Her work place had shifted from a prior location that was close to home to a much farther place. She couldn't contemplate driving that far in the insane traffic especially at peak hours. So, she decided to take her office shuttle. Initially, she dreaded the 1 hr 15 min bus journey to work each day. But she soon took advantage of it and utilized her time on the bus for her favorite pass time - Reading.
One such Monday morning, she was sitting in the bus and it was about to take off from the terminus when a slightly senior man boarded the bus. The average age in the bus was around 30 generally, so she was pleasantly surprised to see someone a little older than that. She could tell that he was in his late 30's or early 40's. There was a certain aura about this man that she took notice of the instant he boarded. And as destiny would have it, he took the seat right beside hers. He was one of those men you'd refer to as 'sinfully handsome'..... Trim short hair, a chiseled nose, athletic build, sparkling magnetic and soulful amber eyes - the color of melted honey (what a shame to mask them beneath spectacles). Two things that stood out were the candid look in his eyes like he didn't have a care in the world and the warm smile on his face like he'd embraced life with open arms. What made her observe so much in just a glance, she couldn't tell.
He greeted her with a warm 'Good morning' as he sat down. His husky voice had the depth of the ocean yet the velvety softness that caressed one's heart strings. She was envious. How could God be just so partial ? Endow one man with so many virtues she thought. She returned a chirpy 'Good morning', her voice a lil more shrill than usual. He quickly pulled out a book from his laptop bag and started reading. She did the same. An uneventful journey that day. Over the next few days he coincidentally happened to take her adjoining seat multiple times and they got talking. His name was Peter she learnt. And he was the Senior manager of some team. He wasn't too chatty about his work. But she knew he worked out of the same building that she did.
They'd talk about everything under the sun from philosophy to current affairs, from spirituality to world cuisines - everything except their mundane professional and personal lives. She didn't even know his last name. Not that it mattered. They solved crosswords every other day. She enjoyed his company and looked forward to their interesting conversations. He was well-read and had traveled far and wide she could tell. One day she asked him 'Peter, you know so much and have seen life from such a mature perspective , you must get bored of talking to someone as naive as me'. He smiled and replied 'You are one of the rare interesting people I've met in a long time especially in the next generation. You are an original and that's what makes you one-of-a-kind. I love that you bring a fresh perspective to my opinions; more necessarily don't find yourself obliged to agree to everything I say. That is a refreshing change. And more than anything, I find that we have a lot of things in common that we love about life. So, I enjoy your company and look forward to each morning with a new zeal, kiddo.' Hearing this, her respect for him grew three folds. Here was a man so wise and astute, yet so down to earth and so eager to learn. Vulnerability in a man so vibrant and versatile was a lethal combination.
Days passed by and they would reserve seats for each other. Each day was a stimulating experience. After about 6 months she was seated in the bus one morning as usual and looking out for Peter. He didn't turn up. Generally if he were working from home or taking the day off he would mention it the previous day. He hadn't said anything this time. She waited till the bus started to move. She was surprised. But decided that something unforeseen would have come up and left it at that. He didn't turn up the next day either and the next day and the day after that.....She didn't know of anyone he spoke with besides herself in the bus. She didn't know which team he worked with or which competency he worked for. She tried searching her company database with his first name. But the search returned hundreds of Peters.
After a few days she concluded that the Perfect Stranger had walked out of her life just as mysteriously, stealthily and abruptly as he had walked into it. But he'd left indelible imprints on the canvas of her life. She'd learnt a lot in his presence and had cherished every moment of his company. He would forever remain etched in her heart as a fond memory !!
- So long ........
One such Monday morning, she was sitting in the bus and it was about to take off from the terminus when a slightly senior man boarded the bus. The average age in the bus was around 30 generally, so she was pleasantly surprised to see someone a little older than that. She could tell that he was in his late 30's or early 40's. There was a certain aura about this man that she took notice of the instant he boarded. And as destiny would have it, he took the seat right beside hers. He was one of those men you'd refer to as 'sinfully handsome'..... Trim short hair, a chiseled nose, athletic build, sparkling magnetic and soulful amber eyes - the color of melted honey (what a shame to mask them beneath spectacles). Two things that stood out were the candid look in his eyes like he didn't have a care in the world and the warm smile on his face like he'd embraced life with open arms. What made her observe so much in just a glance, she couldn't tell.
