…….Arun took out 3 coins from his pocket totaling to 25 paise. The rickshaw driver accepted it and drove off leaving Arun at the gates of a newly constructed building. Arun read the name engraved on the side walls of the gate. He had come to the right place. Arun walked towards the gate, the watchman who was sleeping on a chair near the gate woke up. He saw Arun and saluted him. He then smiled at Arun and said “Sir, whom do you want to meet?” Arun was happy seeing the hospitality of the watch man. He said in a soft voice “I want to meet some one who lives in this hostel.”
The watchman looked at Arun for a while and then said “At this time most girls are in the college, but today is a Sunday, are you Manisha’s brother, I remember seeing you once.” At first Arun wanted to correct him, but he quickly discarded the thought and nodded in agreement with the watchman. The watchman escorted Arun towards the office. While he walked he explained Arun how every girl living in the hostel appreciates his work and how most of them personally know him. Arun pulled a 5paise coin and placed on the old man’s hand who returned back to his place.
The watchman had escorted Arun to the office. Arun sat on a chair, soon a woman who was probably in her late 40s got in to the office and took the chair across the table. “Hello, I am Miss Kulkarni, are you a relative of a girl living here…let me know the name of the girl you are here to meet…I know this may sound weird…but this is a girl’s hostel…..we have to be very strict and make sure we don’t allow any anonymous person to get into it…” Arun wiped the sweat on his forehead and said “I am here to meet Miss Gayatri..” The woman said loudly “Vidya…”
Another woman dressed like Miss Kulkarni in skyish blue saree entered the room. She looked at Arun, then towards Miss Kulkarni. “Yes Madam..” “This is Mr…” Arun smiled and said “I am Mr. Arun and would like to meet Miss Gayatri…” Vidya smiled and left. Miss Kulkarni read a few papers lying on her table, after realizing that they are useless she threw them in the thrash bin.
Vidya entered the room followed by Gayatri.”Hello Madam…” Miss Kulkarni greeted back. Miss Kulkarni said “Gayatri your relative Arun is here to meet you…” Arun raised his hand as if to interrupt Miss Kulkarni “I am so sorry, but this is not the Gayatri I wanted to meet” All three woman stared at Arun. Miss Kulkarni indicated Vidya to leave the office. Gayatri followed her. “Mister, in his hostel there is only one Gayatril, and I know every girl in this hostel…:” Arun was confused, the name of the hostel, may be there are two hostels by the same name in Bombay he thought. “Miss, I am sorry for the confusion is there another hostel in Bombay by the same name…”
Miss Kulkarni was now angry “I don’t know what you want, you say you are a relative and now you are not even sure about the hostel name, for your information this is the only hostel with this name and this is the only Gayatri staying here…now if that is not the Gayatri you had come to meet I would kindly request you to leave…….”Arun walked out of the hostel. While he walked out the watchman saluted him back and asked if he got to meet Manisha.
Arun ignored the watchman. He looked at his watch. It was close to 11am. Arun decided to find a lodge. While he walked on the roads he replayed the image of the girl in the train. He remembered her saying Pandita Ramabai Hostel and her name as Gayatri. Arun felt cheated, disappointed and humiliated at the same time.
to be continued…………………….
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