Sorry, You're Not My Type (3 page)

‘Hey. I am here,’ he announced as he entered the auditorium.

‘Vikrant right?’ Miss Malini asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Great to see you. We are proud to have you in our college. You were the best among all of them. Congratulations.’

‘Thanks ma’am. I will prove my calibre in the final round,’ he said with determination.

‘Where is Yuvi? He should have been here by now,’ Anamika asked.

‘I am here,’ Yuvi screamed entering the auditorium.

Yuvi, the lead guitarist and vocalist, was extremely fond of bikes. He was so good looking that any girl could fall in love with him in a second. He had an athletic body, with broad shoulders, bulging biceps, and sensual lips. He had a slight hint of a beard. To most girls’ dismay, he was in a committed relationship with a girl he had been seeing since the past four years. He was someone who didn’t follow but made rules. He was different from everybody else around him. He wore a piercing near his eyebrow and was never low on energy. He could stay up all night long and still drop her girlfriend to work the next morning. However, he wouldn’t mind giving a lift to a sexy girl while returning home. He entered the auditorium wearing a hat and a headband.

‘So, who are our opponents? I am sure they can’t beat us. At least not me. You guys up for it?’ he asked.

Vikrant was thoroughly miffed with his attitude but he disregarded it for the band’s sake. They just had a few hours left to practice before their final round audition. All three exchanged quick introductions and started rehearsing aggressively. The opponents too wanted to win the coveted spot anyhow. Both the groups knew that once they were made part of the college band, there was no looking back. They would get popular in no time and be able to make their mark in the world of music.

The rehearsal got over and it was time for the live performance. The judges were sitting in the first row of the auditorium waiting for both the groups to perform. Only volunteers were allowed to enter the auditorium. The decision was completely in the hand of judges. Vikrant, Anamika, and Yuvi walked on stage and gave each other one last look before starting the performance.

‘Good evening judges. We hope you like our song.’

Jo tujhe jagaaye, neende teri udaaye,

Khwaab hai sachha wahi…

Neendo me jo aaye, jise tu bhul jaaye,

Khwaab who sachha nahi…

Yuvi played the guitar and started humming the song while Anamika moved her body to the beats of the music. Vikrant too played the drums to perfection. In the two minutes that were given to them, they sang their hearts out. The judges gave them a huge round of applause at the end of the performance.

They bowed in front of the judges and left the stage. They were told to wait outside the auditorium till the other band finished performing. They tried to contain their nervous energy and were confident of securing a win over their competition.

‘You think we can make it, guys?’ Anamika asked both of them.

‘They don’t have a choice,’ Yuvi answered.

‘We have given it our best shot. Now let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best,’ Vikrant replied.

They were called inside the auditorium a few minutes later after their opponent’s performance ended. Both the bands stood on stage while the judges discussed their respective performances and scribbled something in their notepads. After a few minutes, the judges came on stage to announce the winner. A long silence engulfed the auditorium. Both the bands stared at each other in silence. Their dislike for each other was quite visible through their body language. Anamika shut her eyes and prayed silently to the almighty. Vikrant and Yuvi looked chilled out since they were confident of their win.

‘Students, we are so happy to have such fresh talent like you in our college. For us, both teams are winners. However, the rules say that only one team can win. So all three judges have carefully graded your final act taking many factors into consideration and have reached a decision. We request the group who loses to accept the decision with grace. Without wasting any more time, let me announce the winner,’ said one of the judges.

‘And the winner is…Group A! Vikrant, Yuvi, and Anamika.’

All three of them hugged each other in joy. The three of them had overcome all the odds and finally achieved what they always wanted. They had been able to overcome all their fears. They went on stage to shake hands with the judges. The trio was now the official band of Rajhans College. They decided to hang out in the evening before embarking on their new journey.

‘Where should we go? Let’s go to some lounge,’ Anamika suggested.

‘I don’t drink. Sorry,’ Vikrant said in low tone.

‘Oh, shut up Vikrant. Stop being a kid. Anamika, let’s go to the (V) Spot Café & Bar in Saket,’ said an excited Yuvi.

‘Don’t worry. I will give you company,’ said Vikrant.

‘Oh, great. So what will you do there? Eat green salad and drink apple juice?’ Yuvi teased him and all three of them erupted in laughter.

‘Ok guys. See you in the evening,’ said Anamika bidding them goodbye.

While Vikrant and Anamika took the Metro, Yuvi decided to come by his car. All three agreed to meet at the Hauz Khaz metro station. Once they reached the station, Vikrant and Anamika got into Yuvi’s car and Yuvi raced the car towards Saket.

‘I just love to go on a long drive. We used to go on the Yamuna Expressway. I mean me and my boyfriend,’ Anamika exclaimed.

‘Where is he now?’ Vikrant asked.

‘I dumped him some time back. He was a coward. Bloody dumbass,’ Anamika said in apparent disgust. ‘I suppose he was a nerd. How else would he have let such a sexy girl like you go away so easily?’ Yuvi replied gazing at her.

‘Shut up. So what about you? Dating anyone?’ she asked.

‘I am committed. Her name is Kashish.’

‘Aye haye. Kya baat hai,’ Anamika teased him.

They tried to locate the bar and finally found it in one of the by-lanes behind Select Citywalk mall. It was Tuesday evening and the bar was almost vacant. The décor was eye-catching. There was also an LED screen that kept flashing funny one-liners. After taking their seats, they ordered cocktails and mocktails along with a few starters.

