dating a non Christian guy. Your mother is so nice”
I wanted to laugh. Irony of it all.
“My mother is so narrow minded. You know all my cousins started to read Mills and Boon by the time they are in 10th Std. My mother made me promise her that I would never read Mills and Boon till I was 17, because she felt Mills and Boons will corrupt my mind. Guess what, my cousins used to smuggle Mills and Boon books for me and I started to read them when I was in 9th Std. You know what is funny?” Anitha looked at me
“No, tell me”
“When I turned 17, I purposely went and asked my mother for her permission to start reading Mills and Boon and guess what?” Anitha was grinning
I didn’t know what to guess.
“You know what my mother told me?”
I shook my head.
“She told me I was still innocent and didn’t know the ways of life. Can you imagine, “ways of life!”
“what is that eh?” Anitha was laughing and mocking her mother
“You know Nina, I wonder what she would do if she knew that I have been reading Mills and Boons since I was 13 years old! I think she will have a heart attack”
I didn’t say anything.
I tried to remember all my sins.
I cooked food when Amma told me not to, got drunk though she didn’t really tell me not to and I kissed Arjun. Nah he kissed me, I corrected myself
‘Both are the same, you idiot’ Sensible one spoke.

The line was too long at the mess hall and we waited in line for our turn.
“Hey, heard Dr. Bhatti asked you to follow him for the evening rounds” One of the super senior girl came up to me and started to speak.
“yeah” I mumbled
“You know how lucky you are?”
Why are people so fixated on luck? What has luck got to do with this? I read the journals and I knew the answers, plain simple reason why I was chosen to follow Dr. Bhatti. It was not because Mercury and Venus was in alignment!
“Yeah” I mumbled again
“Would you tell me all the points Dr. Bhatti discussed with you after the evening rounds?” She asked
“Sure”
“Thank you”
I took the plate and looked around for a quiet place to sit down and eat my food peacefully. All these while when I was in every one’s ignore list, all i wanted was to be part of a group. Ironically right now all I wanted was to be left alone.
“Shall we sit there?” Anitha pointed the table near the door.
“yeah” I agreed. I wanted to eat quickly and get out.
“You know Nina, I wish I had a mom like yours”
“Why?”
“She does such a good job of making you all independent. Your sister already bought an apartment. How many Mallu girls do you know that bought their own apartment? They all wait for their parents to buy apartments for them. Am I right?”
“Yeah”
I knew Chechy couldn’t have afforded to buy an apartment on her own. Somethign wasn’t right. I just couldn’t figure out what exactly was going on. Knowing George, there sure would be something fishy.
“So what are your plans?” Anitha asked
“huh?”
“are you planning to do PG?”
“I don’t know” I replied
” I have no intention of continuing this torture of keeping awake all through the night and study. I told my parents that I don’t want to do PG. My dad was a little disappointed. My mom is fine. She wants me to get married as soon as I finish final year. What about you? When are you and Arjun tying the knot?”
Arjun!
pavam!

He Went and bought KC Das sweets for me!
And I did the disappearing act.
I had to tell him that I was sorry.
“We haven’t decided Anitha. I have to go now”
I quickly ate my food, washed my hands and ran to the canteen.
I send the message for Arjun that I want to see him through one of the juniors.
I waited and waited.
Soon students were walking towards the gallery for the afternoon lectures. I didn’t have any of my files with me and I didn’t want to go back to the hostel and get my stuff, because I didn’t want to miss Arjun.
I waited till I saw Dr.Gopal walking towards the Gallery. I never missed any of his lectures. Never wanted to give him a chance to get back at me. So I ran all the way to the gallery.
Dr. Gopal was about to shut the door when I barged in.
“Good afternoon Sir” I spoke with a voice that was coated with honey(while trying to take a breath.) Then I gave him a 70mm smile. I wanted to pass Microbiology and if that meant I had to leave my ego outside the classroom, so be it.
“Good afternoon Ms. Thomas, How are you?” He asked
“I am fine Sir” I nodded my head and started to walk up the steps. I saw Rupesh sitting in the fourth row along with the other North Indian boys. There was an empty spot next to him. But I remembered how he laughed at me for using the eosin pencil.
I must not have left all my ego outside the door. Because I continued to walk up and sat next to Grey’s Anatomy.( and the Tamilian students)
Rupesh turned to look at me.
He too got the sweetest 70 mm smile. He didn’t look pleased that I was sitting with the southies.
I smiled happily.