On a particularly off- day, after having slept for only 3 hrs in the night, I had made to the andheri station just in time to miss the 7:30 am train….obviously I missed the train…I had to reach college early na..
My head was already spinning and the foul mood did no good to me. After having cursed myself, the tenth time since morning..for not understanding the priorities in my life..I decided to let myself be.
Thankfully (for the western railway) ..the 7:42 train was on time..and i got into it…The first class was unusually empty but then who other than my college works on a sunday morning….
Seeing a girl in the compartment I got in…I took the window seat and sat with my notes open…..Not that I was going to read anything from there…but still…
In some time I heard a muffled sob…Instinctively I turned to this girl…Yea she was crying..Not only quiet sobs but actually crying…
A closer look at her revealed she must be around mid 20’s..Maybe a year or two elder to me… Clad in a blue jeans and white kurti…her brown hair was dyed with streaks of copper color..She wore nice shoes which on any other day would have got compliments from me..but today I was in no mood.
But God! why the hell was she crying????
I was more concerned with the fact that I was alone in this fast local which would now stop only at Borivali…and I certainly didnt need this today….
I stole glances at her and she caught me looking at her..She didnt care and even if she did..she was not going to show it…
I wondered what could be the problem… the people who usually make me cry flashed through my mind…Almost at the threshold myself, I wanted to tell her I understand.. that its going to be OK…that you can manage..its no big deal…
All that I intended to tell her… I needed to tell that to myself too….As this realization dawned on to me..I smiled…sometimes it is just comforting to know that you are not the only one having problems…there are others who have bigger and grave problems than you do…It would be wrong on my part to say this but I felt better…I thought of my problems….weren’t they too silly ??? And caused by yours truly…. self inflicted..yes that is the word!!
With a better mood now.. I thought I might as well keep the notes inside … 😉
I drank water.. and once again turned my attention to the girl..whom I had forgotten by now!
“Do you want water?” I asked her.
“Thanks” she said and drank some water..
The water did its work in calming her down…
“Next station is Borivali?” she asked
“Yea”
With this she opened her bag…removed a hanky and wiped her face…next she removed a hair brush and combed her hair…then she took out a hand mirror..and applied some eye liner…then she put on some gloss..
She looked different… a lot better actually…well even beautiful….I guess that’s what make-up does to you…or may be that what we girls are made up of…One moment we are inconsolable and the next….we hold out head up high…
As she turned to leave she looked at me..”Life is such a Bitch na??
“You bet!”
And then slowly and with great purpose…she smiled back …
2 strangers knowing nothing about each other … yet understanding each other and agreeing on this bitchy thing called LIFE….
Abha Deshkar
24/10/2010
3 comments
Nice one ! But you should have tried to ask what is her problem and consoled her. Life isn’t so formal to let these things go. We should help others. We always think: “Why should I care ?”. But, I think we need people who can help us or even make us feel better. Someday you may get help and you will feel very nice. Unexpected but rejuvenating experience.
good one Abs..i like the bit about what gals r made up of 🙂 very true…
nice one Abha..yet again..
@anahita- are u referring to “MAKE-Up” 😛