Close encounters of the "woh" kind

Its been a busy week. I travelled a little bit to meet with friends and family. Its always lovely to meet people you've known forever, but haven't met for years. Its amazing how easily you can slip back into the old comfort zone. On the itinerary were bestest friend, school friend whom I email once a year, favorite uncle, recently married cousin, and once young cousins who are now alarmingly grown up.

In the course of random conversations, I was reminded of a story. Ancient history now. But still funny. Best friend brought it up of course. She always does if there is an audience to amuse. Back in the day when I was an eager beaver at Laxmanrao Apte Prashala (11th std.), we had to perform Physics practicals in groups of 3. The lab was this tiny, stuffy room that looked like it had been hit by an earthquake. The equipment definitely belonged to the days of the British Raj. (Unrelated aside: Apte Prashala did not have a restroom for women. Its un-freakin-believable, how we managed to never pee during college hours!)

I did the practicals with 2 guys whose surnames followed mine in the attendance sheet. Lets just call them AW and VV. Nice guys, the 2 of 'em. VV had the smelliest hair ever. I had to smell his hair because perforce we bent over the instruments during the course of our practicals, and I was taller than him. AW was OK, i.e his hair didn't stink. In those days, my Marathi was non-existent and his English wasn't upto speed either. But, on the whole, his English was way better than my Marathi..therefore we communicated in English.

We were performing the magnetometer practical. I was moving the magnet(I think it was the magnet!) and he was taking the reading. VV was just looking on. So, AW was instructing me on the position of the magnet and where I should move it.

AW: OK...almost there.
Me: OK. Where should I move it?
AW: Come closer
Me: What?
AW: Come closer
Me: OK. I Move the magnet closer to the centre and blush furiously. I was only 16 or 17. 17 year olds blush easy.
AW: OK...Closer
Me: See above
AW: Come closer
Me: Ditto above
AW: Closer, more closer
Me: Red as a tomato by now. VV looks on passively. He doesn't think its funny. I'm happy he doesn't get it. I hear my friends giggling at the next table.
AW: Thats it. We got it.
Me: Thankfully escape after jotting down readings.

Oustside the lab 3 unmercifully giggly, extremely silly girls were waiting for me.
Girl 1: Why are you so pink?
Me: It was hot in there.
Girl2: Hot...its December. We were wearing sweaters.
Me: Ya. But it gets hot during the practical with so many people in there.
Girl2: Hmmm. AW is cute no? What do you think?
Me: Errr...No.
Girl3: Then why did you blush when he asked you to come closer?
Everyone giggles except me. I turn redder, if thats possible.
Me: Shut up. He didn't mean it. He didn't know what it meant.
More giggles.
Girl1: Then why did you turn pink? You like him...right?
Me: NO!
More laughter.
Just imagine subtle variations in the above conversation...and thats what I went through for the next 2 weeks. Everytime AW said hello to me, it like he was serenading me. Not fun. I blushed and blushed until my cheeks were permanently pink whilst in class. Then, an exam came up. Everyone started to study. And everyone forgot. Except this friend of mine. Who keeps bringing it up every 3 years or so.
I thought I'd better pen it for posterity. So that people know before she can tell them. And I can e-blush without anyone ever knowing.