First Meeting

Love Can Change a Normal Life to a Dream Life !

They say you will find Love at the places where you least expect to find it. Your Dreams will always come alive when you least expect them to…

It was cool dusky evening. The horizon glittered with the last rays of sun bidding good bye for the day. The clouds teased with a few showers and the window glass went from murky to clear as the flowing breeze cleared the scant rain drops.

I was traveling from my home town Kolhapur to Pune. It was just another 4 hours bus journey. However this one was destined to be different. The seat next to me was vacant since the bus left Kolhapur and I was expecting it to be till Pune, as this one was a non stop ‘Shivneri’ Bus. I was busy thinking about my day and the work at Pune for tomorrow, enjoying the artistic taste of nature, figuring what must be the name of the color that I was wondering at the Horizon.

“Excuse me, can I sit here ?” a sweet, confidant voice asked. “Sure” I said without breaking my chain of thoughts or even looking at the person asking. “The person next to me was….” “No problem” I said as if on autopilot mode. Next few minutes (I don’t know how many) were silent as I kept looking out the window catching every stroke that the sunlight sketched on the big canvass, until the darkness took over and sun rested for the day.

The dim white light inside the bus appeared brighter as I came back in the bus. I turned to look at my new companion on this trip. And there I was, again awestruck by the artistic taste of nature. She was young, decent looking girl, her thick long hair flowed to her back and her eyes were closed at that moment. I could almost hear her rhythmic breathing. Dressed up in a white salwaar suit, with her duppatta a little wayward she looked like an angel from the seventh heaven. “Do all girls look like this or this one is special” I was talking to myself “Or is it that I never noticed any girl this close…”

The bus driver as if doing me a special favour braked suddenly causing the high suspension volvo to jerk a bit. This woke her. She opened her eyes, went for the water bottle in front of her, took a sip. I was busy noticing her every little move, every drop of water that touched her lips as if turned to gold before disappearing. She adjusted her duppatta and turned to me. Those deep brown eyes shinning in the sole light of bus sent shivers through my spine.

She didn’t say anything, just a courtesy smile and looked elsewhere. I wonder whether she knew what was going on inside me. It took me a few moments to gather myself and brace myself for what looked like the most difficult conversation of my life.

I began a bit tentative “Hello, I am Kavya… ”

We talked about the weather, the bus service, Indian cricket team, the latest movie songs and all that could fit in general talks two strangers could have, traveling in the bus.

As we neared Pune, I wondered whether there was more to this meeting or this is where the story ends. The bus neared Swargate, she was going all the way to railway station and I was getting off at swargate. So we bid good bye, I took my backpack, stood up and reluctantly thought of leaving. As the bus stopped and people started to move, I reached out for my visiting card holder, took one out quickly and handed it to her.

“Call me, Bye.”
“Sure. Take Care.”

As I alighted from the bus, my friend Amit was already waiting for me.

“Whats that smile for ?” were the first words of amit as he neared.
“For you of course”
“Listen I have known you for 10 years now, never saw this shine on your face, whats up ?”
“Nothing”

I was thinking whether this was just an old time infatuation or was there more to this meeting. I thought the days of infatuation were long gone and I was a big man now, not a teenager to get attracted to every beautiful face.

Will she call ? Will I see her again ? Do I really want to meet her again ?

Is this Love