CHAPTER 2: Happy New Year

New Year Night! And at 12.00 AM, I was searching for coffee bytes toffees. The only thing running through my mind at that time was to impress her somehow. I was sure that she loves these kinds of "weird" things and that was the first thing I loved about her. I got out from the train and searched for any shops open at that time of the night. But, at deep back of my mind I was worried that, if I ever get these toffees, I will have to disturb all the sleeping souls in the train and distribute it, which will eventually create a scene. So, one part of my brain did not really want me to find the toffee shop open. And, finally that part won! I could not find any shops open there.

I came back with my usual grin and said her -" I could not find any shops. We should have planned it before itself"

'Oh..That’s Okay. At least you tried." she said in her sweet voice.

I felt happy, that she was happy about the whole thing.

 Now coming back to her sweet voice, she has a dual personality sometimes. Whenever, she wanted to show her real anger towards someone, all on a sudden her looks change, her voice change and people would burn in her one single stare. Whenever she did that, I used to get a sudden rise of heart beat inside me.

But, when she is sweet, which she is for most of the time, and then she is very sweet.

I mean, I loved it!!!

 So, I came back and sat in my same old position and time was somewhere around 2.30 AM. My berth was staying vacant somewhere there in the other compartment of the train and I was still sitting with this girl in this confined space!!!

Finally I said -" I think, I have to go now to my berth and sleep"

She did not say anything, but her eyes where asking -" Why? You got bored or something?"

"No. It’s too late and I am having a small back pain, sitting in this awkward manner for long time"

"Oh..is it..you can go. And I also will sleep" She said.

I got up reluctantly, even though I wanted to stay beside her for the whole sweet night.

"Good night...and happy new year" I said.

"Happy New Year...indeed!!! " she replied with a smile.

 I came back to my berth and started sleeping. But, I was not able to sleep! Some kind of a strange feeling was pricking inside my heart, and I was enjoying that pain.

I started thinking about Asha.She was smart, beautiful lady with a very good positive attitude towards life. I mean, she knows how to enjoy her life !!! "Why so-serious?" kind of an attitude. But, I also understood that, she took things like relationships, family, friends and all very seriously! I love such girls!

I was not going through a good phase of my life at that time in all the sense. 3 months before I had resigned my job for aspiring an MBA. Later, when I felt a lot unsecured about being unemployed, I got a job, but it was in Chennai for Ericsson R&D. Finally I decided to move to chennai and in November I reached the hot-Chennai. I was all alone here, trapped in the solitude of this dark city. I had a bad time indeed!

And, it was during one such day, when I was sitting in my office meeting, I got a call from this wonderful girl, Asha. Now, I am traveling with her in this same train to Bangalore. "Happy new year, indeed". Those words reverberated in my mind. I fell asleep in the sweet rhythm of train, and I heard a song being played from the small chamber of my heart - "Na hai yeh pana Na khona he hai....Tum se hi.."

-Sreekant Narayan