The Girl in Pink

Beeep!!! Bus’s horn honked loud and there began the journey which was going to change my life. I was traveling from Kolhapur, my hometown, to Pune, town where I work. After enjoying my holidays at home, a rare occasion due to extreme workload, I was again off to Pune to resume my duty. That day morning was bit brighter or so it seemed to me, may be because it was rare for me to get up so early. It was 5.30 a.m. Who gets up at this ungodly hour anyway? So it was suffice to say that it was rather unusual of me to get on a travel so early. However, when my father handed me seat reservation receipt for 5.30 a.m. bus (by the way which was another unusual thing) I had no option but to get on the board. But when I look back I think that was … well, I am getting ahead of myself. Where was I? oh yah. So I was half asleep and about to turn on my music player when I was interrupted by-

“Excuse me?” A girly voice fell on my ear. Those were just two words but the voice which delivered those words was perhaps the sweetest voice I had ever heard. “Is that seat taken?” A girl said pointing at seat next to me.

Not only sweetest but magical as well, I thought. Such a strong magic which made my thoughts so much cluttered I couldn’t utter a proper word and ended up answering with just my neck’s movement which could have meant any of either ‘Yes’ , ‘No’ or may be just that my neck was broken. Thankfully, girl took it as a ‘Yes’ and moved forward to take that seat.

As she adjusted herself in the seat, I got time to check her out. She was wearing a pink colored salwar kamiz, which looked as if it was so tailor made for that girl only. However one thing played a spoilsport. She was wearing a long scarf all over her face in a same way some terrorists wear to hide their faces.

She must be ugly. My inner voice chirped as I remembered a conversation with my friend when we were in college about why girls wear scarf all over their faces. Why is that? I had asked bewildered having failed to see single pretty face on that day because of that treacherous scarf. If girl is wearing a scarf all over her face that means she is not willing to show her face which gives a way to a conclusion that she is ugly. My friend had showered his ‘gyan’, sacred knowledge, on our confused minds.

I forcefully sidelined that memory. She cannot be ugly. No one with that sweet voice could be ugly. I argued to my protesting mind as I saw her picking her ringing phone and answering it.

You stupid, that’s exact reason why she must be ugly, my inner voice continued to protest, how many sweet voices you have heard only to found out that owner of the voice is unworthy of that kind of voice? Sometimes I wonder, seeing amount of insult my inner voice throws at me, that that inner voice is really mine or my some enemy has control over it. But here, it had a point I had to agree. Sweet voice doesn’t warrant beautiful face. I just wished this one would be a different case.

Take off that scarf girl! My other inner voice, desperate one, screamed. I seconded that but couldn’t voice my demand. She was still talking into her cell phone. Now that was getting irritating. I decided to give up and turned my music player on inserted my earphones in and closed my eyes allowing my mind to wander into a fantasy world.

Fifteen or may be thirty minutes might have passed. I was half asleep and my mind was engulfed into its own fantasy world. There too this girl in pink made an appearance with her magical voice. Here as well she refused to remove her scarf. I had enough as I snapped back into real world, now she had better removed her scarf or I was going to tear it off.

As I removed earphones and turned my face towards her I was dumbstruck, she turned her face towards me at the same time, this time without her scarf, her full face visible, shinning in its full glory. Her skin was so fair and flawless, her chick had a faint red tint on it, and her rose-red colored lips were so perfectly curved, her nose was straight and exquisitely placed. Her eyes had a little blue shade to it. But most striking feature was perhaps the liveliness in her eyes. You feel like alive when you looked into them.

“You are beautiful.” I stuttered as her facial expression changed, which I thought was an expression of anger or may be confusion. She is angry; she is going to slap you now, my inner voice, a devil one, cracked probably with a evil laugh.

“Did you say something? I didn’t hear you properly.” She said apologetically as she removed headphones off her ears.

“Oh! I .. “my stutter continued so did inner voices. Say something intelligent, said brainy inner voice. Say something funny said other one. Say something cool like you don’t care said the third one. With so much confusion going around what to say I ended up saying probably stupidest thing possible.

“So you are going to Pune as well?” Alas! My inner voice, a devil one, found a voice again; Of course she is going to Pune dumbass. This is a non-stop Kolhapur to Pune Bus, remember?

Thankfully, she didn’t find that question as stupid and answered- “Yep! Back to Pune. Need to resume duty, you know.”

