“Friends?” Jung looked shocked as he got to know about the events that took place between me and Veronica. Veronica sipped her cold coffee as she sat there on her seat and looked between us as we talk. “Wait! You fought with Chelsea?” he grinned like a Cheshire cat, as he turned his chair towards Veronica and took his eat. Veronica gave him a toothy grin which gave him the answer that indeed she fought with Chelsea.
“Well done! You are the girl!” Jung looked excited and both of them high fived and I rolled my eyes as I ate my food. The canteen seemed to be pretty crowded and we three sat at the same place where I had first met Veronica. “I’m really happy that finally someone is there to show Elliot and his girlfriend, Chelsea there place. You know Ace here will never ever utter a word against them," he sighed dramatically and then continued “Heck, do you know that Ace has never really raised his voice on anyone?” he asked and that made Veronica look my way. “Really?” she asked and I ignored her as I took my fork and begun eating my food.
“Hey guys,” we looked up only to find, Reyansh, the topper and our Junior. “Can I sit here?” he asked and I smiled at him to which he smiled back and took the seat. “Who is he?” Veronica whispered to me and I looked back at Reyansh who gave me a smile and I signalled him to introduce himself. “Hi, I am Reyansh Chaurasia and I am from India. I am your junior,” he smiled showing his perfect white teeth and Veronica nodded.
“You have a good English accent,” Veronica seemed to be impressed by his accent and I smiled. “Not only his accent, but he is tremendous in studies, is a good orator and knows twelve languages,” I said and which made Reyansh laugh. “Twelve? Really?” Veronica looked amazed while Jung put his head down on the table, seeming tired. Only because of the video games he played the whole night.
“It’s not a big deal. I have been transfering from country to country to study, and I got used to all the new languages around me,” Reyansh said and I nodded knowing it already. “So, you are not really from India?” Veronica asked and he nodded more like gave that typical Indian bobble of head. “Now what does that mean? Yes, or no?” Jung asked sleepily.
“I was born in India. First five years of my life, I lived there with my family but then after my parents divorce, I have been roaming with my mother country to country as she is an International Aid worker,” he completed with a smile. “Oh that’s great. Speaking of which where are you from? Veronica?” Jung asked and all of a sudden even I was interested to know from where she was.
“Sunt din România,” Veronica said. The foreign words rolling out of her tongue somehow made me intrigued to know more about it.
“What?” Jung looked beyond confused.
“She said, she is from Romania,” Reyansh said and I looked back at Veronica. "So you know Romanian as well?" Veronica smiled while Reyansh nodded. "Where are you from? Ac?" it was Veronica who asked me the question. What was the sudden feeling in my chest that had me excited that she was interested to know about me.
"I'm from Manhattan, but we live in Chicago now," I told her and all of a sudden she looked excited.
"You are from New York city? Oh wow! I have always wanted to go there but my dad's just so busy in his work that he never really had time to take us out," she sighed and I gave her a small smile. "The same case with me," I told her and she pursed her lips while Jung groaned in his sat.
"Will anyone ask me, where I am from?" he complained which made Reyansh laugh. "Alright, I will ask you. Where are you from?"
"Well, I'm from Seoul, South Korea," he told us proudly. "My family is very rich. My mom is a cosmetic surgeon, while my father is a businessman. All of my childhood, I have been roaming all over the world. The places I have been to is Japan, Australia, New York, France, Istanbul, India, Sri Lanka...gosh! I can't even remember the places I have been to. My family also owns a traditional restaurant, and I..."
"Have you been to North Korea?" Veronica put a stop to his blabbering and he looked at her, furrowing his eyebrows. "No, Why?" he questioned and it was when Veronica got up from her place slamming the coffee cup on the table. "You should be," she said and marched off to somewhere, away from our sight.
"Why do I need to?" Jung asked to Reyansh to which he just shrugged his shoulder and looked at me. "To learn some discipline," I said as I got up from my seat and thought of going to the library to read.
"Discipline? Me? But why?" I heard Jung's baffled voice as he remained seated in his chair and questioned Reyansh as I walked away.
In the library, I spend some quality time reading some books filling my thirst for knowledge. No matter what, I had the dream that I was going to fulfill my own dream to touch the skies and reach the world beyond our imagination. And it was the sole reason why I was always thirsty and seeking knowledge to know more and more. The quench for knowledge seemed to be growing even more as I grew up and I worked hard to stick on the path to my destination.
The clock read six in the evening and I closed my books, thinking it was the time to leave the library. Holding the books in my hand, I made my way to the racks to keep the books back on its shelves when my sight fell on someone behind the rack.
Veronica.
She was reading a book standing behind the shelf. I found myself pushing the books that was blocking the view to see her, away as I silently looked at her. She had a small smile plastered on her face as she read herb book. Some strands of her hair, fell on her face and I had a sudden urge to push it away from her beauti...
"What am I doing?" I snapped out of my thoughts and took some step back from the shelf. I looked back at Veronica to find her completely oblivious to my presence. Swiftly, I put the books back on its place and giving one last look to her, I literally ran back to my table to get my things.
Argh! It was getting worse now.
First my heartbeats were rising. Next, I stalked her in nights and now I have ended up like a psycho stalker staring at her.
Just what in the world have I gotten myself into?
The damn thoughts came flooding through my head as I ran back to my hostel with my bag in my hand.