The Girl, The Boy And The Place

The girl had been sitting there for the past couple of hours. Rajesh first thought she was reading, but the absence of a book or phone made him realize that she was ruminating.

Rajesh was more of a vagabond than a college student. This was the third time he was sitting for his finals and he had already given up hopes. He hardly attended college and even if he did, he would prefer to gaze out of the window of the sultry classroom than concentrate on the blackboard. He would find interest in simple things, roam about the streets and get distracted by ordinary stuff. The girl, for example, had been observing her for quite some time.

Rajesh didn't know this part of society. It was overcrowded with people, and he, being unsocial, usually avoided it. This time he had decided to quench his curiosity by exploring the place-just the friendless Rajesh wandering about. Mates at college called him a dunce behind his back-he never got any of their jokes.

He was far from the bench, but close enough to tell that the girl hadn't moved. She was fair and slender, in a dark outfit that suited her well. Her hair was a radiant shade of auburn. Her eyes- Rajesh stretched his neck to see- a startling black. Why didn't she blink them? He stared at her in fascination-he had never seen someone so absorbed by something.

As Rajesh prepared to confront the girl, a man in a blue uniform called out in a gruff voice, There, there! You've been here too long! Tourists will arrive! Two hours, that's enough!"

It was the same guard whom Rajesh had pleaded to let him enter this serene place. Now, with tourists arriving, he lost his desire to hang back. He decided to come back another day. What was the name of the place again? Gee, he hadn't even checked it out! He proceeded to check the signboard as he neared the exit. "Thank you for visiting the Diamond Harbour Wax Museum", it said. Rajesh though again of the stationary girl on the bench and sighed.