Shyam had revealed to his mom that he was going to see Archana, he explained to her that if his father should inquire, say he had gone on a trip to Goa with his friends. He left with his backpack at 5:00 pm.
He was at Palanpur Railway Terminal. It was 8:00 pm and his train would arrive at 8:30 pm. Stepping onto the train he imagined how Archana would be in person, he had only seen her in video chats and photos.
He was allotted the upper berth, “does she look in person?”…no, more importantly, “Will she be happy to see me?” he smiled. He continued imagining her as he bedded down in the upper berth.
*
He was awoken by the rowdiness of what seemed like chaos to the casual observer. The noise was emitted by the crowds and peddlers at the terminal, he read a sign outside – Delhi Cantt.
Shyam moved from the upper berth to the lower one facing the window, as the train slowly crept its way across Dehli. He noticed the earth on either side of the railway was crusted with debris and trash, being annoyed at the sight he cursed – “The capital of our country.” He thought – Dehli, the witness of countless wars, the silent observer of murders and massacres, she had seen first-hand Draupadi’s Cheer – Haran, Nirbhaya gang rape. Atrocities in the name of religion, by the Mughal emperors, the disastrous British economic and administrative reforms, he mused at how miserable and tortured her heart must be.
His thoughts were changed in full by an outside reading ‘Sonipat’. This is Sonipat! The district of my Archana! He delighted.
Panipat the attending of three terrible wars and Kurukshetra, the mark of the famous Mahabharata war passed. The train had arrived at Ambala.
He called Archana.
“We are just an hour away” he reported.
“Great!” she stated with gladness and longing in her voice.
The train, his thoughts and time were racing forward. Finally Chandigarh, he had arrived. This was the longest journey he had been on and yet felt no weariness. The reason for this he supposed could only be love, and only be understood by one who has been in love. He reminisced on how initial sympathy for Archana had gradually given birth to love.
The train slowed down and came to a halt. His heart rate increased. He stepped out from the train and looked around, he could not find the exit from the station. He queried another passenger who pointed it out to him. He had used an escalator for the first time and exited the station. He asked an auto driver to take him to the bus station, the driver demanded Rs. 100.00, this swayed him rather walk.
As he walked he found a city bus and got in, “Bus station” he stared at the conductor in response the conductor threw him a curious look and asked, “Which bus station?”.Shyam quickly called Archana and queried the station name he should attend. “‘Sector 17’, say Satara in local dialect” was her instruction.
Shyam mouthed to the conductor, “Satara”
Shyam reached the sector 17 bus station and disembarked the bus.
Archana name glowed on his mobile display.
He answered the call, Archana, instructed him, “You will notice a temple and a huge tree outside of the bus station. Please wait there.”
“Okay”
Shyam found the temple and tree, he looked around for Archana. His cell phone again rang.
“Hello, where are you?” Archana asked.
Shyam looked back. He saw a young woman seated on a white activa with attached side wheels. Yes. It was Archana. Shyam could see her back but was familiar with the blue dress that he had seen in the photos Archana had sent him, he continued to watch her with her long hair to her waist. Archana had no idea he was behind her.
“I have seen you.” He disconnected the call and approached Archana.
“Archana”
Archana looked back as a fearful doe, they stared at each other without a word passing between, the time had stopped for them and the world around them disappeared.
“I want to hear from you, dear Archu?”
“What do I say?”
“Anything but say something”
“Say what I say, say what I say
I’m the sun and you are the ray.
Say what I say, say what I say
I keep on staring you through as drunk
Your oceanic eyes where I already sunk
say what I say, say what I say
Love says to me to say only to say
I am mad after you every way
Say what I say, say what I say
Feel me inside as I feel you please believe
Come and listen to the heartbeat still unrelieved
My world of dreams raised here
Everywhere in my dreams you dear
You are my faith really you are my love
I feel I were a light-hearted dancing dove
Never leave me never oh my love
Come and melt in my heart-dove.”
“Archana, you have become a poetess on seeing me. I wish I were a writer, I would write a story about you” Shyam interrupted.
“If you write a story, I will be immortalized” Archana still looking at him and singing.
“Why do you look at me so?” Shyam asked.
“Don’t you feel like singing?” asked Archana.
