NUMBER 110034

                  “Who is this number 110034?” asked Briti. The students in the hall became dumb. There were 10 minutes more for the exam to start. The invigilator came into the hall. Everyone wished her. She had checked every bench for any slips or writings on the benches. Five minutes to go! She started giving answer sheets while taking the attendance simultaneously. Almost every bench was filled except one. She read the hall ticket number written on it “Number 110034. Who is this?” 

              Everyone looked at Briti at once and immediately at the invigilator in silence marking “we don’t know”. The clock is ticking; there are only two minutes. The invigilator took the question papers into her hands and was getting ready to distribute was only awaiting the bell. All were ready. No sooner had the invigilator started distributing the question paper than she heard a voice “May I come in ma’am?” There stood a boy who is tall, fit and handsome. He had a baby face which scintillating eyes.

                She turned back and gestured her hand as a permission to get in. As soon as he entered the room, all the other students in the hall looked at him and then at Briti signalling her that he is number 110034. Briti nodded to them and started writing the exam. The invigilator having completed the distribution of question papers approached the boy who entered the hall and asked “What’s your number? Where is your hall ticket? Why are you late?” The boy said, “Ma’am, my number is 110034. After entering the exam hall, I remembered that I have forgotten my hall ticket in the pouch of my bike, so I have gone to parking area to get it back. Hence I am late and here is my hall ticket.” “Ok, ok. Carry on with your exam”, said the invigilator. Briti gave her ear to that conversation between them while she was answering the questions.

                 The time was passing… it’s already been two and half hours. There was 30 minutes left over. All students were busy writing the answers to finish their exam. The time had come. The invigilator asked them to stop writing and submit answer sheets and they did the same.

                    Everyone started leaving the hall after submitting their answer sheets. Briti who was in a line to submit her answer sheets, kept an eye on number 110034 who was submitting his paper then. He was moving out of the hall when Briti rushed to her bench to collect her belongings. She ran out of the hall searching for him. She found him and called, “Hey… hello… You! Number 110034.” The boy turned back and saw a pretty girl who was articulating his number from her cherry lips. He shocked to see Briti approaching him with her angry face.

                            Briti said to him, “Hey, you. You have made be almost fall down by dashing and you left the hall without even saying sorry. Whatever maybe the reason of your hurriedness, you should have a minimum manners of saying sorry, haven’t you?” Meanwhile, Briti’s friends found her out and reached her. The boy, who was astonished at Briti’s behaviour said, “I am extremely sorry. It was in a hurry to get my hall ticket. I don’t know that I hurt you. My sincere apologies! By the by, I am Ashish.” Briti accepted his apology and introduced herself. The friends of Briti who were there at that scene were overtaken by Ashish’s fascinating charm and were staring at him during the conversation. As soon as he left, they started questioning Briti about his whereabouts and how she met him. Briti explained them what had happened.

                        It had been routine for both Briti and Ashish to wish “All the best” and “Good bye” before and after the exam. They became good friends. Briti’s friend Meetha was madly attracted to Ashish’s charm and his smile whereas Ashish grew much affection towards Briti. Days passed on… exams completed… a new member had joined the group. His joining the group made girls excited and boys fill with jealousy.

                   It’s time for tours as summer vacations began. So all the friends were apart from one another for 45 days. During the vacation Briti went to her granny’s place where she spent her days in the memories of Sudeep and in the love and care of her grandparents. But she had spent hardly 10 days. She was called back home by her father. There was a surprise tour planned by his father to overseas, that too her favourite beach holiday. All got set right.

               The family reached their destination. They were waiting at the luggage belt to pick their luggage up. Surprisingly, Briti saw Ashish… number 110034 in front of her; the other side of that luggage belt. Hardly had she confirmed that it was Ashish when Ashish called Briti.

Why was Ashish present there?

Did he know that Briti was going there?

What had happened?

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