(Based on a true incident : As described by a very close friend)
Time.....as we say, is ever-fleeting. And yes, a kindergarten kid can tell you that 2 days does not have just 9 hours. But sometimes 9 hours is all you can get out of these 2 days.
Those of you having knowledge about cricket, or having watched it will find it easy to understand. Many a times we keep on hearing terms like “he is playing the innings of his life”, “it is a defining moment in his playing career” etc. So also people have this defining moment in their lives, they have this time of their lives. Sometimes this singular moment of joy lights up their lives, just like a blazing firecracker lights up the night sky. But then, the firecracker produces temporary brilliance, while this joyous moment sometimes stays in our memory for ever.
It has been heard a thousand times that many scientific inventions happened when the scientist was just about to give up on it. And in real life also, two people can come closer or become special, just when they would be thinking of giving up on the other. Might be, a tough start makes for a pleasant finish.
Circa 2011. Time machine has still not been invented....and yes, time travel only looks good in books and journals. So as has been the trend since ages, time travels at its regular pace of 60 seconds per minute. But the only time I had in mind was 5:30 PM, the time for bidding goodbye.
It all began with their first meeting.CCD it was. She had been waiting for some time. She was concerned about him being able to find his way, as he was new to the city. She called him up regularly and guided him. He liked it a lot (honest confession). It was pretty hot and humid outside. But he could not care any less for the heat outside. His nervousness was pretty evident (this was his first ever date with a girl....errr I mean as friends only or otherwise). The entry was not a grand one. Obviously no one expected maple leaves falling around or violins playing. Well, just 2 strangers were meeting for the first time (at least the lady thought so).
She was dressed in black. He was in yellow. She looked very pretty in black. He was all sweaty. The first time he saw her; there were 2 things that stood out, her eyes and her smile. Then they gradually settled down and felt comfortable in each other’s company (or so it appeared). They had chatted a lot before on facebook, and knew a thing or two about each other. The best thing he liked about her was her smartness. She was so different from the other girls, so smart and so spontaneous. There was never a dull moment when she was around. Her smile lit up the surroundings. And yes, the best thing about her was her lovely eyes. They were shapely, big and very expressive. It appeared as if she spoke through them. And all this while, he spoke to them only.
She said she had time till 4 PM only. And halfway through the conversation, he found it so interesting that he requested her to extend it a bit. She agreed till 5:30 PM. The weather outside was very nice, so he asked her if they could take a walk together. She was a bit reluctant for the same. But her reason for turning it down was fully justified, and he too willingly accepted it. Then the conversation went on till the end, and it was time to leave. They split the bill (this gesture of her, which was so much different from other girls made him respect her 10 times over). And this respect still stays.
They both had to go in the same direction. So they could travel together, although for a very short time. This was where the phrase “short and sweet” makes complete sense. After a short while she had to get down and leave. It was one of the few occasions where you pray for a traffic jam, so that you can have a few more minutes together with someone. Before she got down, he thanked her for making his day so special and beautiful. Indeed it was special and beautiful, like we wish our first time at everything is. Anyways, special people can make simple things special.....so no big deal.
What happened to her after she reached home.....only she knows. As per her claims that she is a bit cold and indifferent, she did not think about the meeting at all. But what happened to him.....well as he says, her eyes kept on following him. The poor guy had no chance at all. They both were leaving on the same day (Sunday the 12th), although to different places. One was to start a new journey, and the other to continue with one that started last year. The guy had gone to his native places for 3 days, after they first met. For him, leaving on 12th without seeing her again seemed a bit strange. There was a feeling of leaving something behind, and a sense of incompleteness. After not receiving a call from her for a long time, he decided to call her up and ask her out once again. She gracefully agreed to meet again (may be as they say in hindi “sirf kisika dil rakhne ke liye”). And so they met once again.
The guy always felt a strange connect with her. He could be himself infront of her...he could express himself without inhibition, and always felt at ease. He believed in telling everything honestly to her...whatever he felt and what he had gone through in his past. It was like he had been searching someone like this for a long time. Someone who could give him all the reasons to be himself...and be happy every second they spent together. True, the guy had some difficulty in understanding some indirect talks and some gtalks that she made, but he made every sincere effort to understand them. Time was running as fast as a faulty taxi meter. He just wished it slowed down a bit.
The guy was good at convincing people (or so he thought), and you could never catch him short of words. But then strange things do happen, and it did happen. With her around, he seemed lost (was it her eyes or something, that only he knows). He seemed not to remember many things. And he was constantly short of words like the Chennai auto drivers are short of change. May be that he intentionally wanted her to understand what he felt without the usage of words. Else language has still not evolved that much to put feelings into words.
He said he was scared of her. He was lying. He was not scared of her, he was just scared of losing her. He valued her smile a lot. He always wanted her to keep smiling. He never wanted her to be hurt due to any of his actions. But one thing he silently promised himself was that he would never hurt her or break her trust. He was not sure if she would meet him again. So he did not want to waste a single microsecond while she was there. And yes, he likes her all the more for her particular comment about him being obese – “chocolates jyada khate ho...isiliye figure aisa hai”. No one said this thing to him so sweetly. And he did not mind this a bit. He decided to cut down on chocolates though.
Away she went in an auto, after taking 10 minutes to cross the busy road. Ask that guy, how it feels like crossing a busy road to get to the other side, when you do not intend to go that way. I guess his smile (or blushing, as frequently pointed out by that girl), will answer that question. She is very excited to begin her new journey. He is also happy for her, and wishes the best for her, though he never told her this thing like many other things. Maybe he just wants things to be the way they already are. Another reason for him being happy is that he is travelling by train and not taking a flight. He would have been charged for excess baggage for the flight journey. The weight of the special memories he is taking along with him do weigh a lot."Memories play a very strange role in our lives. They make us laugh when we remember the times we cried together, and make us cry when we remember the times we laughed together. But sometimes memories are all that is left when people go away."
I think it’s time to conclude, lest it becomes too boring. Madam, you have given this guy plenty of sweet memories, including many first time in life stuff. For all this he just wants to thank you from the bottom of his heart. Wish you all the best for everything in life. Hope to meet you someday in the future.
CAST : My friends IPI and BABU.