“I do but have no words to sing. I am not a poet” Shyam sighed.
“At least two lines, please, for me.” Archana insisted.
“Blank is the book of my heart. Look inside and write with heart” Shyam laughed “I can’t find the next line”
“Do you like my poem especially arranged for you?” Archana smiled.
“Yes I do like it”
“You are tall!” Archana exclaimed.
“Do you take issue with my height?”
“I bought a pant and shirt for you as a surprise gift. I assumed your height of my brother Rohan and bought the clothes as per Rohan's measurements. But you are taller than I suspected. I am sure Rohan is up to your chin. My surprise turned into surprise but only for me.” She laughed, “come and sit. We should go now.”
Shyam sat on the activa on the pillion seat. Archana cried out as soon as she tried to ignite the active. Archana’s hair had swayed in the wind and caught the button of Shyam’s sleeve and pulled as she leaned forward to start the activa.
“Sorry, it was a mistake. I was unintentional” Shyam apologized.
“I know it was by mistake but such things only happen in movies and especially Shahrukh Khan’s movies.” She laughed but still had pain in her tone.
Shyam also laughed, that his life was soon to resemble the movies. He unfastened her hair from his button.
Archana started the engine, her hands trembling. Shaym didn’t understand why she rode the activa as a beginner.
“What happened? Why are your hands trembling?
“I don’t know but I feel fear”
Her hands stabilized after a while, Archana stopped the active 5km later. She asked a passer-by who was an aged man, “Excuse me, sir, can you tell me the way to Khuda Ali Sher?”
“Beti, take a right turn and you will find Sukhna lake ahead.”
“Thanks, I know the way from the lake to Khuda.” She pulled off the activa.
“You have been living here a year and are still unfamiliar with the area?” Shyam asked finding it curious.
“I know the area, I lost my way today because of the pillion passenger. I am afraid”
“What do you fear?” he asked.
“I don’t know” she stammered.
Neither of them had realized it was not fear but the excitement of meeting each other for the first time.
They were now on a country road, after spending some time in the sluggish traffic of the city. Shyam noticed a Gurudwara. Archana turned into a narrow lane and killed the engine near a door.
“We have arrived?” He asked excitedly
“Yes, we have”
Shyam got down, Archana also got down holding the support of the activa. She pulled out a stick fastened along the seat of activa. She walked with the aid of it and pushed open the unbolted door gently. Shyam followed her in.
A lady was seated on the sofa and stood up when she saw Shyam.
Shyam sat on the sofa leaned forward and undid the laces of his shoes.
The younger lady offered him water.
“Would you prefer tea of coffee?” Shyam recognized her voice, she was Kavya, the younger sister of Archana.
“I have no habit of tea or coffee,” Shyam stated.
“Hot milk?” asked Kavya and walked to the kitchen to avoid any refusal.
Archana sat on the floor in front of Shyam.
“Come and sit on the sofa,” he asked her.
“No, I am easy here, I prefer sitting on the floor”.
Kavya served tea to Archana and hot milk Shyam, the couple gazed at each other while sipping their beverages, as though sipping from one another’s eyes rather than cups.
They emptied their cups and Shyam broke the silence, “Is there any cheap hotel around?”
“No need for any hotel. A peon from my office lives in Naya Gaav just ten minutes away. He just began working with us and is new in the city hence his elder brother also accompanies him. I had discussed with him and you can stay in his room tonight. I will drop you there in the evening and pick you in the morning.”
“Okay.” Shyam felt relaxed.
“and tomorrow my cousin is coming to pick Kavya as my family needs Kavya for some work at home. Tomorrow I will be only here and I will go and sleep at my aunt's house which is two minutes far from here and you can stay here tomorrow night.
“Okay,” Shyam was answering in brief as he didn’t know what to say to her. Shyam and Archana chatted and it felt different being face to face, their sweet first meeting and conversation lasted until 6:00 pm it was evening then Shyam had to leave.
Archana dropped Shyam at the room of that peon in NayaGaav. Archana was an officer for the peon and his elder brother hence they regarded Shyam very well.
He introduced himself as Shyam Sagar to those two brothers pre-emptively avoiding any caste issue.
***
To Be Continue...
