It was 10 pm. He and his young friend seated themselves in one of the many vacant seats in the train. He chatted away aimlessly.. about the weather.. about the new city.. about the people.. and about the task at hand.. He felt tiny beads of sweat on his forehead although he had been through the forthcoming process umpteen number of times.. But this is one experience he would never forget because it was different, it was like living through a funny bollywood scene in slow motion, except this wasn’t funny.
The train journey lasted 40 minutes, and during that time he readied himself mentally. Rehearsed statements, questions, niceties that were the norm, and a few that weren’t!!
As their station to alight neared, they got off. They had someone to receive them. A car had been arranged – Esteem - with A/C and the latest bollywood music blasting through its speakers. The guests sat in the back seat, mentally silent, blank, but conversing the usual niceties – what do you do? How do you like the city? Is the car fine? Have you had your dinner?
They got down from the car in front of a small dwelling. It seemed bare except for the swarm of people moving in and out the narrow entrance. He felt everyone stop dead in their tracks. He felt eyes peering at him. But he had been through this a number of times.. He mused “I could write a book!” The father came to receive him and they were shown inside to the drawing room.
They sat on the lone sofa in the small room. They could see the women peeking through the kitchen. They heard kids bustling around. They gave each other the comforting reassuring look. It was 11 pm
He knew what was coming next. His probable to-be with “chaha-pohe” (tea and rice flakes made with onions, groundnuts and haldi). And then she arrived, holding a tray. She began to walk towards him, flanked by maybe a sister or a friend. She reached the tepoy before their knees, she bent to place the tray, and then it happened! The unthinkable! The unimaginable!
The lights went out! The whole house plunged into darkness! It took everyone aback!! It was obviously unanticipated!! What ensued was chaos. There were hurried footsteps.. children shrieking, women giggling, men issuing orders, and amidst it all were 2 individuals whom destiny had brought here to see each other, but then cruelly decided to make them wait a while longer.
And then there was light..
Candles were brought in. And among the orangish light he saw her and she saw him. Wow, this is different he thought. She seemed ordinary looking. She stole glances unsure what to do. After a little prodding by the sister/friend she poured in the sweet tea and offered it to him and his young friend. They sipped it while they ate the poha. The heat was merciless. He was sweating buckets. His nerves weren’t helping either. They made awkward conversation.
As if the heat was not enough, then it was dinner time. Now they were sweating oceans! Because the food was unbelievably spicy. Their faces seemed to open up tiny streams. Their eyes watered, their nose leaked, their ears seemed to blow out imaginary steam!! And the mouth – kept drinking! It was torturous. And their misery was amusing to the family! They kept flashing sympathetic smiles. And then as if to show mercy they were given a plate full of sweets. It seemed to them like an oasis out on a desert. They gobbled it up, and only a full 10 minutes later he seemed ready to proceed.
She sat before him. He sat before her. They looked at each other through the candle light. The rehearsed questions and equally rehearsed answers followed. Smiles were thrown about generously. He didn’t feel the connection. He wanted to leave at once. The sweltering heat, the darkness, the ringing ears and tongue due to the spicy food, suddenly it all repulsed him. But there was protocol to follow. So once the formalities were done they stood up, gave them the oft said and safest reply – “Baba will call” and then left. It was 12 am.
The A/C car took them to back to the station. This time they rode in silence – the guests trying to figure out how to get back to the hotel, and the relative wondering what they were thinking. They said their goodbyes at the station and then they waited. If they thought their adventure for the night was over, they were mistaken! It was past midnight, and with no transportation to take them back, the only option was a train that was going back to the cleaning depot. They boarded the train, helpless and ticketless. They sat down exhausted, sleepy and still sore from the spicy food. He thought about what just ensued. What an exciting rendezvous – in the darkness!
