03:10 am.
Train was late. Well the bright side of this is at least I won’t have to wait for six hours, it came down to five.
I drop off of the train with my backpack and a handbag wondering when will the agents of travel agencies would come to me and ask whether I’m going to Darjeeling or Gangtok or Nepal, so that they can arrange a tour package saying that they can make it in very less and affordable price while actually robbing me.
I was in the mood to play with them. Cuz I have nothing to do for the next five hours. But then again, I was alone, so they didn’t even cared to bother me. May be they thought I’m a local. May be...
There was nothing to do, so I was heading for the restroom thinking what should I do for the next five hours.
After entering the restroom, the first thing I did is I cursed India’s population. It actually became a ritual for me. Wherever I go the first thing I do is curse India’s population.
Well, the restroom was full. Many were sleeping in the sitting area which makes the area even less available. No judgement, they were very tired I guess, so am I. I looked around the room and found a small place between two people lying. Both of their legs were pointing towards the small empty space such as they are gonna kick anyone who is gonna sit there. Whatever, I sat there. Placed my backpack beside me and my handbag in the front. Was thinking of spending my time by scrolling social media and listening songs.
I took out my phone, saw it was unlocked. It wasn’t shocking cuz I know I unlocked it. I unlocked it unknowingly as it was in my reflex. Swiped left as most of my social media apps are kept in second screen. In this little span of time I made myself comfortable. I was just going to hit the Instagram icon but took my eyes off of my phone and looked slightly up. And then I saw her...
She was staring at me, I smiled at her. She stood up from her seat, came towards me. Asked me my phone number. I gave her. Then told me to call her tonight.
No that’s not how it happened.
I saw her... She was sitting in the front left corner of me, smiling and looking at something at her phone. Is that an iPhone? No, soon I realised. But at that time apple products were the least of the concerns of mine. I was looking at her, getting amazed by how beautiful her smile is. She was continuously smiling while talking to her family. I kept looking at her, of course at an appropriate interval so that she shouldn’t think of me as a creep.
Then she took her phone and tried to take a selfie. I guess that was a fail. So she now started laughing. Her laugh was like a boomerang I threw in the air and then forgot to catch. And you know what happens when you forget to catch a boomerang? It comes back and hits you. Exactly that’s what happened to me. She was laughing and that hit me hard, right in my heart. I got boozed out for few moments.
Then I controlled myself and looked away so she doesn’t think of me as some idiot. When I was looking away, it felt like I was watching Inception at a movie theater and the climax is about to happen and suddenly 'forceful interval' comes up in between because you are in an Indian movie theatre. Again I looked at her. She was smiling. I noticed she was wearing an ear ring and a hearing aid.
Then suddenly I realized it wasn’t hearing aid. It was also some kind of ear ring embedded into her ear but in upper portion. Oh girls and their mystical ornaments!! Her other ear ring was equipped with some kind of material which was sparkling, like a star is shining a little below her ear. Even in the dimming tube lights. I was wondering what it would look like under the bright sun...
While I was lost in the thoughts imagining things that never gonna happen, something inside my head told me to stop. So I stopped. I was so lost in the thoughts I didn’t noticed. Didn’t noticed that she was also looking at me while my eyes were focused on her. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
Caught in the moment. Felt like she was an illusion, alluring me into her mirror world. If I take a step forward, that world is gonna engulf me. Twelve feet apart there’s a world of no return. And I’m stuck in the thoughts between wanting to enter the world and get lost forever, and resisting from entering so that I can tell the tale to you all. She was magical.
In this chilly weather suddenly out of nowhere a gust of cold air entered the room, her puffy hair slipped off of her ear. She adjusted while taking her eyes away from me. Phew! What a relief! Finally her witchcraft enchantment came to an end. I was into her like a wolf into the moon.
Suddenly she stood up from her seat, also her family. I realized it is time. Time to say goodbye. Now I was cursing the train. Everywhere everytime every damn train gets late. Why this one have to be on time? It’s like the train has robbed me of everything I had.
I didn’t wanted her to go. I wanted her to stay a little longer. I wanted to get lost in her smile a few more times. But then again, it is what it is. She and her family started to move out, she was the last one to exit the door. Before leaving the door she looked at me, my eyes were stuck on to her. I murmured 'Farewell’. She looked away and proceed to stepping forward.
When she was about to take her step towards exit, my dilemma got cleared. I realized I want to enter that enchanting world of her and want to get lost forever. The next moment, she was gone.
04:19 am.
Only one hour has passed. Though it seems like ages have passed and I’m stuck here for the eternity. It’s like a punishment I’m having for not having the courage to go ask for her number. I wish someday I’ll get a phonecall, I’ll pick it up and say hello, and disappear into her world of sorcery just like it happens in The Matrix.
I looked at the status of Darjeeling Mail. It’s two hours late.
