My Quest for a Girl Friend

A human mind is an assortment of cravings and the human life is all about trying to attain them. There are some yearnings or wishes which are fulfilled, while there are others which are incomplete. A 2 month old baby’s primary want is food, while a 2 year old kid would want to be in the vicinity of parents. An 8 year old child may seek chocolates or toys and a 12 year old might be longing for play companions, though these days the demand has shifted to ipods and mobile phones.
When I was these ages, my demands were the same too. However, when I went to be 14, my only striving was for a girl friend and today I m here to narrate the story behind “My Quest for a Girlfriend”.

When Teenage strikes, it brings whole lot of changes in you. Awkwardly things which you loved just couple of months back seem irrelevant. Spending time on Cartoon Network, GI Joe, Hardy Boys all just become a waste of time. Suddenly both time and precious pocket money is spent on looking good. Combing hair for an extra minute at the mirror becomes the activity to invest time in. Earlier where 100 bucks was well spent on eating ice-cream and playing videogames becomes a luxury and this money has better use buying deodorants and hair gels. The worst is yet to come, cricket at afternoons became a strict No No, after all Indian Sun has a severe tanning effect.
Being no different, I went through all this and much more. But my transformation just didn’t stop here, it went a step ahead. Girls who were a subject of scorn and distaste among our band of boys amazingly found lots of favor.
Everything about them which we detested from bottom of our hearts, their simpering laughter, their “I know it all” attitude, watching saas bahu serials all became the sparkle of our eyes. My library which was packed with Hardy Boys and Tell Me Whys, found space for couple of Mills and Boons and Linda Goodman’s.
Now let me tell you about my first crush. I was 13 and she was 11. Xyzzy had this golden smile and her hair, every time she curled them, my heart use to skip a beat. If I had studied half the time I spent gazing at her, I would have been a rocket scientist or world would have had the cure for common cold. She gave me those knowing looks too and every time our eyes met, world stood still. Toastmasters and dear guests, doesn’t it sound like; the ideal match? I thought the same too; unfortunately, this is where the perfection ended. She was the only child of Mrs. Roy, my history teacher and I don’t know what God had against me, she and I gelled as well as 2 sides of a coin. You see I didn’t have a flare of history; it was all absorbed by Lovolgy. So my quest to find a girlfriend started with my quest to religiously mug where the 1st war of Panipat was fought and when did Humayun marry Mumtaj. Now this sudden passion to learn the history of the country had some benefits too. My parents were a happy lot to find the History book in my hand instead of the TV Remote or a videogame joystick and I was suitably rewarded with a raise in pocket money. And unbelievingly my hard work paid off, I scored tremendous marks in History and a good boy image of mine was inscribed on Mrs. Roy mind. Mission “attaining good image” accomplished.
So with flowery dreams and a red rose, I went to seek the woman of my life. I approached Xyzzy with charm and confidence. I gave her the flower and before I could express my undying love for her, she tied a shining rakhi on my wrist. You see, it was August times, and since I was totally lost about dates and months back then, the possibility of Raksha Bandhan didn’t strike me. It took me sometime to realize the consequences of her action, but once I did, my whole world came down crashing. There is nothing I have ever hated about myself, more than my wrist that day with that dreaded piece of string. This was followed by spending weeks listening to sad romantic numbers of Mukesh and Rafi. So there it ended, my undying love for her and also the affinity for history
But its hope which helps human cross the bridges of hardship, so xyzzy was a thing of past and I was on my way seeking greener pastures. Since then there have been many heartburns and lost and found loves. Now I m single and ready to mingle, after all for how long can the well hide from the thirsty. Bad analogies aside, I m letting life take its own course.