As the thunder rolled and lightning struck, I looked out of the window and watched as the rain poured in unrelenting torrents. Sitting comfortably in the semi-enclosed balcony, it reminded me of a night just like this one. It was when I had of one of the most curious incidents of my life.
I was travelling home. It was late that night, and lonely. As were most nights at that time. Work being pretty heavy that evening and a firm diktat “I want this completed by tonight” issued by the ‘Creative’ Director, I had nowhere to go until the work was completed.
Rain had lashed across the city all evening and the monsoon forecast wasn’t too encouraging. Buses were stranded, trains running late by hours. It was going to be a nightmare travelling back home.
It was way past midnight when I finally left office. With the rain pouring unabashedly through the heavily darkened sky which was an azure palette with lightly swept opaque clouds in the afternoon, I was left cursing my luck, sitting alone in the empty train compartment. The train crawling like a snail on steroids, giving me false hopes every few minutes by accelerating, wasn’t helping either.
My tired mind barely registered the name of the stop as the train slowly chugged down at the next station. Moments before it came to an absolute standstill, I had a fleeting look at someone on the platform.
A girl? At this time of the night?
Clad in a floral white T-shirt and blue, worn out jeans, she was someone directly lifted off from a fairytale, someone who would stand out even in a crowd. Simple, yet alluring. An enigmatic, yet masklike visage. As I strained my neck to have a better look, she disappeared from my view.
Was that real?, I thought. Damn…If only…
My cell phone screen suddenly sprang to life and emitted a single low buzz. A message.
The stars favour you tonight. The day will bring unexpected surprises on the work and love front. For daily predictions, SMS ASTRO to 645…
Ya, work is already up ten-fold. What’s surprising in that? And love…bah!
A soft, yet clear voice interrupted my cynical chain of thoughts.
“Hey, you mind if I..”, she said pointing at the empty seat in front of me and then to my legs, sprawled across the train floor .
My head snapped up. My heart skipped a beat. It was her, the same girl from the platform. I straightened my back and pulled my legs together. She adjusted herself into the seat. Looking at me she wondered aloud in her sweet musical soprano
“Studying late?”
“I work. Am coming back from office.” I replied, affronted.
“Do I look like I am in a college?”
“Look at you.” She replied nonchalantly, a trace of a smile forming on her face.
Hmmm….a green T-shirt, a torn-at-the-knees-because-its-in Levi’s and my faithful college backpack. I do look like one of those college kids.
“Possibly, but I work at an ad firm. Formals aren’t exactly a prerequisite out there. So, which college are you from?” I commented, looking at her khaki coloured sling bag.
She laughed.
“Do I look like I am in a college?” she added, imitating my annoyed retort earlier. She continued without waiting for my answer.
“Heard of the Bryan Adams concert at BKC held tonight? I organised that.”
“Wow. That’s something.”
“You listen to music?” she asked and began humming
You're the silent type
And you caught my eye….
…
Somehow, without any prompting, I joined in
I would let my feelings go
And that I'd be yours before the night was through
One night love affair
…
That night, we sang, we talked, and sang again. Two complete strangers, after midnight, in an empty compartment of the train. Time ceased to exist. The outside world lay forgotten.
It wasn’t until wee hours of the morning that I awoke to a slight jerk as the train reached its final stop. This was where I had to get off. A delicate weight on my shoulder moved too.
“Are we there yet?”
I looked up from my hazy gaze, nodded and offered her my best morning smile. She smiled back.
“Let’s go.”
We grabbed our bags and got onto the station.
“Where do we go from here?” I enquired, the immediate future not in question.
“Home, for now.” she answered.
“But it was fun last night. Thanks.”
As she said those final words, her face came closer to mine, close enough that I could smell the last remnants of her perfume, and kissed me on the cheek. A short, but lingering kiss.
“Goodbye.”
When she turned and left I somehow knew one thing for certain. I would never see her again.
