MAIN CHARACTERS:

ADRIAN ALFONSO-  He is an average student with an easy-going personality. He has had only one friend since his junior college. He is a noble friend and a nature-loving person. He becomes nervous in front of girls and has a crush on our FL.

LEONA D'AOSTA- She is a topper student belonging to a strict family. She is beautiful, calm and silent. She is always surrounded by girls and books. Thus, gives a cold shoulder to boys.

VINAY SHARMA- He is a backbencher and a supportive friend of our ML. he is a flirty kinda person but is always straightforward. He is good at managing situations and is also a problem solver.

(THIS IS AN IMAGINARY STORY SO ENJOY READING)

CHAPTER 1

IT WAS 1976, I JUST APPEARED FOR THE 10TH EXAMINATION AND THE RESULT WAS ABOUT TO DECLARE AFTER A FEW DAYS.

I AM ADRIAN ALFONSO, I HAVE NO FRIENDS BECAUSE I DON’T BELIEVE IN PEOPLE. I JUST LIKE TO BE WITH NATURE AND ANIMALS, AT LEAST THEY DON’T PLAY WITH FEELINGS AND BREAK TRUST AND GOSSIP ABOUT ME. MY FAMILY BELONGS TO GOA. MY HOME IS JUST A LITTLE BIT NEAR TO THE  BEACH. I LIKE THE VIEW FROM MY BALCONY IN NIGHT TIME. SHINY SEA WITH SILVER SAND AND A SMILEY MOON!

I WAS NOT AFRAID OF THE RESULT BECAUSE I GAVE MY BEST FOR THE EXAM AND I WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO GET ABOVE 69% AND WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR ME.

AT LAS, THE DAY ARRIVED! I WAS NOT AS AGITATED AS MY FAMILY. THEY WERE JUST CREATING A SCENE AND MY RELATIVES WERE GOSSIPING AROUND. AUNT MARY, MY FATHER’S ELDER SISTER. SHE IS KNOWN AS THE  GOSSIP QUEEN IN OUR FAMILY.

AFTER MY FATHER’S DEPARTURE FROM LIFE, MY MOM WAS ALL ALONE WHO MOTIVATED ME TO COMPLETE MY STUDIES INSTEAD OF BURDENING ME WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES.

“ADRIAN, WHAT ABOUT YOUR RESULT DEAR? ARE NOT YOU GOING TO VISIT THE NEWSPAPER CENTRE?”

“AUNT MARY, DON’T YOU WORRY ABOUT MY RESULT. I KNOW I CAN SCORE GOOD AND WON’T LET MY FAMILY DOWN. I WILL JUST FINISH MY BREAKFAST AND HEAD TOWARDS THE NEWSPAPER CENTRE. EXCUSE ME.”

I KNOW WHY SHE ASKED THIS QUESTION. HER SON JAMES SCORED 75.5% LAST YEAR, SO SHE JUST WANTS TO SHOW OFF IF I GET A BIT LESS PERCENT THAN HIM. SHE WANTS TO PROVE HOW MY MOTHER FAILED IN MAKING THE DECISION OF LETTING ME STUDY INSTEAD OF FORCING ME TO WORK.

“CARY, I WONDER HOW CAN ADRIAN BE SO CARELESS AT SUCH A  MOMENT? DIDN’T HE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS EXAMINATION? I  WOULD RECOMMEND LETTING HIM WORK IF HE GETS FEW MARKS.”

“DON’T WORRY MARY, HE WILL GET GOOD MARKS AS YOUR SON JAMES.”

“CARY, YOU KNOW MY SON IS INCOMPATIBLE. RIGHT JAMES?”

“YES, MOM.”

I WENT TO GET MY RESULT AFTER MY BREAKFAST TO PROVE  BOTH  MOM AND SON WRONG.

END OF CHAPTER

CHAPTER 2

THERE WERE CHANCES OF RAIN THESE DAYS, SO I TOOK AN UMBRELLA WITH ME. I REACHED TO THE CENTRE AND HANDED OVER THE PAPER WITH MY NAME AND MY SEAT NUMBER.

WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR MY RESULT, I SAW A GIRL UNDER A RED UMBRELLA. HER HALF FACE WAS COVERED WITH AN UMBRELLA, SO I COULDN'T GET A CLEAR LOOK.

