For the
past two hours Mannu was humming this classic from the store house of Gibb
brothers. His past surpassed his mind. He was thinking back in life about all
the girls he had looked upon and all who had looked upon him. What a fool he
was. But the quest with destiny had ultimately given him Pia. Finding true
love, Mannu was a winner in life very early. The air conditioner was cooling
the compartment and it also froze Mannu’s thoughts. He took out the towel to
cover myself. Acting smart, Mannu had neglected keeping a quilt or a sheet to
cover him. He was paying the price now. He comforted himself in a while, looked
at the clouds again and her image flashed all over the blue skies. She was
smiling, calling him to be near her, to be free. He passed a flying kiss,
opened the plastic cabinet made for eating, lay down on it for some good sleep.
The sun
had gone to a different land when his eyes opened up. A sense of fear rolled up
within him. Up till now everything was safe. But darkness was bringing
nervousness with it
What if some mishap takes place, what will I say to
Mummy and Papa or will I be alive to say anything?
Bad thoughts starting accumulating in his head till a samosa wala’s voice broke all the
barriers. Mannu had never paid Rs.25 for two samosas. But he paid it today. There was no other option also. So many things were happening for the
first time. He couldn’t swallow a bite. Guilt and shame for hiding this journey
from my parents were forcing him to punish himself. Somehow, he gulped it. He got up to wash his face. The
whereabouts of the train were unknown to him.
He splashed his face several times to wipe the spot of infidelity.
Seating himself back he filled the napkins with words of plea. He was sure he
would never gather courage enough to show these letters to his parents. The
step from eighteen years to nineteen was really a big leap. In one journey he
had become different. He wrote his heart out. Cried a lot! Still the journey
was long.
In a
vague attempt to relax his mind, Mannu covered his head with the towel and
gazed at the world passing by. Rajasthan had been left far away. The count of
the trees had increased and the lakes with sleep in their eyes were finding a
hideaway from the sparkle of the stars and the moon. Wires on electric and
non-electric poles jumped high and low, but ran at the same pace of the train.
Mannu tried hard to find it, but the moon was somewhere in the corner of the
sky he couldn’t see. After running for a few hours, the train halted at a
station. Mannu looked straight at the display box to know the name of it.
Unheard it was... and the faces unknown. Unheard was their tongue, but outgrew
happiness unknown.
Only after a few hours I would hold her palm.
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