A Glance Through The Glass

It had been my first day in this class. The advanced physics course was available only to graduate students. I got in owing to an excellent recommendation letter by my Professor.

As the lecture progressed, I was drifting between a few known words and several indiscernible concepts. I kept noting them for reference later. The faculty paused to open a video.

I took my longest breath in an hour and stared blindly at the door almost wanting to leave. My wavering sight met the gaze of a girl. I wasn’t even sure if she was a student. All I could see, was an elegantly shaped pair of black eyes lined with kohl, which kept coming nearer. She seemed to walk towards our class. As our eyes were locked, I could feel time, sense the traversing of its each second. I could even hear a faint beat that could have been my heart beat or the clacking of her footwear. The muscles in my body grew tense and my throat turned parched. My respiratory system started flushing in more air and then it stopped all of a sudden as she reached our door. The door did not move. Through the cut-out on the door, I saw her vanish.

It was a thunderbolt.
I never recovered from the peaked emotion that morning. I excused myself and left the classroom citing a sudden sickness.

The next day, exactly at ten, my eyes moved towards the glass on the door without requiring for the faculty to do anything.
The smile on her face was infectious. All half hearted defense I had set up inside my head crumbled at its appearance. The kohl lined eyes pored straight at mine. I couldn’t even look away. The event, like the day before, lasted for a few seconds but its ripples flowed long and deep. Happiness rushed through me and I couldn’t stop smiling. I never realized when the lecture ended.

My interest in the course waned to newer lows and I contemplated quitting seriously. Even without the pleasant distraction, the course concepts were still beyond my comprehension. I decided to give it one last try.

I attacked the class with renewed motivation, cornering each topic, interrogating with the dumbest questions; the other members with profound surprise acknowledged it -both the enthusiasm and the stupid queries. I had switched off everything else in my head.

Someone knocked. All heads turned to the door.

I knew then, I wasn’t going to quit the class.

– Viché