The din and smell of humanity filled the air. There was hardly any space left as students and doctors were filing in the cafeteria to have their second nourishment of the day. Gossiping students were seated on the chairs happily chattering their time away. There were numerous round tables with chairs which now heaved under the enormous weights of their occupants. Near the counter a great many number of people had gathered to buy food items. The students could easily be sorted out from the doctors as their IDs hung around their necks swaying from side to side as their wearers moved.

In the farthest corner of this cafeteria Saumya was happily sipping her coffee. She didn't seem to be bothered by the noise in her vicinity.

"It's so good to be back in the hospital. It's good we only have Sunday off or else I would not be in a condition to even walk. I wonder how Surbhi has the ability to shop for so many long and excrutiatingly tiring hours," Saumya was brought out of her chain of thoughts as a deep voice called her.

Looking around she saw Akshit. Standing near the counter he was waving and calling out to her. It had been a long time since she had been accosted by her cronies so naturally it was strange for her.

She was still wondering as to why he was waving at her when she heard -"Mind if I sit here? Actually there is no place left," he said awkwardly.

He had never been the type of person who would walk upto someone he barely knew and ask for help. He wasn't shy but he wasn't valiant enough to talk to strangers. However he felt strangely comfortable in Saumya's presence. He wasn't as awkward as he would be with anyone else. He attributed this achievement to the fact that Saumya had an ability to make anyone comfortable in her midst and enjoy talking to her.

As far as Saumya was concerned she was a bit puzzled. It had been a long time since she actually talked to anyone apart from her friend in the hospital. A bit of chit chat was all that she talked. She had never imagined that Akshit would come and ask to sit with her. She thought that maybe he had asked her because he didn't know many people here. It wasn't such a big deal and also she was missing Surbhi since she had taken a leave so she decided to say a yes.

Realising that she had been staring at him since long she muttered a yes and he seated himself.

Both were silently eating their lunch. No one was ready to initiate a conversation.

Saumya had a habit of talking to everyone who sat with her ever since she couldn't bear the silence when someone was with her. She had been talkative all her life until 3 years ago. Somehow unlike other times the silence which had settled between Saumya and Akshit, to Saumya seemed relaxing and comfortable. She didn't have the urge to break the ice.

However Akshit broke the ice saying, "Where is Surbhi? Doesn't she work here too?"

"Yeah she does. Actually she is on leave today."

"Oh."

"Don't you think Pia is quite an active child?"

"Yeah that she is."

"I was wondering why you call her Baby Bear."

Saumya started laughing.

After her laugh subsided she spoke, "You see when she turned 2, I gifted her a baby bear onesie on her birthday. She loved it so much that she would not wear any other dress. She would always wear that onesie. So I started calling her Baby Bear since when she wore it she looked exactly like a Baby Bear."

The manner in which Saumya freely laughed in front of him was astounding for her. She had not laughed so freely in front of anyone else. Even Surbhi had not seen her laugh so much in a long time.

"That's interesting."

"So how was your first day?"

"It was good. I had to deliver a lecture for qualitative analysis and the rest of the time I was reading research works."

"That's productive I believe."

Smiling he said, "Yeah."

"So how is Aunty?"

"She is great. What about Pia? Does she still have fever?"

"No, she just has a sore throat."

"Do you like coffee?"

"Yeah," she said with a questioning look.

"Whenever we met, you were mostly drinking coffee."

The two laughed at the tone with which he explained his conclusive observation.

He is quite observant - she thought.

Seeing her lost in thought he said smilingly, "A penny for your thoughts."

"My thoughts are worth more than that," she replied smiling.

He said amusingly, "So what are they worth?"

"A lot more than money, mister."

"But I never said I would be paying money," he said teasingly.

She could only frown at that.

"Oh please don't be angry. Tell me their worth. Please. Sorry."

Seeing his crestfallen and guilty face which was obviously an act, she said in a serious tone, "Unwavering and unlimited trust."

An array of emotions was displayed on her face which made him drop the joking mood. He looked in her eyes with the one emotion he felt -faithfulness. He couldn't comprehend the emotions she felt. They were like a slideshow with the speed of lightning. No sooner did he lay his eyes upon one than he realised it was gone.

"I guess I said that a bit too seriously," she said to lighten the mood with an awkward smile.

With concern flashing across his face he said, "No, you didn't."

For her it was quite uncomfortable to talk about this topic so she tried to change the topic.

"Let's go. Lunch break is over and I have a surgery scheduled soon."

He could sense her discomfort so he silently stood up and followed her.

_________________________

It was late at night but Akshit lay awake on the bed unable to sleep. The events of the past few days kept replaying in his mind disrupting his rest.

He had a lot of fun playing with Pia and talking to Saumya. He didn't know why it was so. He was surprised by his own behaviour. But above all he was baffled by Saumya. She was like a piece of puzzle which he was unable to solve. He was baffled by his own behaviour too since he hadn't teased or joked with any girl in ages. The last girl with whom he joked was his classmate 5 years ago. He never knew how serious he had grown ever since he had finished his studies. How much had he missed spending time with his friends in the past 5 years.

He shut his eyes closed forcefully as if commanding his thoughts to stop.

___________________

Meanwhile, Saumya sat on her bed. The window of her room was open. Through it moonlight was streaming inside. In its circle, course small white particles seemed to be dancing.

She was tired of tossing on her bed being unable to sleep. She did what anyone in her place would do. Any sleep deprived person would either try to sleep or contemplate. The former she had been doing since a long time so she started contemplating. She was puzzled and astonished at her own behaviour. She had never acted childishly since a long time. Only her close friends and family had ever seen her act childishly but she had never acted like that in front of a stranger. Something some force was stopping her from reprimanding herself for acting like a child in front of Akshit.

Her feelings and emotions were terms she had never given much thought about since ages. These foreign terms seemed like they were a problem - the most difficult question of life. It was then that she realised the truth in the fact that the answers to the questions life throws at you cannot be found in a textbook.

Groaning in frustration she laid on her bed all over again and tried for sleep to engulf her being.

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