A Journey with Mr. Gazer

And Virdi this one is for you..... There's just this little thing that happened with me almost 4 years back and which I comfortably forgot until one day me and Virdi talked about it. ************************************************************************ You would know if you have watched this movie "Baaton Baaton Mein'. There's a scene in that movie , where Amol Palekar sees Tina Munim for the first time in a local train. They are fellow passengers in a 9:10 AM local train. They continue meeting each other in the train, he starts painting her picture (in form of a cartoon). In the beginning its just the eye flirting..and aankhon hi aankhon mein ishara..until one of them musters the courage and goes approaches the girl! From there the story kicks on!! ************************************************************************** OK! the bottom line is..people who travel in public transport have a very interesting life! They always meet the same people if they are loyal to one train or bus. When I was pursuing my M.Pharm, me and my best friend travelled in the same 6:10 AM local from Kalyan to Kurla semi-fast train every single day. One who has lived in Bombay can understand the importance of travelling via the same train every single day! These train timings for a Mumbaiyya are like lifelines of every person! People generally dont like missing out on their favourite train! ***************************************************************** The scene: And..I hated missing out on that 6:10 AM local. For the first time in my life, I got to travel in a first class compartment. The price that we paid for getting into a first class was good enough for standing comfortably for 45 minutes coz the ladies compartment was real tiny with a max seating capacity of 15-20 odd ladies! So this ladies compartment had a small window through which a couple of guys and girls can exchange glances! Rightly, this guys compartment was called as "video coach" Now, I must confess, few men who travelled by this first class gents compartment were college goers and some very good looking office goers!! There was this particular guy who caught my attention. The guy was one decent-looking office goer. From his looks he did look like a marathi (not that it mattered). Not very good looking but looked really well mannered. Ironed clothes and a nice briefcase in his hand. Scene before arrival of the train: He also boarded the train at Kalyan and was accompanied by a friend too. Me and my friend. Him and his friend. We had this strange "gazing session'going on for atleast 15 mins prior to the arrival of train. The four of us always stood below this particular clock on platform # 3 near middle class ladies compartment. Scene after getting inside the train: Now, the train arrived and we used to find our way to get inside the train and secure a good seat. Kalyan being the starting point, we could manage and get a comfortable seat if not the window. And who wanted the window seat anyways;) Here is the catch: Both Mr. Gazer and his friend stood at the "small window" that seperated them from the ladies compartment. The men did have enough room to accomodate atleast 35 people. But these guys never bothered to sit! All they did was to stand in that spot, talk to each other, read the morning newspaper and alight! Meanwhile, me and my friend sat exactly opposite to them. Talked a lot. Studied some. On the way: So all the time while we travelled I would see that Mr. Gazer stealthily looked in our direction and the moment I looked, he would shy away! My friend never had the guts to look at any guy;) He would get down at Mulund (A station, mid-way between Kalyan and Kurla). Every day this scene continued for few months!!!! After a while, when one day both of us were standing on the platform, we exchanged some glances. I would just think.."Why doesn't he come and talk"!! But well, when was the last time guys in my life actually got what was on my mind:P ******************************************************************* The problem: Well, if it would have been now..I wouldnt have mind to go and talk to the guy on my own. But, I really was a shy girl once upon a time. And the main problem was, me and my friend were never able to tell out of the two of us, whom he was interested in??? Let me admit, my friend is very pretty and charming..so well, I did not want to just assume things and build castles in the air. This went on for 6 months during which the scene was the same! On the station-in the train-mulund-kurla and back. On our way back home, we never bumped into each other ever!! After a while, we just gave up the possibility of the guy approaching either of us and we thought he was probably married:D ********************************************************************** The scence after: I quit my M.Pharm, as I got a PhD offer then. The day I got my visa, I went to submit my resignation. Unfortunately, I missed my 6:10 local. Needless to say, I felt sad, coz I was flying to US after a short while and lots of things had to be taken care of. I knew we would never see each other later. Back here: I flew to US and time flew too. She is the same friend, who wrote letters to me here. In one of her letters she mentioned "After you were gone, HE approached me in the same train, asking me about you. Since he did not see you with me anymore, he wondered where you were. I told him, that you were no more a Kalyankar..but have flown to US" That was all. Finally, I was convinced that he indeed was looking at me. It was not a figment of my imagination. But, he approached me a little too late. Wish things sometimes happened when you anticipate them to. No wonder, the letter from my friend lit me up but the light slowly diffused and could not reach the place where it first ignited:( Nevertheless, it was a memorable train journey ever. Even now, Kalyan platform # 3 brings back fond memories. I know, I will never ever take that 6:10 train. Sometimes,'Ankhon hi ankhon mein ishara ends up being a mere ishara"