A journey to find her.......4

 ...........the train moved ahead. Arun continued to look at Gayatri as she walked away. Gayatri did not turn around to see. Arun walked back to his seat. While he sat on the seat, he still looked at the other seat remembering Gayatri who was sitting there just a few minutes back...................

                     Vijay was sitting in his office when he heard a knock on the door. Vijay said "Please come in Arun..." Arun walked in with a smile on his face. He had shaved, and was wearing a nicely ironed shirt. Vijay looked in surprise. "Wow! You change from the last time I saw you. I guess you decided to forget her. That is a good decision I must say, no point wasting time over a girl that is miles away. And about whom you know so little. Just because her thinking matches with your..."

                     "....Sir, please allow me to speak..." Arun interrupted. Vijay frowned. Arun sat on the chair in front of Vijay. Arun tried to relax on the chair, but to his surprise the chair inclined back. He held the chair firmly. Vijay laughed and said "Just got them...don't worry relax the chair will not break...you were saying.."

"Vijay, I got an invitation for an all India Conference...its about the existing political turmoil in India..." Vijay shook Arun's hand to congratulate him. He then tweaked his nose and said "No wonder you are happy and got all clean shaven and up tight..."

                     Arun nodded in agreement. Arun then inclined forward on the table and whispered "The great thing is that the conference is in Bombay.." Vijay said "What is the good thing....wait a minute...so you are going to meet this girl after all..." The smile on Arun's face faded away. Arun started looking out from the window after giving a cold look to Vijay. Vijay said "Alright, I am just not used to this Arun, I know the Arun that thinks logical, and not some one who is crazy behind a girl...."

                      Arun replied "Vijay, I am not crazy behind the girl, I just want to meet her once...." Vijay got up from his chair. The chair sprung up straight with a noise. Vijay placed his hand on Arun's shoulder and said "and do what..." Arun pushed Vijay's hand away and spoke "I don't know, but what ever happens I am ready to face it." There was silence for some time. Vijay then broke the silence and said "Arun I don't agree with what you are doing, but if meeting this girl is so important for you, which only you understand why, you should do it" Both men hugged each other.

                       After another week, when Arun got down on the station he was tired. He had to stay in Bombay for three days, but the most important thing he was looking forward to was meeting Gayatri. Arun got out of the V.T station. He saw a group of people with red flags protesting against the government. Arun saw a horse driven rickshaw. He smiled and walked towards it. The rickshaw driver smiled back at Arun. Arun said "I want to go to Pandita Ramabai Hostel, can you take me there..."

                       The rickshaw driver said "Sure, it will be 25 paise, do you agree to the fare, I don't want to fight later..." Arun sat in the rickshaw, "I agree lets go................."

A journey to find her........3

               ..................accepted that there is more to be done to make women independent" Arun joined both his hands and said. Gayatri only smiled. She opened the book and started reading it. Arun decided to sleep. Arun was not able to sleep for a long time. He was disturbed by a fast train that passed whistling loudly. Frustrated he sat on the upper berth lowering his head to not hit the ceiling. 

               He decided to sleep back when he looked at Gayatri. She was sleeping with the book placed on her abdomen. Her steady breathing made the book move up and down. Arun observed her.He watched her two hands locked into each other, placed on the book.  There was some thing that was making him look at her. He tried to sleep but again turned around to watch Gayatri. Arun had never met a girl that intelligent and beautiful. Her thinking was very modern. Her approach to life very brave. Arun started to feel sleepy again. 

               "Tea, Coffee..." Arun woke up one more time. There was a hawker on the station selling tea, where the train had stopped. He watched across to see Gayatri on the other upper berth, but she was missing. He quickly tried to get up, and while doing so his head hit the ceiling. He rubbed it and jumped down from the berth. The two women who were sleeping on lower berth were also no where to be seen. Arun looked around and then sat near the window. "O! You are awake.." Gayatri said. "The two women probably got down...while we were asleep..and now for the bad news, the train has been on this station for 30 mins, there has been some problem ahead...." 

               Arun listened to Gayatri but his eyes were mesmerized. He was not himself. "Hello...are you listening to me...?" Arun smiled and replied "Where do you live?" Gayatri gave a confused look and said "Me, I come from Bombay...and I am going to attend a marriage.." Arun gathered some more courage and asked "Nice...and where do you live in Bombay..." Gayatri was now sitting on the seat across Arun's. She said "I, well I don't share such information with stranger but you seem to be a...what do you do?"

                Arun cleared his throat and said "I am a Professor. I teach social science, very reason why our discussion interested me and I was very impressed by your thoughts on woman empowerment, you have a thinking that is way ahead of time, but you are right by the end of the 20th century we will have as many women working as men..."

                "You think that! I wish there were more men like you.....". Both Arun and Gayatri felt a push as the train started. Gayatri heaved a sigh of relief. Arun looked out of the window. He suddenly remembered what he had to ask. When he turned around to ask he saw Gayatri trying to pull the bag from the upper berth. He helped her. She thanked him in return. Arun asked "Are you getting down?" Gayatri said "Yes" Arun did not understand what to say or do. 

               After another 15 mins Gayatri picked her purse and her bag. She started walking towards the door. Arun tried to pick her bag but she refused him to do so. Just as the train arrived at the station Arun asked "You did not tell me where you live in Bombay..." Gayatri looked back at Arun and said " Pandita Ramabai Hostel....................."

