A simple yet profound tale of romance, oops…LOVE !

He appeared very calm but the circumstance under which I am forced me to think otherwise. I began to walk backwards and took out my phone and posed myself like I was trying to call someone. I made sure there was no eye contact with Mr X. I felt proud of my acting skills. After all, I was the one who enacted the role of a spoilt guy in our school drama! Damn! He entered the tea stall besides me and ordered something. Phew! I laughed at myself for cooking up a story that would have led to a silly scene there. I laughed at myself. By then, Mr X was holding two cups of hot tea towards his wife and they both were having a savouring talk over it.

Hardly few minutes later the trained arrived. I got a seat exactly the opposite to theirs. They were busy chit chatting and seemed to be oblivious to their surroundings. After about half an hour Mr X took out his phone, plugged the headset and shared the ear plugs with his wife. They seemed to be happy in their own way, holding each other’ hand. And I ventured into daydreaming, holding my non-existent girlfriend’s hands! The daydreaming saga ended up when I alighted at Bandra. While the return journey that evening I tried to spot them but in vain.

The next day too we were in the same compartment but none of us couldn’t get a seat. Thanks to high influx of passengers from the starting stations like Panvel itself! By the time we passed a few stations, I saw them having their seats. I could have sit at a vacant seat nearby me but I chose to stand so that I could watched their activity as they were at a reasonable distance from me.

After a brisk talk, Mr X took out a newspaper while Mrs X took out a ball of charming red wool and began to knit something out of it graciously. I couldn’t figure out what and for whom she was knitting it for. They were speaking briefly in between all this and had their occasional laughs. I wonder what these couple had to talk about which never had an end!

The next few days went on in a similar fashion with me literally observing every move of them. I felt I was breaching the right of privacy but still I fancied them and deep in my craved for a similar life partner in the near future.

By this time I realised she was knitting a marvellous sweater for her husband. The chest portion was complete and see seemed to be very much elated that day. After 2 days, I saw the sweater getting its left sleeve.

The next day I waited for them at the station but couldn’t sight them. I felt bad that day because Sundays were the only excuse that wouldn’t let me see them for that one hour, daily !

That day, my travel to Bandra went in the most conventional way; sleeping! Throughout my college hours I was hell bent on elucidating a valid point that would act as a reason why they didn’t turn up today. I began trying to do something out of the box i.e. listening to the professor’s lecture with full vigour!

The day went on a silent note. Even the following day, I couldn’t have a glimpse of them. By now, I was getting more and more frustrated. I began frantically searching them throughout the station. Something inside me told me that I had created an unusual bond with them which probably had to come to an end. The continuous absence of them from my life for the subsequent weeks made me almost forget about them. But whenever I tune into any romantic song, those were the two people who would unknowingly come into my mind.

It was one of those chilling December morning; I was alighting down to the rail platform from the overhead bridge rubbing my hands persistently. To my utter pleasure I saw a face which was quite familiar to me but this time he was scrolling on his phone. I ran with full vigour towards him.

NOW IT WAS TIME TO REVEAL THE ENIGMA CALLED MR X !

(To be continued)