Though she never became his wife, this experience was memorable. It held a strange excitement for him, right from the forced darkness, the candle light rendezvous, the spicy food and the empty train ride home.. It was a meeting, the kind to be told to the eventual wifey and then to be stored as THE exciting rendezvous in the darkness.
The train journey lasted 40 minutes, and during that time he readied himself mentally. Rehearsed statements, questions, niceties that were the norm, and a few that weren’t!!
As their station to alight neared, they got off. They had someone to receive them. A car had been arranged – Esteem - with A/C and the latest bollywood music blasting through its speakers. The guests sat in the back seat, mentally silent, blank, but conversing the usual niceties – what do you do? How do you like the city? Is the car fine? Have you had your dinner?
They got down from the car in front of a small dwelling. It seemed bare except for the swarm of people moving in and out the narrow entrance. He felt everyone stop dead in their tracks. He felt eyes peering at him. But he had been through this a number of times.. He mused “I could write a book!” The father came to receive him and they were shown inside to the drawing room.
They sat on the lone sofa in the small room. They could see the women peeking through the kitchen. They heard kids bustling around. They gave each other the comforting reassuring look. It was 11 pm
He knew what was coming next. His probable to-be with “chaha-pohe” (tea and rice flakes made with onions, groundnuts and haldi). And then she arrived, holding a tray. She began to walk towards him, flanked by maybe a sister or a friend. She reached the tepoy before their knees, she bent to place the tray, and then it happened! The unthinkable! The unimaginable!
The lights went out! The whole house plunged into darkness! It took everyone aback!! It was obviously unanticipated!! What ensued was chaos. There were hurried footsteps.. children shrieking, women giggling, men issuing orders, and amidst it all were 2 individuals whom destiny had brought here to see each other, but then cruelly decided to make them wait a while longer.
And then there was light..
Candles were brought in. And among the orangish light he saw her and she saw him. Wow, this is different he thought. She seemed ordinary looking. She stole glances unsure what to do. After a little prodding by the sister/friend she poured in the sweet tea and offered it to him and his young friend. They sipped it while they ate the poha. The heat was merciless. He was sweating buckets. His nerves weren’t helping either. They made awkward conversation.
As if the heat was not enough, then it was dinner time. Now they were sweating oceans! Because the food was unbelievably spicy. Their faces seemed to open up tiny streams. Their eyes watered, their nose leaked, their ears seemed to blow out imaginary steam!! And the mouth – kept drinking! It was torturous. And their misery was amusing to the family! They kept flashing sympathetic smiles. And then as if to show mercy they were given a plate full of sweets. It seemed to them like an oasis out on a desert. They gobbled it up, and only a full 10 minutes later he seemed ready to proceed.
She sat before him. He sat before her. They looked at each other through the candle light. The rehearsed questions and equally rehearsed answers followed. Smiles were thrown about generously. He didn’t feel the connection. He wanted to leave at once. The sweltering heat, the darkness, the ringing ears and tongue due to the spicy food, suddenly it all repulsed him. But there was protocol to follow. So once the formalities were done they stood up, gave them the oft said and safest reply – “Baba will call” and then left. It was 12 am.
The A/C car took them to back to the station. This time they rode in silence – the guests trying to figure out how to get back to the hotel, and the relative wondering what they were thinking. They said their goodbyes at the station and then they waited. If they thought their adventure for the night was over, they were mistaken! It was past midnight, and with no transportation to take them back, the only option was a train that was going back to the cleaning depot. They boarded the train, helpless and ticketless. They sat down exhausted, sleepy and still sore from the spicy food. He thought about what just ensued. What an exciting rendezvous – in the darkness!
Though she never became his wife, this experience was memorable. It held a strange excitement for him, right from the forced darkness, the candle light rendezvous, the spicy food and the empty train ride home.. It was a meeting, the kind to be told to the eventual wifey and then to be stored as THE exciting rendezvous in the darkness.
good one...you could become a novelist one day!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree.. I was hooked! :)
ReplyDelete