I am in a very happy and romantic mood today. The memory of my growing up years is coming back to me in flashback. Hahahahaha. Just like the movies. When I look back, I surely can’t forget my first crush. The memory still brings a smile on my face. First crushes have that innocence, that charm which can hardly be forgotten.

Let me tell you about my first baby crush. I was about fifteen years old and completely oblivious to the delicate matters of heart when suddenly one day a look made me skip a heart beat. I was having my lunch when I suddenly looked up and found myself the attention of a complete stranger.

She was not in my class. I guess she was a junior. She was sitting on a table far from me and looking at me unabashedly. I looked at her and felt so shy. I immediately looked down, somehow finished my lunch and ran away from the place. After that incident, I found her staring at me all the time. She followed me almost everywhere. In the beginning I was very conscious but soon I started liking her attention. I would look out for her and feel great pleasure in finding her.

I started paying more attention to the way I dressed and the way I carried myself. I tried to find out more about her. Through a classmate whose sister studied with her, I came to know that her name was Jasmine. It was such a beautiful name. I remember filling an entire notebook with her name written on all the pages. I liked everything about her. I especially liked the way she smiled.

I remember feeling physically sick that one week she went on a school trip. It was a very difficult time for me. I felt weird and literally counted hours in every day. They were the pangs of my very first love. I even searched for a poem on first love. Somehow the words of the poet described my feelings so well.

It’s been such a long time now. Jasmine left the school after some time as her parents were shifting to some other place. For many months, I roamed about blankly and just tried to be brave. Slowly my days became crowded with other things and the memory of my love faded in the layers of years passing by.

But it is a memory which will always remain very close to my heart.

I must take your leave now. Somehow I am feeling restless. I think I should take some rest. Please take care. Bye.

The ‘common man’ didn’t rest at all that day. Instead he searched for the old trunk in his store room. After a long time, he got hold of what he was looking for. He opened the notebook and touched the pages. Magically, the name Jasmine written on the pages shone brightly and a face became alive in his memory once again.