5th February 2009: It was around 5pm. I was sleeping, which is the only thing that I have excelled through during my engineering. Suddenly, my sleep was interrupted by ‘korbo lorbo jeetbo re’, which is my mobile’s ring tone, which is also the theme song of Saurav Ganguly led Knight Riders cricket Team.
I saw the screen, it was flashing Pankaj’s name. ‘Can’t even let me sleep soundly’, echoed somewhere inside my head.
“Hello”, I picked the call clumsily.
“Hi.. What were you doing?”, answered the caller.
“Hmm.. obviously, what you can make out of my voice. I was sleeping. Anyways, yeah, say what is it.?”
“Hmm.. Aur kuch to hota nahi tere se, sone ke alawa”, he replied, “Anyways, tell me are you free on 9th February?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I am coming to Kanpur on 9th and shall stay overnight. I have to attend a marriage in Lucknow on 11th, so just wanted to meet you”.
“Hmm.. Let me see. 9th is Monday and 10th Tuesday. Sure. Come I shall bunk my college and we will have a blast.”
“Ok done. Bye”.
“Bye.”
9th February 2009: My watch was ticking 8 pm. I rang Pankaj, “Where are you?”.
“Just reached Railway Station, on platform 5”.
“Fine. Wait there. I shall be there in 2 minutes. I am on platform 1”.
I rushed to platform 5 and quickly found him. After all, my pair of eyes, behind the pair of fiber eyes works quite efficiently.
“Hi. How was the journey?”, I asked.
“Great. Lost my Apple iPod somewhere in the train”.
“Fantastic. This couldn’t have been better. And stop calling that stupid mp3 player your Apple iPod.”
We then went to a restaurant and had some dinner. The cuisine was our common favorite -> Butter Chicken. After having an overdose of the stuffs, we made the payment and we left for my room.
It was nearing 10 pm now. In half an hour both of us were at my room.
“Chal, now let’s make our self comfortable and let me show you what I have brought exclusively for you.”, said Pankaj.
“Hmm… take it out.”, I asked him, setting the bed for both of us.
Within 5 more minutes, we were in our quilts and he held his ream of writings and some photographs, which he had brought to show me.
Then we started to discuss his writings and the stuffs. It had a description about Kalpana. Now don’t expect me to write who Kalpana is. Better contact Pankaj and ask him. ;)
He also showed me the photos of his college group and his buddies, with a detailed description of each. He masters the art of making description.
The clock was now showing 1 am.
But who cares. After all, we are engineers.
“Aren’t you tired?”, I asked him.
“Hmm.. It is better to talk than sleep right now. We have met after a long time.”
And our experienced talks continued till 4 am. I remember till this instant, after that I have no idea when the two of us slept.
Next morning: “Uth be, 9 baj gaya”, I kicked him, “Gosh, quickly get ready.”
“Yup. We have to go to IIT to meet Sanyam too, and then I have to leave in the afternoon.”, he said.
“So, get up na.”
We were ready in half an hour and were munching our breakfast in no time.
At 10 am, we left for IIT from my room and reached there in another 30 minutes. We reached Sanyam’s room and he was waiting for us as I had already informed him about our arrival.
“Where is my book?”, Sanyam threw a question right in my face as I entered his room.
“Shit, I forgot again.”, I replied.
I had to give him a book entitled “Anything for you ma’am” by Tushar Raheja. He is quite desperate to read it, after he completed Chetan Bhagat. These IITians have no work other than writing exaggerated stories. After all how such a trail of co-incidences can follow. I seriously doubt.
“Next time. Promise”, said I.
“Leave it, have this chocolate”, Pankaj offered a chocolate to Sanyam.
“Good, now you offer chocolates to guys also. ”, said I, followed by a burst of laughter by all three.
Then, we spent nearly 2 hours at Sanyam’s room searcing to a video by Corrs, but in vain and it was now time for Pankaj to leave.
After, both Pankaj and Sanyam bid adieu to each other we left from there back. We had some lunch at another restaurant and then back to my room.
