Déjà vu

She was standing in the long queue of the canteen. It was sweltering hot. The pink Lola Bunny kerchief on her left hand was already soaked. Her right hand was clutching onto something.

Raghavi wore a bright orange tops with a pitch black jean that day. Where all girls would scream, "Pinkkkkk!", she would go all-out, "Oraaaaaaange!". The pampered child of the wardrobe adorned the beautiful lady that day. Stuffing her kerchief into her pocket, she took to counting the 24 tokens that she was clutching, trying her best to remember what was for what.

She heard a small chuckle from behind; she turned.

"You're thinking out loud.", came from a coarse, yet pleasant voice.
"Haha. Sorry, force of habit."
"That's an awful lot of tokens. How many?"
"24."
"Ha! 5 more."
"^What?"
"Here. I have 29. So what's up? Treat or something?"
"Yup. Its my birthday today."
"How coincidental ! Happy birthday to ourselves!"
"Guessed so. Haha. Funny, never seen you in one year of college."
"I was thinking the same. I'm Krish. You?"

"Raghavi.", she said as she neared the counter window. "Gotta go. Have a good day!", and she went about her listing. Somehow, that smile on her chubby cheeks lingered on and on, inside his head.

At first, they met by chance, a few times mostly in the canteen until a few weeks later, 'chance' decided to take a holiday. They liked each other instantly. Meaningless chats, rainy day coffee shop visits, evening walks on long, straight roads.

"Grandma! Hahaha."
"Shut up idiot. I'm only 3 hours elder to you. Just 3 hours!".

That was his favorite way to irritate her. Over the course of time, her favourites became his favourites. and TRAI became the worst villain.

Once they were taking a walk, a pleasant evening, a boulevard. From behind, she heard a voice.

"Its 7 a.m.! Get up! You're late for college!".
"Mom? What? Oh my goodness!"
"Been dreaming again? Must say, I was a girl too once, but your dreams are too fanciful. Go and brush. I don't want to scold you on your birthday."
"Haha. Sorry Mom. Wish me."
"Not until you brush."

Hurriedly she got herself ready. Everything from attire to eyelash, she'd planned the earlier night.

"Thank God I did at least that.", she thought.

Evening after college, the scream ensued, "Treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeattttttt!"
"Okay okay. Canteen!"

As she stood in the sweltering heat, oblivious of morning events, she heard a chuckle from behind.

"You're thinking out loud."
"Haha. Sorry, force of habit."

Suddenly, she smiled to herself.