Rekha
and Karan were married for 6 months but never took time to go on honey moon.
Either he was busy at work or she had to stretch late to meet deadlines. They
could finally grab a vacation and started to Ooty by train. The train was
unusually less crowded owing to off-season and served just a handful of
passengers. As the train took off, Karan engaged himself with a magazine
he had got from a platform stall while Rekha rewound her days with Karan all
the way to their first meeting on a crowded lift.
----
“It
was dusk and soon turning dark. Rekha was standing in the lobby waiting for the
lift to find her way in. She had been waiting there for the last couple of
minutes but wasnt able to make place for herself in the lift. She was on the
10th floor of a 25 storied building. It was one of the few high raised
buildings in the city, with poor infrastructure. She wasnt lazy to walk down
the stairs but it was raining heavily and the stairs had no crown to hide from
rain. She did not want to get drenched and look like a dead cat for there were
already enough eyes prying on her.
Finally
the lift paused in her floor; there was place for just 2; however 5 guys
strapped-in, along with her. She could have stepped aside and waited longer.
But it was already getting late. The smells of cigarette, tobacco, chewing gum
and sweaty shirts swamped the elevator. As Rekha shrunk inward to avoid being
touched by strange men in the pretext of no lift space, there was a tall guy
pushing her to a lift corner with his backpack. It looked calculated. Though it
maddened her, Rekha did not mind it for she was shielded from being felt by
unknown hands inappropriately. As the lift neared 4th floor, a huge lightning
stuck and the lift came to a still. When it became nearly inoperable, the tall
guy with the backpack raised an alarm and brought notice to the security who
helped open the lift. Rekha now had no option but walk down the 4 floors in
rain. By the time she crossed one floor, she was almost drenched. The light
colored georgette salwar kameez that she had worn wrongly on a rainy day gave
way to unwanted fantacies to the guys waiting alongside the stairs seeking
shelter from rain. As she tried to wrap herself with the duppatta before
getting all muggy, the same tall guy who was walking close behind her offered
to share his umbrella.
She
had seen him a couple of times in the building but he was far from an
acquaintance. She agreed to share his umbrella. He gave a larger share of the
small umbrella yet maintained distance from her, letting water dripping off the
umbrella corners drench his shirt. With a lowered head, he walked by her side.
He was the gentle man Rekha had just read on stories. She had never believed in
love at first meet...But was this one? Those 5 minutes were like eternity to
her. The rains which had just then put her off now tempted her to go out on a
long drive with him, talk to him, get him to talk to her, know him, get him to
know her, understand his likes dislikes etc. As she still lay in her reverie,
he nodded gently hinting they had reached the basement shelter and that Rekha
was on her own. By the time she realized and was brought back in time, he
walked away.
The
next day morning, again in the lift, as if it was deliberately timed, Rekha met
the same guy. All she remembered about him was his tall frame and the
blue-black backpack. The lift was relatively empty and there were just 8 people
against a full capacity of 15. He neither put the bag on his back this time nor
created an illusion of an over-crowded lift by pushing people on the sides -
the kind that Rekha had seen of him, day before. She sensed that the guy had
intentionally done it all. Rekha started to take a liking for him. He was an
average looking guy, had a tall frame, was be-speckled, had broad shoulders
sporting a confident personality. Rekha was lost in thoughts and missed to get
out of the lift on reaching her floor. When she realized, the lift was already
on 13th floor and the tall guy got out. Rekha followed and paused to stop him
for a small conversation. She was nervous to start the conversation. The
building was filling fast being a mid-weekday. People were busy walking in and
out of lift into the office area. Rekha gathered her voice and "Excuse me,
thanks for yesterday, I am Reeeekhaa" - said she. His manly voice was
mesmerizing as he gently said “oh, you are welcome, I could not catch your
name. Did you say Rekha? You are most welcome Rekha. I am Karan".
Rekha
felt a buzz passing through her spine as he took her name. To her surprise, he
did not drag the dialogue. Instead wished her a good day and parted. His
indifference further impressed Rekha unlike the other men who went crazy just
with her looks.
Rekha
traced down the stairs, reached her bay and sat unwillingly booting her laptop
with a tea mug in one hand! She thought he was someone you can’t but like. He
was the long awaited friend she had dreamt of. Rekha, by now was tired of the
constant stream of suitors at home, onlookers on road and attention-mongers at
work. She wished to be free of the perverse obligations, befriend the right
guy, know him and ask for his hand. She saw him in Karan.
Rekha
was indeed a girl of worth. Her dependence on cosmetics was minimal, she was a
natural beauty. She looked immortally beautiful with fair supple skin and sharp
features adorning a round face. Dark long hair reached below her shoulders. Her
dimple was hard to miss. She was the Miss perfect everywhere she went. But such
perfections always caused trouble to the owner. Rekha was as beautiful from
inside as she was on the outside. She was a tough girl with a soft heart. She
normally chose to be silent and never made the first move on anything. She
chose to be amongst the crowd. She was the shy girl and liked to remain silent
until she knew her acquaintance well.
But now, she felt a need to voice out her emotional shrieks and befriend the
man of her charm! She felt queasy.
Destiny
favored her and she happened to meet Karan more frequently in the building.
They surely had struck a chord that in no time exchanged numbers, started
texting and frequented in calling. Her initial judgment of him only got better
with her knowing more of him. Inspite of his family’s frequent absences on the pretext
of business, Karan was a well-behaved and serious man. His family had
affluence, yet he chose to chase his dream of mastering the law. Rekha had not
much liking for the legal field for people there seemed to spare little time
for the family. But her admiration for Karan changed her opinion. Karan seemed
to have varied interests. He had a deep love for music and dreamed of it as a
part-time career. He could talk for hours on books, films, people, and society.
