Impeccable Matchmaking

Siddharth’s POV

“Come fast, Sid, I am very hungry. They must have served breakfast, I don’t want to miss the tasty Rajasthani food.” Parth said.

I shook my head and went to the restaurant where a breakfast buffet was served. Many of our colleagues were already there eating food. There were all kinds of breakfast dishes but Parth was very keen on eating Rajasthani food.

We took some food on our plates and came to one of the tables. Parth was busy eating but I was looking around.

“Whom are you waiting for? Enjoy the food while you are in Rajasthan. The food is awesome.” Parth said enjoying the hot pyaj kachori (onion stuffed kachoris) and Mirchi Vada (stuffed Jalapeños pakoras).

“Hmmm yeah!” My eyes were still scanning the dining room.

“Don’t tell me you are looking for that junior doctor. What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing, just eat your food. It is amazing, a bit spicy but very good.”

“Don’t change the topic now. What are you waiting for? Do you think that she would come and join you? She is arrogant. Stop wasting time over her.”

“It’s not her fault entirely, she misunderstood the whole thing.”

“And you tried to explain so many times but she didn’t even give you a chance.”

“Let it be, let’s not spoil the day, we are here on a trip, so let’s enjoy it to the fullest please don’t talk about all these things.” I said.

“I am not at all interested in talking about her but I get irritated when you are lost in her thoughts while she doesn’t give a damn about you.”

“Parth, leave it, please!”

“You leave it, Sid. Leave her, throw her out of your mind. You are so smart, intelligent and good looking. One of the best dermatologists in the hospital. So many girls are crazy about you. Why are you stuck on that girl? Find some other girl or let me fix a date for you.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need your help.”

“Look at your right side, the girl in that indigo colored dress or the girl in a light yellow one, both are looking our ways. Let’s go on a double date.”

“No, you select one of them for yourself and go on a date. I am not interested in any of them.”

“Then find someone you are interested in. I don’t want you to keep pinning for someone who doesn't care about your feelings. She doesn’t bother. What does she think of herself? She should at least trust you.”

“Ok, ok… Calm down. Eat the food.” I said.

“What are you planning for the Holi?” He asked.

“Hey, I am planning to go home. My parents are also not there so I would go and spend it with my elder brother. At least two of us will be together.”

“Great idea! I will also go home.” He went to take another helping while I looked around and saw her with her batchmates. They all were enjoying their food.

She looked at me as if she felt my eyes on her and the smile on her face vanished. She looked away immediately and just then a boy of that group said something to her with a flirty expression and she smiled.

He even asked her to try Mirchi vada from his plate. She shook her head but he insisted. She took a bite of the Mirchi vada and found it very spicy so she left it and had water.

The boy laughed, picked up that Mirchi vada and ate it, I clenched my fist. Why did he have to eat that? Were they so close?

I felt like throwing him in that kadhai where those pakoras were being fried. But I took a deep breath to calm down. I think I was overreacting. They could be just friends.

As it is, she made it absolutely clear to me that she had absolutely nothing to do with me.

Parth had gone to take another helping while I had not even had half of what I had on my plate. I looked at him and a few other friends also came with Parth. We had a light conversation while I stole a few glances at her.

They all were enjoying themselves while I was getting annoyed. I got up abruptly when I could not take it anymore, excused myself and went away throwing an angry look at the boy. She glared at me.

I came out and Parth came after me. “Parth, go inside, I don't want to talk about it. I am fine.”

“Sid!”

“Go away…” I literally shouted at him. He shook his head and I closed my eyes. I just wanted to be alone and for a change, he left me alone.

I went down the memory lane and reached the day about 5 years back when I saw her for the first time. I was in the fourth year of my medical college, The new session had started and the freshers had started coming to the college.

My friends and I thought of doing something funny so we planned to do ragging. The basic Funda of Ragging/Intro was to make the freshers familiar with their Seniors and also to have some fun. The seniors were always available for any kind of help.

We went to a first-year classroom just after the doctor finished his anatomy class and went away. That was supposed to be a lunch break.

We reached there and asked them to wish us. They all did that and then we started our own set of ragging. First of all one of our batchmates gave them some guidelines, which they had to follow strictly.

They were supposed to:

Wear only traditional clothes.

Oil their hair.

Wish/greet every senior they happen to see by bending at 90 degrees.

To look at the sky while talking with their batchmates and look at the floor while talking to any senior.

Always address the seniors as Sir/ Ma’am and never as Bhaiya, Bhai, or Didi (brother or sister).

Form a queue and run around the campus like a train and don’t forget to make the train sound.

Never look into seniors’ eyes while talking.

Reply in a singing tone. (Suppose if the seniors ask what’s your name, they have to reply Myyyyyy Nammmmmeeee isssss pooojaa)

Show their dancing skills without any music.

The freshers were not supposed to laugh while another fresher was saying something or they would be punished.

It was so damn funny to see all of them doing it. We have been doing it for the last 2 years and were enjoying this year too.

One of my friends called a fresher to come to us. He was a bit scared but my friend told him to tell a joke until everyone in the room cracked up. This was not as easy as it sounds.

He kept telling jokes but we didn’t laugh. He was finally tired and then we burst out laughing.

Then we called another fresher and asked him to describe what he did that day in the morning. But he had to suffix all the sentences with bhains ki Poonchh pakad ke… (While holding buffalo’s tail. )

He started speaking, “My name is Sunil Kumar, bhains ki Poonch pakad ke… I got up at around 7 in the morning, bhains ki poonch pakad ke… I went to the washroom and freshened up, bhains ki poonch pakad ke… Then I took a bath, bhains ki poonch pakad ke… Then I had breakfast, bhains ki poonch pakad ke…”

“Ewww…” We all said in unison.

He was speaking and all of us were laughing like lunatics. He was trying his level best not to even smile but he could not control it and started laughing.

He was given the punishment. He was supposed to approach any girl of his class and propose to her in a very romantic way and get her number.

I saw a cute little fresher girl trying to hide her smile. Her eyes were shining with mischief and she was covering her face to hide the smile.

She looked so cute that I kept looking at her. One of the girls from my group saw her and called her.

She got up and came towards us confidently.