Passion…

The Toc H school road housed the famous Toc H School. The road had an aura of itself due to various reasons. Tall avenue trees flanked the road on both sides and the prestigious Cochin gymkhana club added its own charm. The Toc H school road was so very close to Anu`s heart. The school was like the threesome`s second home where they spent most of their tym. There was a signature spot for each one of them… Being talented guitarists Jen and Joe were pretty much attached to the music room. They were the lead guitarists of the school band and Jen lead her house band. It was advisable for a person in search of Anu to head first to the basketball court rather than xii f… Such was her dedication to her class. Anu captains the school’s girl’s basketball,represents Kochi at zonals and is a national level U 19 player. Although she knew that the path ahead with basketball was something comparable to impossible, but the passion 4 it kept her going.

The three were almost there at the gate when Anu said, ‘I have planned for a half a day practice session with the girls, meet you guys at lunch’. ‘But Anu, the finals are a week away are nt they?’ asked Joe. ‘Joey this will be the last time I get the chance to lead Toc H in this tourney.Don feel like closing the account with a loss.’  ‘Anu.. I don’t want you to give this more attention than it deserves. For heaven’s sake! Take it as it comes.Will u? ‘ Said Joe. ‘This means a lot to me Joe, I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to be judgmental about the amount of attention it deserves. Feel it’s better you allow me handle it my way!’ She waved a bye to Jen and without another word went straight to the basketball court. 

There was a long silence between Jen and Joe on their way back from the stands. Jen then spoke up ‘This is not the first time isn’t it? She`ll be fine joey.. Its jus tht shes passionate abt it.’ ‘That’s exactly what im worried about Jen… Shes overly passionate and I`m not sure if she could continue playing being in college. I don want her to end up hurting herself badly’ said Joe looking straight into Jen`s eyes.  ‘Lets try being optimistic joe boy… relax. As long as we are with her she`ll jus be fyn! Chalo hurry up… Its physics up first today.’

After a round of Physics, Maths,English and Hindi it was recess. Jen knew pretty well it was time for her to carry out the usual cleanup job, which she does to perfection every time Anu and Joe end up with a war of words.

The two of them went ahead to the basketball court where they could see Anu in the middle of a group of athletic looking girls. Although it was around 4 hours into practice Anu was looking pretty energetic and pushy. She was setting out strategies, fine tuned formations and was working on her reflexes. The only thought Joe had was.. ‘Why on hell is she straining herself so much?! And Y am I bothering about her even on knowing she won’t listen to me?!’  Although she was getting onto his nerves by being outrageous.. he secretly  wanted her to do it and admired it. Every time she confronted him or Every time she dared to stand by her passion or Every time she turned adamant.. he felt she was making her way into himself. Although, he preferred not to admit, He knew from the deep quarters of his heart that he was very much attracted to her. 

Jen and Joe waited in the player's zone for Anu. She was very quick in passing the ball and the way she trebled the ball proved her experience in handling it. Every time she jumped to basket the ball, Joe could feel his heart pounding. All his efforts trying to be decent went into vein.. He just couldn’t control being expressive about his admiration for her. Every time the girl said ‘Common Girls! The cup belongs to us!’, He felt motivated. Every time she said ‘Get some life girls, look alive!’, He straightened himself up and tried to look alive! That’s when he realized he was passionate about her. That’s when he realized that the girl has made her way. Although Joe had a thought that his feelings for Anu had no audience.. there was one very intelligent soul, who knew exactly what he was going through. Jen understood Joe and Anu like the back of her palm. She also understood Joe`s feelings for Anu but preferred letting him come out clear with it because she firmly believed in her mom`s words. ‘Matters of the heart cannot be clarified by anyone else other than your own self!’

Jen and Joe..

April 11,2005

'BEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEEEP!!!!!' The alarm kept at 4:30 accomplished its mission.The high decibel forced Anu to roll down the bed,making her go blank for a few minutes.After regaining her conscious she gathered up all her enthusiasm to scream out 'DAY!!'.

After a quick shower, Anu went downstairs to find her Mom with a glass of milk and biscuits. Mrs. Maria Fernandes was a 46 year old woman who managed to look like a thirty odd yr old due to her kiddish face and blissful smile. After emptying the contents of the glass Anu fondly kissed her mom and said 'Mamma I`ll not be back home from tuition, gotto head straight to school'. 'Alryt Anumol,Make Sure that u reach home before Dad gets back from office and have your lunch on time' replied her Mom. 'Sure Mamma,bye' was the only sentence she spoke to her mom before zooming out of the front gate of Fernandes villa on her streetcat.

After 10 minutes of brisk cycling, the young brunette was in a complete mess.Anu pulled out a band and made her hair into a pony which made her look like a tennis player in her smart uniform. It was 10 minutes past the fixed tym but no sign of Jen still. Anu had to walk across the road for around 6 times looking out for Jen`s arrival. It din take Anu even a minute to identify the silhouette of Jen riding her AXN. Jen was a complete athletic looking girl. Standing tall at 5ft 6inches at the age of 17, she posed a great threat to the ego of most guys in class. As soon as Jen came to a halt she said 'Hey capn! hows it goin. Lovely morning is nt it?'. Anu literally jumped on Jen and started givin her friendly punches.. 'Girl!! why on hell u test my patience ryt in the morning? Its already 5 35 we'll be 15 min late to class 4 sure! This is not fair Jen... U never know how precious sumthing is until u loose it! We r gonna loose our pocession today...Its all cos of you! Im damn sure that gud 4 nothin payal n gang would have taken our precious last seats!!!'
Jen gave Anu an assuring smile and said... 'Don worry Capn we can still manage to get the 2nd or 3rd last bench, now chal,lets  go' She dragged Anu by hand and put her hand over her shoulder in a coaxing manner. The two set off their journey to...  the DEN.