“Yah! Tell me about it.” My mind was relaxed after seeing her cool attitude and after that we exchanged some words regarding our jobs and all.

After few minutes I sensed the subject of our jobs was getting boring. My inner voices reminded me duly the need of changing the subject now. Unless you are thinking of talking her to boring death I would subject we change subject. My inner voice, sarcastic one this time, offered help.

Right, I need to change subject. But what subject should I chose? I took liberty of checking her out once again as she was looking outside window glass. She had black long hair with may be bit brownish shade to them. She had tied them carefully behind her back in ponytail. A stray lock of hair was frequently falling across her eyes and she was sliding them back every time they did fall. That action looked very cute in those circumstances. Frankly I have seen some girls having better hair than this one. But somehow those hairs suited her perfectly like they were last piece of puzzle to complete the picture of a beautiful virgin. I was so lost in her hair I almost missed what she was saying to me.

“Hey could you do me a favor?” She was asking as I forced myself out of black magic.

“A Favor? Of course.” Say the word.

“Please ask that person to move his seat little bit forward.” She asked pointing at a person sitting just in front of her seat. I was so lost in my thought I failed to notice before that man had reclined his seat so backward that it was almost impossible her to move her feet. My blood started boiling for no apparent reason.

Damsel in distress, my sarcastic one inner voice immediately offered an explanation.

Ask? I would kill him if you would ask. I thought, though I averted that line of thought immediately as I took a good look at the person seating in that seat. He was so huge, may thrice of my size, for all I knew he could be an elephant in human disguise. I decided to play it Gandhi-way and asked him politely if he would move forward. He obliged immediately, maybe he was Gandhi follower too.

“Thanks.” She said in her sweet voice. In that process I had found a new topic to talk on. I had noticed she was frequently touching pendant in the necklace she was wearing. It must have an emotional value for her. I Inferred.

“Nice Necklace.” I complimented.

“Oh, thank you. My elder sister has gifted me this. She has one same like this.” Ask a girl one question she will give answers of three.

“I can tell you are quite fond of it.”

“Well, I don’t know how to say this but I think we sisters share some kind of empathy link through this necklace. Whenever I miss her I touch this necklace and think of her and within few minutes her call comes more often than not.” She explained as her fingers played with a lock of hair, “you probably think it’s stupid, don’t you?” She asked hesitantly.

Of course it’s stupid. My matter-of-fact inner voice rushed forward to prove her right. But I was no fool to say that loud to a pretty girl.

“Well, you know I can also tell when my younger brother is thinking of me.”

“Yah?” She said excitedly, “how?”

“When my cell phone starts ringing, I have set special ringtone for his call you see.” I said winking.

She laughed full heatedly. Her smile was also had that magical touch to it.

Before I could say more her cell phone started ringing. She picked it up with haste and said “Hey Di, Just thinking about you.”

My face sported a smile as I saw her talking into phone to her sister. She was so happy and excited while talking I would have wondered if she was talking to her sister after months, hadn’t I knew better. I wished this bus would never stop and I could keep watching her for eternity.

My wish was cut short immediately as the bus screeched to stop and a conductor came out and said

“We will take a short stop at this restaurant. If anyone needs to use bathroom or have a breakfast get it quickly done. Bus will resume journey in 10 minutes.”

I took a glance at her; she was too busy talking to her sister, oblivious to anything around her. I will use a bathroom at the restaurant and then have cup of hot tea, I decided and stepped out of the bus.

Hot tea had made my mind refreshed and more active. Unfortunately restaurant didn’t have my favorite chips. However a general store across the street had those chips. I will quickly go down there and buy some chips, I thought as I glanced back to the bus standing still, they never leave on time anyway. I reached the store and bought some chips as I waited for shopkeeper to give my change I saw from corner of my eye that my bus was getting into motion. I threw ‘KEEP THE CHANGE’ dialogue on the face of shopkeeper and ran after the bus.

I was sure that I would not be able to catch the bus and the bus would leave without me. As I was about to give away hopeless chase the bus came to halt suddenly.

“Where had you gone? Get on the board quickly” cried the conductor as I climbed in. I offered an quick apology and took my seat.

“Where have you been? You would have missed the bus. I had to literally scream loud to driver to stop the bus.” She said in single breath.

It would have felt preposterous, but coming from her, I liked it. She personally asked conductor to stop the bus for me. That’s something.

“Thanks.” I said as I offered her chips, a lust for this caused me almost miss my Bus. I smiled.

