Engineering Love Chapter 1 : Part IV

The very next moment a dark, geeky looking man entered swiftly into the classroom. Barely two steps inside, he turned back and closed the door. He shouted from the inside - 'Those who were standing outside shall remain outside for the rest of my class'. I would have loved to see their expressions, but alas I was inside. My sense of pride reinvigorated me.

'I am Professor B.K. Mishra and I will teach you mathematics. Now if everybody can stand up and introduce themselves. I would like to know your name, the city you hail from, and your marks in mathematics in the board exam.'  You could see the curiosity in his eyes. He was eager to form a judgement. Eager to pick the eagles.

He pointed to the only girl he could find sitting in the classroom - ' We can start from you'. The girl, caught a little off guard, stood up - 'Yes sir. Okay sir. Saswati. Delhi. 99.' The professor looked satisfied. She'd set the format for everybody. It was rather convenient blurting out three things in three words, that you wouldn't not know about yourself unless you were retarded. 

The class introduced themselves one after the other, till it finally came to me. Although it was just three words, I was a bit nervous. After all this was my first formal introduction in any place of significance. Opinions were being formed. May be I was just over thinking. I put myself together to stand up and introduce myself.

A body like mine made standing up look like a conspicuous piece of exercise. By the time I managed to transfer my weight from the chair to my feet, I had already won the pinching glare of the entire class. Of all the faces, there was one that unnerved me the most. She looked right at me, expressionless. May be she didn't recollect. Or may be she did.

My throat dried up. Infinite parallel thoughts started running inside my head. So consumed I was by my embarrassment that I totally forgot the reason for which I stood up in the first place. The professor looked at me with keen eyes.

I recollected only so much when I woke up in the medical room. I could overhear some students talking about the really fat guy who fainted in class today. Okay, at least everybody knew me now - I said to myself.