As You Smile It
“I’ll be right back,” said Mrunal, in an awkward attempt to excuse herself from the crowd. She grabbed a coffee from the counter and walked towards the window to get some fresh air. Standing comfortably at the sill with a cup of coffee in her hand, Mrunal stared through the clear glass window. She heaved a sigh of nostalgia as fond memories from the past rushed towards her like a gust of wind. She flinched and carefully wiped a tear rolling down her cheek, ensuring no one had noticed. Mrunal felt thankful for accepting the invitation and attending the reunion. She watched cars drive past her school. Innocently enough for the sake of old times, she started counting them one by one. When the numbers became too much for her to remember, she abandoned the task. Mrunal’s school building overlooked a small basketball court, a parking lot where buses of all sizes were parked, an attractive floral garden, watchman’s cabin and a huge black gate. The long, three-lane Mumbai-Bangalore...