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Sometimes It Happens

Short Story by Uddipta Dutta


Part One: The Ride

I still remember that feeling I experienced in the month of May of 2019. I saw her for the first time on a metro train from Jagruti Nagar to Andheri station. She was attractive and vibrant. That day, the metro was fully crowded. A lot of people were standing, grabbing at the holders dangling from the roof. She stood right next to me. She was wearing one lovely white top with blue jeans, that perfect dress code for any occasion. Her open curly hair was also swaying along with her body movement. Her face resembled cute Mithila Palkar from “little things”. She was standing on the edge of the ladies' side. I was also standing on the edge of the men's side. So both of us stood at the dividing line of the male and female. With each jerking movement of the train, our bodies were sometimes swinging. Ever since I was standing there a sweet but sharp fragrance was hitting my nostrils. I realised that the aroma was nothing but her perfume. The strong scent combined with the fragrance of her Pheromone drove me crazy for a moment. 

 

After the stoppage at J.B. Nagar station, one sudden jerk of the moving metro, her body swayed left to right and hit my body. Her handkerchief slipped from her and fell on the metro floor near my feet. I somehow managed to bow down and lifted the handkerchief and gave that to her.

"Oh, thank you so much," she instantly expressed her gratitude with a lively smile.

I felt as if I heard a cuckoo's song amid the mechanical rattling’s of the engine and clamour of the crowd.

"It is okay," I gave one short reply with a nervous chuckle. 

Although Inside my mind I felt as if I had accomplished some heroic deed at that moment. I guessed my eyes were revealing with some sort of endearment as when I turned my gaze to Anuj who had been watching me since the beginning, gave one sharp nudge on my back and winked at me. Anuj had been my friend, colleague, and room-mate, all three in one for a long period. Since our college days, I had been telling him that I always had one fantasy of meeting my love interest in a train just like the "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" movie. So Anuj could understand my unreasonable attraction to that lovely fellow young passenger lady.

As soon as the metro reached the Andheri station, we stepped out of the train and rushed towards Andheri railway station. I looked back once. I saw she was also there in the crowd. I and Anuj raced towards platform number three, as our next destination was Jogeshwari. After getting inside the first-class compartment and luckily getting two seats near the window I glanced outside the railway station. I could still figure her out in the outside crowd. She was loitering on the platform while talking to someone over the phone. Anuj started talking about the game of throne episode which we watched in the morning. In between our chatter I kept on looking at her. As the train started moving her receding figure became a dot, and after one point got completely lost from my eyesight.

Part Two: Bonjour

I was extremely surprised to see her again. She was strolling with a small gang on our lotus park campus. I even did not notice that at first. Again after a sharp nudge from Anuj on my shoulder, I too noticed that. I knew one person from the group. His name is Tridip. Before one and half years ago Tridip was working in our company, but then he shifted to another company which was a sister company of our organization. I knew already he was getting ready to move to the United Arab Emirates. But I did not understand what the heck he was doing with the girl of my desire. After seeing him with her one sudden urge came to my mind to rush to Tridip and ask him her whereabouts. But then I remembered, I had not been in touch with him since his farewell in our company. And neither I had any good relationship with him while working there. While having all those thoughts inside my mind, I saw them coming towards us.

Tridip said, "Hey, What's up with you guys? "

I said, " Nothing much."

Anuj said, "You are the one who is  having good news nowadays, a job in UAE, wow!"

Tridip chuckled, "Yes, that's true, I am moving there very soon. we are going to meet your HR Shurvi. Here is my cousin Arpita, she is going to join your office soon", he pointed towards her.

"Hello,” I and Anuj greeted her.

"Hello,” she smiled and greeted us.

Arpita is such a sweet name, I was thinking.

"She is going to work in your office from next week on a temporary basis," Tridip said.

"I think I met you today morning  in the metro, or maybe that was somebody else who looks like you,” she sharply examined my face and said. 

I again heard the cuckoo was singing, or maybe it was singing just inside my mind.

"That was me, I remember your face too". I said

"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you.” She grinned.

"What you guys have already met! That's great."

"That was a co-incident, but yes, we met,” she chuckled

"Ya ya, small world after all. Ok, guys, we are going inside. See you around,” Tridip said.

"Okay, bye," Anuj said

She waved her hand gesturing a bye.

They went inside the building. My mind was on cloud nine at that time. My worries flew by as Tridip said she was just a cousin of his and that too she was going to work in our office! Anuj immediately started teasing me. He said something like "Man mein laddu futa" types, which I did not mind really, as my mind was constantly thinking about new possibilities of my love life. Perhaps it's true that God sometimes shows us some signs and symbols. Maybe that's why I met her randomly on the metro and then again at our office compound. Possibly it was nothing but sweet Bhagawan's conspiracy. I felt for a moment that it was indeed written in my destiny that I had to meet her like this only. 

After the office hour, Anuj was kind of sulking about his appraisal but I asked him to shut his mouth and took him to our favourite budget-friendly pub for the weekend gala. I was very happy.

The short story contd here....