Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The First Meet - part 2

continued from part 1



Uffffff.....

<6:39 PM>


No sign of her, I check all the places nearby and texted her ‘U left?’

beep_beep. I got a reply though not very instantly.

‘Sorry, it will take some twenty minutes for me to reach there.'

<6:45 PM>

My first reaction is I’m sad, like the kid who is waiting for his dad to come home and take him to the movie comes to know that his dad would be coming late.

But then I thank god.

I quickly ride to my hostel & take a bath in the minimum time possible and put on my best clothes (Okay, not washed ones though) and a bit of Deodorant.

I pull out the gift I bought for her. The delay is proving to be good in every way.

I get back there in ten minutes lest she should leave.

I wait and keep scanning every passing girl with my heart skipping a beat every time someone of her height happens to pass that way.

<7:00 PM>

I’m so anxious and excited and with that elongated mini heart attack feeling, I keep pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose unnecessarily. Still no sign of her.  :(

<7:30 PM>

I start biting on the inside of my cheek and continue meddling with my glasses.

beep_beep. Suddenly my cell lights up again, I check it out with anticipation.

‘Hey, I don’t think I can make it today, Sry.’

Suddenly my legs feel numb and It seems as if they can’t take my weight anymore. I realize for the first time that I've been standing all the time. I pull out a nearby chair and slump into it.

I wait for some more time with still hope flickering somewhere that she would come.

beep_beep. I nearly jump out with happiness and take out my mobile with quivering hands.

'Hey, done with the code?' a friend of mine messages, crushing my hopes. He is perfectly within his rights to text me, but I get incensed at the message.

I reply, 'Kind of, will come to lab after dinner.'

I feel very bad and wanna cry. Mist starts accumulating in my eyes.

I'm lost in thought when suddenly I hear a girl's voice to which I startle and respond.

'Excuse me' I venture, saying, but my throat is so raw with grief that no sound emanates. I swallow hard, clear my throat and croak, 'Excuse me!'

'Can I take that chair?' she asks, pointing to an empty chair nearby.

'Yeah of course.'

A shallow laugh escapes my mouth. Taking a deep breath I reflect on myself, I’m ready to wait for her an eternity this small waiting doesn't matter.

I get up to move which is when I look at the Diary Milk Silk, what should I do it? Should I eat it? No. It's for her.

I go back to the hostel and keep the gift I bought her and the Chocolate securely in my rack.

I hope they reach her soon.



The First Meet


On that lonely evening while I was immersed in my work, fading rays of evening sun fired up through the window I had opened just a few minutes ago.

<6:34 PM>

beep_beep. My mobile light up.

I hastily hit enter for the code to run and took out my mobile reluctantly not even guessing who it might be.

‘Hey, I’d be in Gurunath in five min, we can meet there if you like’

Maybe I’m hallucinating things because of too much of coding and stuff. Spending too much time with terminal and being a newbie to working without a graphical interface was beating the heck out of me. I rub my eyes and check the mobile again.

It is her and she messaged me.

I came to know what it feels to be in levitation cause I was directly experiencing it, literally.
SHE MESSAGED ME!!! A mini festival starts happening in my mind, festoons everywhere. I don't know about violins, but there definitely seems to be a background score now.

wow!

Still the message itself didn't register in my mind since It took a while before I came back to the world and tried to make sense of the text.

The words slowly sink into my mind. SHE WANTS TO MEET. Wow! Wow! Wow!

In next five min? Oh god why??

Earlier that evening these are the exact words spoken to my prof by me, “In any case the system would be ready and running by tonight Sir, I’m on the last stage of testing.” While the truth had been I was still struggling with some wicked code, which decided to continually bother me with errors.

Okay, I don’t even care that; Dude! She messaged me and wanna meet me.

But still I don’t want to meet her in next five min and there are a good number of reasons why.

I've met her several times (okay, three times may be) in a group but never had a one to one session. Although I've chatted with her I’m not ready to face her directly because I couldn't afford to mess things up, not with her.

Yes, you guessed it right, I've a huge crush on her (crush is actually too small a word for my feelings for her) and am trying to build a long term (lifetime) relationship with her, while this is my case she barely takes note of me.

I want to create a good impression on her since the first impression is the best impression (since anyway I don't think she remembers the first time we met).

And, to be frank, I've not taken my bath today and I’m in sort of clothes which would either help her classify me a jerk or tag me a weirdo.

<6:36 PM>

The Clock already ticked two minutes.

But if I miss the chance now I may not get another chance in the near future, given that I particularly become kind of dumb even when chatting with her (Mind it otherwise I’m a chatterbox).

I didn't have too many options I quickly dash to rest room splash some water on my face and fish out my pocket-comb and try to make myself look agreeable if not the best for the occasion.

I run downstairs elbowing my way through the crowd only to realize after going down that I had left my cycle keys beside my laptop.

Damn!

I look up at the elevator which never comes handy to me, and as usually it is in some random floor, again proving my point. I run and fetch my keys and cycle like I've never been (maybe If that were Olympics I might have ended up getting some medal).

