The Prettiest Girl

I knew for sure that the world has never been short of pretty girls, so much so that I wondered if there could be a girl - the prettiest. From my earliest recollection, when I was in the first standard, I thought one girl of my class to be the prettiest. But the very next year she was not for a new girl had joined my class who looked prettier. It so happened naturally: prettier and prettier girls have been presented before me by the time. And it was not surprising, a month or two ago I saw a girl prettier than I had seen so far – the prettiest. Was it love, lust or mere attraction, I longed to see her again.

I did not know her name and her whereabouts, but I was determined to find her. However, the sad point in it was that I did not have the courage to ask for an elderly advice from some elderly man regarding this matter. I asked myself, “How shall I find her?”

“You fool,” said my inner voice, “Use your head. What was she holding in her hand when you saw her? Remember.”

“Book,” I said.

“What kind of book?”

“Novel, I think.” I said.

“That’s the point,” said my inner voice. “That means she must be fond of reading - she may come to library or bookshop.”

So, I lingered around the bookshops for couple of days. Then I went to library. I would stay there all day long, hopefully, for several days. But there was no news of her. On the seventh day, the librarian who had been watching me suspiciously all these days came close by me and said, “Boy you read nothing – walking about the bookshelves all the day, what you are up to?”

“Nothing Sir,” I replied. “I simply watch the books. ?>Reading doesn’t interest me. Watching the book is my hobby you know. It gives me so much pleasure.”

I returned home tired and hopeless. “Nothing to discourage,” said my inner voice. “Try another method. You say she is in slimmer side and has got good physique?”

“Yes,” I said.

“This type of girls are fond of fresh air – may be you see her going for morning walk.”

It was not a bad idea. On the following mornings, although I happened to be a late riser, I would manage to get up very early and set out for morning walk sometimes around Para-Line, sometimes Gurudwara Colony, sometimes Hilltop colony, sometimes Pai Gate and so on. But I could not find her anywhere.

I was going to turn my deaf ear to the adviser inside me. But, now it gave me such a brilliant suggestion that I was tempted to try once more. “Nothing can stop you from seeing her,” said my inner voice. “She is a student she will go to school.”

There were two schools (those days) where she could study – one was Government Secondary School and the other Government Higher Secondary School. I planned my strategy and chose to try it at Government Secondary School, first. I would stand by the gate of the school like a gatekeeper and kept my eyes on every person who passed through it. When I did not see her in spite of standing there for three successive days, every morning and afternoon, I tried at Government Higher Secondary School.

The time went so soon. My vacation had ended and I was sitting on the bus waiting for it to leave. Now I realised how dull my summer vacation would have been had it not for that pretty girl! How grateful I felt for her! She had turned me into an early riser and turned my dull vacation into an exciting one. However, deep inside me I was frustrated. Longing for her grew stronger; I climbed the bus with heavy heart.


I thought it was the end of the world. Unless I find her out, my life seemed to be full of darkness. But I was wrong. The wheel of fate does turn. Surprisingly this time it turned for me rather quickly. At the end of the journey, when train stopped at New Delhi railway station, I saw someone and with that very sight, my moment of frustration was over. I saw a girl prettier than the one I saw in vacation waiting for me. She came there to say good-bye to one of her friend. I just thought she was waiting for me because we became friend that very minute at that very place. I knew she was everything to me. I liked her from toes to hairs. I thanked God for hiding that girl of vacation from me. Who knows what silly promises I might have made to her had I found her out. It would have caused unending misery to find my dream girl waiting for me.

Now by the grace of God, the moment of frustration was over, I was happy and my life was full of sunshine. Of course, I did not expect to see any prettier girl. I was praying in my heart of hearts “God, no prettier girl, please.”