“Sharing enables us to feel light. Isn’t it? However, there is a great deal in choosing the right people to go cosy with. Most of the time, we suffocate by keeping the things plaguing us to ourselves, in absence of trust or incorrect advice from the people around us. In that case, have you ever thought of sharing your story with a stranger? I think it’s the safest option until or unless you meet a writer”
That day, I missed my competitive exam in which I wasn’t much interested. The reason was the syllabus and the location of the exam centre. Pushed by my sister and to keep the options open as it was for ‘Sarkari Naukri’, I decided three hours before the reporting time to go for it anyway. I could have anticipated that something undesirable going to happen due to the hurdles on the way. I have to hop to multiple Xerox copy shops to take the printout of my admit card, each denying due to a reason one or two. I boarded the metro after jostling for quite a good time, to get a soft copy into print. The Metro journey was comparatively easygoing due to a couple of romantic songs which I kept switching throughout my journey. The centre was at a good distance so much so that even after disembarking at the last station of the red line, I had to take a bike for another six kilometres. I rushed to the centre as I knew I was short of time and at the gate, I was ordered to keep my belongings in one of the shops. After submitting the belongings, I again went and this time a couple of blocks away from the gate, I had to go through a security check in which my phone got discovered which I forgot to keep inside my bag. The rest is history. I was thrown outside. I was more worried about the loss of time and money incurred in the search for this centre rather than the paper. To meet the purpose of travelling this far, I started looking for a place nearby to visit and to click.
Adventure Island was near the last metro station ‘Rithala’. Though I had already been there multiple times, the thought of visiting there solo- excited me. A few more latecomers also joined me on the way back to the metro on an e-rickshaw. This place is one of a kind. Even if you don’t want to dive in Water Park, you can always enjoy the ambience, food and shopping (One of the Decathlon centres is here). After exploring the corners and observing people engaged in different activities, I decided to sit somewhere to conclude whether I should be happy or sad on the pretext of missing an exam. I found a Burger king outlet which was sparsely populated and had a view of landscapes.
After placing the mandatory order for admission, I walked swiftly to the table, accommodating two, alongside the window. It used to be my favourite spot, be it any café, restaurant or any place. I was surprised to see a sling bag lying unattended in front of one of the chairs and a trolley bag beside it. The moment I was about to sit, a girl in her early twenties, with having dusky complexion approached me. Her beautiful eyes looked heavy and reddish. The Kajal was smeared sideways as if she might be sobbing. Her eyeliner was unevenly spread as if used in haste. The face altogether looked dull as if she had been sleep-deprived last night.
“Actually I am waiting for someone”, she said in a hardly audible tone.
“Oh….Okay! No worries”. I replied pulling expressions on my face on losing my preferential seat.
“Sorry”, she said and slid her trolley bag to another chair.
“Clever!”
I remarked inaudibly and settled myself on a chair at the centre. I took out my diary to write a few excerpts, poems and my copy of ‘Undergraduate Love Stories’ to relish this time with myself. The ambience was captivating. To capture the moments, I started scribbling a few lines in my diary.
“This is a huge city compromising people in variety
At times, it feels like I have everything in the society
The other time none
But you should learn to run
To achieve big or small in its entirety”
The order was delivered in some time. The serving person also got curious and peeped in my diary twice to get an idea about what I had been engaged in. After drafting a few more poems in broken verse, I switched to my book. Doesn’t matter how many times I read, I find it new, refreshing and revitalizing. While turning over the pages, my eyes met with that girl for a moment whom I found already looking at me. The chair in front of her was still unoccupied, which surprised me the most. Had she been also looking for time with herself? Did she want a few moments of loneliness? In that case, she must have replied to me with the truth. She must have settled on an easy excuse, I thought. Or, she doesn’t want me to hover around, seeing her alone? Isn’t it a common perception widespread about boys? With a similar thesis and antithesis, helping to reach antithesis and then the dialectical process starting again, I found it better to shift my gaze to the book. Till then, I found the perfect story to read.
When I was halfway through the second page, I heard the noise of a chair being shifted. I became startled to see that girl standing in front of me.
“Excuse me!?” I said, mixing a bit of anger with surprise.
“Hi. Can I sit here”, she said in an apologetic tone.
“Yeah! Why not? After all, this property belongs to Burger king”, I said ironically.
She sat and grabbed my diary without my permission. I gave her a frowning look but didn’t say anything. While I was about to continue with my book, she interrupted again.
“What were you writing in this lovely diary?”
I was amazed and glad at the same time, knowing that she had been observing me. A girl paying attention to a boy, Isn’t it enough to make us feel over the moon?
“Nothing but some poems…”, I replied to discourage her from reading as it was in hazy handwriting, moreover unedited.
“Nothing bhi aur poem bhi? Ye kaise ho sakta hai?” she asked and started leafing through the diary. Seeing her talk in Hindi, which was more melodious, I couldn’t refrain her from reading. She read slowly the other poem which I just finished before turning to the book.
“Alive children seated on non-living ferry horse
That goes round like earth (ye kya likhe ho)
She pointed that specific line to me. At times, I have difficulty reading my own handwriting but since it was written a while ago, it can be deciphered.
So, that goes round like earth revolving on its course (she read again)
As if horses got life abound
While running round and round
You know, children always are a lively source”
“It’s nice but what does it mean?” She asked as if trying to make a sense of it.
