"The next station is Rajouri Garden" said the automated announcer. The train which started with not more than a dozen in every coach was now more than filled with people taking help of hand supports which ran in a line along the middle of every coach with advertisements on all three sides of the hanging supports, which said something about a confidence to hold onto the hanging support without worrying about smell from one's armpit.
On one fine day of Indian summer, a guy had boarded a flight bound to Delhi from Mumbai to find him in a string of bad lucks: woke up late, paid hefty amount for taxi, lost his wallet. Amidst heavy luggage he was travelling in metro where he found a sweet girl, spectacled, long haired and ears plugged to her music cell phone, sitting in front of him reading a book on Computer Graphics.
She was gently swaying her head with the rhythm of the song being played on one of the 20 FM channels that Delhi had seen mushrooming over past five years. He got busy, or at least pretended to be busy under Business Week issue of that month that was filled with articles confirming the economy was on the pathway of revival.
"Jhandewaalan Station". A swarm of people filled in. Amongst them were a few old ladies. The guy saw the board above his neighbor's seat- "For Elderly and Physically Handicapped". But when he didn't see him move a muscle, he left his seat and invited the oldest of the lot to have the seat. The old lady smiled and blessed him. Another pair of lips smiled, behind the book of Computer Graphics, but they couldn't be noticed by him. The guy stood in between of the coach holding on to one of those hanging support (after making sure the deo on his armpit was still effective).
It wasn't long enough before the seat besides the girl got vacant at "Ramakrishna Ashram Marg..Station". A couple of guys pounced towards the vacant seat like electrons jump towards a positively changed nucleus. "Hey! Sit here!", said the sweet voice to the benevolent seat-sacrificer. The seat contestants had their face turn orange with frustration and disappointment. "Thanks", he said.
"Hi I am Aman", he said "Thanks for the gesture, Miss .."
"Akshita"
"I have heard that for the first time, beautiful name"
"Hehe Thanks. Your gesture towards that elderly lady was nice too"
He smiled. And both got back to their books. "Next station is Rajeev Chowk. Doors will open on the left. Please mind the gap”
It was easy for a third person to realize that if respective test would have been taken about what the he was reading for last 5 minutes, he would have failed miserably.
She closed the book and took out some class notes. "Hey, can I see that book?, he asked.
"Sure"
"I had been through this book".
"Accha, when?"
"About 5 years ago, in my college 2nd year".
"Great, we have this in our 3rd year. I am studying at Amity University"
“Cool”.
“So are you a Software Engineer?”
“No, actually I am pursuing my MBA from IIM Kozhikode, 2nd year would start in June. Before that, I worked for two years after my graduation, though nothing related to engineering”
“Great, IIM! I will be taking CAT this year, but those percentiles in 90s are a distant dream for me”
“Hmmm..So you have MBA aspirations because of a personal choice or just following the herd like me?”
She smiled “Maybe the latter”.
He smiled back “Then maybe you need not do an MBA. I did because I didn’t have any focus of what to ahead”.
“You are in IIM K and I should believe that you were out of focus. Common! Give me a break!”
“Arre, I am not kidding.”
“Yaya”. They both chuckled
After a pause she spoke again “You were looking miserable when you were boarding this train. What happened?” He told her whatever happened. “That was sure one of those off days”, she smiled. Was it anymore, he wondered.
to be continued....... Part 4
Part 1
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