Next, at around 2 pm, we left from my room towards the bus stand as now Pankaj had to board a bus to Lucknow. I dropped him at the bus stand and then after bidding bye to each other, I left back for my room and he stepped inside the bus.
I was returning back with a helmet on my head and some nice thoughts of the last 16 hours inside my head.
Really, I miss my friends. But, now life will keep us further away, as time passes, but our hearts will be drawn closer.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Unexpected
It was a winter evening. I was at home enjoying my vacations. My watch was ticking 5 pm. I took my car and went out as I had an appointment with a doctor. My flu was bad.
I sat in the driving seat, had to go alone, slid the key in the key hole and switched the engine on. The car started with a usual hum. I geared it and moved.
As I reached the main road out of the lane, I saw a friend of mine standing with a little sweet girl. The girl must be around 6-7 years of age. I stopped by my friend and asked him, who the kid was. He replied, “She is my Uncle’s daughter. Can you leave her at the Court Crossroads?”
“Sure”, said I. Then, after having a little chat with my friend, I left, as I was getting late for the doctor.
I took the girl with me, and asked her to sit in the seat next to me. She was an amazing kid. She was outstandingly beautiful with immense innocence on her face. I haven’t seen any such a cute kid all my life. I asked her name. “I don’t know”, she replied. I was shocked to hear such an answer from her. My friend’s known person, and at an age of around 7 years she must at least know her name.
Till then, I had reached the Court Crossroads and I asked the girl to get down and where did she have to go now?
“I had to go to Patel Chowk”, she replied. “What? But your Rahul bhaiya said you have to go to Court Crossroads”, I asked her in surprise.
“Who is Rahul bhaiya?”
“Kiddo the guy with whom you were standing when I picked you up.”
“I don’t know him. I met him right there.”
“Whoa. What is that?”, I asked myself. “What is this? Aren’t you his uncle’s daughter?”, I asked her.
“Nope.”
I rang my friend Rahul to I asked him who the girl is. My head was gazing in a turn moil as to what was happening. I had least idea. The phone was out of range. Now, I wasn’t surprised at this. After such a long trail of strange events, this was bound to happen.
“So, fine. Now, tell me who are you? Where are you parents and where do you live? ”, I asked the girl.
“I am an orphan and I live at an orphanage called Krishna Orphanage at the Patel Chowk.”, she replied.
‘Holy Heavens.!!!!!! Such a beautiful creation of the Almighty lives in an orphanage and still she has her natural glow and a face that could keep any human spell bounded. If the other living forms of life other than humans can feel the beauty of God, then they too must be left captivated by a single look at that kid.’
I was thinking as to what should I do now? I ask her to sit back in the car and I started to drive not knowing where to head. I was still not completely in my senses as to what has happened in just an hour.
“Fine. Listen kiddo, Patel Chowk is bit far from here. So let me complete my appointment with the doctor, and then I’ll take you there”.
“Ok. As you say.”
I left the girl in the car and bought her a burger presuming she might be hungry. “Have this kiddo, till I come back.”, I said giving her the burger and then I went into the doctor’s clinic.
Waiting for my turn, I rang my friend again. This time the call connected.
“Hello?”, said an unfamiliar voice. “Rahul, is it you?”, I asked. “No, wrong number”, and the call was hung up.
“What the hell Is this happening”, my head ache was soaring badly uptil now.
After having the diagnosis done with the doctor, I went to the parking to my car. And to my horrors, the car’s window panes were broken, and the girl was nowhere. I looked around, but there was no one.
The degree of my amazement went high up.
I immediately drove to Patel Chowk at a ravishing speed, and started to inquire about the Krishna Orphanage, but there was no such orphanage to be found. Infact, the whole area had not even a single orphanage. The amazement degree went further high up.
I sat back in my car with my head down on the steering wheel, trying to fix things up running through the neurons inside my brain and correlate the things, but all in vain. I didn’t draw anything out.
“Arpit, Arpit. Get up.”, I heard a hoarse voice.