‘Anamika, did you always want to be part of a music band?’ Yuvi asked in a casual tone.

‘Yes. I would always fight with my parents about it. I hardly cared about people who tried to pull me down. I knew I was the best and was not afraid of saying so. But dancing is my passion. I have even taken professional dance classes to sharpen my skills. I want to see myself at the top. I fear losing.’

‘You fear losing? What does that mean? Be a sport. We cannot win every time,’ Vikrant added.

‘I know. But my fear is not only for competitions. I fear ragging too. It’s the first week of college and I’m sure the seniors are out to get us,’ she said sipping her drink.

‘You should take leave then. Don’t come to college for one week,’ Yuvi laughed.

‘Chuck it. I will find some other way of avoiding them. So tell me, what’s your dream?’ she asked Yuvi.

‘To be a rock star. I always dream of people shouting my name as I entertain them with my music. It was my dream to be a lead vocalist for my college and today I have achieved it,’ Yuvi exclaimed.

‘But don’t forget that we still have a long way to go. We should be a name to reckon with in all of Delhi University,’ stated Vikrant.

Anamika and Yuvi got up from their seat to where Vikrant was sitting. Before Vikrant could interpret what was happening, they started punching him lightly in his stomach.

‘Why are you always so serious? Don’t you know how to enjoy a joke?’ they laughed. One solid group was in the making. Though it had been only a couple of days since they met, their friendship seemed old. They were very comfortable in each other’s company. Most friendships only last for a particular phase of our lives. For a friendship to last forever, there has to be bonding in the group. There must be a connection that surpasses time and space constraints. They had those commonalities between them. Anamika was a carefree girl who could do anything to overcome her fear, who cared for the band, and who found utmost joy and comfort in the group. Vikrant was a serious guy who believed in perfection. Yuvi, though born into a rich family, was very grounded and enjoyed Anamika and Vikrant’s company a great deal.

After having relaxed at the bar for over two hours, they gave hi-fives to each other and left the place. On impulse, they decided to go for a long drive in Yuvi’s car.

‘Have you thought of a name for our band?’ Yuvi asked.

‘Are we allowed to keep the name ourselves?’ Anamika questioned.

‘Who cares? I just want a name for our band so that we get an identity of our own,’ Yuvi said.

‘Agnee?’ Anamika suggested.

‘No yaar. There’s already a famous band by that name. We can’t use it. We need to have a unique name. One that has never been used by anyone before. Our name should not only have a deeper meaning to it, it should also be symbolic of our hidden passion for music,’ said Yuvi stepping on the accelerator to take the car to a speed of 100 km/hr. The cool breeze ruffled Vikrant’s hair caressingly and as he tried to push back the mop of hair from his forehead, the name struck him!

‘VAYU!’ Vikrant shouted.

All of a sudden, Yuvi applied the brakes and the car came to a screeching halt on the highway.

‘Does it mean wind?’ Anamika questioned.

‘No. I mean yes.’ Vikrant stammered.

‘What does it mean exactly?’ Yuvi asked. He had taken a liking to that name as well, just like the other two band members.

‘It means us. We, the band.’

‘What are you saying?’ Anamika questioned again.

‘VAYU means wind. We will blow like the mighty winds in all Delhi. But VAYU also means we the group. V for Vikrant, A for Anamika, and Y for Yuvi,’ Vikrant said nervously.

‘You are a champ man. What a name. Excellent. We, the VAYU,’ Yuvi screamed in joy.

‘But what does U mean. We don’t have anyone by that name,’ Anamika added.

‘U stands for Us—we make the group, don’t we?’ Vikrant added.

All three got out of the car and hugged each other. Words had taken a backseat. It is not always long conversations that convey the deepest feelings. Sometimes, such conversations seem redundant. All of them had a common dream. To make their band successful. To be on top. They had climbed the first step of success and there was no looking back from here onwards. As soon as they realized that they were in the middle of the highway, they got into the car and sped away. Yuvi dropped Anamika and Vikrant at Rajiv Chowk metro station. Vikrant and Anamika took two different lines—Vikrant took the blue line metro while Anamika the yellow line metro.

While waiting for the metro, Vikrant was reliving that evening with the other band mates. He was looking forward to performing with them. His thoughts were shattered when he saw the same girl he had encountered a few days ago in the metro standing only a few feet away from him. His heart skipped a beat. He thought of walking up to her and exchanging a few words, but something in him stopped him from taking a step forward. Her book fell down and she bent to pick it up. A few strands of hair partially covered her face, blocking his view. She adjusted her dupatta and looked around to ensure no one was watching her.

Vikrant’s heart was in his mouth and he turned his back to her immediately to escape being seen by her. A metro entered the platform. After a few seconds, he again turned to see if she had entered the metro. She was nowhere to be seen on the platform, so he assumed she had got in. He too got inside immediately before the gates could shut. He somehow squeezed himself in, but the metro was too crowded and he couldn’t see the girl anywhere. All his senses suddenly had a heightened intensity. The colours seemed brighter, the sounds seemed louder, and the smells seemed more powerful. When your love is in front of your eyes, you don’t need any one around you to keep you company. But when your love is away, you spend all your time thinking of each other. When you are truly in love, nature has its own way of acknowledging it. Maybe a leaf flutters or a light breeze blows past you. When would nature give him a sign? Was his emotion love? Every beginning however always has a sequel.