Now i thought of going alone on the trip, but one of my friends called me at the eleventh hour. So I booked two tickets.
A week later we found ourselves boarding a train to jaipur. I sat on the window seat and my friend bunked on the seat above. There was a girl sitting just opposite to me. Mostly I would ignore my co-passenger, but there was something familiar about her.
Wanted to know if we have ever met, but it would feel awkward as she may think that I was hitting on her. So I sat at the window seat doing nothing. Well I wasn't doing nothing, i was watching the beautiful bounty outside, trees running, the temporary drizzle. Suddenly a book came onto me. I read the name of the book, i glanced at the girl sitting just opposite to me. She was looking at me. As if apologizing for something.
I picked up the book and gave it to her.
I don't know how but i uttered some words, i don't remember now what, but she smiled back at me. Thank God that this time my tongue didn't betray me, as it had on numerous occasions.
She then went on with her reading the novel. And i stared at her. Yes I started to look at her as if trying to remember where I had met her. My friend, my co-passenger who was lying down on the upper bunk of the train was looking at all that was happening. He came down and asked her, "Do i know you from somewhere?". That bloody bas* was now hitting on her and I just sat there. They started to make small talk, and i would eventually ask her a question or two. But whenever I asked her she always smiled in a different manner giving the answer.
As i thought of withdrawing myself from the conversation, my buddy sitting next to me nudged me and went somewhere leaving the two of us alone in the compartment.
Now you would ask me what about the other people, yes there were, but they were busy with their own conversation.
"Hi!", I said, realising how stupid of me.
The girl smiled and asked me my name, My name. I stutterd but eventually did say my name.
There was an awkward silence between us.
I asked her what her name was, Shaifali, that's what she told me, i have heard this name before. Now I was confused.
I ratteled my brain for some old memories but to no avail. She must have understood what I was doing, hence started telling me about herself.
The place where she lived, where she studied, and so on. But still nothing.
Then She told be something that we had in common.
She was also a literature student as i had been.
I thought of asking her about her college and the year she graduated, but she looked too young to be my classmate or my junior. And Yes she did tell me about the year, and she was my junior. But still there were no recollection of her.
I told her that I had been in the same college, and was her senior, she didn't look surprised at all.
She told me she had recognised me when she first saw me entering the train, but didn't tell me as she felt shy talking to me.
I told her there wasn't anything to be shy about. Then she told me why.
Most of her friends teased her by my name, and she had a liking towards me that grew with time.
I was shocked to know this, someone in my college liked me and i didn't know a thing. if this girl had told me about it I would not have been the only single person in my group.
She then explained it to me, that on the very first day of her college, i had stopped her from being ragged by one of my friends.
Now it downed on to me that something like this did happen during the final year. That I had been in a very bad mood on the first day of the 3rd year due to a fight with my best friend. And was in no mood to play silly pranks on these newbies. And vikrant my buddy just entered the TT room with some newbies, asking them to sing songs of their fav. Singer. That day I had stopped him from doing so, and asked all the children to go to their respective classes. A girl, with tears in her eyes, then came to me and thanked me for that.
She was Shaifali. It had been approximately 10 years since the incident. I didn't know what to say to her. I was surprised and shocked that how can a person remember someone after such a long time. We never talked in college or after, or as far as i can remember.
She told me because of this incident many of the girls in her class thought we knew each other, and started teasing her. She eventually started growing feelings but never had the courage to talk to me.
The year passed and when she had the courage i had graduated..
Her face now was glowing, the smile broadened, and everyone in the compartment just looking at the both of us. My friend who had been gone, or as i thought, was listening to everything from afar came to us and sat beside me.
"Now, Would you like to sing a song for us of your favourite singer?" Said my friend, yes he was Mr. Vikrant, the same one whom I had stopped from ragging the juniors.
She smiled back at both of us. We smiled with her. She started to sing and along with her the whole compartment was singing the song.
Yes I too was singing along with her.
The shy girl wasn't shy anymore, she was singing and talking to us. She seemed to be comfortable now she had told me about her feelings.
After a while I asked her, " Do you still feel the same for me?" No sooner i had asked i regretted on the stupid question i had just asked her. But she smiled back and told me that she felt it during her college days but not now.
The journey went on smoothly untill her station came. At Alwar she deboarded the train. We bid goodbye.
Now you will ask me if i got her phone number.
Yes I did, and we are still talking to each other. About what you ask?, Well it's between she and me.
Now I'll leave you to your work.
Adieu.
