.............so after all his assumptions had gone wrong, Arun sat on the Howrah station. A needless and fruitless journey to Calcutta had come to an end. As he sat on the station for the train that would take him to Delhi he wished he could forget everything that had happened. But then he thought he rather record this unfinished stupid journey he had been on. He took out a diary and started noting down everything that happened from the time he met Kimaya.
His train to Delhi was another 2 hours away. But he did not want to go to any other place. The visit to the jail was useless too. First the authorities did not allow him to meet the author. But later when they did the author showed no interest in his questions. She took Arun to be a reporter whom she did not wish to give any interview.
Arun was still positive that Kimaya took the bold step to leave her house because the author's writing was thought provoking for a woman of Kimaya's thinking. And then the author mentions clearly at the end of her book, asking woman to visit her so she can guide them to an independent life. Arun had taken a chance and had failed. After an hour when he had wrote the last part of his journey he kept the diary besides on the seat and rested his head on the chair. He looked up and he could see an unclean ceiling of the station. A fan that was rotating at a very slow speed. He closed his eyes for a while and he saw her again. Kimaya sitting across the seat. Her voice, her eyes and her departure from the train, all the scenes were fresh.
Arun opened his eyes and got angry on himself for not able to get the girl out of his head. He looked at the other direction and in a distance he saw a blur image. Arun looked at the other direction and then looked back at the exit. He picked up the bag that he had placed near by and started running. Soon he was out of the station. He looked around and then started running towards the road, he was breathing heavily by the time he had crossed the road. He entered the building he had a few visited hours back and now raced to the same floor he had been too.
She was knocking the door but the door was locked. Arun almost out of breath said "She is not here...." Kimaya looked towards him. Kimaya quickly replied back "Where is she?" "She is arrested." Kimaya sat on the stairs. Arun sat next to her. "Why. What happened?" Kimaya asked. Arun said with a smile on his face "She took part in a protest against the government leading to riots with the police and..." Kimaya had an angry look "What is to smile in that?" Arun could not hide his happiness of meeting Kimaya, after all his assumptions were not all wrong. She got up and said "God...I need to meet her...." Kimaya started to walk downstairs.
Arun followed her. After following her for some time, he said loudly "You don't remember me..." Kimaya turned around with her eyes fixed on Arun. "You are the...O so sorry, didn't we meet....right...now I know...nice to meet you..." Arun moved ahead and said "Arun..." Kimaya walked away from him and said "Well! How come you are here?" Arun looked at her she was wearing a lemon green saree, her hair neatly tied, ""hello" Kimaya said.
Arun smiled and then said "I was here for some work, and I wanted to meet the lady who wrote such an inspiring book, so I visited this building some hours back and found out that she is arrested and all..." Kimaya frowned hearing it and said "I know, its such a bad luck, but I have to meet her." Arun cut her in between and said "So what are you doing here Gayatri, you lived in Bombay right?" Kimaya said "Gayatri?" Arun replied "Isn't that your name?" Kimaya walked close to him and said "Did I say that last time, I am so sorry Arun....just did not want to give my real identity to a stranger..my real name is Kimaya...and I have just shifted to this city for work...I got a job a few days back...but I had to meet the woman who inspired me to take a step of getting out of the house and stay independent in this men's world...I actually ran away from my house a few weeks back...but this was after we met....had a fight with my Dad...took a decision...by God's grace..everything turned out to be well....." Arun acted surprised hearing Kimaya.
But what next? Arun thought, his train was another hour from now. Kimaya clapped to get Arun out of his thoughts. "Arun, I asked how long are you in the city.." Arun replied "...another 50 mins and then I take the train from the station..." Kimaya smiled and said "I think I will come back later in the week and hope I meet her then....ok...I also need to take a train......" Kimaya and Arun walked towards the station.............................
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