Episode 7: The IMAX experience

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Yawning heavily sitting on my bed after a long day, I write my diary entry.
While recalling our time in the IMAX, I remember meeting her batchmates and rest of the experience.

I went numb, I couldn't move my legs. She went to meet her batchmates, and beckoned me to follow. I smiled weakly and followed. She started introducing me to them, assuming that I didn't know them! I looked around and saw Arun and Dilip looking at us. I looked away, pretending not to notice them.

Suddenly, a girl from my section (supposedly) walked towards us, and Natasha introduced me to her.

"You must be knowing her, Parth, she's in your section."

"Yeah, I've seen her in the class," I said, trying to sound confident.

"But I haven't seen you around, never in the class atleast." She said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Of course you wouldn't have! You sit in the front benches, I sit at the back ones!" I smiled.

That was a complete fluke, but I guess it worked because she behaved friendly after that. :) The seating arrangement is classrooms in our college is according to roll no.s and that girl's name starts with a 'D', and my name starts with 'P', so obviously she would be sitting in one of the front benches. But rotation between rows also takes place, she never thought of that. :)

The guys from their batch whispered something among themselves. One of them called me.

"Hey dude." One of them said and did the introductions.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Some other guy asked, pointing at Natasha. (bah, why would I remember their names!)

"No, nothing like that. I met her a couple of weeks ago in the library, we talked. We're friends." I said, almost sighing.

Booking tickets early helped. My batchmates and her batchmates were sitting in few benches in front of us, so I could keep an eye on them. I also knew that after dropping my plan for watching Avatar with them, I couldn't tell Arun and Dilip that they must have seen a lookalike of mine at IMAX and that I was at my room, watching some TV show! Because they won't believe me.

This must have been the first time I didn't pay attention to a movie I was watching. I looked at her (through those polarizer glasses!) once in a while with the excuse of picking up pop-corn. I observed her reaction and it amazed me how intently she watches a movie.

I beckoned her to leave as soon as the credits showed. She must have thought I had a plan, so she eagerly followed. She saw the climbing wall, with colorful holders and challenged me to it.

"But you're a girl, I don't like competing with girls in such activities." But this excuse didn't work. :(

She shrieked with laughter when I shouted in fear after my leg slipped while climbing the wall, and was suspended in air by a rope. Apparently she had won! Her friend D said to me that I had been a gentlemen to let her win and I said to myself, 'But my hand slipped!' :D

Her friends left but she stayed back with me for some more time at IMAX.

"You love arcade games, don't you?"

"Yup, and this is how its done." She said and gave my player a fatal blow in style.

"Touche!" I said. Her skills were quite impressive.

Ice-hockey, now this was where I expected to win. No, I wasn't being a gentleman! I grab an opportunity when I can, to win. But I guess my clumsy moves suggested otherwise.

"What are you waiting for, give everything you have!!" She was quite aggressive while playing.

"Hey, where are you going?" She asked as I silently started drifting away from her towards my lab when we reached college.

"Have a meeting with prof." I pointed at e-sagu lab, not sure what she would think of it. Couldn't tell her I am a Research Assistant there.

With the guilt of leaving her alone to walk till girl's hostel, I turned and started walking towards the lab.

"Hey Parth!" She said. I turned.

"Today was great!"

"Same here." I said and smiled.

I shut the diary close. I want to tell her the truth, and walk with her in public, and say to every pair of staring eyes, "O yeah, she's my girlfriend and I love her a lot." God almost always listens to my prayers! :) :(

"Guys, try and understand my situation. Please, please don't tell her or anyone else about me and my plans for Natasha. And Dilip, don't make it your subject for gossip! Try to keep a secret sometime!"

Apparently, Arun and Dilip feel betrayed that I didn't tell them about Natasha, and I try hard to control the situation. But eventually the flood gates were opened! :(

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