“Oh. That’s my favorite chips.” She said, “so it was worth stopping the bus after all” as she took mouthful of chips.

“So how’s your sister? I thought your call would never end.” I asked playfully.

“Haha.. if only calling rate were that cheaper” she said.

“So she is your elder sister you said?” I probed for more information.

“Yes, by couple of years. She just got married few months back. Now she lives in Satara with her husband and in-laws.”

We kept talking about her sister for next few minutes before it got interrupted by a cell phone ring. This time it was my cell phone doing the talking. I picked it up. My mother was on other side.

A day since I had completed 2 years in my current job, Mother decide that I was very well settled in my life and hence ready to get married. From that day she had started bringing ‘Rishtey’ every time I came home for holiday. Most of them I had already rejected. I was still not considering myself settled and hence didn’t want to get married too soon. Therefore when I came home this holidays and my mother put forth one more proposal, I rejected it without asking for any more information about that girl. But this time was different, the girl, my mother had brought that proposal of, was daughter of her childhood friend. My mother explained to me that she had lost contact to her friend for last 15 years and accidently she stumbled upon her few days back. And after resurrecting their friendship, on one fateful day they got an idea to convert their friendship into relationship, in simple words tying knot of me with daughter of her friend. And since I said no without seeing the photo of that girl, she was now calling me to inform me that she had placed a envelope containing a photograph of that girl in my backpack urging me to give it a look before rejecting the proposal.

“Ok. Aai. I will check it out once I reach home. Ok?” I said before disconnecting the call.

“Mother’s called.” I said waving my cell phone.

“Marriage issue, huh?” She asked crookedly.

“Yah. How did you guess?”

“I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation.” She said apologetically. “But if it helps it’s a same situation at my end as well.”

“Oh. So your mother is also looking for marriage proposals for you already?” I could barely hide my surprise.

“Yup. I already on the marriage market, she joked, and in fact I have already received my first rejection.” She said with serious but lighter tone.

“I don’t believe it.” I said genuinely, how one could reject awesome girl like her unless he is blind.

Our journey was about to reach its destination now. We continued to talk on some lighter general topics before she suddenly asked-

“How good is your memory?”

It came so out of the blue it took me whole two seconds to understand it.

“Well. I like to believe that I have an eidetic memory.” I said. I wasn’t boasting anything off but I did believe it at that time.

“Hmm.. I see!” She replied.

“Why did you asked?”

“Not any specific reason.” She shrugged off leaving me doubting myself. Suddenly I got the feeling that I was forgetting something, though I couldn’t pinpoint what.

Before I could force my memory more I got interrupted by ringtone. This time it was a whatsapp message from my friend on my cell phone. She had forwarded some hilarious joke. I couldn’t help but smile as I read the message.

“Is it from someone special? The way you are smiling to yourself.” She enquired, apparently deriving the wrong meaning of my smile.

“What? You mean like girlfriend?” I decided to confront it head on, “No. she is a girl and also my friend. But not both combined.” I said winking.

“Ok. So she is not your girlfriend. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have one.” She persisted. I didn’t mind either.

“Well. No I don’t have a girlfriend.” I said, “aaj tak koi acchi mili hi nahi” watching hundreds of Bollywood movies and tolerating SRk movies for so many years finally paid off as I delivered that famous dialogue with utmost conviction.

She laughed, again spreading that divine magic with it.

“I bet you have a boyfriend.” I asked keeping my tone normal but praying inside to lose the bet.

“No. I don’t have boyfriend either.” She answered without any hesitation.

“Pretty girl like you don’t have boyfriend? I don’t buy it” I asked refusing to budge in. But my mind was already happy jumping inside.

“Well. It’s true; though I had kind had a crush on a boy when I was in college.” She offered explanation.

“So? What happened?” As I asked something did hurt inside my heart.

“Nothing happened further. As I look back it was just an infatuation and nothing else.” She answered as cool as cucumber.

Something that was hurting inside got healed suddenly. As I said-

“Infatuation, that’s the byproduct of that age. I also had a crush on a girl in my college days.”

“So how did it go for you?” She inquired.

“It failed completely, though I am glad that I did not affect my friendship with that girl. We are still good friends.”

We continued our talk on college-time affairs. But my mind couldn’t shrug of the feeling that I was forgetting something, something important. As I saw our Bus entering into Pune city and only few minutes were left to end this journey; it struck me what I was forgetting all along.