A journey to find her.......2

 ..........she said "Thank you..." Arun sat back on his seat after helping the girl in keeping the bag on the upper berth. The girl sat on the seat in front of him. Arun started looking outside the window. He saw a station master walking near the bell placed at one end of the station. He rang the bell and the train started. Arun felt a jerk. He looked out as the train left the station and started to speed up.

                 "Excuse me.." he heard the girl. He looked at the girl. She was fair, with dark deep eyes. The girl was trying to pull some thing. Arun looked down and realized that he had stepped on the strap of her purse. He lifted his foot. "I am sorry.." Arun apologized. The girl ignored and dusted the purse. The girl pulled a book from the purse to read it. 

                Arun felt sleepy and decided to rest his head on the window. In a few minutes he slept. After another hour when he woke up, he saw a face looking at him. Arun got a bit scared. He took a deep breath and got up. The face was of a lady. Arun said "Yes, may I help you.." The woman quickly replied "The seat next to yours is mine..." Arun pulled his body close to himself to allow the woman to sit. Just as the woman sat down, another woman arrived at the scene. The girl who was reading the book had also started observing now. Both women looked over weight. One woman sat next to Arun, while the other sat next to the girl. 

                   The two woman started talking with each other in a loud voice. Both seemed to have hearing problems. Arun was not happy because he was not able to sleep. He walked out and stood near the door. The girl followed him. "You are not going to get any sleep..." Arun smiled looking at the girl. "I know...neither will you be able to read the book" The girl walked towards the door and started looking out. As she stood near the door, the incoming wind started blowing her hair. Arun watched her as she enjoyed the wind blowing into her. Just then the girl looked towards Arun, being embarrassed Arun looked elsewhere. 

                    Arun walked slowly towards the girl and then asked "What is the name?" The girl walked away from the door and said "Why do you want to know my name?" Arun smiled and said "The book, what is its name.." The girl blushed and said "Sorry I misunderstood, its a hindi book on woman independence" She handed the book to Arun. Arun read a few contents and then gave the book back. Arun then walked back to his seat. He was astonished to see both women sleeping. "They are sleeping..." Arun turned around towards the voice. The girl was having a smile on her face. Both Arun and the girl climbed on to the upper berth opposite to each other.

                  After making his way on to the upper berth Arun looked towards the girl who was still trying to climb up. "Do you need help?" The girl pulled herself and said "No, Thanks..." Arun looked down, both woman were snoring. Arun looked at the girl and said "So you believe what is written in the book..." The girl gave a cold look and said "I know no men will ever agree....to such books" "I never said I disagree, woman empowerment is the need of the hour, but then our Prime Minister is also a woman, so I don't think we can bluntly say all men disagree to woman independence...else Indira Gandhi would not have been the Prime Minister" The girl kept the book away and said "Excuse me, Mr..."  "Arun...." Arun replied "and you" "Gayatri...." the girl replied.........................

A Journey to find her....1

                 ......he observed as the girl struggled to place her bag on the upper berth of the train. Arun decided to help her. He pushed the bag, thats when she looked towards him.

                 Arun..." Arun was brought out of his thoughts. He was in his bed room. He walked out of the bedroom. There was some one knocking at the door. "Arun.." he heard the cry again. It recognised the voice of his old friend. He opened the door. Vijay was Arun's childhood friend and he was now standing smiling at him. Arun smiled looking at him. Vijay walked in literally pushing Arun at one side. "Sorry I thought you would never ask me to come in, so I pushed myself.."

                 Vijay pulled a key chain from his pocket. Aun looked at the key chain, it was made of a sea shell. Vijay said "This gift for you, I visited a shop last week saw it there, thought you will appreciate it." Arun took the key chain and hung it on a hook next to the calendar. Vijay looked towards Arun as he placed the key chain. Vijay looked at the calendar and smiled. "Arun its April now, not March, you need to change the month, April 1977 has arrived."

                 Arun looked at the calendar and frowned. "Vijay please sit, its good to see you in town. How is your business going on?"Vijay wiped the sweat on his brow and said "Its awesome, made profit over 1000Rs last year...and wish to....hey what is wrong with you....when was the last time you shaved.." Vijay looks around and realises the house is not been cleaned for a while. He sits at the chair next to Arun. "Arun, what is the matter...is everything alright..."

                 Arun takes a deep breath and says "I would tell you but you would only make fun of me, it is so stupid and this has never happened to me before.Vijay "A man gets that messy either when he looses his job or when he looses.." Arun "I did not loose my job.."Vijay says "So there is a girl involved....no, it cannot be, I know you for ages you been away from all such things.."

                 Arun shakes his head. He stands up and scratches his grown beard. "I cannot think about anything since I have met her...its been like I am stuck in time....its good that the colleges are closed...I don't think I could have taken a single lecture in this state..."

                 Vijay stands up and pats Arun on his back. "Professor you are in love....noq is there a problem....a girl would be lucky to be with you..." Arun smiles, he walks towards the photo of a married couple hanging on the wall. He looks towards the photo and says "Vijay, when my parents passed away I drowned myself in studies for that was there dream that I get well educated, after becoming a professor I felt happy that I was giving the knowledge I learnt to others.....love...girls...or marriage...were words out of my dictionary...until..."

                 Vijay yawns "I know all this, until you met this girl...now can you please tell me who the girl is, where is she.Arun turns around to look at Vijay who has raised both his eyebrows. Arun smiles and then says "Vijay, I wish I knew where the girl is..." Vijay quickly replies "Wish you knew, is the girl real or you dreamed about her..." Arun smiles and sits on the chair. "Please sit down, I will tell you what happened.............................................................."