“Pia...now you can write down how much you love me, how much
you miss me...”He said to himself keeping the bill safe in his wallet.
The railway announcement for the train from Mumbai to Jaipur
was clearly audible on the chair Mannu had occupied to sip coffee. Anxiety was
at its peak. Doubt was making inroads. She had not called since the past two
days. After many acts and words of jugaad, under a special quota Pia and
her family had finally got a confirm seat in the last bogie. This was the last
information she had shared. The every
second increasing passenger waiting list had dropped them in coach 12. Wiping
the sweat on my forehead and on his palms he reached out towards the platform
at 13:00hrs. The train was to arrive after five minutes approximately. Before
and after every step Mannu was licking his lips to stop them from being dry and
parched . The red digital display boxes above his head showed the position of
coach 4...7 and 8, on he moved up to coach number 9.
Wait! Where was coach 12?
Mannu wiped his eyes
and saw again. Yes! It was coach number 9, the last coach. His breath stopped for that
moment. Being patient enough he ran towards the other end to search for the
vision that would bring his breath back.
No...There was no coach 12 even there. What was going
around? Sweat was rolling like a river
from his head toe. Pia had told him it was coach number 12. She repeatedly said
that it was confirm. He was sure that
his memory wasn’t so blunt so as to forget the coach number within two days.
Berserk Mannu asked the coolies, the passengers and there was no one who did
point his finger in the direction of coach number 12. At last he called Pia
again and again and all he heard was a beep.
“She would be with her parents at the doors of the train.
How can she receive your call Mannu?”
He talked again to himself for comfort. Or was it deception?
He couldn’t sense why was all this happening? The train arrived at its
scheduled time. Mannu with a suitcase in one hand, a backpack, stood on the tip
of his feet at the first exit gate to search for Pia. After a few seconds he
ran to the second gate. Did it again for the third time, but he couldn’t
recognize any face he saw. The girl for whose love he lied to the whole world
had just escaped his eyes. He knew, so did Pia, that this chance to see each
other would never come again so soon. How could she miss it? Everyone was in
hurry and the emotion which had drowned hi for so long was also leaving by
inches. The real world had again showered its real face. Every second was breaking him down. Without
wasting a second he ran to the auto stand, hitting himself against a briefcase
of the man ahead, but he didn’t stop. Tears in his eyes had blurred the vision
and every sight around him. The watch showed 13:20hrs. The empty auto-rickshaws
and the strange faces drowned the man of hope within Mannu into the ocean of
futility. Every planning and preparation had gone into vain. That one moment of
love had gone far away. Finally, Pia had left. Mannu was on his knees craving
to God to send him back in time. Tears had wetted the shirt collar and wiping
them again and again had changed the colour of the sleeves near the shoulders.
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