College Caper

Ratna was nonplussed. She had flung a paper arrow at Gautham, but it missed him and fell on Kamesh. The paper contained her message to meet at the college canteen at 3.30 pm. She shuddered as Kamesh bent down to pick the paper.

Reem gently touched her shoulder questioningly.

“What are you going to do now?” she asked.

“Shhhhhh!” 

Ratna silenced her friend in a whisper. “Let us pretend we don’t know anything about it.”

Kamesh turned around to see where the arrow came from. Both Ratna and Reem were looking to the ground. He slowly opened the paper and looked really startled to read the message. He again turned towards the direction from where the arrow came but could not make out who had thrown it.

He crumpled the paper and threw it to the ground. But in his mind, he decided to visit the canteen at the mentioned time.

‘The person concerned would definitely appear there,’ he thought.

Kamesh was a reserved person and knew in his heart of hearts that the arrow could not have been aimed at him. But curiosity made him walk to the canteen before the appointed time.

 Ratna caught hold of Gautham before the lunch break and told him to come to the college canteen after the lecture. She went to the canteen at the appointed time, but to her consternation found Kamesh sipping a cup of tea there. Gautham was nowhere to be seen. As usual, probably he was late. She turned around to go back when Kamesh softly called out to her.

“Ratna”

She was startled. She had thought he had not seen her as his eyes had been centered on the paper on his table. But she could not ignore his call either. So she turned around again.

“Hi,” she greeted him.

‘Could it be Ratna who had thrown the arrow?’ he wondered. She seemed such a quiet person though.

He decided to ask her anyway as none of his other classmates were at the canteen.

“Ratna, did you-------,” before he could complete asking the question, a loud greeting came their way.

“Hello Kamesh, Hi Ratu,” Gautham’s voice boomed across the canteen.

Kamesh got his answer as Gautham put his hand around Ratna’s shoulder in endearment.

‘The paper arrow had indeed been thrown by Ratna, but had found a mistaken target.’

He walked away content in the thought that he did not have to face any awkward moments. Ratna glanced at his moving figure in gratitude as anyone else in his place would have made a scene.