It was almost 10pm in London. I was waiting for train in station. I have always been time sensitive from early part of my life. So i was bit early in the station. My destination was Paris. Now after coming to station , i find out i was almost 2 hours early!
" Would you like to hear an interesting story?". I was looking at the guy with real surprise. I just spoke with him a while ago which i wouldn't count as a conversation.He looks like an Indian guy. He was asking if i was waiting for train. I said,'yes!' . Just to be polite i asked him 'Where are you going?'. He answered with a smile, 'I am not going anywhere. I am waiting for my wife. She is coming from Copenhagen. She will be here in a hour. '
That was our short-conversation. I would not guess someone would like to tell an interesting after this kind of conversation. From my experience if some story start with the word interesting , will be never be an interesting story. So i didn't have any wish to listen his interesting story. So i didn't reply anything. If he is bit intelligent, he would understand i don't have any intention to hear his interesting story. It turned out he wasn't intelligent at all. He took a cigarette from his pocket. Slowly started to smoke. And asked me if i would like to smoke a cigarette. I gently say, ''I don't smoke''
"you must be very bored with me. An unknown person speaking his story to someone, would always make anyone bored. But do you know what is my problem? today is a very special day for me.In this special day i might tell my interesting story to someone. If you kindly give me permission, i would start" he said. "If it is that much important to you, i wouldn't mind listening it" i told him. Then i looked at the guy. He was quite handsome middle aged guy .
"Twenty years ago, i was a student of Bangalore University in India" he said "I was studying Civil Engineering there. I was very good-looking young man back then. Interesting fact is girls wouldn't care that much about me. I don't know if you have noticed women in general don't get attracted by good-looking man. In university life , no girl ever tried to make a good conversation with me neither did i. I was always bit uncomfortable to start a conversation with unknown person." I stopped him and said with a smile, "yet, you are telling your interesting story with confidence to a completely unknown person". He said "now i am totally different person! I have changed a lot through out these years. Anyway lets go back to my story. We used to have common English literature subject with students from Architecture Engineering. I noticed a girl with whom i couldn't compare any girl in world. She wasn't beautiful, but something more than beautiful! Have you ever been in love? "He asked me. I replied him with a smile"Perhaps not like you!". "You wouldn't understand my situation, if you haven't been in love. I couldn't think anything but her. Whenever i close my eyes, i would see her innocent smile. We used to have only two hour English lecture per week. That means i could see her two hours per week. I would eagerly wait for these hours. I would feel like two hour is just gone even before it just started! Again, she wouldn't come in classes regularly. I would feel i am most unlucky person in this world. I can't explain you how bad i would feel. You wouldn't understand that feeling." "You didn't tell me her name yet" I told him softly. "Anjali, was her name. I didn't know anything about her that time. I just used to watch her from distant every time. I just knew when she would come to classes for these two hours". "Why you didn't try to know more about her ?" "I was always scared, if i tried to know her, i would find out she is in love with someone else. If i give you an example you understand me. After class, one day i saw her speaking with a guy with smile. I was feeling so terrible that i couldn't stay in class that day. I couldn't sleep in that night ". "very strange!""strange indeed!"he said "One whole year passed away like this. Then one day, i did something brave. I asked her address from one of her friend. Then i wrote her a letter. I don't remember now what did i write. But main context was - I want to marry her. She must accept me as her husband. I wouldn't eat anything and stand in font her home as long as she doesn't agree to marry me. Is the story sounds interesting to you now? "
"yeah, it sounds interesting! What happened next? Did you send her the letter via post" I asked him. "No, i took the letter with my own hand." He said, "I gave the letter to gate-man and told him please give the letter to the girl who study in university. Gate-man took the letter and came back after sometimes. He told me the girl says she doesn't know me. I said to him 'yeah! she is right. But i know her. And that is enough!' after saying that i sat in font the gate of her house. It was totally crazy. My logic wasn't working at all that time. Anyway I sat there from 9am to 4pm without any problem. Then one gentleman came down and said with hard voice 'enough of craziness. Please go home now'. I said even with a harder voice, 'I won't go anywhere'. He said ,'Ok, then i am calling police.''You can do anything you want!'I said with a calm voice. Gentleman went home with anger. Then it started rain, heavy rain. After being in the sun whole day, now i am in rain. I started to feel cold. But i was in some kind illusion. I was ready for anything to happen. By the time i had been able to take concentration from some people around who were asking what i am doing in the rain. I told them 'please don't care about me. I am crazy man.' It was around 9pm. Rain didn't stop for a second. I couldn't sit anymore. I laid down on wet street. Gate-man told me with a lower voice,'Father of the girl wanted to call police. But the girl didn't agree with him and she is crying after watching your situation. Just stay little longer , everything will be in your control.'I knew nothing could take me away from there that time except the girl. It was 11pm. The girl opened the gate and was coming towards me. And her family members are looking at her with strange eyes. She stopped in font me and said with soft voice, 'why are doing this craziness with me?'. I looked at her with pure surprised. Because this was not the same girl from university. Definitely her friend gave me the wrong address.She was totally different girl and I had never seen her before. She said ,'Please come in with me. There is food in the table. Please eat something now.' I stood up and tried to say, please don't mind! I made mistake. You are not the same girl. You are a different girl. But i couldn't say anything with watching her lovely eyes. No woman has ever look at me with so much love. I couldn't walk properly. She said 'you are not feeling right. please hold my hand.'' Everyone from her home looking at us with rude face. She ignored everyone and hold my hand. The love with what she hold my hand, God doesn't give power to any human to ignore it.I hold her hand and I have been holding her hand exactly 20 years now. But i am quite i will hold her hand until the last moment of my life. I often thought to tell her that story, though i am sure that i would never be able tell her this delusional story of love. That s why i find someone unknown like you to tell my story and thus i am sure she would never hear this. Okay, brother I am going now. It s almost time."
He started walking a way. And i can see from the distance the train is coming towards the station.
