We often meet in the Metro. She is a young girl of five and twenty. Lovely to look at. Smartly dressed. Western formals. Sometimes elegant Indian ethnic attire. Sometimes casuals. She speaks fluently in English. Is confident. Has an open hearted laugh. A little loud and giggly perhaps but amusing at the same time. How our paths criss-crossed I don't exactly remember. But whenever she meets me she greets me with enthue and we warm up to an animated conversation sooner or later.
She talks of flexi timing, late working hours, busy week days and busier weekends. She has migrated to this strange city of faceless jungle while her parents pine for her in some remote town. I am comfortable with the work load of a 9 to 5 schedule, which is not more and not less, hectic weekends managing a household and getting ready for the next week.
She talks of party hopping, late night outs, rock concerts, hip hops, crunches and salsa. My idea of relaxing is a cosy corner of my hearth dozing off over an absorbing book. She is a regular at the gym. I love my sedentary morning strolls with my pet. She talks of multi dating, hordes of boyfriends and " jolly good ideas of having fun". I am a little aghast. She once told me that she was going steady with someone!!!
The other day I could not resist asking about her beau. She announced that they had parted on mutual agreement but still were friends. I wondered how that was possible. She talks of going abroad and settling down forever. My fiery patriotism binds me to my homeland. She stays alone, has a full time maid on whom she is dependent even for a glass of water. My solace is my family.
As I realize the yawning gap amidst us I stretch my hands to reach out to the other end but fail. Now when she chirps incessantly I just smile which means I accept . We two belong to two different time zones.
Yesterday we met once again. She told me that her dreams had at last come true. She was migrating to another land very soon. I wished her all the very best . As I extended my hand to shake hers the train came to a stop and a sudden rush of crowd pushed me past to deboard. She laughed, gave me a mock salute and got off. Thrown to one corner I craned my neck to spot her for the last time in the deluge of commuters. But she was gone, gone forever. What remained with me was the wisp of a fragrance - her winsome laugh.