I quickly go to the general store nearby and buy a Diary Milk Silk for her and come panting to the scheduled spot just in time.

Uffffff.....

<6:39 PM>




Wednesday, February 6, 2013

S8 39 Circar Express - part 3

continued from part 2


Now who the hell is he?

Before I could say anything he turned towards me, ‘Can you move to upper berth for few minutes, we will take our dinner.’

‘Okay.’ I moved on to 40 the side upper berth where I had my dinner.

After sometime he left, and she started conversation.

‘Sorry, he is my brother he doesn't like me talking with boys’

‘Where did he go?’

‘He is in the next compartment along with his friends.’

There were no exchange of words for sometime everything seemed to come to a standstill, while I was still digesting the fact she just said. Then she spoke about something most of which didn’t even get registered in my mind. I was just nodding my head at correct intervals and she believed I was listening.

I was feeling very guilty. And when we were almost ready to go to sleep I asked her, ‘If I was not a Marwadi, you would not have been talked with me, right?’

<Silence>

‘It’s not like that, I would have talked probably, it’s just that...’

‘I’m not a Marwadi’, I told interrupting her, ‘And I’m sorry, I didn't mean anything bad, I was just playing along your assumption and thought it would be fun to prove you long at the end of the journey, but seems like I had to tell this earlier itself.’

Forcing a swallow she said, ‘Its not like that,’ and went in to deep thought.

She still looked as surprised as a kid who suddenly realized for the first time that undertaker didn't really have seven lives.

'ఎకువ ఆలోచించకు, పడుకో , రేప్పొద్దున గొదావరి చూడాలిగా'

(Don’t fret over it too much, get some sleep, you don’t want to miss the sight of the Godavari tomorrow morning, do you?)

I went to sleep into which I drifted very effortlessly, the usual din of the train and a good dinner lulled me into a very good sleep under the guard of the watermelon-slice shaped moon sometimes taking break behind the clouds, which seemed very good from the train window (& unfortunately my cell camera was not able to capture that spell bounding view, I moved on, philosophizing, not all things can be captured by the lens.)

Someone was beating me on my legs. I was shaken awake.

I woke up with a start with such an intensity that for a second felt entire train sharply tilting to the other side while my head felt too heavy.

‘You don’t want to miss the Godavari, do you?’

Godavari! I understood I'm on the verge of missing the sight of the mighty river, her sentence had the telltale magic as it instantly made me quite wakeful.

Without further ado I ran to the entrance to take all that I can while taking out my cell to take some shots. She woke me up just in time, otherwise I would have missed. My love to this river is second only to my mother. I like it, love it & respect it.
Picture taken while train is crossing the river Godavari


After the train crossed the bridge I came back to my seat.

‘Sorry I woke up just then so couldn't wake you earlier.’

What?? I’m feeling extremely grateful to her and here she is apologizing??

‘No, You woke up in time & otherwise I would have felt very bad. Thank you, Thank you very much. I couldn't afford missing the Godavari. Thank you once again.’

I was feeling like writing a code to run a loop to continuously say Thanks to her, even an infinite loop couldn't express how grateful I'm then.

‘I had a very good time yesterday, thank you very much.’ She said with a big smile.

‘I had a good time too, no need to thank me, I didn't do anything.’ I don't know what I made to make her feel good, but I was definitely feeling good.

‘Being modest huh?’

‘No, I guess you didn't do many train journeys trust me you’ll have much better awaiting you’

Just then her brother resurfaced intimating her that they have to get down at next station.

Thank god his visit was short, otherwise there would be nothing but silence.

‘So, bye’ She said picking up her luggage.

‘What? umm yeah bye. All the best’ (I don’t know for what I wished her All the best)

‘Ummm... so goodbye’

I got the cue, & gave her my email ID.

‘God, we chatted entire evening and we didn't even get to know our names..’

It struck me, how silly! We were about to depart after a nice full night journey without even knowledge of each others names.

‘As my email suggests my name is Ravi Teja’

‘I’m Sonia,’ she said while stepping out of train that just halted.

Sonia the name conjured out image of a girl in my class in my high school who also happened to be a Marwadi.

No way. She can’t be.

I went to the doorway and asked ‘Sonia Agarwal?’

She now was with her brother and mouthed the word yes, with a surprised look.


click here for part 4

S8 39 Circar Express - part 2

continued from part 1



After all it may be once in a lifetime experience.

She hastily stuffed her book back in her bag and was simply gazing out of window not towards anything in particular, nor did her look contain the spark which comes when taking in the scenery of surroundings. She looked forlorn and indifferent which didn't suit her at all.

I usually try a lot of vendors in the trains since while traveling alone i get the freedom of tasting all that were denied to me from my childhood under the pretext dirty or unhygienic, like Onion Samosa for example. But not today, I resisted even from the mouth watering sight of tasty Onion Samosas lest she should tag me a glutton. I distanced myself away from everything except the coffee which I can't miss come what may.

After what seemed like an eternity I cleared my voice (I've no idea why I did it) I asked ‘Are you ill?’ breaking the deadly silence.

‘I’m sorry?’

‘I mean are you feeling alright? You wanna sleep? Should I switch off light or something?’

