There a certain set of memories, which can make you cry even when you are the most happiest person on this world. Aaditya was early, much earlier than the actual departure of the train. He was travelling by one of the fastest and luxurious trains of the world's largest railway organisation. Aaditya was feeling weird. It was a feeling that he had never ever felt previously. He was kind of worried about the fact that, such an important event of his life did not generate any sort of enthusiasm or excitement in him. He felt as though he was being forced to change, a change which he felt he was better without....
"Excuse me.... I need a small favour from you." The person who was sitting in front of him suddenly spoke, thereby interrupting Aaditya's thoughts. He got little irritated but didn't show it out. He wanted to be alone, in total peace and serenity. He was wondering who this was. The person in front was supposed to be some Dr.Das. This man seemed everything else but a doctor. Some local radio channel advertisement was blaring out of the stranger's headphones. Aaditya could clearly hear it . The slogan on the stranger's T-shirt was
unique-'If life is like an old rusted lamp to you, then I want to be the genie .' Stranger was staring at Aaditya, waiting for a reply but Aaditya didn't reply back. All he did was give an expressionless stare back at the person opposite to him. The stranger continued." I am Aniruddha Das. Actually I am travelling with my wife , but she is travelling in First AC. I will be away frequently from my seat. In case the ticket examiner comes for checking in the interim, kindly do let him know that I am travelling and I am away as of now and will be back soon." Aaditya slowly started to giggle. He was amused by the situation in which Aniruddha was in and by looks , he in no angle seemed like a doctor. Very much to Aaditya's surprise, even Aniruddha was giggling. Aaditya calmed himself and nodded in agreement.Aniruddha smiled and left, just as the train started to leave the station. His journey from home had just begun.After Aniruddha left, Aaditya got lost again in his memories. He was tempted to call people back home, but then realised that his cell was out of network area already. Drinks and snacks were being served..
Half and hour later
"Hi, Did the TTE come?" Aniruddha was back.Though the train is fully air conditioned, he had beads of sweat on his forehead. As he sat down, waiter brought him his snacks and juice. Aaditya replied " No Dr.Das. Not yet. I am sorry for laughing earlier. Just that I was amused by the fact that you and your wife are travelling in the same train but in two different compartments. That's what amused me."
Aniruddha laughed initially and said" That's OK. Wait a minute. Why did you call me as Dr.Das. I never mentioned about it to you .Have we met before? ". Aaditya smiled and replied"
No . I just went through the charts before the train departed. Your ticket has been booked under that name." For the first time today, Aaditya could see some traces of expression on Anirrudha's face. He seemed bewildered and impressed."I should have realised it. Well I am Dr.Aniruddha Das. I am a professor at Delhi University. What about you?" Aniruddha said as he finished his drink and signalled the waiter to refill it. " Oh! I thought you were a medico. I am Aaditya Rao. I just got a job in mumbai as a technical writer for an international patent firm. This is my first job. You seem to be pretty young. You really must be good in your domain to be a professor at such a young age. Guess your students must be having awesome fun. " Aaditya replied. "Thank you . Actually I am going on a conference at Mumbai and was wondering if you could help me out with the city. But the way things seem , you are in the same boat , as in to say that you must be also new to Mumbai. Aren't you?". "Yes.This is my first visit to Mumbai ." Aaditya somehow felt at ease with Aniruddha. This was one of the rare occasions where he was talking to a person who didn't know much about him or his siblings. He could see and feel the difference in comfort levels with people who knew about it and people who didn't. Something told him that all this conversation and comfort would be only till Aniruddha got to know about him. Something told him that he need not let Aniruddha know about it at all.
Aniruddha seemed to be restless as he was changing songs on his player. "Why don't you try for upgrading your ticket to first class. You could then perhaps enjoy your journey with your wife." queried Aaditya before the next track on Aniruddha's player could start . Aniruddha had a smirk on his face. " Well there is absolutely no use. My wife loves to sleep the moment she gets on to her mode of transport, be it bike, car, bus train or plane. She is a techie. Guess this what all techies do most of the time. I love to enjoy my journey. I hate dozing off while travelling.I love to chat and just as destiny would have it, I had to end up with her. I guess my whole life has become a total compromise." Was it plain cribbing or was it frustration ? It couldn't be seen on Aniruddha's face.He was plainly expressionless. Aaditya didn't know what to say. He had never heard any body complaining about their life partner like this.Aaditya started wondering at the guy sitting in front of him. He was young, good looking, smart. He was a doctor so was surely well qualified and seemed confident and cool. It didn't seem as though he could be manipulated or pushed around. If Aniruddha was seriously complaining, then for all the qualities that he seemed be possesing, why did he marry her?
