Notes

CHAPTER-I

Melbourne City FC, Australia
(#228,2nd FLOOR, HITSON VILLE)
8:15pm (+10GMT)
“28 killed, 89 injured due to bombing at Jandiala, Punjab. Numbers still increasing. ” BBC Asia reported.
Due to Legislative Assembly Elections-2012, these sort of reports were very common in air. The state government wasn’t able to balance between politics and violence.
“Change the f***ing Asian channel!” shouted David very resentfully as he wasn’t interested even a bit in political issues and that too Indian!
“ Just a sec, Davi!”–I replied—“Let me hear who’s charged for bombing!”
David changed the channel to FOX Lifestyle without hearing me.
“Blue Angels at 8:30 ! Can’t miss Miami Beach!” he mumbled as if he’s the only claimer of TV. He was basically from Florida and missed that beach culture here in Australia.
So, like always, I had no other option, other than streaming news on Hotstar with a set of headphones.
“ F***ing Indian Channels! Still buffering at 6.9 mbps. WTF!” I added and walked out of the room plonking the headphones on the bed.
Almost this only happened between us daily, with a little reverse effect.
I returned at around 11pm to their room.
“Still sitting here?” I asked as I was surprised to see him still hanging to the bed.
“Yeah.”
“Nothing else to do?”
“Sabrina broke it up!”
I went bang with laughter.
“Well, 4th breakup in this month you as***le!!”-I added in a humorous yet angry tone-“Let’s find a new chik out for you! Good going anyways!!”
“Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
Both of us went to Monash University. I was in Journalism graduation sector and David in Psychology.
I used to wake-up extremely early at 5 am and surround himself with a dozen articles and a cup of Marocchino daily as per his Indian schedule. Just a difference was that simply milked-coffee was replaced with blended and flavoured Marocchino. Afterall, it was Australia!
“May I come in Sir?” Bill didn’t respond! “May ‘I’ please come in Sir?”
“Oh yeah! of course Mr. Kabir.” Bill responded in deep yet mortifying expressions “It’s the part of your culture to be late. So, I welcome you in!”
Mr. Giorgio Bill, 56, Ph.D. Journalism & Mass Media, was the most experienced lecturer in the faculty, and probably the most unmannered person in the staff. He treated us (Indian students) like buffaloes which use to get beaten with stick even if they are second late to cross the road.
I sat in the third-last row quietly without responding to his statement. Yeah, definitely like a decent Indian boy.
“So students, the last date for submission of your project is 27th May.”
I was just about to inquire about the details of the project from Mr Bill.
“Shhh”-who’s she calling me like an illiterate Amritsar Boy teases a 1st year BA girl? “You’re late. Can I tell you about the project details?”
Oh! She’s a Japanese girl. Then no problem however she calls, it must be an ancestral defect.
“Hello. This is Kabir, Kabir Sidhu from India.” I uncoupled my hands to be shaken.
“Ayako, Japan” she replied.
Oh wow! Like I always commented on Instagram photos for follow-backs ‘Cuteness at it’s end!’ Although I knew I wasn’t Mark Zuckerberg who’s fallen in love with sharp-eyed Chinese/Japanese girl at the first sight.
“The project is to collect 52 reports about political riots.......” she, I mean Ayako explained.
“Oh! Thanks for details.”
“It is to be done in pair of two. Shall we pair?” she asked.
How can I pair with a Japanese girl for my Journal project? How can she be able to write on Pardeep Haraiyanwal or even I on Akihito or Harihito (Japanese PMs)?
“No thanks Ayako. I’ll look for someone else to pair with.”
She passed quietly. Even I went back to my room quietly.
But that high pitch voice with a deep blended flow like my Marocchino coffee just echoed in my mind until I viewed her facebook profile. Oh thanks God, ‘Relationship Status: Single’
David went for his vacation back to Florida for a week. I’d no one to disturb me. So, I can complete my Academic Journal Project without Miami Beach disturbances and without break-up updates.
I woke-up the next day loaded with heart emojees. Yeah I was drunk. But it was Haribo, with least alcoholic effect.
I checked my phone after article-reading and giving a kick-start to Journal work.
*Notification Pop-up: You got a follow request from @ayakoo (Ayako Fukui).
**DM: Nice dp 
Oh is she serious? I didn’t know what was happening. I opened her profile then.
-12k followers-
-27 following –
I accepted the follow request and just went for college as I didn’t want to be late like yesterday.
“Too good dp Ayako!!” I said in a glamorous tone by sitting next to her “Looking so sweet.”
“Thanks for the compliment Kabir.” She hopefully responded in a sweeter voice.
“Let’s go to coffee after college.” I asked.
I knew it wasn’t a good way to ask for date. Coffee. Huh!!
“Sure.” Wow! She responded positively “Will see you at Café Sweethearts at 6.”
“Done. See you!”
I never went to Sweethearts before as I just came here 3 months ago. I just left the college after it was over at nearly 4. I went to my room and changed my clothes. Today, she wore pink and black striped solid tee with skinny black jeans. So, to make match, I also wore pink and blue tee with black jeans. Although I didn’t like both even a bit!
@ayakoo: Hey Kab! It’s 6:30! Please don’t be late!! Muaah
@badboy_kabir: Sure. Tc...
I arrived there at nearly 6:15 or something. And she was also there by 6:30. I was standing outside.
“Table no. 18, I made a reservation Kab.” She said and took me along.
“So, what’s up Akaa..Ayaku?” Oh shit! I forgot her name!
“I’m too good Kab.” She said “What will you have?”
I picked the menu up and ordered Caesar Salad from Main Dishes. And she ordered a bowl of chips from kid’s menu. Cute enough!
“Ayako, I’ve decided to pair with you in that Journal project.” I said.
The ‘12k followers’ Japanese girl tried her best to widen her small eyes to scream me. And after seeing my expressionless face, she just burst with laughter.
“Okay.”-She replied.
“Tell me about yourself!”-I asked her to give a serious flow to conversation with a bit smile.
“Well, I was born in Osaka, Japan and just came here in Australia at the age of 6. And my family............”
5 minutes of explanation of her family, likes, dislikes, goals, achievements and then finally she asked me,
“And you?”