The Collision

We finally got bus later that night and were home together. A casual bye and good night ended our day and we were home.

Our next meeting was less melo dramatic and more of a clash. Her regular bus had not come in time and she was trying to get into the one I usually boarded. I had not seen her standing behind me while getting in the bus and the bus was on the move. As I was boarding the bus, she too was and my bag hit her causing her to fall to the ground. I could not help her but sheepishly smile and apologize. 

Finally she did manage to board the bus and of all the seats she could choose to sit, she came and sat beside me. That probably was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I could not greet her, or even face her. For a moment I thought she might shout at me for pushing her down. I was scared to open my mouth.

After sometime, once we were past the place she spoke. "Hi, Good morning!"

The first word...

Our meeting in itself was not an accident. It happened more than a year ago.

She is working at a place close to my office and used to shuttle like me from my place to office daily. I had not talked to her before but had seen her occasionally in the same bus I used to commute to office. She was actually my friends friend. Every time I had seen her, she used to be with her ear phones on and listening to the songs from the mobile. She was so lost in listening to the songs that she hardly noticed any happenings around.

It was one of those rainy days in Chennai, and I was on the way home from office following a very busy day. The streets were wet and traffic was at its worst. After a long wait enroute, I finally got to my penultimate stop where I got stuck due to lack of transport. I was waving my hands at the passing buses and autos but none would stop. There was none around me and it was getting late.

It was then that a van arrived at the stop. It was enroute to place in the other direction of my home. It was dark and I could hardly make out the person who got out of the van. The van left and slowly my eyes could realize the figure moving towards me. It was her, partly worried and partly relieved, came to me and asked "Late ayidicha??".

The Agony

This was to be the last week she would be with me. She was leaving me. It was not in her hands either. We could blame it on our fate or my inaction. All the while for the past nine months she had been warning me of this. But I enjoyed myself in her company and was willing to take the pain of her absence when she would leave me eventually.

I had a great time with her. There wasn't a thing we had not enjoyed. Every seat in the bus, every tree on the street side, every car that passed us when we were waiting for our bus, every cup of corn we ate and threw roadside, and every song we used to listen could narrate our story.

While I was realizing the harsh truth of her absence starting next week, I did not intend to ruin the week I had with her. I wanted to make the most of the five days I had with her this week. I knew and feel the disappointment in her eyes of having to leave me. I wanted to see her eyes twinkle in happiness till the moment we parted.