~`Door ya Paas - part 2`~

Continuation from part 1 : Feedbacks and Comments are most welcome!

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She was excited. After more than 6 months she was going to her home, in Chennai, to meet her parents and spend some days with them. A much needed break for her from her work at Delhi. She boarded the Grand trunk Express in Delhi station. She looked at the time - 6.15pm. She was well ahead of the scheduled departure which is at 6.45pm. She settled her luggage in her compartment, and put her handbag in her berth 27, upper berth. She settled down in her place in lower berth, when she saw him. A tall handsome guy entered her bogie and was slowly approaching towards her. He was looking for his seat.

He was slightly fair and had a cute face wearing a normal black t-shirt and jeans. On first glance, he looked like one of those very serious guys who mind their own business and don’t stand any nonsense.

A chill ran down her spine the moment she saw him. She had never felt like this before seeing anyone. She got up and went into the other side of the bogie. She looked at herself in the mirror near the door and was upset with herself. She wasn’t looking good at all. Till now she had never been bothered about her looks whenever she travelled, be it long journeys or short. She always believed that it’s better not to look good or even nice during such travels to avoid any unnecessary problem. One look at her and no one would bother. She even chooses to wear dresses which are very lose and shabby.

But today for the 1st time she felt she had taken some care to look better!

Someone entered the bogie and asked her to move breaking her thoughts. Then she realized, what’s happening to her. Why should she be bothered about how that guy should think about her? She felt like she was thinking and behaving stupidly! She turned back to see where that guy was. He was nowhere to be seen. She laughed at herself for being stupid seeing one guy and went towards her place. The moment she entered her compartment, she saw him sitting near the window seat. She didn’t know what to do. Before she could realize, someone tapped on her shoulders. She looked back to see one family, consisting of a father, mother holding a small girl child(around 1 n half year old), 1 grandpa,1 grandma and one 5year old son entering her compartment along with huge luggages. She quickly sat in her place to give them space.

After sometime, which felt like ages to her, the family finally settled down in their compartment. She tried to avoid seeing the guy who was sitting diagonally to her. Instead she tried to concentrate on what the family was doing. Father and Grandfather were arguing about something, the mother was trying to make the small kid sleep and grandmother was fretting over some pain in her leg. The 5 year old son was in his own world, sitting in the window seat.

The train whistled indicating the start of the long journey to Chennai and everyone in the compartment got into their own place. The guy got up from the window seat and sat right opposite to her. She felt a bit nervous. To avoid behaving stupidly, she got up and took her handbag from her berth. She took a book out of it and started to read (or rather act like she’s reading).

In sometime, the family in her compartment wanted to have dinner and asked both of them if they could give some space. Knowing the commotion and confusions and fuss, a family creates while eating, she quietly got up and went to her berth. Soon the guy followed suit and got into his berth, berth 30 - upper berth, right opposite to hers.

She opened her Tiffin set and quickly had her dinner but was conscious of him sitting right opposite to her. She avoided looking at him.

Soon it was 9pm and everyone in the train was ready to go to sleep.

She also lied down with her back towards the guy’s direction to avoid seeing him. She contemplated on why she was behaving like this. She felt like her mind and heart were fighting within her!

She liked him. One look at him had made her go crazy but then she wasn’t the one who believed in “Love at First Sight” .She had never sighted a guy and had never understood what pleasure her friends used to get by talking about guys during her college days and even in office. She had always believed that relationships can only be made and worked at and not due to some destiny or fate. But for such a strong-minded girl that she is, one look at a guy and what was happening to her.

All these thoughts inside her mind were making her go crazy and finally she let her mind prevail over her heart that she was thinking and acting stupidly. She had no clue about this guy, he might even be married. She just had to ignore him for one day and that she should think about the next 10 days that she is going to spend with her family!

And thinking about all these, she slept off!

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He reached his bogie. He was early for the first time in his life. It had always been a close call on catching trains. But he made sure this time he didn’t miss the train by reaching the station at 6.30 itself.else his mother would come all the way to Delhi to scold him. For past 6 months he hadn’t gone home. Finally he got leave from his hectic work. He had already planned on how to spend the next 10 days in Chennai (mostly outside home much to his mother’s dislike!)

He entered his bogie and was looking for his seat when he saw her walking in opposite direction. Even though she wasn’t facing him but for some reason he wanted to see her face. But she walked away. He found his seat, berth 30 - upper berth, settled his luggage’s. He sat in the window seat looking forward for a long journey in Grand Trunk Express to Chennai and hoping that there would be no kids in his compartment!

He had just thought about it when he saw the same girl entering his compartment. His joy knew no bounds but they were right short-lived when right behind her one huge family! A typical Indian family, a serious and short tempered father trying to give instructions to all at the same time, a hassled mother who didn’t know whom to listen to(her shouting husband, her in-laws, her nagging 5 year old son or wailing 1n half year old daughter).

The moment he saw them he got completely upset saying to himself - “there goes my peaceful train journey!” One consolation was her, who was sitting diagonally opposite to him. She wasn’t a smashing beauty but yes she was very pretty, having curly hair and was wearing a long and loose kurti and jeans.

She was looking here and there in all directions except his. He wondered why? Wasn’t he looking good? His friends always teased him that he made girls turn back and see him and here was one girl who wasn’t even looking at him! But then he was surprised at himself. He had never bothered about who looked at him or what his friends said. He himself looked rarely at any girl. And here he was actually observing a girl!

Finally the noisy family settled down. Soon the train started moving too.

He got up from his place in window seat as he didn’t want to get squeezed within the family and sat opposite to her. She looked restless. He wondered why. She took a book and started reading.

He kept looking here and there wondering what to do. Soon the family told that they were going to have dinner and he knew that it was better to go to his own berth. This was the reason he always chose upper berth! He saw her getting into the upper berth opposite to him. “Wow” he thought! He also got into his berth.

He also decided to eat and saw that she was also opening her Tiffin set but she never looked at him even once. He was surprised. He quickly ate and settled down to sleep. Everyone in the bogie was all set to sleep. She still hadn’t looked in his direction.

He got confused at himself. Why was he bothered if she hadn’t looked at him! He had met many girls in general but never bothered on how they look or if they were looking at him. His friends would always keep pointing to some or other girl but he had never been bothered. But now he was concerned that she wasn’t even looking at him. She looked like a strong willed girl and not someone who gets scared.

He had always been a guy who minded his own business and never created a menace anywhere especially with girls. He couldn’t understand how his friends could fall in love with each and every girl they look at or meet. His definition of love and relationships were completely different. He believed more in arranged marriages where couples grow to like and love each other as they trust each other. He had seen many of his friend’s marriages crumple in a very short span of love marriages and his opinions on arranged marriages were more strengthened.

Thinking about all that he wondered what was wrong with him now. He was actually thinking about a complete stranger in front of him, whom - yes he thinks beautiful - and is concerned that she is not looking at him! He should not look at her too!

He turned to look at her once again and then told himself to stop thinking stupidly. She is a stranger and he won’t meet her after this. Why should he even be bothered? He should try to enjoy the next 36 hours of journey, despite her and the family who were in his compartment, and think about his holidays.

And thinking about all these, he slept off.

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DISCLAIMER: The story is entirely fictional and any characters or events having any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental and unintentional.

Comments

Rajlakshmi said…
waah story aage bari hai :P .. techinically peeche ja rahi hai :P
interested... now where's the third part :d waitinggggg :D

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