It was a long day at college. I was sitting in the library gazing past the window the sun was setting in beyond the horizon as I was penning down my thoughts. Few students were sitting down and reading in the library. It was closing time the housekeeping staff was cleaning the library floor as I was packing my bag.
I left the library at six and started walking towards the station. Its a ten-minute walk from my college. Boarding the 6:12pm train back to Thane I stood inside the boggie amidst the crowd reading Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson.
Thane station was abuzz with passengers, travelers traveling across places. It is one of the busiest stations on the central line. I walked down the busy street full of hawkers selling their goods, hurried crowd and rickshaws.
I found a rickshaw, it ferried the passengers to and fro on a sharing basis. I was waiting for my co-passengers to join in. As I was thumbing Neither Here Nor There a veiled girl came towards the Rickshaw, I could see only her eyes and they were beautiful I would say.
I stole half a glance, she was wearing a white top and blue jeans. I could feel I had seen her somewhere but didn’t remember. For a couple of moments, we looked at each other glancing through the mirror. She lowered her veil, she had a beautiful face, strong cheekbones, a small nose, and curved lips. “I have seen you somewhere. Do you have an elder sister ?” I asked. She looked at me as if searching for something in the depths of my eyes. “No, actually I am the elder one.” She said with a smile.
“I am Sanket. I study Computer Engineering. Our German teacher looks like you.” I said. “Oh is it, I am Shruti. I study Biology.” She said. “I like reading books by Bill Bryson, Ruskin Bond, and Ernest Hemingway. But last time I read anything Biology, was a long time ago.” I said. “Yeah, but you had to wrestle with all the math.” She said. “Yes that we had to, it was fun upto a certain point and then it was just outright scary,” I said.
“I pen down my thoughts every sometimes. I take a walk in the woods, in our very own Yeoor Hills. Amidst the trees I find my words.” I said. “Wow that’s interesting, I have a food blog on Instagram.” She said as the Rickshaw took a slight turn round the circle.
The conversation flowed from our shared interest in travel, food, and sports. “I represented my school in athletics back in my school days. I used to sprint.” She said with certain misty-eyed fondness. “I played cricket in my school days, those were one of the beautiful days where we played and thought of nothing else,” I said.
We exchanged numbers before getting down at our stop. “Can we go for a walk down the road? I asked expecting her to find some reason to say no. But she said yes and we walked down the road. I could feel the warmth and a sense of connection. “What’s your mother tongue?” I asked. “You will have to guess that,” she said throwing up a challenge.
I think you are Tamilian. She shook her head. A Punjabi. No, try again. “I know those eyes say you are a Maharashtrian,” I said. “Bingo that’s a good guess.” She said as we walked along the road with Yeoor Hills at the backdrop. “I find these hills extremely beautiful, I have been going there since my childhood,” I said. “Sweet Coincidence, I go there for jogging as well when I get time.” She said as we walked along the asphalt road. We took a left turn towards her house. I wanted the walk not to end and was trying to find reasons to extend it, but I found none. We stood in front of her complex. “What’s your plan?” She asked. “I am going to the gym and will play my tabla afterward,” I said. “That is amazing.” She said. “I had a really nice time. It was nice meeting you.” She said. “I found it the same,” I said. The sudden prospect of saying good-bye pulled at my heart and despite my stoic expression, she sensed it. She stepped forward and pulled her hand out. I received her gesture warmly with a shake of the hand. I held her hand for several seconds, longer than probably I should have, then I let it go. I couldn’t say anything. “We would meet soon again... in the rickshaw.” She said. “I would love to,” I said with a soft smile and a tender wave as I began walking towards my home.
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