DEN was the home of Mr.Sankaran Menon. One of the very famous private maths tutors in and around Cochin, who was an inevitable part of every board exam facing student`s morning schedule.Anu,Jen and Joe had to prepare for nearly a month in order to crack Mr.Shankaran`s entrance test to be admitted.Although the trio succeeded cracking the tests,Joe who was a wizard with numbers dint find the tests as tough as Jen found it. And Anu struck a balance between the two of them.

A ten min pedal took the girls to the den. After parking their cycles,They walked towards the class. Just when they were about to scream 'excuse us sir!!' Anu and Jen saw something which made them go chill. That was nothing but the sight of a full house class with just 2 seats right in front of the Lion himself. 'Come in' roared the lion and the two of them exchanged blank looks seriously considering the possibilities of running straight back to the cycle stand. 'I said Come in!!! Have you girls gone deaf?'The next moment they found themselves seated on the hot seats. Jen and Anu turned back to give Joe an helpless stare which was promptly reciprocated with his usual assuring warm smile.

After 20 minutes of pure torture in the form of integral calculus... The girls faced the ultimate. 'Jenifer Thomas, Solve the problem 12.6 in your copy and chalk it on the board.You have 5 minutes to come to the board. Anu Fernandes You will solve the problem 12.7 on the other side of the board paralelly with Jenifer'. With an expression of disbelief the girls started working out the problems on their copies. 'Dont think I can arrive at the answer' gave up Jen after a min. 'Alryt lemme check out Jen' said Anu and started workin on 12.6. Minutes ticked away but Anu managed to arrive at the solution for 12.6.'Jenifer and Anu come on to the board' announced the lion. Anu`s heart literally skipped a beat since she had not even started wrkin on 12.7!!
The twosome rose up in unison and just when Jen had made up her mind to approach the Lion for a confession, Joe raised his hands. He started walking towards the lion with a piece of paper and the maths text in his hands. As he walked past Anu`s desk he stuffed the paper into her desk in a quick reflex. Anu went through the paper and found 12.7 solved on it. While Joe kept the lion busy with a well fabricated doubt,Anu conveyed the message to Jen.Once Joe started back to his seat, Jen and Anu set off to the board and chalked their respective problems.By the tym they had completed it was 7 on the clock which meant it was tym up.

Jen and Anu waited 4 Joe in their usual Wait point. Aftr 5 minutes of wait they saw Joe approaching them. Joe was a thin,lanky looking guy who sported a black rimmed stylish specs.The girls ran upto him and gave a tight hug, which was their way of thanking him every tym he saved them.'Girls,if im not wrong this is the 1096th tym Im saving ur neck since class 6!' said Joe jokingly. 'Since I hv nt had breakfast u girls will treat me today, afterall nothin comes without a cost ryt!' Before Joe could complete his sentence the girls started hitting him mercilessly which ofcourse din manage to hurt him evn a tiny little bit.

The threesome then started cycling towards The TOC H public school.....

The journey begins...

It was a very clear morning with the sun spreading his warm blessing all over the place.
Distant birds were perching their own composition with such enthusiasm and women were already busy with their chores.
 

Anu woke up with a streak of light which had managed to dodge the already drawn curtainsfalling over her face. 'DAY!!!' said Anu in her usual way of welcoming another gift from the gods.

As she went to take a peek through her window, the morning scenes seemed to amuse her as always.
Busy tiffin centres, Hapazard commuters trying to some how reach their office before the D time, Kids with back packs double their size with moms dragging them with one hand and
carrying their lunch kits on the other. Anu fondly remembered her school days.
What a blessed school life had she had?? Although it wasn the same way for her parents obviously due to the
routine visits they had to pay to her class teacher or the head mistress or sometimes the principal himself due to her mischief.The TOC H public school seemed to remember her for all the ryt reasons! That was ofcourse Anu`s view point.As she took a trip down memory lane her mind gave her flashes of her happy and gay childhood.Her Tree climbs,ferry rides, weekly sunday masses at st.Francis which she always managed to reach late, her 3 best of de best pals...Nancy,Jenifer and of course Joe who were always partners in her crime. Ofcourse joe????? Thts saved for later guys!

She sat down at her desk and pulled out her precious pocession. A huge 700 odd brown shaded bound book whic she fondly called..LIFE. LIFE had been and continues to be her way of expressing extreme joy, venting out anger,frustration and tears.Every emotion of hers from her class 6 had been carefully recorded. What just started as an assignment at school to maintain a diary for 2 months had managed to continue as a habit for over 12 years. Anu wanted to turn back to the path she had taken and also to people who had travelled along with her. But she was confused where to start from. So she closed the LIFE and jus opened it...

April 11,2005... Now she knew where exactly to start from.