The skies are not always sunny. The antelopes never always roam around the moor merrily. I tried to grab lessons from them.
     The college campus was exceptionally troublesome this day. Groups involving both the sexes were scattered around. A serious discussion was in progress. I could see Yash animatedly explaining something to a gang of inquisitives. I could overhear their conversation.
     "Did he say anything rude to you?", a girl asked Yash.
     "No". Yash replied in a tone full of annoyance.
     "Did he hit you or pull your legs in anyway?"
     "He was sleeping." Yash replied.
     "Sleeping?" a girl asked astonished, "So why did you hit him so hard then? Look he's bleeding profoundly."
     I turned my eyes through certain degrees and found a boy who clutched a handkerchief over his brutally injured nose.
     "Yesterday after class", Yash spoke panting, "I saw him having sex with my girlfriend in the classroom. I warned him twice in the past not to...."
     "Did you actually see him having sex with your girlfriend? Your girlfriend is such a bitch!" a girl asked with a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
     "Don't you even dare!" Yash was bursting in anger.
     I had no further interest to overhear the conversation. I walked towards the classroom. The sky was getting dark. The sun was armoured by a sheet of clouds. I started the countdown.
One.....Two.....Three..... People are having sex scandals around!
They are punching each other because somebody had stolen someone else's pleasure. My life is far better than their's. After a long time since, an unfamiliar bizarre happiness ran up through my veins. And at last at the count of Ninety five..... there appeared tiny drops of rain.

COLLEGE CAMPUS

       The world around me appears very much familiar yet sarcastically foreign. All around me, in the college campus, I could see guys and gals in handsome attire making merriment with each other. Beneath the shade, over the path which led to the canteen, which we named, 'GOSSIP'S CORNER' sat parties of enthusiastic adolescents laughing and teasing each other. Everybody seemed to have found a match for themselves. The exception was me. I hovered around the crowded campus. I could smell the hint of joy in the air around. Yet I failed to quite grasp it.
     Time mocked at me. I swerved past time without quite aware of its existence. The periods elapsed, without much of my knowledge. Yesterday my mind was not at all focused on him long since Professor Collins entered the class. I carefully tried to camouflage myself between the colours of my friends. But at last I was the one who had been asked the question bu Mr. Collins. I had absolutely no hint about, what on the earth question meant and soon found my way out of the class. Time definitely mocked me. The world around jeered about my presence. I learnt to get accustomed to it.

     The sky crushed on me. Would I have to sit beside her throughout the session? It was Mission Impossible for me. But there was no suggestible alternative either. So, I grunted angrily and hastily but unwillingly headed towards the seat beside my sworn foe with continuous huffs and puffs. The day ended with no conversation between us. There was no improvement on the second or third day either. The next week, it was she who first broke the silence,
" Can I borrow your pencil? " she asked.
     Without any words I pushed the pencil towards her with my thumb. She took it and used it throughout the day without any more words. At the last period of the day I finally decided to take back the pencil. But how? I had no mood to talk to her. But at last I decided that as I would never be able to change my seat eversince it was better to befriend her. Gathering courage I finally spoke out, " I heard your name is Riya Mitra. "
     " You have heard correctly. "
     " Hi. I'm Anil Sen. Call me Neel, if you ever do. "
     " I was well aware that I was sitting beside Anil Sen who prefers to be called Neel. "
     " I however don't care whether you knew or not. I wanted my pencil back. "
     " Oh. Thank you. " She handed the pencil back to me.




     My father was waiting outside the main entrance to escort me home. I could see him struggling forward through the crowd. The gate-keeper read out my name from my Identity Card. I walked forward to my father who smiled at me.
     " How was the day dear? "
     " Fine Dad. " I dumped my school bag over his shoulders and walked out through the gate. I looked back and saw Riya on a rickshaw. I turned my head quickly before our eyes met. And on the way to home, first time since 3 days, I found myself smiling.

