THE WAIT

They were complete strangers, but both loved winters, the cold, the serenity the playfulness of wind. That night every distant noise was audible to them. Very few trains had stopover there, with few passengers n even fewer shops the station was quiet. They both were waiting for their respective trains. Both of them were sitting on the same bench, and also were experiencing same feelings, but were oblivious to the presence of other. Lost in their own world they were simply smiling to themselves. Both of them were expecting calls at 12 o clock. This was the night of 13^th Feb and by 12 o clock they might get the call. Pallavi and Nisha both were young, newly in love, and were enjoying every moment of it sitting there on the bench.

They looked at each other, despite being strangers felt familiar, ‘all lovers resemble’, they thought, smiled, at each other and again got lost in their own world.

Pallavi looked towards the trees on the other side of the platform, ‘He loves nature, so do I,  We will travel together, see the world and the luscious locales, will cook food for each other, take care of each other, will provide each other warmth on such cold nights’. She thought and the last part brought another smile on her face. He was her friend for long and only recently she had realized her true feelings for him. ‘He too must be feeling the same’, she was confident and ‘so he will call tonight’. She thought

Nisha was in her own thoughts, she had draped a shawl, next time onwards it will be he who will drape the shawl over me, and he will hold my hand to make me feel secure and warm. He will listen to me patiently. On his shoulder I will rest. She went back to when it all started; He had just shifted to be as her new neighbor. She saw him, he smiled and she knew it was the most honest smile she had ever seen, she fell in love instantly. She did everything possible to talk to him; she used to look at him from the corner of the eye to see if he is looking, let loose her hair while looking at him and used to tie them seductively, she used to dance, sing for him to hear, make extra movements of lips for him to notice, she did it all but it was until now that she had to wait for them to become friends in fact ‘great friends’, they used to share everything. ‘He will call tonight and propose me’. She thought

None of them got call at 12, but at 5 passed 12, Nisha’s Phone rang. She saw the screen and felt a ripple in her heart, it was him. She closed her eyes took a deep breath and pressed the answer button, It was time for her to feel the best words of her life they will make her feel like princess. She held phone close to her ear, to feel him closer.

‘Hello’. She said. He wished her and after a bit silence went on saying whatever he felt; she heard him patiently and had tears in her eyes. And eventually after hearing him completely, she said ‘YES’

Pallavi was looking at her, she felt happy for girl sitting beside her, and ‘the tears of joy’ Pallavi mumbled to herself. ‘Will I experience them tonight’, she thought. She looked towards her phone, no mssg , no call, no signs. She felt terrible pain. She again looked towards girl sitting beside her (Nisha), she looked at peace, just like one is after finding one’s love.

It was 20 past 12 now and Pallavi realized that she would not get the call. She felt disenchanted. ‘He loves somebody else’, she thought and decided to call him and congratulate him.

And impulsively Pallavi took her phone called him; she felt her heart beats increasing. He immediately picked it and said ‘ hellooo’ in a enthusiastic manner, there was happiness in his voice. She knew that he must have called his love and she must have agreed, that’s why he was so happy. She wished him for valentine day he too wished her back and… there was silence…’so?’ he said, she too replied with ‘so?’. ‘That’s it’. He enquired, ‘yeh, that’s it’ she replied. Again there was silence.’ I need to tell you something’ he said. She didn’t want to hear his successful love story now, she felt too weak to hear it, but still she managed to say ‘yes what?’

He started ‘I always wanted to be with a girl, a wonderful n beautiful girl, a girl who has great understanding, a girl who is always fresh always bubbling with energy, a girl whose beauty lies in her innocence and childishness’. He said to her, he continued ‘N I want to ask that girl will she also want to be with me?’

Pallavi got puzzled, what he was talking about. Before she could ask. He said, ‘I love you Pallavi’

Pallavi went crazy,’ Dumbo, y did you take so long, y didn't you call me earlier, IDIOT I love you na’ she said loudly without caring for anybody and ultimately managed to say with tears, ‘I always want to be with you’.

And there it was Pallavi,who had finally got her call, her love, she looked at Nisha and smiled. Nisha had heard each and everything.

Nisha recalled her conversation, she had at 5 passed 12, then her friend had not called to propose her, and rather he called and told her, that he too was expecting a call from his best friend , and he was nervous that she had not called him, he had always told Nisha about that friend, but Nisha never thought that he loved her, during that call he had asked Nisha, ‘whether she ll call or not, she will na?’ to that Nisha had replied ‘YES’. And then Nisha’s eyes were not just were full of tears but she was literally crying because she had lost him.

Nisha’a phone rang again; it was again her best friend again. She picked up, and he shouted and said, ‘she called me, I confessed to her and she said that " why did i take so long,I should have said it earlier, she too loves me and wants to be with me", I am so happy’. He said. The very moment Nisha realized that it was the girl sitting beside her, whom her best friend loved and, basically both she and the girl sitting beside her, were waiting for the same guy to call….

‘That’s great’ she said hiding her tears and abruptly switched the phone off.

She looked at pallavi, she envied Pallavi , she had lost Akash to her, she felt dejected. But she knew he simply wasn’t hers, he was meant for someone else, she was brave enough to acknowledge that. She heard the horn of arriving train, it was piercing, perhaps it was meant to wake her up of her dreams. She gathered herself and stood as her train arrived; she stood to move, but looked at Pallavi again. Pallavi was too happy; pallavi looked at her and smiled, there itself Nisha melted. The smile was blissful and full of love and pure hearted. She felt happy for Akash that he had got such a beautiful girl, both of them, Akash and Pallavi will remain together, it was their destiny, it was their journey ‘together’, she thought, and that hers was going to be a different journey, her wait was not yet over. She simply smiled back, took her belongings boarded the train and never looked back.