Things to do to idle away time in an examination hall

1) Watch every movement, expression, and the sleepiness of the invigilators
2) Count the number of hair strands on the head of the person/ examinee directly sitting in front of you
3) Study the architecture of the classroom
4) Try to decipher the codes and writings etched on your desk
5) Read the question paper again, just in case you are stuck by a lightning and you hit on the right answers
6) Watch and study the fellow examinees seated in the classroom and categorize them on the basis of their "examination hall" behaviour such as studious - once bent over the answer sheet looks up only after the final bell rings, Mr/Miss know it all but too lazy to write - projects a smart yet bored look, Why am I here - keeps looking around with a dumb look on the face.
7) Count the number of desks, fans, lights, bags etc in the classroom
8) Take a power nap
9) Contemplate about life and all other stuff possible even if you don't clear the exam
10) Try to read the old chalk etching on the blackboard
11) Consider which exam to appear next (height of hopefulness)
12) Doodle, doodle and doodle till your question paper is shabbier than the works of a kindergarten kid
13) Take a trip to all the interesting places you want to visit right from the examination hall
14) Try to hear voices in other's heads present in the examination hall
15) Solve the larger puzzles of life like which came first egg or hen, why men don't ask for directions, why women nag etc etc
16) Weave a fantasy which can be read out loud to your children someday
17) Have an interesting conversation with your favourite character
18) Study the hairstyles and dressing styles of your fellow examinees around you
19) Give whacky names to your fellow examinees on the basis of one different thing you notice about them
20) Talk to your watch and convince it on why it should run faster
21) Plan your post exam plans again
22) Count the last 15 minutes backwards till the final bell rings
23) ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
24) zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
25) Start re-checking your question and answer sheets the moment the invigilator starts collecting the papers for that final miracle of eternal enlightenment

An Eager Wait

A smile that melts many a hearts,
A laughter that spreads like sunshine;
A heart filled with compassion,
A mind well balanced;
With speech that rings just
Yet hurts no one;
With strength that is protective
Yet never possessive;
A companion to share the virtues and vices of every day,
A friend to share the deepest thoughts;
A lover to make the nights longer and days brighter,
And a man to respect and look up to.
You call it a dream,
I call it an eager wait.

A tale that could have been...

Faceless. That was what he was; what he is and maybe, will always be. He barged into her life as a pleasant change and gradually evolved into a good comrade. The connection between them was magnetic - not emotional or mental but, intellectual which was rare for both of them. But this connection existed only through mediums like phone and online chats. They had never met each other.

As days passed, their bond grew stronger and so did the void of facelessness in their lives. Conversations flowed despite the turmoil and then one fine day, he popped the million dollar question. She was stunned into silence for a while as she suddenly became conscious of the lurking fear- the fear of the unknown, the fear of the void and the fear of losing the only precious relationship then.

He waited patiently for her to reciprocate. But she knew in her gut that this can’t be. She needed to see him to trust him. He had seen her and he wanted her to trust him without ever seeing him. This was a nasty deal and she knew such a thing was beyond her. Trust never came easily with her and this time the bargain was real hard. She tried and after enough efforts she finally gave up the struggle and told him the truth. And as fate would have it they parted ways painfully yet cordially.

After a sabbatical of 3 years, their paths crossed each other again. The medium was still the same - calls, mails and chats, but much had changed in their lives. He was married and had a lovely kid. And commonly they both had moved on quite gracefully. They rediscovered that they could still be the same even without the magical connection. The now less frequent conversations still mattered, the respect was still intact and despite the time lapse they still valued each other’s presence.

But he was still faceless to her. She asked him if she could see him at least now that things had changed. But he remained adamant. And this made her wonder would it have been anything otherwise if he had trusted her enough to show his face? Would it have been anything different if not for this faceless relationship?