The Messenger

The world was passing me with a speed of 70 km per hour. It was a pleasant evening in Bangalore and I was enjoying my drive. I reached at the reception party at 8.30. I was feeling a bit tired because of the 45 k.m. drive. I went directly to meet Aditya and Ahana and they were looking great together. As I was approaching them, I crossed many good looking and formally dressed people and I realized that I am wearing the same jeans, I did not wash for I don’t know how many days.

“Congrats dood, finally you made it. Hey gorgeous, u too did it. You guys deserve Noble for winning the invincible battle” I said to the couple and laughed loudly as if I have cracked a great joke. It was an intercast, interreligion and interstate marriage and after a lot of emotional drama, the families finally agreed for the marriage. I talked to them for 10 minutes and during the conversation Ahana laughed on all my jokes. Finally when I was leaving them, Aditya told me “Man your sense of humor is pathetic. Only girls laugh at your jokes.”
“And that is my motivation”, I replied smiling. Ok guys, now you attend other guests and don’t worry, I will not be off without having dinner. I said while leaving them.
“I know. Hope you will not get bore. You don’t know anybody here.” Aditya said.
“I enjoy my company a lot” I said and moved toward the area where drinks were being served.

My jeans was teasing all well dressed people. The function was at a very beautiful open resort. The central area was surrounded by beautiful green trees. The food was being served at one side and the cocktail area was on the right of that. I was passing through the area where dining arrangement was made with circular tables and 6 chairs around them. Slow instrumental music, dark green grass on the ground, smell of flowers and slow breeze was making that area a perfect place for drink.

“Blenders Pride with coke and soda” I told the bar tender and moved towards an empty table. A waiter served me the leg of some unlucky chicken. In next 30 minutes I had moved to my 3rd peg and waved 2 times to Aditya. It’s a never said but universally accepted fact that if you wave the person who is giving the party with a smile on your face means either you are enjoying or at least trying to show that you are enjoying the party. But I was actually enjoying the moment. I was drinking and observing people (actually girls). I was wondering that why every girl is looking so pretty. As a part of an old game of mine, I was rating all girls on a scale of 10 and I was surprised that no one had got less than 7 so far.

“7, 7.5, 8, 7 again. Ohh this one is 8.5… no man she is 9. Just look at her figure and eyes. 9 is final.” I was enjoying my game and suddenly a different thought came in to my mind. “How many points a girl will give me if she plays the same game.7, 7.5?” I smiled and started the game again. Suddenly I noticed something.

“Ohhh, that “9” girl is staring at me continuously. Man, I always knew I am good looking.8 points to you buddy.” I smiled at my own joke. I changed the focus to my peg which was about to get finished. I called up a waiter and told him with a great affection,”Dost, ek aur peg banva do vo badi mooch vale bhai sahab se. He knows what I am drinking.” Waiter smiled and went towards the bar. As I was going to start the number game again, I noticed the “9” girl moving towards me. In next few seconds she was standing in front of me.
The “9” girl: Hi. You are Niteesh na?
Me: (Ooops. She knows me) Yes. Do we know each other?
All of a sudden I became a sophisticated guy.
The “9” girl: You did not recognize me Niteesh (Ofcourse I didn’t. What the need of saying it) And actually I was not even expecting that you will recognize me. We met in a train journey from Hyderabad to Delhi in 2007. Try to recall. My name is Soniya. You don’t know how happy I am to see you.

Few years back……a journey from Secunderabad to Delhi in Sampark Kranti sleeper compartment. I was reading Sidney Sheldon’s “Tell Me Your Dream” and I saw a beautiful girl requesting the TTE to arrange a seat for her. She was carrying a bag which was too big to be carried by a beautiful girl like her. My seat was side lower and fortunately I was sitting alone on my seat. I noticed the expression of guys sitting around me. Everyone was rearranging their luggage to make some sitting space near them. I smiled and got busy in reading again and suddenly I heard a sweet voice. “Can I sit here for some time? I don’t have seat and TTE has asked me to wait for few hours.” The girl asked me.
I don’t know, was it the English novel or my side lower birth or my brother looking face, she came directly to me. Guys in the train who were talking to me in a friendly manner few minutes back were staring at me in fury. I had become the enemy of everyone.
There was some frequency match between me and that girl (keeping in mind that I generally don’t speak a lot in front of strangers) because we talked about many things in next 4-5 hours and after that I don’t remember, when the girl left my seat and why did not I take her number. But overall I remember that we had very good conversation and I gave her a lot of Gyan. This was the first and last time I met a girl in the train though every time I wish to meet some girl when I start a train journey (actually 90% of the guys does that. Rest 10% is committed). A survey says that 1.3% of all love stories start in a train.

Me: hey…good to see you. Sorry I could not recognize you.
Sonia: It ok. Its been long. Even I would not have recognized you if that meeting was not proved to be so important for my life. Meeting you is like a dream come true. I prayed it to God many times.
Me: Why? Did you lose something precious that day from your bag and you think I took it.
This was the most pathetic joke I cracked that day but still I found her smiling.
Soniya: I know that meeting would not have much importance for you but some of your words changed my life and probably my life would have been different if I had not met you in the train that day.
Guys feel best when they hear good words about them from beautiful girls and I am definitely a guy. Though, I was sure that whatever words changed her life would have been from some book or movie or from my brother.
Soniya: I was fighting for something important and I had almost accepted the defeat when I met you that day. I remember your words. Biggest happiness in life demands biggest fights and if you know that what you are going to do is right then go ahead. Otherwise, after 40 years when you will look back, you will find that you lost something important just because you did not give yourself the last try.
“I said that! Seems I am hearing these things for the first time. And who the hell will care what u did 40 years back. I don’t even remember what I was doing 4 hours back. Strange” I thought in mind.
She paused for few seconds and then she started again. “These are very common lines Niteesh and even I have heard these lines in different words from many people but you said it at the right time. Today I am a happy and satisfied person just because of the decision I took that day.”
After a deep breath she said: Thanks Niteesh
During the whole story I tried to remember many times that why I said so many gyan bhri baatein to her during that journey. I generally do Gyanbaaji with very close friends when we are in some intense discussion. Alcohol had made my brain little slower and rather than saying anything to the girl I was thinking that whether I should take one more peg or not.
“He is Niteesh, remember I told you about him” Sonia was introducing me with some good looking guy.
“He is Abhishek….my husband” She told me.
I said hi to him and understood that Abhishek came there to call her. Probably they were ready to go. After the end of story I had not said anything to Soniya. She had left the chair and was waving me. I did not even say welcome after the thanks. Finally I opened my mouth to speak.
Me: Sonia. How many points you would give me out of 10 if you rate guys on the basis of their appearance.
She gave me a puzzled expression and waited for few seconds and then she said: 6 or may be less than that.
I made a stupid looking sad face and saw her moving away. I waved her bye and moved towards the parking area with two thoughts. “Am I too drunk to drive?” and “I did not say bye to Aditya and Ahana”.