Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Three Minutes ...

The crowded 20:33 local, even first class season pass really did not help. Every journey was an ordeal hanging by the door, trying to hold down swooshing hair lest it entered some co-passenger's nostrils and she chokes to death ! It was a hot and sultry summer Thursday, when I saw him, waiting for the crowd-puller by my side on the platform. Tall, dark, lean (not beefy at all) and with a mysterious sparkle in his eyes. Making futile attempts to keep his lips from drying endlessly, he looked back at me. Our eyes met. It was a cosmic connection. I wanted to roll back my eyes, but was helpless. It was as if he had locked them there. So were his. Beyond his shoulder, rested the huge timer. Three mins more to go... I was restless. He was still piercing me with his eyes. Was he amused or amazed? I do not know. I decided to give in.
"Why cant I look away from you?" - my thought raced. I stared with anger and despair.
"Because we are connected..." - Pat came his reply, smiling and relaxed, lips unmoved.
I shivered.Shuddered. How could this happen? Did i really telepathize with him? Was it .....He shot back then.
"Why are you so confused? You wana waste away these few moments? Do not doubt. I am listening to you."
"Is it for real?"
"Yes it is. We are connected."
"Do you know me?"
"No. Saw you for the first time today."
"But you knew we were connected instantly !"
"Not until you looked at me."
"But why me?"
"I don't know. Maybe we are destined for the connection."
"For what?" 
"Life."
"eh?"
" Just believe."
"The train is coming. Will we ever meet again?"
"Not something I can tell. But you remain in my heart, just like I will do."

I looked at him with surprise and amazement. The more restless I became, the more calmness he showed. The engine whistled, I turned to the coming train. Maybe I did not want to catch it. Maybe I did not want him to catch it. I turned back again. He was gone. The light-blue shirt had dissappeared. He was nowhere. The train approached. Crowd tightened. I was singled out, searching for him. But he was unseen. He was invisible. I got in the local.. to see familiar faces, tired as always. But today I was not tired, not at all. His energy was flowing through me. The anxiety and expectation to see him again, kept me energised with vigour. Never I met him again, never I saw him again. But he lives in my heart, like he had made me promise. Just another reason to live life with more hope...

Disclaimer: All characters and contents of this write-up are entirely fictional and any resemblance to any living character, place, thing or train is purely coincidential.

2 comments:

silent_rebel said...

Reality or imagination?
BTW, Local trains dont have whistles, they have horns:P

Snigdha said...

Imagination .

Please refer the disclaimer below. Even the train is fictitious. So it can have a whistle. Reality is "horny", though :P