#2 How She Met Him: Platform No. 5

Every MB I had read, every love story I had witnessed. Nothing, nothing had prepared me for that scorching hot January of 2006. Away from my homeland----Delhi, I was with my boss waiting at the Madurai Railway Station Platform number 5 for Vaigai Express to arrive.

I had often imagined how it would be to live inside a bubble. My three days in Madurai had given me quite that impression. Everyone around was busy talking in decibels that could seriously injure your ear-drums but I could not comprehend a single word----man it was frustrating. I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the crew members from Delhi. My simple logic for the so awaited arrival: I will have more people to talk to.

As the great Phoebe of the Friends hexagology had once said, “If you keep watching the door it never boils.” The train remained true to this dictum and decided to test my patience to the optimum by delaying its arrival for another 45 minutes. Waiting at the platform my boss and me had discussed at least 50 books and 500 people we really liked and hated respectively.

My fantasy of falling in love was about to realise, I could sense it. Talking to the person, we were on the platform to receive, I had had a gut feeling that something spectacular will happen. I had been in touch over the phone for the last two days re-confirming the scheduled arrival, name of the train, coach number and other such mundane details. But the distinct flavour of Delhi that his voice had brought to me miles away in Madurai had surprisingly replenished my energies. I was looking forward to meet him.

Seeing him for the first time was the realization of all my teenage fantasies where a typically MB hero would sweep me off my feet just purely on the merits of his being. He was not conventionally good looking. Generally not what a girl is looking for at my age. The hair that covered his crown were streaked white. He wore a cap for most part. Was a very casual dresser. Not a typical prince charming. BUT…but…He exuded raw charm that I had only read about. His every move, his manners and mannerisms only reinforced, mind you in very strong measures at that, his ultimate being. Judging him a good person was not difficult at all. In fact, one look at him and I knew he was a well educated and a learned man… He had something about himself that just…just made me instantly Fall In Love with HIM.

*A pure figment of my imagination, with a little reality thrown here and there.

You Are Beautiful!

The mirror is no friend of mine,
Look at the wrinkles,
And that toothless smile,
She complained.

I was beautiful
The belle of the ball
Thousands of admirers everywhere
She reminisced.

As she became silent
Her tears rolled down
Sitting here she had gone
To a time long ago

The ensuing silence spoke
Of her pain
Of her old age
And of the loss of youth.

I tried to
To take her pain away
To calm her
The young lady
Trapped in an old body

Your wrinkles remind me
Of the tales of my childhood
Each missing tooth of
Of our shared misadventures

You are beautiful
I tell her
Still
Admired by thousands

My screams fail
To break her reverie
As she mourns
The loss of her hearing!