I trudged through the sweltering heat of Konark, sweat trickling down my back, as the bustling town came alive with activity. Laborers pulled carts filled with goods, merchants shouted their wares, and students hurriedly scurried through the narrow streets, clutching their books and papers. The air buzzed with anticipation and the energy of young 20 year olds preparing for civil services examinations('-').
Finally, I arrived at the library. The worn-out sign hanging above the entrance read "Mufaa Library," its letters faded from years of exposure to the elements. With a determined push, I opened the creaky door, stepping into a blast of cool air that offered respite from the scorching sun.
The librarian, an old dude with spectacles perched on his nose, glanced up from his desk and met my gaze. His weary eyes seemed to reflect the countless stories contained within the ancient tomes that surrounded us.
"What the hell do you want, squirt?" the librarian grumbled, his tone dripping with disdain.
Undeterred by his cold demeanor, I flashed my permit, the key to accessing all the damn books in this shithole. "Got this thing. Says I can access all the books in this library."
The librarian's eyebrows shot up, curiosity replacing his initial gruffness. He snatched the permit from my hand, grumbling to himself as he examined it. "Well, shit. How the fuck did a little twerp like you manage to get this? Doesn't matter, rules are rules, I guess. Fine, you can poke around the damn library, kid."
From that day on, the librarian kept a close eye on me, skeptical of what the hell I could possibly want with all those books. I buried myself in the depths of trigonometry, calculus, and other mind-numbing shit, barely paying attention to the world around me. The library became my sanctuary where I could drown out the noise of the bustling town.
And yet, the librarian's curiosity grew, and he couldn't help but wonder why the hell I was so obsessed with mathematics.Nearly everyone that had the complete access to all books would have certainly looked for high quality magic inscriptions but I wasn't interested. One afternoon, I noticed the librarian approaching a group of rough-looking students engaged in a rowdy debate. Sweat glistened on their brows as they passionately argued their points.
"Hey, have you noticed that little fucker, Glenn? Always got his nose buried in math books," he grumbled, scratching his grizzled beard.
One of the students chuckled, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Yeah, that kid's a weird fucker. Most of us are here for civil service crap, but this Glenn dude seems to have a hard-on for numbers. Can't say I get it."
The librarian nodded, a glimmer of intrigue in his eyes. "I don't get it either".
Days turned into weeks, and I continued my relentless pursuit of math within the library's dusty tomes. The librarian, his initial hostility fading, begrudgingly assisted me in finding the books I needed, occasionally tossing in a crude comment or two.
"Back again, huh, boy?" the librarian would sneer, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Got a new fetish for numbers, have ya? Are you getting off on equations or some kinky shit?"
I rolled my eyes, unamused by his attempts at humor. "You're a strange old dude, you know that? Stick to your dusty books and leave the jokes to someone with an actual sense of humor."
The librarian chuckled, unfazed by my retort. "Ah, come on, Glenn. Can't blame an old man for trying to spice things up around here. Gotta keep this place interesting, you know?"
"Yeah, interesting like a festering boil," I muttered under my breath, flipping through the pages of a thick calculus textbook.
As the weeks went by, our banter continued. The librarian would throw out his worst possible puns, each one more cringe-worthy than the last. And each time, I would respond with a volley of insults and expletives. It became our twisted form of camaraderie, a strange bond forged between a determined young math enthusiast and a lewd old librarian.That guy was too big a pervert.He would rate girls on the street with me.I avoided that at first,but it disn't feel quite bad after we did it a few more times. "You know that's why you can't get married",I said to him mockingly.He showed a bit of anger,then simmered down..This was probably that old dog's weak point.
But amidst the banter and the relentless pursuit of math,I delved deeper into the library's collection. The librarian, in his own crude way, became an accomplice on my journey, a grizzled guide through the labyrinth of books.
I understood that my inscriptions were different on a basic level from the inscriptions in the library. It wasn't to say that they were better, they were functionally different and hence, I had to understand them with a less abstract but a more logical and a mathematical way.
