four
1251 Words
Everyone had dreams. El was no different.
After she fell in love with Bee, her dream was to live a long and happy life with Bee. They would be married. They would build a beautiful home. They would have three children. They would be together till the end of time. It was a beautiful dream.
It was also a short lived dream.
Afterward, she thought about studying further. A Masters from a foreign university.
But then, she got married.
She did get to realise her dream, in a slightly altered way.
-
El thought this was an opportunity to realise the other dream. She could get her Masters this time. She was more than capable.
And it would keep her mind away from Bee.
She would need to take the tests. And she would need to prepare for them. She would also have a better chance of acceptance with better grades. That would mean more studying too. All good. She was going to have a busy life.
She joined a coaching centre offering preparatory courses for the admission tests. Classes were in the morning. Then, college. In the evenings, she was studying the subjects taught in college.
And while she got busy with studying, she realised that everyone around her was the same too. They were all studying too. And then, she remembered that it was the same in the last life.
-
Bee never thought of himself as the leader. He just did as he liked. And he was charming enough to inspire others to follow in his footsteps.
He was going to pursue Masters in Business after graduating college. He had always had a way with words. And he had everyone who asked and listened convinced that this was the best way. And so, when he joined coaching classes in preparation for the admission test, everyone followed after him.
In the end, he got a great score in the test. The best among all. And he got accepted to one of the best universities. No one else did as well in the test. And no one else from the class got accepted into any of the best universities.
This further cemented the legend.
El hadn’t done well in the test. But then, it wasn’t really about the test. She wanted to be with her beloved. She wanted to spend every minute of every day with him. She wanted to be like him. She wanted to study with him. She wanted to take the test on the same day as him. She wanted to go to the same business school as him. She wanted them to be one.
But that wasn’t to be. She didn’t go to the coaching centre, because she couldn’t get into the same class as him. It was pointless then. She asked him to help her study, but something always came up. She booked the slot for the test on the same day as him, but he had to change it because of something at home. She didn’t do as well. While his score was in the 99.5 percentile, hers was much lower. Not even in the most insane dreamworld would she get into his business school.
And then, college was over. And everything ended.
-
It wouldn’t be the same this time. She was going to study this time. She would be prepared for the test. And she wasn’t going to make a big announcement of it this time, so she would be spared from the embarrassment. Not that she was actually going to do as bad.
Still, a surprise managed to squeeze in.
She was well set in her preparation, when the conversations began. What next?
Nina wanted to go abroad. Study at a foreign university. Not because she was so academically inclined. She just wanted to see the world before returning home and getting married to the boy her parents found and settling down.
Sophie couldn’t be bothered to study. She was barely better than terrible as a student. Bachelors was already a lot. Her family was extremely rich. Her father was in politics. Her life was carefully designed. She had nothing to do or worry about. Further studies was impossible.
Appie was a whole other story. She wanted to study. But she didn’t have the smarts for it. She knew that. She admitted to that. And so, her plan was rather simple. After bachelors, get married. And just be happy in a simple life.
It was also Appie who threw up the question, “What next?” Everyone had different answers. Most were stepping into the world of employment. She knew Nina and Sophie’s plans. And even though she did ask everyone, she really wanted Bee’s answer the most. And Bee didn’t disappoint.
“I’m studying further,” he said. “Going to do my Masters.”
“In Business,” El whispered in her mind, knowingly. Only to be startled a moment later.
“Masters?” Appie asked.
“MBA?” Nina added.
“No,” Bee answered, shaking his head. “Not MBA. That’s not for me. I’m actually going for a much more specialised field. Masters in computers.”
“Ooo,” Appie gasped. Her eyes were glowing, showing that she was clearly impressed.
“Hmm,” Nina said, her finger tapping her chin.
“Computers?” El whispered, unable to put it together in her head.
Classes were over for the day. They were all having a short conversation at the back of the class, the back seaters, before leaving. Just like everyday. And so, they all knew what came next.
“I’ll be off, then,” Bee said.
“To the library,” Nina said.
“Yeah,” Bee agreed.
He waved. Smiled. And started to leave.
And then, there was a change.
“I’m coming too,” Appie said, leaping to her feet. She grabbed her things, her books and stationery, threw it into her backpack, and rushed after Bee. “I’m going to the library too,” she said.
There wasn’t time for Nina and Sophie to react. By the time they came to, Appie and Bee were gone.
“Do we wait?” Sophie asked.
“No?” Nina said, with a shrug.
The two nodded. And left for home.
The three left from home in the morning together, and left for home after classes together. They rode the bus home. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t go by themselves. There were plenty of times when they had separate plans. And they left by themselves. Today was like that. Nina and Sophie left for home together. Appie would have to manage by herself later.
El left with everyone, but she was distracted.
Everything had changed so much. Was it too much? Was it really her Bee? No, was this really the Bee she knew?
She didn’t understand. She was lost. She did have no choice but to accept this one fact though. Her heart was moved. Bee managed to do it again, despite all her efforts.
But she wasn’t going to give that too much thought, or importance.
She decided she was going to go her way. He was going his way. Let things happen as they will. Their lives were separate. After college, their lives would never intersect. He was going to do his Masters in computers. She was going to pursue Masters in Business somewhere else. She couldn’t wait for the day when they would graduate and say goodbye to each other.
- Writer
