EENIE MEENIE MIINIE MO....

It felt like hell. Hell with bright light, cold oak wood benches, a projector and a huge ass

blackboard. The devil’s minion (our economics professor) tried to entice us with something to do

with “The Great Depression of 1929”. My greatly depressed mind was doing astral projections

across the county.

 

I was in Goa with friends, drinking chilled beer and watching the waves collapse over each other.

In an instant I was in Alibaug riding a bike, from there I was in Kalaghoda, Bandra, Chennai. I

was eating vada-pav at my favourite stall and in another moment I was smoking a sheesha. My

mind was all over, but could not find peace no matter where it roamed. The minion had now

changed tactics. He was now blabbering something about trade deficit that is eating away at

India’s economy. I wish I could yell out and tell the entire lecture hall what was eating me away

from within.

 

The shrill voice of a distant bell fell on my ears. I was back in the lecture hall. I yawned heartily

and stretched my numb arms. I didn’t notice so many of us where packed in such a small room

until now. It was another twenty minutes before the next minion (the dreaded business ethics and

protocol professor) would appear.

 

I tried to make the most of the next twenty minutes by deciding to take a nap. Just when I was

about to lay my head down she chirped in my ear.

 

“Hey, interesting lecture wasn’t it? I didn’t know India’s economy was so poor and the insights

Mr. Mehta offered...Amazinnngggggg”

 

Grudgingly I looked up with beady eyes. It was Sucheta. My neighbor in the lecture hall. She

was also my batchmate and a member of the many groups we were sorted into, for the many

projects we were working on, for the many submissions we had to submit. If I wasn’t this sleepy I

would have just punched her in the throat.

 

“Whats the matter with you? Are you alright? You seem upset. Hungry? Is it a

hangover ?...”

I was in no mood to play this painful version of “Who wants to be a millionaire” hence I spoke, 

“I am fine dear. Thanks for asking. Just a little sleepy.”

 

She responded as if I had just recited a love poem in the most romantic way a man could. I could

see her cheeks literally blush and get red.

 

“Okay. I was just worried. Would like a sandwich..?”

 

I could use some sandwich. Suddenly I was aware how hungry I was. Mental note to self - Never

miss breakfast.

 

I took a bite of the juicy, beefy sandwich with beans and peanut butter. I was slowly feeling alive

again. We had another thirteen minutes to go and this hell was known for its punctuality.

 

“Hey let’s play something.”

 

Excuse me? Play something. Where do you think we are? On a play date?

 

I was about to bark something bitter but then she smiled. She smiled. 

I wonder how girls can make your mood go from “please-get- out-of- my face” to “life-is- beautiful-again” just with a simple smile. 

“Ok. What do you have in mind?” I said wondering what her reply would be.

 “Stretch out your hands with your palms facing upwards...”

 

She reminded me of my fifth-grade math teacher. Logic was not going to help her. 

I could do nothing but play along.

 

“Ok...” I muttered with a little hesitation. I stretched out my hands as instructed.

 

As on cue, she jumped in a fit an ecstasy and started clapping her hands on mine in a rhythmic

motion.

 

She started singing a rhyme. “Eenie meenie miney mo, catch the tiger by it toe...if he hollers let

him go, eenie meenie miney mo...”

 

Suddenly my hands went limp. Like a heavy hammer crashing violently on an ice sculpture I was

breaking from within. My world was whirling at a speed of a hurricane gone wild. I wanted to hold

on to something, do something, say something but I just sat there frozen like a wax statue. I tried

to talk again but the lump in my throat had left me speechless.

 

Only my tears moved. With a mind of their own, they slowly slipped from my eye, traced my

cheeks and fell in my lap. I was transcended to another dimension. A dimension where her

memories lived.

 

I was lost in her. Her childlike innocence, her cute eyes, her honest smile. Her laughter. The

sound of her soft giggling was now ringing in my ears.

 

I was sitting in a park bench waiting for Prachhi. It had been over an hour now and I had given up

fidgeting with my phone. She was late again and as usual.

 

“Sowlliiee shonu...” she said taking a seat next to me while pouting her lips. I was furious. Angry.

Agitated. All of that melted away though as soon as she smiled. Life was beautiful again.

 

We sat there talking for hours. Watching the kids play on the see-saw and the slides and the

swing. I sat there with her hand in mine. We never run out of things to talk about but in that

moment we found bliss in the silence between us.

 

She startled like a bolt of electricity and chirped, “Let’s play something.”

 

She made me stretch out my hands and started clapping them in rhythmic succession...

“Eenie Meenie miny mo, catch the tiger by its toe...if he hollers let him go, eenie meenie miney

mo...”

 

She sang the rhyme like a three-year-old. Only girls could do with something so silly in a public

place and yet get away with it.

 

I could do nothing but play along.

 

It has been almost a year since I have been to that park. Eight months since I last spoke to her. It

is said that love isn’t all about rainbows and roses. Sometimes there are fights, disagreements,

and ego clashes.

 

I wondered how long we could stay away from each other. My friends keep asking me what

happened between us and I can never give them a definite answer. It wasn’t that I was lying or trying to hide

some thing. I was just as clueless as them about what had happened between us.

 

Maybe she decided there were more important things in life than love.

 

Career. Family. Ambitions. Ego.

 

I don’t know why or what it is that is keeping her away from me. But she wants to stay away,

there isn’t much I can do.

 

There isn’t much I can do but simply play along...