He greeted her with a warm 'Good morning' as he sat down. His husky voice had the depth of the ocean yet the velvety softness that caressed one's heart strings. She was envious. How could God be just so partial ? Endow one man with so many virtues she thought. She returned a chirpy 'Good morning', her voice a lil more shrill than usual. He quickly pulled out a book from his laptop bag and started reading. She did the same. An uneventful journey that day. Over the next few days he coincidentally happened to take her adjoining seat multiple times and they got talking. His name was Peter she learnt. And he was the Senior manager of some team. He wasn't too chatty about his work. But she knew he worked out of the same building that she did.
They'd talk about everything under the sun from philosophy to current affairs, from spirituality to world cuisines - everything except their mundane professional and personal lives. She didn't even know his last name. Not that it mattered. They solved crosswords every other day. She enjoyed his company and looked forward to their interesting conversations. He was well-read and had traveled far and wide she could tell. One day she asked him 'Peter, you know so much and have seen life from such a mature perspective , you must get bored of talking to someone as naive as me'. He smiled and replied 'You are one of the rare interesting people I've met in a long time especially in the next generation. You are an original and that's what makes you one-of-a-kind. I love that you bring a fresh perspective to my opinions; more necessarily don't find yourself obliged to agree to everything I say. That is a refreshing change. And more than anything, I find that we have a lot of things in common that we love about life. So, I enjoy your company and look forward to each morning with a new zeal, kiddo.' Hearing this, her respect for him grew three folds. Here was a man so wise and astute, yet so down to earth and so eager to learn. Vulnerability in a man so vibrant and versatile was a lethal combination.
Days passed by and they would reserve seats for each other. Each day was a stimulating experience. After about 6 months she was seated in the bus one morning as usual and looking out for Peter. He didn't turn up. Generally if he were working from home or taking the day off he would mention it the previous day. He hadn't said anything this time. She waited till the bus started to move. She was surprised. But decided that something unforeseen would have come up and left it at that. He didn't turn up the next day either and the next day and the day after that.....She didn't know of anyone he spoke with besides herself in the bus. She didn't know which team he worked with or which competency he worked for. She tried searching her company database with his first name. But the search returned hundreds of Peters.
After a few days she concluded that the Perfect Stranger had walked out of her life just as mysteriously, stealthily and abruptly as he had walked into it. But he'd left indelible imprints on the canvas of her life. She'd learnt a lot in his presence and had cherished every moment of his company. He would forever remain etched in her heart as a fond memory !!
- So long ........
6 comments:
:)))...good one!!!!
thought of some suggestions
but held back!!!!
(Iam)Not qualified enuf...:)))
No, go ahead....I'd love to hear. Feedback doesn't always mean positive. I'll be waiting.
I feel that you should use more of Indian falvour..with charcters and environments u create....that will be your uniqueness...and your strength ..and I think you will do much better than this....
BTW I do write..though not up to your standards..
ck it on
http://prabhu1mu.blogspot.com
Thanks Prabhakar. Except for the names I try and keep the narration as Indian as possible especially the emotional aspects. But if you do think more of the same would be appreciated, I'll give it a shot.And will sure check out your blog.......
yeah..exactly....thats what I meant...
Writing is so Indian ..and when reader comes across these names which are not so Indian...
I guess you are putting reader in a bit of a spot there...
and one muft suggestion is ..can u try another genre....
its just the curiosity .to see how you would do in them
1st Point taken...As for genre, I think this blog is about 'HER' - who is all heart, all love and all things soft and tender.....But to write about intellectual topics like US going to war with Iraq or Growth of terrorism in India or even cuisines and cultures- I'll start another thread sometime soon.... Sorry to disappoint you but this thread is specific to the journey of HER life - its highs and lows.
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