A GIRL IN A LIGHT BLUE KNEE-LENGTH FROCK, WITH OPEN SHOULDER-LENGTH HAIR AND FAIR SKIN, CAME TOWARDS THE DESK AND HANDED OVER HER PAPER TO THE RESPECTIVE PERSON.

I GOT MY RESULT ON THE SAME PAPER; DIDN’T HAVE A LOOK. MY EYES WERE ALL ON THAT GIRL. SHE GOT HER RESULT AND TOOK A LOOK AT IT. AND JUST SMILED. AT THAT MOMENT, I FELL FOR HER BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND A VOICE CAME FROM BACK, “LEONA, WE HAVE TO GO DEAR.” “YES DAD, COMING.”

SHE SAID THIS BY TURNING TOWARDS MY SIDE AND ALAS! I JUST DECIDED THAT SHE IS MADE FOR ME.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH HER. SHE WENT TO HER FATHER WITH A SMILE ON AND I WAS JUST LOOKING AT HER, SPEECHLESSLY.

WHEN SHE WENT A FAR AWAY FROM MY EYES I TOOK A LOOK AT MY RESULT AND ONE MORE GIFT! I CROSSED 80% IN THE EXAM. A GREAT RELIEF, A GREAT SATISFACTION AND A BEAUTIFUL GIFT.

I FELT THAT ALL MY DREAMS CAME TRUE! TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENT NATURE ALSO SUPPORTED ME. IT RAINED. A SLIGHT RAIN TO CELEBRATE MY JOY.

I GOT ALL WET ON MY WAY BACK HOME. IN MY MIND VIOLIN AND PIANO WERE PLAYING AT A HIGH VOLUME, SO I COULDN’T HEAR ANY OTHER VOICE EXCEPT THE VIOLIN, PIANO AND MY HEART.

FOR ALMOST THREE DAYS I WAS IN THAT HANGOVER AND THIS IS HOW IT ALL STARTED SO-CALLED ONE-SIDED LOVE!

IT WAS MY FIRST TIME THINKING SO MUCH ABOUT A GIRL. MY HEARTBEATS ALWAYS BE AT THE HIGHEST SPEED EVER WHENEVER I THINK OF HER. I KNOW I HAVE TO CONTROL MYSELF; BUT CAN’T HELP IT.

MY MOM GOT WORRIED SEEING ME LIKE THIS, LOST IN MY OWN THOUGHTS, NOT EATING PROPERLY, ALWAYS DOING MISTAKES, JUMBLING IN CONVERSATION AND ETC.

I WAS GOOD AT DRAWING. MY MOST FAVOURITE DRAWING ‘LEONA SURROUNDED WITH NATURE’S BEAUTY!’ I MADE HER SKETCHES AND PAINTING IN WHICH IS STANDING FREELY IN A GARDEN, SITTING ALONG SEACOAST IN A WHITE FROCK AND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PAINTING IS A CLOSE VIEW OF HER PLAYING WITH A BUTTERFLY.

GONE CRAZY FOR HER!

ONCE I DREAMT HER IN BRIDAL LOOK AND MYSELF BESIDE HER HOLDING HER HAND AND THEN LENDING HER HAND OVER ANOTHER GUY’S HAND. I WAS SHOCKED.

‘WHAT WAS THAT? IS IT GOING TO BE TRUE? NO…NO…NOT POSSIBLE. ADRIAN ARE YOU AN IDIOT? THINK POSITIVE.’

I FELT THAT I WAS ABOUT TO LOSE HER. I DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF SITTING AT ONE PLACE AND DREAMING ABOUT HER. IT’S USELESS. I DECIDED TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT HER AS MUCH POSSIBLE.

MY LUCK WAS THERE WITH ME INSTEAD.

END OF THE CHAPTER.

CHAPTER 3

ONE DAY, I SAW HER READING A BOOK ON HER BALCONY. HER BALCONY WAS VISIBLE FROM OUR TERRACE, BUT THERE WAS A LANE IN-BETWEEN. BUT STILL, I WAS HAPPY WITH IT.

SINCE THEN I HAVE FREQUENTLY GONE ON THE TERRACE BY SOME UNUSUAL WORK.

