The Girl in a Metro

It is a bright, sunny Saturday morning and as the festival of Holi is around I’m going home from my workplace, Gurgaon.

To board the bus for my home town I have to reach Noida city centre bus station and to reach there I’m taking a metro from Huda city centre Gurgaon.

I’m already running late and adding to the misery, I’ve left my metro card at my room, which means that I’ll be standing in the line to get a physical ticket.

After standing in the line for good 15 minutes and finally receiving my ticket, passing the security check rushing through I’ve reached the entry gate and finally on the escalator to the platform.

With earphones in my ear, two bags on my shoulders I’m standing tall on the escalator listening to Atif Aslam with thoughts of getting a bus on time in my mind.

Suddenly I turn behind to see a girl, climbing the elevator to my right in a hurry, and once I’m still looking at her, it’s not a face you see in metro lines everyday. A tall, fair and beautiful girl with short hairs tied at the back, dressed in a blue top white denim jeans, with iPhone in her hand AirPods in her ears and a black, small tommy bag hanging diagonally from her left shoulder to the right waist line.

Finally on the platform and standing at an empty space to wait for the metro to arrive, seeing the place empty the girl has also stopped there and is standing next to me.

Finally the train has arrived and after boarding we are looking for a vacant seat. I’ve found and hoped in in an empty seat, she has also managed to fill a women reserved seat, right in front of me.

Now, I’m getting a clear sight of her face, how can someone look this beautiful? A glowing face with a touch of light makeup, bright black eyes full of life, stuck on phone’s screen and light pink lips smiling over something in her phone.

I think she has noticed me noticing her. I also don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, so minding my business I’ve started reading a book.

She’s looking at my book’s cover, she is smiling and nodding her head looking at it, it’s a mythological fiction I don’t think she is smiling finding it funny, she might have read it already or some other book of this author and appreciating my choice with her pretty smile, or something else’s I don’t know.

Controlling my running thoughts and butterflies in my stomach, I’m giving her a smile, a smile not so short to make it look it rude and not so wide to make her feel uncomfortable.

Now we are both minding our own businesses, stations are passing one by one bringing me close to my destination but taking me away from the chances of interacting with her.

My eyes, the rebellious eyes, which I’m trying hard to control but are rising from my book and sticking on her.

We are finally at Rajiv chowk, the interchange station, to take the final metro to the bus station. I’ve stood up from my seat but she’s is still in her seat, busy with her phone.

I guess it’s time to leave her, and the thoughts about her behind, it’s time to accept the destiny. I’m standing at the gate waiting for the train to stop and doors to open.

The train is at Rajiv chowk, the doors have opened. My eyes are looking at her, bidding her a final goodbye. She has stood up, my heart skipped a beat. She is taking her bag and walking behind my back out of metro.

We are on the famous for it’s crowded, chaotic environment station, Rajiv Chowk. She’s calling someone moving along on the escalator to the exit. We are on the exit, I’m taking left to climb the stairs to reach the platform to board the metro to Noida city centre. She’s still on her phone talking to someone and taking the right, to move out of the station and reach Connaught Place, where she might be having a plan to meet someone who is on the phone.

I can see her going in the opposite direction of mine. My eyes are following her until I can see those short black hair disappearing in the crowd.

Yes it’s finally over, I’m in my final train to the bus station.