One day, walking down the streets of Pune, I just
wondered, if only it was Durgapur!! I just wondered to myself, if only I
could hear a voice calling out my name…. If only sun rose in this shady city!!
And…Wo!! 1000 miles away from Durgapur, I heard a voice shouting from
nowhere “Neha!!”
For a while, I thought, it was a dream and need not
know where to look for the voice, so just as I was about to peep into my heart,
I heard that same voice shouting my name…I jumped up and looked back!! And
there he was, with his naive smile spread all over his face…he came closer to
me infusing the same innocence in my heart!
Telepathy was at its peak!!
Stupid as I am; stupid as we are, one evening, the
arrival of our friend to our flat, made us so excited that we forgot that our
flat’s door had an interlock. With excitement beaming within us, we ran with
them to show them our patio. When the night crept in and our friends left for
their shelter, we came down and looked at each others face hoping that the key
to our shelter would be with someone at least…!! But No!! It wasn’t!! In the
worst of our dresses, 6 girls were left looking at each others face knowing not
where to spend the night…..Time doesn’t stop and rain doesn’t come only when
Barsha wants!! So the clock kept on ticking and rain started pouring….Even
after trying all the ways out, when we couldn’t manage out anything, we decided
to sleep outside. Cuddling around and trying to find warmth in each other, we
sat, ate and tried to sleep in the portico outside our cozy, lovely flat, 407!
I do not remember the time exactly, but it was surely somewhere around mid
night, I closed my eyes beside Payal and hoped “If only He was here, if only I
could open my eyes and I find Annoy standing in front of me!”
I opened my eyes I do not know why and with what
hope just to find Annoy, Raja and Motu standing in front of us!! Tears rolled
down my check and I shrieked “Annoy!!”
Telepathy was at its peak!!
That same night, 7th August 2002, at around 4
am, we decided to go downstairs and find the boys who had sacrificed their
sleep and were waiting in the bus stand, for us. Hoping to see the sun shine
with them and giving them company, we went downstairs, but Alas!! They were no
where to be seen. Panic struck us… the busy streets
of Koregaon Park were deadlier than the graveyard!! After a lot
of consideration we decided to head towards the station, which didn’t give a
damn to time, and sheltered all who went to it. So, cramming in an auto, 6
ladies of various sizes, headed towards the station. Just imagine the audacity of
my heart, in the busy Pune station, it again cried “If only the boy was here!”
From a tea stall the boy had to shout “Oi Neha!” and by now as you must have
already guessed… it wasn’t that I was dreaming, but he had truly seen us
crossing that tea stall and had ran out for our rescue.
Yes… telepathy was its peak!!
Had come down to Durgapur for our
holidays and was taking a nap. It was quite a few days since we had met, so I
was missing him and was hoping to see him. But, did not know why I had not
called him and said the same to him… I guess coz I had preferred my heart
talking to his, than my voice! Sleep was just encroaching into me and dreams
where flocking on to my eyes…when the bell rang. I smiled in my dreams and said
“It is him!” my sis ran downstairs to open the door only to find my stupid boy
standing with Raja.
Telepathy once again was at its peak!!
I am finding no words better than a few lines by
Alfred Noyes, to speak for me…
“The wind was a torrent of darkness upon the
gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight looping the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding--
Riding--riding--
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door.”
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight looping the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding--
Riding--riding--
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door.”
Since 9th January 2010, I woke up every
morning, hoping to see my man beside me. But, my heart had become fragile and
my dreams had lost it strength, so it took more time for my Highwayman to arrive than
he usually does. But, came my Highwayman riding, riding, riding….!
Telepathy will always be at its peak!!
Comments
Post a Comment