“Hey!” I exclaimed finding it hard to keep my voice down. Few other passengers gave me angry look while she sat up straight looking at me quizzically. “I don’t know your name yet. What’s your name?”

“You are quite fast, I must say.” She said sarcastically while a cute smile spread all over her face.

How stupid one could be? I thought. Not nearly as stupid as you, my all inner voices spoke in unison. For once I was completely in agreement with them. This entire journey it never occurred to me that I did not know her name. How strange was that?

“It’s strange I know. But I had such a good time talking with you that I never realized that I didn’t know your name. It felt like as if we are not stranger and I knew you all along.” I tried to defend my stupidity with possible cheesiest line ever. But I said it by my heart with complete honesty.

“Oh. That’s sweet.” She said in a way that only a girl with a certain amount of cuteness could say. “But you missed the train. It is my policy that not to tell the name at the end of the journey.” She said playfully as our Bus entered Swargate area, a Central Bus Stand of Pune city.

“Oh! Come on.” I said failing to see the humor in her statement.

“You know what they say? What’s in the name, anyway?” She was still up to her tricks to pull my legs as she referred to a famous saying of Shakespeare.

“Yah. I know that saying. Kalidas said that.” I replied with utmost sincerity.

“What? No. Shakespeare said that.” She said falling to mytrick.

“Said what?”

“That ‘what’s in the name’.”

“EXACTLY!” I said winking. She laughed now understanding what I did there.

“Good one. I think I like you.” She said raising my hopes that now she will tell me her name and probably give me her cell number. My mind had already made a grand plan of searching her name on all social sites like Facebook and befriending with her there. Now we had reached into bus station and our journey was officially ended.

“If it’s in the destiny We will meet again someday and then I will tell you my name.” She said dashing whatever last hope remained as she climbed down the bus. She had minimum luggage i.e. only her purse.

I collected my entire luggage and hurried off the bus. But as I climbed down the vehicle she was nowhere to be seen.

Our Journey was indeed officially ended.

From Swargate I directly went to my office reporting to my duty. I couldn’t concentrate on work. I tried to remember what exactly happened in the journey. Was that real or I was hallucinating? I couldn’t get the face of that girl, the girl in pink, out of mind. Her lively eyes, her divine magical smile, how could one forget those things. My mother called me twice to remind me to check the envelope. I wanted to say her that there is no need now as I have found a perfect daughter in law for her. But what could I tell her? I didn’t even know the girl’s name. Till this morning I didn’t wanted to get married. But now I couldn’t wait to get married, but only to that girl, that girl in pink. How could I let her go away? Had I pressed little harder I could have gotten her name. And then I could have…

Oh! Whom I kidding? Had she wanted to tell her name, she would have told me anyway. But why didn’t she tell her name? I was under impression that I had actually made a good impression on her. Waves of thoughts refused to cease as I signed off from my office and headed toward home.

When I reached home my head was still heavy and flooded with the thoughts. I checked my cell phone out of habit more than anything else. There was a missed call, from my mother.

Oh! I have to check that envelope; I thought and removed an envelope from my backpack.Inside the envelope, there was indeed one photo. I brought it out. Backside of the photo a name was written. As I read out the name aloud, old memories stirred in my mind. I vaguely remembered the name. There was a girl with that name in my class when I was in school, I was not sure but may be in primary school. I remembered her mother who was childhood friend of my mother. However memory still eluded me to remember her face clearly.

Let’s see how does she look.. my words froze as I flipped the photograph bringing the front side up. I kept staring at the photo, my heartbeats literally stopped beating, my body refused to move as if someone had casted a magical freezing spell. And I knew the source of that magic. Through the photograph, with her lively magical eyes a girl was smiling at me, that same girl, a girl in pink.

As initial shock subsided, my mind started thinking clearly again, and in an instant whole picture got clearer. I should have known earlier, too many unusual things in a single day.

When I refused to see a photograph at home my mother didn’t force me once then and there but she called me multiple times to remind me to see the photo this morning. Unusual.

My father makes a reservation. Unusual

A really pretty girl comes and seats next to me when half of the bus was empty. Extremely unusual.

She opens up and talks freely as if she knew me for long time. Unusual.

She asks mystically ‘How good is your memory?’ Unusual.

I failed pray to the masterly crafted one diabolical plan. But I couldn’t care less as I started laughing hysterically.

I love you girl, my girl in pink.