Train Tales (ch-2)

Cucumber

Was I falling? I can't go through that again.

And at this age!!

I came to my room to sleep as I had the train the next day in the evening but like a teenager, I couldn't make my brain stop.

I can imagine what our mornings would be like, all the women in the village would gather to make Galgal pickle like every day and when they see us they would all laugh.

The lines are running in my head.

"Look at those two."

"Do they have any shame? Look at their age."

I opened the device of distraction, my phone, and started the radio.

But it was like the world wanted to say something.

"कुछ रीत जगत की ऐसी है, हर एक सुबह की शाम हुई

तू कौन है, तेरा नाम है क्या, सीता भी यहाँ बदनाम हुई

फिर क्यूँ संसार की बातों से, भीग गये तेरे नयना

कुछ तो लोग कहेंगे, लोगों का काम है कहना"

I sighed and changed to some English channel.

It was so difficult I loved them both. But it felt wrong!

The next day before sunrise something happened which is a matter of belief.

I know I was awake I heard his voice touching my ears with the whisper of my name.

I thought it was my mind playing games.

But maybe he had some more to say and I had some more to hear.

He was there in the air. As I quote, I feel those voices in my ears.

" You loved me with all your heart all these years and you can continue that even with loving him too. You need to move ahead. Don't let this die like me."

His voice still haunts me. It's about one year, I left from there.

I ran away as soon as I woke up. The voice which I had lost and tried to imagine in my brain again and again for so many years when I heard it come alive again I was shaken.

I never got to tell him about how I felt. I never got to take the second chance. Sometimes I feel like maybe I am not applicable to have it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Granny's face went into sadness.

Everyone went quiet.

"You are applicable for more. Hey! Will you marry me?" A well-dressed man with a tie of almost 60 bowed with a cucumber.

"Cucumber, seriously?"

"Exactly! Cucumber seriously? Where is oh my God! You?"

She paused for a minute.

"Exactly! Oh my God! What are YOU doing here." she missed a bit.

With a deep breath, he started to blurt everything out.

" I was going to meet my friend and today morning I saw you passing by my seat. I never knew the reason why you left and I thought it should be your choice if you want to tell it and now as I know we are both on the same page I'm proposing a most beautiful old lady in public on a running train where I couldn't find anything but cucumber with salt which the seller gave me for free because I was singing a song in the pain of your separation and he thought of awarding my talent!. So, this is my GoldStar music award. On the next seat, I heard you telling the young boy a story. I couldn't stop my ears and I am so happy I did. I thought why shouldn't you be punished to handle me all your life but something had to be the replacement of roses..."

" Hey, hey stop!" She laughed out!

" So...?" he blushed.

" Yes..."

"About accepting my GoldStar award or me?"

She pulled him up and they hugged! The whole train was in aww, what love is truly they saw!!

But after the one-minute hug.

Our hero started eating the cucumber.

While she stared at him, half adoring half in the mood of sweet war.

"What?" he enquired innocently.

"Wasn't this for me?"

"I am hungry!"

"Oldie!!"

"Old lady!!"

And with this new start, there came the train stop.

"Isn't this your station?"

"I think it's our station"

Akshay helped them with the luggage and the whole coach said bye!

They both went ahead while singing a song.

"प्यार हम करते हैं चोरी नहीं

मिल गए दिल ज़ोरा-ज़ोरी नहीं

हम वो करेंगे दिल जो कहे

हमको ज़माने से क्या

खुल्लम-खुल्ला प्यार करेंगे हम दोनों

इस दुनिया से नहीं डरेंगे हम दोनों... "