The Deaf Girl's Secret!

It was almost half past 3 and Jake, with his headphones put on and some pdf opened up on the screen was busy writing for straight three hours now. Yes, this was again the season of submissions. The season which comes twice a year and becomes every student’s nightmare! The rest of the college was done with them and he felt as if he was the last scribbling. The one who begins the race when the winner is already announced! He already knew that no matter what he did with those assignments his grades for the semester were doomed. He had two more days to get done with his work and hope for grades better than just passing ones.

Suddenly a notification popped up on his mobile screen. He scrolled down the notification panel and a message from someone in a group read: “Season 5 of Game of Thrones leaked !” He felt blood rush through his veins. The excitement he had for the upcoming episode and now he was blessed with the entire season. LIKE 10 DAMN EPISODES!!! He closed the notification panel and suddenly his face turned pale. He couldn't afford to watch a single episode if he was to finish his assignments within his extended deadline. He knew Winter was definitely coming..and with it will come SPOILERS ! All his friends with whom he had discussed the show sometime or other would be watching the series now. He was certain that they won’t miss a single opportunity to spoil the series for him because he always did the very same. “Pay back time XD”, he thought to himself and continued writing.

Sleepy, yet full of vigor he set out for college the following morning. His fear for spoilers no longer existed. “This is the best idea I've ever had my entire life. You are a freaking genius Jake”, he thought to himself. As he entered college he made quite a few faces turn. “This is unique, “he thought. At a distance he saw Andy approaching him. Andy, the one who he had informed about everyone who dies in Breaking Bad via a very brief message. Andy was definitely mumbling something. He did not wait for Andy to finish and said (in a high pitch trying to adjust the intensity of his voice) “I'm wearing noise cancelling headphones. I cannot hear a single thing you can say.” And then he shouted in the middle of the premises, “None of you! I am interacting with none of you today. If anything comes up, I'll be in the library completing my assignments,” saying so he disappeared in the crowd.

He felt good not being able to hear a single sound. “Maybe I should do this every day. No small talk, no social interactions. Blissful solitude!” He got up to get some water from the cooler. As he walked past the hallway, everything seemed normal yet more peaceful than ever. Whilst approaching the cooler he saw that one of his classmates was showing off his football skills to a mob of sorts. Engaged in looking at one direction and walking in the other he bumped into someone. A beautiful fragrance filled the air around. As he composed himself he saw a blonde girl wearing nerd glasses picking up fallen papers. He quickly picked up the heap lying on the floor without even realizing this he was staring at her the whole time. “I'm sorry, I'm wearing these and I couldn’t really hear anything, “he said pointing to his headphones. He was startled at the puzzled look he got. Instead of saying something the girl was doing actions pointing to her ears and then making a cross sign. “Are you saying you cannot hear me?” The girl nodded with a very innocent smile on her face. “Are you understanding this by reading my lips,” he said as if talking in slo-mo. The girl nodded smiling even more, letting out a sigh of relief that everything was now clear. They just stood there for a few moments looking into each others eyes. He felt good that he didn't have to keep the conversation going pointlessly and yet, they could communicate. He was an ardent hater of social convention. She was just amazed watching a guy in all his senses, wearing noise cancelling headphones in the middle of the busy hallway and acting like he had no sense of hearing. Getting back to her senses, she made some gestures. “I don't know sign language,” he muttered. She showed him the physics textbook she had amongst the notes in her hands and signaled she had to go for classes. Out of a sudden impulse he said,” I'll see you same place, same time tomorrow?” She nodded, smiled and then walked away.

That day he hardly wrote a few pages. All the time he was engrossed in thinking about what a fortuitous coincidence it was him meeting her that day. He wanted to know more about her. After dinner as he sat on his study table to start writing his assignments. He had a little more than a day to complete them. But all he could think about was that he was going to meet her again tomorrow. But he didn't know sign language. How would he understand what she meant. He opened up Google and typed the words : Learning sign Language. The night was over and assignment sheets were still blank.

He waited by the cooler in anticipation. He was still wearing his headphones knowing submissions would anyhow get over soon. He hadn't become an expert in sign language but he could get the basics. A quick learner since childhood. He had also found an app which sort of was like the dictionary of sign language. Few moments later he saw the girl approaching. 'Hie!' he gestured. 'So you studied sign language' gestured the girl. He nodded, feeling proud of himself and also rejoicing that she might be impressed. ' I need to tell you something ' she gestured. ' Yes go ahead ' he gestured. Laughing within his mind at the irony how she had gestured she wanted to tell him something which she would obviously again gesture. ' Gym in snow died' “What? I didn’t get you!” Having no idea as to what she gestured…Jake now spoke out loud.. “Do you mean someone who was stuck in snow died? Read my lips. I thought you wanted to talk about something special and unique.” She took a pen wrote something on her hand and showed it to him. His face went pale. It now made complete sense to him. “Jon snow dies!!!” He exclaimed gasping and trying to understand what had happened to him. Suddenly from nowhere, Andy now came out, gave the girl his previous year’s project and said, “Thank you for your much needed help!” The girl gestured “Sorry” with the same cute smile as yesterday’s but Jake was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice it and she walked away. Andy with a devilish smile said the words, “Revenge is a dish best served spoilt my friend.”

Jake stood there in the hallway trying to contemplate what just hit him. He took his headphones off with a bitter sense of disappointment. “I'm screwed,” he said to himself realizing that he had completely forgotten about the assignments. He was still thinking about the girl. “I remember the face, but I can't recall the name.” He for a fact hadn't even asked the girl her name. He made up his mind to get back home and check for himself as to what happens to Jon Snow. “YOU know NOTHING Jon Snow, just like me!” Like a fallen hero he walked out of the college.. with the lyrics playing in his mind :

“And in the darkest night

If my memory serves me right

I'll never turn back time

Forgetting you, but not the time”

Woah, that was too shitty and too long! It actually started out with something else and it got modified as I went along with it and ended up being like this. Anyways, thank you for having the patience to bear this. Do share, +1 and feel free to criticize.

Till then,

Au Revoir!