The Girl Next Seat

It was 4.30 in the morning.  The winter had already set in.  There was chill in the air.  I was enjoying a cup of steaming hot tea with my friend Vijay (name changed intentionally) in the railway station at Ahmedabad.  We were travelling to Mumbai by Karnavati Express.  We boarded the train just before it pulled out of Ahmedabad Junction.  The reservation compartment was not very crowded.  Tea vendors were moving back and forth in the compartment.  Cool breeze was blowing through the window, and we could see the first rays of the sun appearing at the horizon.  

Two hours later the train halted at Vadodara.  Two girls boarded the train and occupied the seats diagonally opposite to us.  One of them appeared to be around 20 years of age and the other a couple of years younger.  The younger one was calling the other ‘Didi’, so we assumed that they were sisters.  Initially we didn’t pay attention to them.  After a while we started noticing them.  In fact, Vijay started noticing them more keenly.  The elder one appeared to be calm, composed, and balanced, whereas the younger one was chirpy and naughty.  After some time, the elder girl took out a tiffin box from her bag, pulled out paper plates and served breakfast to her sister.  She helped herself too.   Vijay was getting impressed by the nature and mannerisms of that girl.  He kept looking at them continuously.  When I told him, ‘Don’t stare at them’, he turned his face.  But he couldn’t control and kept looking at her.  Those girls never paid attention to us.  After breakfast, the elder girl started reading a book and the younger one got busy playing video game. 

I too started reading a magazine, which I had bought from the railway platform.  After some time, I asked Vijay, ‘What happened?’.  He said, ‘Yaar, there is something in that girl that instantly attracted me.  Hope I could know her name’.  ‘Go and ask her’. ‘No, baba, how can I go and talk to her, after all I am a stranger’.  The train was running very fast.  Vijay was continuously looking at her.  Rarely when she turned towards us, he turned his face away.  He appeared smitten by her.  I told him, ‘Go, introduce yourself and ask her name’.  Still, he was reluctant.  Finally, he made up his mind to talk to her.  As he was about to walk up to her, she got up and went to the washroom.  The train was slowing down to halt at the next station.  As she returned, the train had already reached the platform of Borivali station.  Her sister was restlessly waving to her.  They picked up their bags and got down at Borivali.

We looked at each other.  Vijay said, ‘I should have at least asked her name’, I told him, ‘There is a way to know her name’, ‘How?’, ‘Go near the door and see the reservation chart, from the seat number you can find her name’.  The train was still at the platform.  Before I could finish my sentence Vijay ran towards the door.  I followed him. Yes, the reservation chart was there.  But, the top portion, which included her details was torn by somebody!  The train started moving slowly.  I told Vijay, ‘Keep looking through the window, you may catch a glimpse of her on the platform’!

Few years later, I was waiting for the boarding announcement at Bengaluru airport.  Unexpectedly, I saw Vijay and his family waiting for another flight…………. What? You thought that ‘girl next seat’ in the train was Vijay’s wife?  Not at all.  This is real life, not a Bollywood movie!