(...........contd) Back at the Status the guys did not seem as discourgaged as I. "Atleast she acknowledged you," said Mr.S. Mr.C added,"They all start out that way, you know? Now you are in line for her friendship. And everyone knows friendship is just a launching pad for romance." That sounded right. Atleast she knew I existed and that I was interested on her. By the way Mr.B had made it official- her name was Sarita. Sarita said she hated me but everything was going to be fine. So the days passed and kept on following her home. She kept on ignoring me. I dreamed about her day and night. I saw her face on my morning tea. I read her thoughts on the class. I schemed and planned to wow her. I daydreamed of taking her to Pokhara and on the wide blue waters of the Phewa we would row our small boat as the water reflected the face of Machhapuchre intermingled with her bight face. Love at its best is love not attained. One afternoon our school took us to the grounds of Kritipur University for sports meet. I was never a sportsman except khalbad (I had a bag full of marbles that I had won) and chungi. But ask me to run track and I did not see the point in all that exertion and the pounding of heart, gasping for air. I went because Sarita was going. You could say I followed her. As always Mr.P was at my side and when I say I followed her I mean I was stalking. But she seemed to run out of patience when I waited for her outside a ladiesroom. Later Mr.P and I were sitting on the hill discussing about the futility of it all when a group of girls marched towards us. It was Sarita and her friends. In no time they surrounded us. I had never faced so many angry women at once but Mr.P remained unflustered. "What is your problem? Can't you leave her alone?" said one, pointing her accusing finger at me. "But..."I could not complete the sentence. "You are too much," thundered another. "I said I hate you," said Sarita. That hurt. "What is the problem?" Mr.P said in a gentle voice. They looked at him as if they had been woken up from a nightmare. Now they aimed their wrath at him. "It is not a freaking movie, you know, that you keep stalking her like a dog." "Yeah, it is a movie," Mr.P replied. "Oh,yeah. Movies end in time. When is this going to end?" "This is a teleserial. It goes on till she loves him." Mr.P knew how to argue. He should have been on our school debate team. (..........later) mG.