By the time I and my friend reached the railway station, the train was already there. I went in to S-5 compartment and kept my belongings under my seat.
I looked at the ticket, Charminar express, departure time 6:15pm. Chennai central – Hyderabad Deccan. 790 Km.
I still had some time, so I came out to have a “send off” talk with my friend Ravi.
“Did your parents find a girl for you to marry?”
“Not so far Ravi, I think it will take some time”
“Your uncle’s daughter, how is she?”
“After our families had a misunderstanding over the property, I never saw her again. It’s been a long time. And recently, I heard that she has finished her engineering and currently working for an MNC some where here in Chennai”
“Come on buddy, I see the green signal and yeah the train is moving, get on the train”
I took leave from my friend. The train geared up and was moving fast away from the station. Then I went inside planning to read a book. When I was approaching my seat, I could roughly see a girl seated exactly opposite to my seat.
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I grasped for breath. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was my uncle’s daughter. No…no….she used to be lean and beautiful. Here what I see is not so lean and… yet beautiful. I sat down quietly, hardly believing my own eyes.
Time passed by, my eyes with every blink was trying to confirm her face with my photographic image I had of her. I saw her taking a glance initially over the side by window and slowly towards the people in her visible range. Her eyes halted at each one of the passengers and scanned like Radar. It did halt over me, our eyes met. Her radar eyes completed the scanning and went on to read a book. I could notice her eyes, it had a glow. It was not like other people’s eyes which are completely dried out because of their addiction of staring at the edged boxes, I mean T.V., P.C. and mobiles.
Is it she or some one else? There is a belief that there are seven people with the same face in the world. May be she is one like my uncle’s daughter .What was she reading? I could get a glimpse of the publisher name” JAICO”. She was reading “Discover your destiny” by Robin Sharma. Even I had the same publisher’s book, which I was planning to read. So I took it out and started to act as if I was reading. Just to make sure, that she might not think that I am an illiterate.
Her hair was dark pulled back and combed properly. I really wouldn’t like to describe mine, you could find my hair curled like a sea wave and it was in synchronization with the air coming through the window.
Should I ask her name? I didn’t have the guts to do so. I don’t know why. My heart was beating at a high rate, what if I ask her name, and she turns out to be uncle’s daughter. I would freak out. But what if, she isn’t. Wait, if it is her, she should have recognized me?
It was 9 pm and all were getting ready to get a good night sleep. And she climbed herself to upper berth. She wore a sweater, had a pillow filled with air and a good blanket to keep her warm. I had none. Girls are sensitive. I comforted myself lying in the middle berth. Lights went off.
I couldn’t sleep all night. The cold wind didn’t allow me to. It was hard, my feet was damn cold and I had a headache accompanied, it’s when I sweared to God that I will carry a blanket to keep myself warm on any trip from here on.
It was morning. Destination was fast arriving. All packed their belongings. Train at last was about to halt. I finally took a closer look at her, she was really beautiful.
I got down and started walking towards the second entrance which would lead me to the bus stand.
“Ticket please” the ticket collector. I handed it to him. So finally the journey has come to an end.
“Prabhu”
I turned around. I knew it was her. No it was not her, I mean it was her but it was not her. “Prabhu…..really is it you..wow…what a pleasant surprise, how are you? “I have come to send off one of my friend. Luckily I found you; it’s been a long time. Yeah I need a hug.” She hugged me. Definitely, it was my uncle’s daughter.
A voice interrupted us, “Prabhu”.
We both looked at the direction where the voice has come from. Oh…..God. The girl who was seating opposite to me in the train was right there in front of us, with a book in her hand.
“Prabhu,I think you forgot the book back there ”. I think the girl now should have given a closer look at my uncle’s daughter …. My uncle’s daughter and the girl kept on staring at each other, not believing their own eyes.
“Amazing ! ! ! We are not twins, but we look alike” said my uncle’s daughter to the girl.
I asked the girl from the train, how come she new my name. “It was on your book, Prabhu”. She handed back my book “The Power of the Possible” by Auriela McCarthy.
We all went to a coffee shop near by. Beside the wall of the coffee shop, I saw the advertisement, where two girls having a cup of coffee each. Closely I looked at the girls in the advertisement, they were not alike. And middle of the advertisement, it was written “a lot can happen over a cup of coffee: Café Coffee day”.
So with a cup of coffee, the journey of a new friendship and my first crush has …..Just Began.
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