He was an excellent orator and expressed himself precisely.
It’s
impossible to estimate how quickly they became friends. It honestly scared
Rekha, but admiration and love took over.
Rekha
and Karan, by now knew without expressing though, they had fallen in love with
each other. They wished to wait for some more time to take things ahead.
2
months passed by, and their relation was like never before yet they hadn’t
named it. Only two of them knew what it meant to each other.
On
a rainy Sunday afternoon, in a café, Karan with his handsome smile and penetrating
looks proposed her with a platinum ring and a bunch of 5 roses, the 5th–an
artificial one. He said I will be yours till the last of the 5 flowers dried.
Her heart was almost beating in her throat. She could not contain her
happiness. Her silence spoke louder. Her eyes conveyed the warmth and she gave
an admiring look with acceptance. He went on his knees right there, extended
his hand and said – be mine, forever! He then took her hand in his and
positioned comfortably next to her. He slipped his palm over hers intimately.
She blinked at him with a mix of emotions. His calm gaze soothed her. She was
yet again taken by his effortless charm and chivalry.
Thus,
began the story of a loving couple who eventually get married. They move to an
apartment close to their office building. Love grew deeply with time. They
enjoyed their routine.
Everyday
before starting to office, Rekha would ask Karan, "Do I look pretty?"
And Karan, with a cunning smile, would say - "No you don’t look pretty.
You are beautiful". She enjoyed the innumerable compliments and constant
flattering. She, on her part often appreciated Karan's sense of humor, his
warmth and revered his presence in her life.
Taking
their office lift often reminded them of their first meeting and they cherished
it.
----
Her
dream gets abruptly disturbed by a co-passenger's raised voice with Karan. She
briefly learns that Karan had dozed off with his magazine in hand and his
snoring disturbed the passenger in the nearby berth.
Though
snoring was genetic, factors like smoking increased the likelihood and added to
the decibels. Karan was adamant to give up on smoking; neither was he diligent
with the exercises that he knew could be of help.
Karan
politely apologizes to the co-passenger and turns towards Rekha.
Rekha
takes a deep breath and says, "Karan, you often ignore my words when I
suggest you to quit smoking and take to habits like exercising and meditation.
You don’t have to apologize to a stranger for your snoring, but for your
smoking you have to feel sorry for yourself. Don’t you literally feel like
jumping out of your own skin to do anything to get this out?"
Karan
calmly responds "Sweetie, I will soon start an exercise regime and quit
smoking once we are back from our vacation. We still haven’t settled after marriage.
Please give it time."
Rekha
retorts "Don’t sweetie me. I hate your persuasive qualities when it’s to
seek an excuse". She then turns to the window to continue gazing. The
train halts at a station and Karan steps out for a break.
After
a brief 5 mins stop at an important junction, the train picks up speed. Karan
wouldn’t have returned. Rekha would think - After all her advice he had
possibly gone on a smoke break. Habits stay! He is probably giving time for the
odor to fade before getting back to berth. Rekha decides to give a good 15
mins. But Karan wouldn’t be back yet. She hastily runs to the 2 doors on either
sides of the compartment to find Karan nowhere. Rekha panics. She wouldn’t know
to gauge her next move. She could have called him on the mobile but Karan
pursed his mobile with her a while back since these days mobile phones fight to
cram into small jeans pockets.
The
next station was away by an hour and half. Rekha sits perplexed. All her
co-passengers were deep asleep. Unentertained thoughts disturb her.
Did
he get down and miss the train? Or did he slip while standing at the door-way?
Did
Karan bring her all the way to ditch? She was in a relationship with him -
mentally and physically - she was totally into the marriage. Was she taken for
a ride?
Her
salty tears rain her imaginations and thoughts. Her kohl leaves its place; the
eyeliner smears across; lip shade shadows.
She
could do nothing but wait for the next station to get down, inform the station
cops and gather Karan's where-about. The gloomy dark minutes feel everlasting.
Breathing hard against the gushing air through the window, she looks into the
darkness. The train seemed to be travelling in a narrow deserted area as was
her life at the moment.
She
looks at the watch. She could see distant lights from the nearby station
platform. She gathers her bags to step out. Her final thoughts - Was she
deceived? Did Karan like her at all?
Even
before the station approaches, she sees Karan hurrying towards her from the
compartment entrance. With his usual wit, he asks Rekha - "You thought I don’t
like you?" - as if her thoughts were heard. He adds soon - "Yes, I
don’t like you, I love you". "The last few mins of tacit separation
was unbearable. I had stepped out in the previous station, as you guessed, for
a smoke. But I changed my mind and went to buy bananas instead, not to turn
down your advice. By the time I could reach back the platform, the train sped.
I tried calling your mobile, but was out of coverage. Instead of wasting time,
I ran out to hire a taxi and reached the next station to come back to you at
the earliest. Sorry for leaving you under fright, Sweetie."
Rekha
could not hide her tears. She feels the gleam of warm sun though it was still
mid-night. Saying “Don’t sweetie me, she hugs him passionately. After a while
of cuddling, they retire to their berths. Rekha could not catch sleep. She was
still not out of shock. She could see few flickering lights from a distant
corner from across the window. Other than the sound from the tracks, it is eerily
silent. Soon a slight snore fills the atmosphere. Rekha is comforted by the
familiar noise and retires to sleep peacefully!!!!
----
All
stories have an ending, but this one does not! For this is not a story, just
LOVE all the way!!!