RIYA MITRA

        I and Rahul used to be fun-freaks. Jay, though enjoyed our company, did not at all enjoy the kind of fun we preferred. I had just been promoted to class II after the finals. Myself & Rahul used to be total jerks, messing around the entire class, throwing paper aeroplanes or stuffed newspapers or even crashing deliberately with girls at their full sprint! Hey, no need to ring the bells so early! I had not entered my adolescence then. It was just a kind of lame joke.
       In one such occasion during the Zero Period of the school (15 mins were allotted before the 1st Period which we called as Zero Period) the entire class was busy throwing paper balls or aeroplanes towards each other creating a hideous pandemonium. In spite of being the class-monitor, I gently walked out of my
'PREFECT' image and let the class continue with the hue and cry. In fact it was me who threw the first paper ball at Anand's head !
        We were tiny gallant warriors bombing enemy squads with fighter planes or paper bombs. But all of a sudden, a paper aeroplane glided towards 'Anil Sen International Airport'. At once I turned back. But I was totally perplexed when I found a pretty blonde girl with plaited hair quickly turning her head away clearly hiding a grin. I was in awe! I had never before even talked with the gal. How dare she throw paper planes at me? I picked up the aeroplane, grabbed it tight within my index and thumb and strode straight towards the girl.
       " Why did you throw the plane at me? "
       The girl did not respond. What pricked my temper was that I could see a broad grin on her face.
       "  Hey you girl. I'm talking to you. I asked why did you throw it at me? "
       The girl looked up, confused.
       " Me? I did not throw anything at you. "
       " No need to pretend a goody-goody. Just reply straight forward. "
       " I have already replied ", the girl turned her face away.
       " You bloody liar. I saw you throw it at me ! "
       " Then you must contact an eye-specialist as soon as possible. " The girl's answer amused one of her pals so deeply that she almost rolled over the floor laughing. I felt my heart would explode with anger. I could barely resist my arms. I could feel my blood getting warmer. I could help myself no more. I crushed a plane and made a good ball of it and threw it hard on the girl's face.
       This disgusted her too and she threw it back at my chest. A violent row was on an approach. The entire class was now fencing us, keeping a circular arena amidst them.
       " You nasty girl ", I threw the paper back, this time harder.
       She did not give up either. I felt my prestige puncture with the entire class as audience, being avenged by a mere girl. So this time I gathered a few more paper, created a bigger one coalescing them and bombarded her face with it. I could hear the school bell ringing. But I did not care. I won't give up until she gives up. So, it continued. The audience enjoyed the unexpected ' TOM and JERRY ' show. A few threw words of encouragement. I found that even more insulting. My ears turned crimson and every time I threw back the ball, harder than the previous throw.
        Suddenly, our class-teacher Mrs. V. Francis entered the class. Pin-drop silence. Everyone had raced to their seats. Everyone except the two of us. And you can well imagine her reaction when the class-monitor was caught red-handed throwing paper balls at his fellow-mate.
        " What's wrong Anil? " she asked. I could read displeasure in  her eyes.
        " Ma'am! This girl threw paper ball at me. "
        " No ma'am, he's lying ", she protested, " I just saw it hit him and couldn't help my grin. So he . . . . "
        " Shut up you idiot ! I saw you . . . . "
        " How dare you call me ' idiot ' in front of ma'am you rascal? I would complain . . . "
        We both were manufacturing needless disorder. So Ma'am roared, " Shut up both of you. Just sit down! How come you fall in with each other over these silly matters? Shame on you! You both should be sent back to 1st standard. " She paused for a moment and then said, " Both Anil and Riya bring your bags and sit right here in front of my nose ", Mrs. Francis indicated towards the first bench, " And listen clearly. Both of you would sit right here beside each other throughout the session. I need to really check out how much you can fight. "

   I was on a sort of a date with Shreya, the niece of my ex-English teacher.Though it would better be called a 'mute sidewalk by the pavement'. It was I who had asked her out tonight, but it was me now who resented my decision. Me and Shreya had been good-friends,but I could feel that proposing her a date tonight with me,I had crossed some invisible line.
   "Why don't you talk Neel?", she asked disgustingly.
   "Because, I don't feel like talking."
   "Don't feel like talking? Do you have slugs in your intestine or what? Tonight we were supposed to go to NALBAN. You ditched the idea just for a friendly lonely walk down this depeopled field. And now you even refuse to talk. What's the matter?"
   I remained silent. I did not want to discuss anything right at that moment with her.
   "Neel",she grabbed my shirt, "Neel I want to know what's wrong."
   I remained silent still.
   "Neel, see it will spoil this evening. C'mon speak up", her voice showed irritation, "Neel see we're going nowhere....."
   I halted. I turned around to face her. Then I burst out, "Who told you to come with me tonight? You could have gone your ways! I never forced you to come. You could have gone anywhere with that stupid Siddharth- to Nalban, Science City, just .... anywhere,bloody hell. Did I ever propose you as a boy-friend? So why did you turn up with me? Just go anywhere you like and don't keep on chattering in front of my ears."
   "I could have gone out with Siddharth? Yes, obviously! I could, just as I have come out tonight with you. Both of you are mere friends to me... nothing more. I could have gone out with anyone..." And she marched away angrily.
   I did not listen to anything she told. My mind was elsewhere. She reminded me of someone for whom once my heart-beat stopped, my pulse raced. RIYA MITRA- I could swear that she was an angel. She made me loose control over my senses.
   But she was now as distant as a star of the Milky Way. Shreya was just a consolation so that I coul assure myself that life was afterall not totally arid. But my mind glided to that day- the day when it was my first encounter with her.

INTRODUCTION

    I have never considered myself a specially created extraordinary being who would draw attention from surroundings. I never dreamt to be quite passive. No,in fact I had never ever made my presence felt. I had been rather inconspicuous, overlooked by almost every eyes.
    In this world there are a few techniques which are to be mastered for survival. I had always failed to grasp them. I had never tried to mind my own business or care for my personal interests. I never learnt that the world would never revere you if you tried to lead an exceptional life. I never understood that sticking to a single heart would never make your day, but its synonymous to folly. So at last the world ended up, thus punishing me-deceiving me of all joy and happiness. Here I am, locked in a strife with myself- How to deal with the world around.
    Although my world, as you would come to know, is not quite vacant. It has elements in it-COLD. But not in the way they were supposed to be. It's not that which I wanted it to be. It would better be called 'ORDERED CHAOS'.
    The vermillion sun had already leaned over the horizon. A sulky crimson summer dusk was descending over 6/89 Vidyasagar Pally.
    I stood in front of the mirror doing up my hair. I took a final glance at myself , tightened my belt and at last set out.