I was touched by her innocence and truthfulness. As the poem was set at that place itself, I pointed her to the ferry in front of the shop where children were taking the ride.
Woah! Kya baat hai!!! Her face which was dull a while ago, now glowed as if found any treasure.
Shukriya! I said with the same enthusiasm.
“Waise who is Shashank? I haven’t heard any author with such a name before”, she said and pointed toward my book.
“Heard??? I can assure you have met him”. I said with the same seriousness with which she asked.
“You can assure me that I met him? I??” How? When? And do you even know me?”
This reply of mine was attacked with several questions. It wasn’t unexpected.
“You’ve just met him”, I smiled as I replied.
“You? Omg! I know you can write a few poems but this book!!! So voluminous? Not possible” She disapproved my remark casually.
It was happening to me for the first time. I was asked to prove my identity as an author of my own book. For a considerable time, I kept thinking and smiling until I located a picture of mine on the back cover.
“See this! Does this person looks like me”, I said and slid my book to her.
She took a complete survey of it and glanced at my face two or three times while matching it with the photo in my book similar to when we go to take any competitive exam. After her utmost satisfaction, she handed over the book to me.
“I am sorry. I have never met any author in my life before. I don’t have the slightest idea that I can meet someone like this”, she said, explaining herself.
It’s okay. Not a big deal. I ain’t any popular. I just write to express myself and give some real-time experience to my people wrapped up in fiction.
“That’s great. And you study at University of Delhi?”
Her expression on the face became grave as she said.
“Yeah! What happened?” I also became serious at once.
“Shashank! I need your help?”
“Which kind”
“Can you write one story for me? Please”, she asked gravely. Her voice became heavier while she spoke.
“Yeah! But what’s your story? I need to listen to it first”
The conversation took a serious turn.
“Do you’ve time?” She asked again.
“Yeah! I think this is of utmost importance. So go on”, I asked and gestured to move to the table alongside the window.
She began,
I am from Indore. I am pursuing an Engineering from IIT Indore and am in the fourth year of my B-tech in the IT branch. A year ago, we had a conference in our college in which researchers from all over the country were invited to present their papers and development in their research. I was the program coordinator at the event. Every participant had to register with me on the day of the event. At that event, I met Abhineet, who also came to present his paper on behalf of the physics department of Delhi University. His vibe enticed me the most. I found him unique in personality as well as intelligent in his discipline. In my three years of college life, I never found a guy so cheerful and down to earth. We exchanged a few words that day regarding the conference. Since it was for two days, most of the time was occupied in preparation. We couldn’t get along much. After the conference ended, he returned to Delhi. I wasn’t left with any clue to get in touch with me until the day I was to submit the list of participants and found his e-mail Id. What I believe is, a person can quit all social networks but not their mail. I sent him a message, first introducing myself and then asking for ideas on a project that I was to work on, of course, to initiate the conversation. His reply came some eight hours after. For a few months, we kept exchanging our ideas and our conversation became informal from formal, ignoring the fact that we were on mail. One day, I asked for his contact number. Initially, he hesitated but consented after I requested a couple of times. I got to know certain things about him through the conversation. He was in the second year of his PhD, fond of books with an interest in sports. However, he followed a strange pattern. If he is available on call or social networks or by mail, he’ll be there for three-four days consecutively and after that, he won’t be anywhere for the next two-three days, to be more precise, it’s impossible to reach him. On asking, he said that sometimes he used to get stuck in academics, lab or fieldwork. I didn’t find it right to dig into the issue further to maintain his privacy. I also asked him to meet a couple of times but he kept procrastinating.
She took a deep breath and swallowed the water kept on the table. I waited for her to begin.
The last time I talked to him was 25 days ago. We didn’t have any conversation after that and that’s what bring me here. I tried reaching him everywhere and through every means, I knew each day, but he is nowhere. There is no response from him. Is he in any trouble? Has some mishap happened to him?
I could see her growing tense.
“Any of his friends whom you know?”
I broke the deafening silence encircling the two of us in that crowded place.
“None. He never talked about them. Also, the only medium we were connected through was WhatsApp”.
“That’s strange”, I said.
“He said that he isn’t very social”, she replied.
“Did you guys propose to each other?” I asked as if inspecting a case.
“Wait! How is that relevant?” She interrupted.
“It can be. I need you to be honest”, I said.
“I hinted to him a couple of times but socha ispe mil ke baat karenge to jyada accha rahega”, she replied.
“What was his reaction”, I asked again.
“Okayish type, I would say. Neither very affirmative nor very negative”, she replied after thinking for some time.
“So what’s your plan”, I asked at once, cutting the previous conversation.
“I want you to write a story on the blog and circulate it among all your contacts. We’ll run paid promotions. Since you’ve studied here for a long time, your post may reflect somewhere with his friends or him also, if we’re lucky. I know Abhi. He can’t keep himself away from books or stories. Also, any of his friends knowing him may try to contact you. That’ll be our trump card”, she replied enthusiastically.
“That’s great! But will it work? I am just a beginner in the writing field”, I became apprehensive.
“I’ve strong faith that it’ll”
Her eyes glowed with hope as she unfurled her plan.
-Shashank (To be continued)
Pragmatic's Personas 