“Arpit. Uth be. Jogging par nahi chalna kya…”, I got up. I looked around. I had been dreaming. I looked at my table clock. It was 6 am. My room partner was calling me, for the morning jog.
I quickly brushed, answered the call of the nature and got ready in the track suit.
We left for our morning task, but I was constantly thinking about my dream.
I sat in the driving seat, had to go alone, slid the key in the key hole and switched the engine on. The car started with a usual hum. I geared it and moved.
As I reached the main road out of the lane, I saw a friend of mine standing with a little sweet girl. The girl must be around 6-7 years of age. I stopped by my friend and asked him, who the kid was. He replied, “She is my Uncle’s daughter. Can you leave her at the Court Crossroads?”
“Sure”, said I. Then, after having a little chat with my friend, I left, as I was getting late for the doctor.
I took the girl with me, and asked her to sit in the seat next to me. She was an amazing kid. She was outstandingly beautiful with immense innocence on her face. I haven’t seen any such a cute kid all my life. I asked her name. “I don’t know”, she replied. I was shocked to hear such an answer from her. My friend’s known person, and at an age of around 7 years she must at least know her name.
Till then, I had reached the Court Crossroads and I asked the girl to get down and where did she have to go now?
“I had to go to Patel Chowk”, she replied. “What? But your Rahul bhaiya said you have to go to Court Crossroads”, I asked her in surprise.
“Who is Rahul bhaiya?”
“Kiddo the guy with whom you were standing when I picked you up.”
“I don’t know him. I met him right there.”
“Whoa. What is that?”, I asked myself. “What is this? Aren’t you his uncle’s daughter?”, I asked her.
“Nope.”
I rang my friend Rahul to I asked him who the girl is. My head was gazing in a turn moil as to what was happening. I had least idea. The phone was out of range. Now, I wasn’t surprised at this. After such a long trail of strange events, this was bound to happen.
“So, fine. Now, tell me who are you? Where are you parents and where do you live? ”, I asked the girl.
“I am an orphan and I live at an orphanage called Krishna Orphanage at the Patel Chowk.”, she replied.
‘Holy Heavens.!!!!!! Such a beautiful creation of the Almighty lives in an orphanage and still she has her natural glow and a face that could keep any human spell bounded. If the other living forms of life other than humans can feel the beauty of God, then they too must be left captivated by a single look at that kid.’
I was thinking as to what should I do now? I ask her to sit back in the car and I started to drive not knowing where to head. I was still not completely in my senses as to what has happened in just an hour.
“Fine. Listen kiddo, Patel Chowk is bit far from here. So let me complete my appointment with the doctor, and then I’ll take you there”.
“Ok. As you say.”
I left the girl in the car and bought her a burger presuming she might be hungry. “Have this kiddo, till I come back.”, I said giving her the burger and then I went into the doctor’s clinic.
Waiting for my turn, I rang my friend again. This time the call connected.
“Hello?”, said an unfamiliar voice. “Rahul, is it you?”, I asked. “No, wrong number”, and the call was hung up.
“What the hell Is this happening”, my head ache was soaring badly uptil now.
After having the diagnosis done with the doctor, I went to the parking to my car. And to my horrors, the car’s window panes were broken, and the girl was nowhere. I looked around, but there was no one.
The degree of my amazement went high up.
I immediately drove to Patel Chowk at a ravishing speed, and started to inquire about the Krishna Orphanage, but there was no such orphanage to be found. Infact, the whole area had not even a single orphanage. The amazement degree went further high up.
I sat back in my car with my head down on the steering wheel, trying to fix things up running through the neurons inside my brain and correlate the things, but all in vain. I didn’t draw anything out.
“Arpit, Arpit. Get up.”, I heard a hoarse voice.
“Arpit. Uth be. Jogging par nahi chalna kya…”, I got up. I looked around. I had been dreaming. I looked at my table clock. It was 6 am. My room partner was calling me, for the morning jog.
I quickly brushed, answered the call of the nature and got ready in the track suit.
We left for our morning task, but I was constantly thinking about my dream.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)