It was my last evening in the city. I was departing towards my hometown after a vacation at my maternal grandparents place. My whole family had come to the railway station to bid us farewell. With teary eyes and a heavy heart I boarded the train with my mother and younger brother, which read Howrah Mail. Soon the train departed from the station and I began shifting our luggage to our seats while my mom and brother stood at the gate with the remaining luggage. I dragged the heavy suitcase and was struggling to place it under the seat. Meanwhile, I saw a young boy standing right behind and grinning at me. For a moment I felt like 'instead of helping me with the luggage he's standing there and smiling like an idiot'. But the very next moment I thought to myself that I'm capable enough to handle the situation and also it looked like he needed more help than me.
So very confidently I asked him "Your Seat Is?", to which he replied "SEAT NO. 43". He had the upper berth in the same compartment.
Soon we all got settled in our respective seats. Since it was a long journey of three days, I carried my novel with me and my brother was watching movies on his phone. It was all sorted. While I lay down on my lower berth, I noticed a pair of hairy legs. Gosh, it was HIM! As he saw me making a face after seeing him in shorts with those hairy legs, he felt embarrassed and immediately pulled a blanket to cover himself. I felt like laughing but I controlled myself. He then climbed up to his upper berth. It was night and while everybody was planning to sleep, I decided to read.I was engrossed in reading when someone suddenly switched off the lights. With utter disgust I peeped out to see who it was. And it was HIM again. When our eyes met, he said 'Oh, I'm Sorry' and switched on the lights.Without saying a word, I looked away.
The next morning Mom woke me up saying "Get Up and Have Your Breakfast. It's Already Late." I then got fresh and had my breakfast. After eating, I gathered the trash and headed towards the dustbin. With my hands occupied, I gazed at the door, wondering how to open it. Before I could even try, I saw it opening by itself magically. Since it was a glass door and no one else was visible on the other side, I looked up to find HIM holding the door open for me from the upper berth. As he flashed a bright smile, I looked away and focused on moving ahead. After a while, we were sitting together with our co-passengers and talking.As he got down from his seat, my Mom said, "Come and Sit Beta". My heartbeat rose on realizing that all the seats were occupied except the one beside me. He looked at my face and then said, "No Aunty, I'll just be back from the washroom" and left. I took a sigh of relief and thought to myself 'Itna Bura bhi Nahi Hai'. He returned after an hour, till then everyone was busy among themselves.
Later in the evening everyone was having tea together and chatting, since there was nothing else to do. I and my brother were sitting aloof in the corner seat. On hearing the conversation between Him and my Mom, I came to know that HIS NAME was AAKASH and he was an Engineering student who was on his way to his home in Kolkata for a vacation. I was quietly listening every detail that he mentioned. It was dinner time and as my Mom called out for me, "Naina, khana nikalo", he whispered "Naina". I looked towards him and only then he started singing "Jabse tere Naina mere naino se laage re". Obviously I understood that he took my name, and wasn't singing which he pretended to. But I looked away and he smiled again swiftly.
The next morning we were about to reach our destination. Everyone was ready with their luggage and wishing each other goodbye. The station arrived and everyone got down. In the same way I was standing with my luggage at the gate while my brother was placing them outside. He stood there waiting for us to get down. When my brother took the last luggage and I was almost about to get down, he said, "Bye" and turned around, this time without any smile. With a big smile on my face, I replied, "Bye Aakash" and he turned back immediately in amazement. We said nothing but exchanged smiles which were louder than any words and got down together.
We looked at each other for one last time and thereafter, we moved ahead in different directions towards our respective destinations.
So very confidently I asked him "Your Seat Is?", to which he replied "SEAT NO. 43". He had the upper berth in the same compartment.
Soon we all got settled in our respective seats. Since it was a long journey of three days, I carried my novel with me and my brother was watching movies on his phone. It was all sorted. While I lay down on my lower berth, I noticed a pair of hairy legs. Gosh, it was HIM! As he saw me making a face after seeing him in shorts with those hairy legs, he felt embarrassed and immediately pulled a blanket to cover himself. I felt like laughing but I controlled myself. He then climbed up to his upper berth. It was night and while everybody was planning to sleep, I decided to read.I was engrossed in reading when someone suddenly switched off the lights. With utter disgust I peeped out to see who it was. And it was HIM again. When our eyes met, he said 'Oh, I'm Sorry' and switched on the lights.Without saying a word, I looked away.
The next morning Mom woke me up saying "Get Up and Have Your Breakfast. It's Already Late." I then got fresh and had my breakfast. After eating, I gathered the trash and headed towards the dustbin. With my hands occupied, I gazed at the door, wondering how to open it. Before I could even try, I saw it opening by itself magically. Since it was a glass door and no one else was visible on the other side, I looked up to find HIM holding the door open for me from the upper berth. As he flashed a bright smile, I looked away and focused on moving ahead. After a while, we were sitting together with our co-passengers and talking.As he got down from his seat, my Mom said, "Come and Sit Beta". My heartbeat rose on realizing that all the seats were occupied except the one beside me. He looked at my face and then said, "No Aunty, I'll just be back from the washroom" and left. I took a sigh of relief and thought to myself 'Itna Bura bhi Nahi Hai'. He returned after an hour, till then everyone was busy among themselves.
Later in the evening everyone was having tea together and chatting, since there was nothing else to do. I and my brother were sitting aloof in the corner seat. On hearing the conversation between Him and my Mom, I came to know that HIS NAME was AAKASH and he was an Engineering student who was on his way to his home in Kolkata for a vacation. I was quietly listening every detail that he mentioned. It was dinner time and as my Mom called out for me, "Naina, khana nikalo", he whispered "Naina". I looked towards him and only then he started singing "Jabse tere Naina mere naino se laage re". Obviously I understood that he took my name, and wasn't singing which he pretended to. But I looked away and he smiled again swiftly.
The next morning we were about to reach our destination. Everyone was ready with their luggage and wishing each other goodbye. The station arrived and everyone got down. In the same way I was standing with my luggage at the gate while my brother was placing them outside. He stood there waiting for us to get down. When my brother took the last luggage and I was almost about to get down, he said, "Bye" and turned around, this time without any smile. With a big smile on my face, I replied, "Bye Aakash" and he turned back immediately in amazement. We said nothing but exchanged smiles which were louder than any words and got down together.
We looked at each other for one last time and thereafter, we moved ahead in different directions towards our respective destinations.
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