He looked out his cab window in the darkness. There was something familiar about the roads, even in the darkness. It suddenly started drizzling. A drop of rain fell on his spectacles and started making its way down to the rim. As the layer of water washed down his sight, the outside world seemed to change. He felt as if he was back.
It was drizzling that night too. He wasn’t in a cab but getting drenched in the rain. Rain drops lashed against his face as he drove his bike at full speed. But he didn’t care. Not today. Not now. A red signal, a policeman’s whistle, an overturned car. Normally he would have stopped or at least slowed down. But not today, not now.
He reached at around 10:05 PM. He just dropped his bike and ran into the station. The train was already on the platform. He looked frantically from left to right, up and down the platform. In the train, on the benches, in the stalls. Searching everywhere for a trace of her jet black hair. She was no where to be found. He started asking people in the train, the coolies, the vendors. But of no use. A shrill whistle and the train starting moving. Slowly at first but soon picked up speed and disappeared in the darkness.
He had lost her. Maybe she hadn’t left. Maybe she was still there. Like all those Hindi movies, she would be standing there on the platform, giving her beautiful smile. Waiting for him. But there was no one there. He started going back. Alone.
Ting Ting Ting – Bangalore se Mumbai jaane waali express train platform kramank 3 par aayegi. Bangalore Mumbai Express is arriving on platform number 3.
He ran towards the stairs. Up the stairs, across the tracks and down the other side. By the time he reached the platform, he was out of breath and barely standing up. He strained his head up and tried to find her in that crowd. People had started moving towards the track as the train made its way. Just then he saw someone on the bench, as the biscuit vendor parked his stall in front of it. He ran towards the stall, hoping that its her – he saw a red suitcase, then a green salwar and finally her jet black hair. He had made it.
It almost seems as if it was yesterday. The rain had stopped as quietly as it had come. So did the cab. He had reached the hotel. She asked, “Are you okay? You seem a bit lost”. “Yeah I am fine. Just a bit nostalgic”. She kept her head on his shoulder as he kissed her on her forehead. A bang of golden brown hair tickled his nose as he did so. They took their red Samsonites from the boot and went into the hotel.
