An inspired Fiction……celebrating 50th article on my blog...
Friends and Mumbai is a very rare combination, but
friends in Mumbai are party combination. I really felt that it was the last
time we were together. And adding friend’s girlfriends in this group is….. Speechless.
Coz travelling in harbour line with girls isn’t a tough task and this is the
best part that I like about it. There is no issue if ladies travel with gents
in second class gent’s compartment. An idea that would sound very close to
suicidal if you consider central line and specially western line even in the
non-peak hours. 3 of my diploma friends decided to come to Mumbai with their
girlfriends & fiancés(unlucky man) to witness Ganesh Visarjan an event that
pump adrenaline and faith into even the smallest of the streets.
But she arrived a Day late……
Technically speaking she was roommate of my friends
Fiancé during the entire engineering years until after final year when she
moved to Hyderabad for better career options. Thanks to whatsapp even this
distance didn’t mattered much, In fact to all of us. Still seeing her after so
many year was refreshing. Didn’t knew how.
3 days zoomed by my side. And it was
9th September evening….
The rest had
left earlier in the afternoon to their respective destinations following the Ganesh
visarjan. But she had to stay back. Her train was LTT-Secendrabad Duranto
express scheduled at 22.50 pm in the night from kurla terminus.
We boarded the 9:50 pm CST local from Nerul heading
towards kurla in a local which was relatively empty. We sat on the ends side of
the 2nd class boogie because she wanted to see the view. But even
though it was late we didn’t feel uncomfortable or scared. In other words we
were more comfortable around each other as we sat next to each other closely.
This was what I felt since last evening. We decided
to go South Mumbai on bikes to various places like girgaon Chaupati to see
ganesh Visarjan. Since all my friends had already brought their baggage or pillion
with them I was left to give her company. And trust me it was like an answer to
my prayers. I was totally over the moon and even she was happy to sit on my
super cool hero Honda hunk.
It almost
felt perfect to be in the city you love on your super amazing bike and with one
of the most beautiful and chilled out friend like her. And this unpredictable
monsoon just hypnotises you. Like I had said earlier monsoon doesn’t let you to
stay alone. The light drizzle on an endless Eastern Express Highway is almost
the last thing one can ask for. She was wearing black salwar and everything
matching to it.
“You used to look shorter na? How come you grew up
so tall?” I said.
“kuch bhi.. I am too screwed up to get any better”
she replied.
“I am finding it hard to drive with you sitting
back” I said.
“Why so? Don’t you dare tell me ki mai moti ho gayi
hu” she said while checking herself.
“no no it not you… it basically your flying black
dupatta, your thick dark mascara your black eyes, black bangles and along with
it everything in black in my rear mirror is distracting me” I replied with my
fingers crossed.
“Hmm” she replied casually.
“Anyways I am glad to see all of you here.” I said.
“So am I…. and how am I suppose to answer it….but
actually I am more happy to see you with me” she added.
“Oh ho madam is trying to over smart me???? shyanpatti
k mamle me mai pura mumbaikar hu… you know…BAAP hu mai….BAAP…BAAPPP !!!!!” I shouted
as she busted into loud laughter. It took just 45 minutes to get rid of all the
rust and hesitation. By the time we reached girgam 5 years just seemed to have
vanished.
As we sat on chaupati watching waves after waves of
devotes bringing idols and submerging them I remembered she used to be very
tomboy and chilled out girl. When did she turn into such a beautiful lady?
“How come this happened to you?” I asked her.
“Excuse me?” She asked.
“This… this entire new you” I asked her gesturing my
hand from her head to toe.
“You used to be very casual and roadside kind of rebellious
girl, suddenly I find you more sophisticated, kisi ke Ishq me padh gayi kya?” I
enquired.
“It seems you know very well about it, as if you did
love someone too....” and then she stopped after all my friends were laughing
over this stupid argument.
“maff kar maa” I smiled and replied.
But in this stupid argument something broke in us. A
lock to a deep deep secret locker within our hearts was picked. Although she didn’t
tell but her eyes were truly hiding something. I knew that I have cracked that
code. And even she felt the same as if I was watching my own eyes in mirror. Our
secret was no longer a secret.
And now she is leaving….. again. As we sat next to
each other on the wooden seat starring at each other.
“Stop starring at me.. I feel like a weird witch”
she shouted.
“Are you stop starring at me” I shouted in return.
“No you stop and by the way I wasnt starring at you I
was checking your hair” she replied.
And then somehow something inside me propelled me
and moved me towards her. So I just went with my heart, leaned over and kissed
her on lips. It just simultaneously happened.
“Why? What wrong with my hair?” I asked her as I leaned back on my seat as if
nothing happened.
“No…..nothing… its ok…no problem” she said without
any dramatic reaction.
“Short hair looks good on you” she said as we walked
to kurla terminus from Tilak Nagar station 11.00 in night.
“tu zada tension mat le… seriously it’s ok… no
problem” she reiterated.
“Are you sure ?” I asked her and she nodded yes.
“I am sorry for last night”.
“So am I for tonight” I added.
“Then we are even”.
Her train was already standing on the platform. As
we neared her 3 AC boggie I wanted to hold her back. But it was almost time for
departure….
We stood facing each other on the platform as she
tried to grab my shirt and even pinched me on my stomach as if trying to say
something.
“kisi samajhdar insane ne mujhse kaha tha…. NEVER
LET A GOOD THING PASS” I said.
“chal tu abhi ghar nikal.. It’s getting very late”
she said as if what I said didn’t matter to her at all.
“Why? Abhi time baki hai na??”
But I didn’t realise that her eye were already moist
before I finished my sentence.
And she replied “kyuki Agar tu nahi gaya….. toh mai
nahi ja paungi.”
Inspired
by ‘Aaj jaane ki Zidd na karo’ a song by Fayyaz Hashmi.
