I kept the phone down. The printer churned out the bill.

*Missed connection, you have to pay,' the shopkeeper said.

I nodded and dialed again. This time my mother picked up.

*Mom,' I screamed. *I told you to be near the phone after ten.'

*I'm sorry. I was in the kitchen. He wanted to talk to you, so he picked up. Say hello to him first and then ask him for me.'

*I'm not interested.'

*OK, leave that. How are you doing? How is the place?'

*It's fine. But they make you cram even more than in the previous college.'

*How is the food?'

*Terrible. I am in a hostel. What do you expect?'

*I'm going to send some pickle.'

*The city has good restaurants.'

*They have chicken?' she asked, her voice worried as if she had asked about basic amenities like power and water.

*In a few places.'

*FMS was good enough. I don't know why you had to leave Delhi.'

*Mom, I am not going to make my career choices based on the availability of chicken,' I said and looked at the meter. I had spent eighteen bucks. "I'll hang up now.'

*Tell me something more no. did you make any friends?'

*Not really, sort of....' I looked at Ananya's face outside the booth. She looked at me and smiled.

*Who? What's their name?'

*An...Anant.'

*Punjabi?'

*Mom!'

*I'm sorry. I just thought you could have a friend who likes the same food. Its OK. We are very modern. Don't you know?'

*Yeah right. I'll catch you later. I have a test tomorrow.'

*Oh, really? Pray before the exam, OK?'

*Sure, let me finish studying first.'

I hung up and paid twenty-five bucks.

*Why did you hang up the first time? Your dad picked, right?' Ananya asked as we walked back.

I stopped in my tracks. *How do you know?'

*I guessed. I do it with mom when I'm angry with her. We don't hang up; we just stay on the line and keep silent.'

*And pay?'

*Yes. Pretty expensive way to let each other know we are upset. Only sometimes though.'

*I never speak to my father,' I said.

*Why?' Ananya looked at me.

*Long story. Not for tonight. Or any night. I'd like to keep it to myself.'

*Sure,' she said.

We walked for a moment in silence before she spoke again. *So your parents have big expectations from you? Which job are you going to take? Finance?

Marketing? IT?'

*Neither of those,' I said. *Though i will take up a job for the money first.'

*So what do you want to be? Like really?' She looked right into my eyes.

I couldn't lie. *I want to be a writer?' I said.

I expected her to flip out and laugh. But she didn't. She nodded and continued to walk. *What kind of writer?' she said.

*Someone who tells stories that are fun but bring about change too. The pen's mightier than the sword, one of the first proverbs we learnt, isn't it?'

She nodded.

*Sounds ridiculous?'

*No, not really,' she said.

*How about you? What do you want to be?'

She laughed. *Well, I don't know. My mother already feels I'm too ambitious and independent. So I am trying not to think too far. As of now, I just want to do *

OK in my quiz and make my mother happy. Both are incredibly difficult though,'

she said.

We reached her room and practised numerical for the next two hours.

*I am so glad you are here. I'd never be able to crack these,' she said after I solved a tricky one for her.

*You are not using me, are you?'

*Excuse me?'

*Like you are friends with me because I am from IIT? So I can help you with the quant subjects.'

*Are you kidding me?' she looked shocked.

*I don't want to be the IIT brother,' I said.

*What? Whatever that is, you are not. We are friends, right?'

She extended her hand. I looked into her eyes. No, those eyes couldn't use anyone.

*Good night,' I said and shook her hand.

*Hey Krish,' she said as I turned to leave.

*What?'

*The stuff you said, about being a writer who brings about change. It is really cool. I mean it,' she said.

I smiled.

*Good night,' she said and shut her door. A few sleepless girls wandered in the dorm with their notes. They gave me suspicious looks.

*I only came to study,' I said and walked out of the dorm fast. I don't know why I felt the need to give an explanation.

4.

She came out of the research assistant's room with her microeconomics quiz results. She walked past the queued up students toward me. By this time, everyone on campus knew of her friendship, or as someone would say, siblingship, with me. She wore denim shorts and a pink T-shirt, drawing extra long glances from the boys from engineering colleges.

*B-plus, people say it is a good grade,' she said, holding up her answer sheet.

*Your shorts are too short,' I said.

*Show me your grade,' she said, snatching my paper. *A minus, wow, you cracked an A-minus!'

I didn't react. We walked back towards our dorms.

*You cannot score more than me in economics, I don't believe this,' she said.

*You are a mechanical engineer. I am a university gold medalist in the subject.'

*Show the medal to Prof Chatterjee,' I said in a serious tone.

*Hey, you OK?'

I kept quiet.

*Anyway, I owe you a treat. Your numerical saved me. Are you hungry?'

I nodded. People who live in hostels are always hungry.

*Let's go to Rambhai,' she said.

*You are not coming to Rambhai like this,' I said.

*Like what?'

*Like in these shorts,' I said.

*Excuse me. Is it a Delhi thing or a Punjabi thing? Controlling what women wear?'

*It is a common sense thing. It is outside campus. People stare,' I said.

*Enough people stare within campus. I'm fine, let's go,' she said and walked towards the campus gates.

*I don't need a treat. It's fine,' I said, turning in the opposite direction towards my dorm.

*Are you serious? You are not coming?' she called from behind.

I shook my head.

*Up to you.'

I ignored her and continued to walk.

*Are you going to come for the study session tonight?'

I shrugged to signify *whatever'.