The train was speeding away and their conversation was getting interesting. Unable to keep all these to himself Aaditya said" Don't mind, but can I ask you something. Was yours a love marriage?" Aniruddha laughed out loud and said" No way. I wo
uldn't have been this state then. It was kind of just a sequence of events which terminated at my marriage. My in-laws approached me with the proposal one day and she seemed good . Actually she is not bad either. Just that our preferences and choices are different. She is good in her own way. She doesn't complain much either. Guess this what happens in professional marriages."
"Professional marriages??" Aaditya couldn't make sense of what Aniruddha was saying.
"Well, when you fall in love with a person and get married then it is a love marriage. When families meet and arrange then it is a arranged marriage. Even in arranged marriages there are different levels. Sometimes they select a guy only because he has certain educational qualification or because he belongs to a certain profession, I'd like to call such marriages as professional marriages. Mine was one such marriage." said Aniruddha.
"But why did you agree then? Did your parents force you into it?"
Aniruddha replied " Well, I am an orphan and I always wanted to settle down and have a family of my own. I had just returned after completing my PhD. I joined DU as a professor and my in-laws randomly approached me with a proposal one fine day. A colleague of mine supposedly tipped them of about me.They were searching for a groom who had completed his PhD and nothing less. I met her. She was good and seemed to be the right one. I had no reason to say a no. We had got married in less than a week after out first meeting. It has been just over a month now. Guess I need to start getting accustomed to her company." Both of them laughed.
There was li
ght music playing in the background. The train had been running at top speed for almost an hour and half. It was time for sunset and passengers were giving their choices for dinner to the waiters. Aaditya was enjoying his journey. Aniruddha's company made him forget that he was missing his family.Aniruddha actually made him more comfortable than he ever felt with a stranger. He was different from all the people he interacted with till date. Aaditya was actually surprised with amount of trust Aniruddha had developed with him. He was bewildered with the ease with which Aniruddha could actually tell things out to him as they hardly knew each other for more than an hour. He liked Aniruddha's attitude towards life. He felt he had a lot learn from Aniruddha. It was a good start for the new innings..
"Excuse me.... I need a small favour from you." The person who was sitting in front of him suddenly spoke, thereby interrupting Aaditya's thoughts. He got little irritated but didn't show it out. He wanted to be alone, in total peace and serenity. He was wondering who this was. The person in front was supposed to be some Dr.Das. This man seemed everything else but a doctor. Some local radio channel advertisement was blaring out of the stranger's headphones. Aaditya could clearly hear it . The slogan on the stranger's T-shirt was
unique-'If life is like an old rusted lamp to you, then I want to be the genie .' Stranger was staring at Aaditya, waiting for a reply but Aaditya didn't reply back. All he did was give an expressionless stare back at the person opposite to him. The stranger continued." I am Aniruddha Das. Actually I am travelling with my wife , but she is travelling in First AC. I will be away frequently from my seat. In case the ticket examiner comes for checking in the interim, kindly do let him know that I am travelling and I am away as of now and will be back soon." Aaditya slowly started to giggle. He was amused by the situation in which Aniruddha was in and by looks , he in no angle seemed like a doctor. Very much to Aaditya's surprise, even Aniruddha was giggling. Aaditya calmed himself and nodded in agreement.Aniruddha smiled and left, just as the train started to leave the station. His journey from home had just begun.After Aniruddha left, Aaditya got lost again in his memories. He was tempted to call people back home, but then realised that his cell was out of network area already. Drinks and snacks were being served..Half and hour later
"Hi, Did the TTE come?" Aniruddha was back.Though the train is fully air conditioned, he had beads of sweat on his forehead. As he sat down, waiter brought him his snacks and juice. Aaditya replied " No Dr.Das. Not yet. I am sorry for laughing earlier. Just that I was amused by the fact that you and your wife are travelling in the same train but in two different compartments. That's what amused me."