SOMETIMES I PRETEND TO TALK ON THE PHONE OR MAY HAVE A LOOK TOWARDS THE NEWSPAPER OR AS LIKE HER READ A BOOK OR MAYBE JUST LINGERING AROUND.

SOMETIMES I THOUGHT,‘ WHAT ARE YOU DOING ADRIAN?’ I DID THESE  STUPID THINGS JUST TO GET HER INTO MY EYES. MY VACATIONS PASSED BY ABOUT DREAMING OF HER. BUT MEANWHILE, I DIDN’T GATHER THAT MUCH OF COURAGE TO SHARE MY FEELINGS WITH HER.

I GOT ADMISSION TO A CONVENT JUNIOR COLLEGE. LATER ON LEONA ONCE IN A BLUE MOON APPEARED ON THE BALCONY. AND GRADUALLY SHE STOPPED IT.

I WAS A BIT DISAPPOINTED; MY DESTINY HELPED ME AGAIN. SHE GOT HER ADMISSION TO A GIRLS' COLLEGE A BIT NEAR TO MINE.

I THOUGHT THIS IS AN ANOTHER CHANCE TO GET CLOSE TO HER. HER COLLEGE TIMING WAS OF MINE.

BUT I MISSED ONE MORE CHANCE. SHE MADE A GROUP AND WAS TRAVELLING WITH THEM. SO THERE WAS NO HOPE TO TALK TO HER.

BUT I DIDN’T STEP BACK AND FOLLOW HER TILL I REACH HOME JUST TO NOT MAKE HER WORRY THAT I WAS STALKING HER FOR A BIT LONG TIME. SOMETIMES HER GROUP WAS BEHIND ME AND SOMETIMES OPPOSITE OF THAT.

TO CONCENTRATE ON MY STUDIES I JOINED A LIBRARY SO THAT THOUGH BEING IN LOVE I WON’T AFFECT MY STUDIES. BUT WHAT A COINCIDENCE! SHE STARTED TO VISIT THE SAME LIBRARY AND EVENTUALLY JOINED IT. WHAT SHOULD I CONCLUDE NOW AT THIS MOMENT?

I THOUGHT; ‘IS SHE….? NO. NO. NO. NOT POSSIBLE. BUT WHAT IF, “YES?” SHUT UP, ADRIAN. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? FOCUS!’ BUT HOW SHOULD I FOCUS? IF MY WORLD IS IN FRONT OF ME.

MANY TIMES WHILE GOING ON MY WAY BACK TO MY HOME, I OBSERVE SOME GUYS OR GIRLS SHARING THEIR THOUGHTS. THEIR FRIENDS ENCOURAGE THEM TO OPEN UP THEMSELVES IN FRONT OF THEIR CRUSH.

I ONCE FELT SAD ABOUT THAT IN MY CASE. I DON’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS TO GUIDE OR EVEN ENCOURAGE ME. I WAS INDEED A SHY PERSON WITH LOW CONFIDENCE AND IN THE CASE OF GIRLS MY TONGUE ALWAYS TWIST AND MY WORDS JUMBLED.

BUT NOW, I THOUGHT OF MAKING FRIENDS THAT WILL STAY WITH ME TILL MY FUNERAL. JUST IN CASE I DIDN’T GET LEONA, I CAN GET MY FRIENDS' SUPPORT AND CAN ENJOY MY FURTHER LIFE WITH THEM.

MY DAD WAS A GOOD PERSON. HE WAS A GOOD HUSBAND, A GREAT FATHER AND AN ENTHUSIASTIC FRIEND. HIS FRIENDSHIP WAS SO STRONG THAT EVEN THEY SUPPORTED US AFTER HIS DEATH IN ALL WAYS, FINANCIALLY, MENTALLY, ETC.

I DIDN’T MEET SUCH FRIENDS. THOSE WHO I MET BEFORE WERE JUST SEEKING A CHANCE TO MAKE FUN OF ME AND INSULT ME IN FRONT OF EVERYONE OR EVEN TRY TO MAKE ME ANGRY SO THAT I CAN HURT THEM CAN SATISFY THEIR EVIL WISHES. SO BETTER TO STAY AWAY FROM SUCH GUYS.

END OF CHAPTER.