Traveling on a train is always a wonderful experience. A fascinating journey alongside the strangers from different walks of life is something to look forward to. Unless you are traveling in a Mumbai local. During a rush hour!
My 20 minutes ride from Borivali to Andheri wasn't particularly a happy journey, with all the peak-hour rush, bodies cramped against each other and what not, but being a Mumbaikar myself, I had come to terms with it. Although, the journey wasn't always a gloomy one. Every once in a while, you would encounter some or the other characters that would make the tedious ride interesting. I was undergoing a B.Tech. course from a local engineering college that time. Mobile phones weren't a mainstream yet. I didn't have one.…show more content… She was still inside, our destinations were different after all. That whole day in college, I couldn't concentrate in any lecture. My mind was wandering elsewhere. I don't believe in love at first sight, no. I imagine love to be something that develops gradually, over a period of a certain amount of time. This was something else. Deep in the jungle when the first drop of rain touches the parched ground, a peacock dances with relentless joy, embracing the nature's bountiful gift. I was that peacock, and she, the first monsoon drizzle. Next day, I was eagerly waiting for her to board the train, but the damn train was on time today. I decided to get out and wait for her on the platform. I don't know what I was thinking, I just knew that I had to see her again. And luckily enough, there she came, after a good half an hour of waiting. We boarded the next train together and I took a seat such that I would be close enough to look at that pretty face, but far enough to avoid suspicion. The whole commute, I kept stealing glances at her, at the way she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear with those delicate little fingers, the way she fidgeted with the strap of her handbag, the way she pouted in irritation when the train stopped at the signal. These small things were creating a huge tumult inside my