Aniruddha laughed initially and said" That's OK. Wait a minute. Why did you call me as Dr.Das. I never mentioned about it to you .Have we met before? ". Aaditya smiled and replied"
No . I just went through the charts before the train departed. Your ticket has been booked under that name." For the first time today, Aaditya could see some traces of expression on Anirrudha's face. He seemed bewildered and impressed."I should have realised it. Well I am Dr.Aniruddha Das. I am a professor at Delhi University. What about you?" Aniruddha said as he finished his drink and signalled the waiter to refill it. " Oh! I thought you were a medico. I am Aaditya Rao. I just got a job in mumbai as a technical writer for an international patent firm. This is my first job. You seem to be pretty young. You really must be good in your domain to be a professor at such a young age. Guess your students must be having awesome fun. " Aaditya replied. "Thank you . Actually I am going on a conference at Mumbai and was wondering if you could help me out with the city. But the way things seem , you are in the same boat , as in to say that you must be also new to Mumbai. Aren't you?". "Yes.This is my first visit to Mumbai ." Aaditya somehow felt at ease with Aniruddha. This was one of the rare occasions where he was talking to a person who didn't know much about him or his siblings. He could see and feel the difference in comfort levels with people who knew about it and people who didn't. Something told him that all this conversation and comfort would be only till Aniruddha got to know about him. Something told him that he need not let Aniruddha know about it at all.
Aniruddha seemed to be restless as he was changing songs on his player. "Why don't you try for upgrading your ticket to first class. You could then perhaps enjoy your journey with your wife." queried Aaditya before the next track on Aniruddha's player could start . Aniruddha had a smirk on his face. " Well there is absolutely no use. My wife loves to sleep the moment she gets on to her mode of transport, be it bike, car, bus train or plane. She is a techie. Guess this what all techies do most of the time. I love to enjoy my journey. I hate dozing off while travelling.I love to chat and just as destiny would have it, I had to end up with her. I guess my whole life has become a total compromise." Was it plain cribbing or was it frustration ? It couldn't be seen on Aniruddha's face.He was plainly expressionless. Aaditya didn't know what to say. He had never heard any body complaining about their life partner like this.Aaditya started wondering at the guy sitting in front of him. He was young, good looking, smart. He was a doctor so was surely well qualified and seemed confident and cool. It didn't seem as though he could be manipulated or pushed around. If Aniruddha was seriously complaining, then for all the qualities that he seemed be possesing, why did he marry her?
The train was speeding away and their conversation was getting interesting. Unable to keep all these to himself Aaditya said" Don't mind, but can I ask you something. Was yours a love marriage?" Aniruddha laughed out loud and said" No way. I wo
uldn't have been this state then. It was kind of just a sequence of events which terminated at my marriage. My in-laws approached me with the proposal one day and she seemed good . Actually she is not bad either. Just that our preferences and choices are different. She is good in her own way. She doesn't complain much either. Guess this what happens in professional marriages.""Professional marriages??" Aaditya couldn't make sense of what Aniruddha was saying.
"Well, when you fall in love with a person and get married then it is a love marriage. When families meet and arrange then it is a arranged marriage. Even in arranged marriages there are different levels. Sometimes they select a guy only because he has certain educational qualification or because he belongs to a certain profession, I'd like to call such marriages as professional marriages. Mine was one such marriage." said Aniruddha.
"But why did you agree then? Did your parents force you into it?"
Aniruddha replied " Well, I am an orphan and I always wanted to settle down and have a family of my own. I had just returned after completing my PhD. I joined DU as a professor and my in-laws randomly approached me with a proposal one fine day. A colleague of mine supposedly tipped them of about me.They were searching for a groom who had completed his PhD and nothing less. I met her. She was good and seemed to be the right one. I had no reason to say a no. We had got married in less than a week after out first meeting. It has been just over a month now. Guess I need to start getting accustomed to her company." Both of them laughed.
There was li
ght music playing in the background. The train had been running at top speed for almost an hour and half. It was time for sunset and passengers were giving their choices for dinner to the waiters. Aaditya was enjoying his journey. Aniruddha's company made him forget that he was missing his family.Aniruddha actually made him more comfortable than he ever felt with a stranger. He was different from all the people he interacted with till date. Aaditya was actually surprised with amount of trust Aniruddha had developed with him. He was bewildered with the ease with which Aniruddha could actually tell things out to him as they hardly knew each other for more than an hour. He liked Aniruddha's attitude towards life. He felt he had a lot learn from Aniruddha. It was a good start for the new innings..End of Part II
2 comments:
like the salt n pepper parts till now, waiting for its completion
:D
Ahhh the story's only getting better with each post :)...the attitudes of the charcters have been dealt with in depth, and the reader has no problems in imagining the entire situation! You could be an author now, are you?
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