‘No its fine’

‘I’m sorry but I can’t help noticing that you look so dull and are in haste and even threw back a book which is very interesting.’

‘I had a fever till yesterday, aftereffects I guess. Did you just say the book is interesting? You've read it?’

‘Of course, I've completed the series.’

‘Yeah even I’m loving them, but I’m not used to reading in the train’

Having used android for more than two years now, I put her lot of gyaan about kindle & fbreader & fora apps. (I'm a gadget freak.)

She eased a little bit and is conversing more freely.

‘So till where are you going?’ she enquired.

‘Samalkot, you?’

‘Rajahmundry.’

And talk drifted into what we are currently doing, and yes you guessed it right. Both of us are doing our engineering. The coincidence took a step ahead and both of us are in our final years.

The conversation took a good pace when suddenly she got a call and she began speaking in impeccable Telugu, my mother tongue. Till now our conversation was going on in Hindi.

‘Okay, I’ll call u later’ she said to the one on phone while casting an apologetic look at me (or is it just my feeling?)

My first reaction, ‘You speak Telugu?’

‘Of course. I’m born and brought up in Rajahmundry and Amalapuram.’

‘Then why were you conversing with me in Hindi till now?’

‘Since you are a Marwadi, are you not.’

‘How the hell did you guess that?’

‘Kyonki Hum bhi Marwadi hi (I’m a Marwadi too).’

‘But how did you deduce that I’m a Marwadi?’

‘That's very easy, Your Hindi accent, and your skin tone’

People always commented that my Hindi accent sounds a lot like regulars, but never did I think that it was so convincing.

At this juncture I got a phone call. My best friend. I attended it and she took good number of minutes before ending the call.

‘Your girlfriend?’

‘A girl & my friend, not a girl friend.’

‘Seems like your family is very broadminded for a Marwadi.’

‘I beg you r pardon.’

‘Not all Marwadi families go on talking that openly with others particularly of opposite gender.’

She explained how she was allowed to go to the college only if she chose the one where her brother was doing his Bachelors, and how her freedom has limits while at home etc., I was listening with the raptest of attention and we palavered thus for some good one hour where she animatedly explained about her family and about how her sisters never even wore Jeans when suddenly she becomes dead silent.
I followed her line of sight and ended up looking at a guy who is looking down straight into my eyes. He came towards us and made himself comfortable between us and had a distinct air of authority around him.

Now who the hell is he?

S8 39 Circar Express



I stopped checking reservation charts on the coaches long back for two reasons. Firstly these days charts are never updated. Secondly I totally lost the faith on them, and I would even go as far as saying that Railways use some kind of special software so that a single boy & single girl are never travel partners.

This happens only in movies; I never experienced it in my life nor any of friends had any such experience. So when a good looking girl came and sat across me I was almost sure that I either entered a wrong train or a wrong coach. I took a peek from window and checked at the coach number, its S8 Circar Express and I’m sitting on berth 39, that's my seat, apparently I've boarded the correct compartment.

The gamut of co-passengers I've had in my entire life consisted of octogenarians, families with kids, or guys from college/ work.

Now I fumbled my Jeans pockets to get my cell phone. My Jeans is so tight that there is no way I can pull out my mobile while I’m sitting, so I extended & bent my right leg awkwardly in the aisle space and fished out my mobile. She was all giggles. Amid all the struggle & her giggles I forgot why I brought out the mobile in the first place. Oh, yeah!! I opened it to check my ticket.

I never believed in my stars and there is a good reason for that; When I once went to a new mall along with three of my friends, we happened to chance upon a lucky draw, as a promotion to all the shoppers. The next day all of us except me got a call that their name was in the lucky draw and were eligible to claim their gifts. So having said this me being happened to travel along with this beautiful , seemed very much out of context. I checked for the journey date in the ticket and it thrilled me to wildest degree after confirming with other passengers what date it is. Its correct I’m scheduled to travel today in S8 39.

wow!!! I can’t believe this.

‘Excuse me! kyaa aap 39 ho? (Are you 39),’ she asked me.

‘Of course not do I look like 39? I’m 21’

‘I meant are you the seat number 39?’

‘What! Umm... Oh yeah, I’m 39, and you?’

‘I’m 40, and can u keep a watch on my bag till I return?’

‘Yeah no problems.’ I started nibbling snacks from my Haldirams pack. (I'm very hungry)

KOOOOooooo...... The train sounded its horn & slowly started moving and still no sign of her, I went towards entrance to check if she’s out, still no trace of her. Train got it’s pace. I reluctantly walked back to my place.

There she is cozily seated on her berth.

I crossed her and sat at my place and started gobbling up my remaining Haldirams packet more out of anger than hunger.

I've to steal glances at her to make sure this unprecedented experience is all real because I'm still afraid suddenly I see it's not her but some random guy. I'm so excited that I feel a small ticklish sensation on my feet.

She seemed to be lost in a novel. Percy Jackson series which I completed long back. I generally read & write when in train but not today. With her sitting in front of me, there is no way I’m going to read books. After all it may be once in a lifetime experience.

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