When Love suffocates
DAY 1:- saKshi & Priyanka
It was a bright sunny
morning at Mumbai, people rushing out from the local trains and moving in a
queue towards exit. It was like a Disneyland fair at the station itself, people
people and so many people. Rohit aka me, i was happy to be there i loved the
crowd, the pace of Mumbai, the so called financial capital of India and a city
that never sleeps after 2 years I am back to Mumbai, my dream job and my dream
city. It was my first day at office all the things were there in my head, how
my new office would be like, would I find anyone of my same age group and the
most important thing will I find a person with the same insanity as I have, the
same weirdness crazy fun loving or will it be a simple boring 9 to 6 kind of
job. There was a smile on my face some old memories to recollect some which
made me smile, some which made me regret my past and some which made me
nostalgic and cry. For the readers out of Mumbai let me give u a glimpse of
what Mumbai locals look like, PEOPLE PEOPLE and PEOPLE everywhere, imagine a
glass and fill it with water, keep pouring a little more, pour it till the
brim, is the water falling well that’s Mumbai locals, if you get an inch of
space its packed in the rush hours. It’s
like the whole India has only one train to travel and mind you my dear reader’s
8:54 ki local means 8:54 not 8:53 not 8:55 or 56, punctuality is the key unless
it’s raining of course. If it rains expect your 8:54 train to come by 9:30 well
that’s Mumbai and we move on in that pace!
I remember my first time
when I boarded a local; I had to go to Dadar. I was new in the city so I took a
general ticket and boarded the train (somehow after leaving 3 trains) in a
general compartment and just stood there, well I couldn’t do anything it was
over crowded and in the next 20 minutes of my journey I was pushed forward,
pushed backwards, rotated 360 degrees in the same place, abused n number of
times saw people boarding the train and getting out in the same time and that
too in a matter of seconds. Boy one needs to be quick in this city. As Dadar
station arrived I didn’t even try to get down of the train it was the people
and the flow that made me get out of the train and it was at that moment that I
swore “No more local trains”. Its funny how those two years passed by and here
I am today learned the art of living in Mumbai accepting my lifeline to be a
Local train and being a part of this city now. I was standing at CST station
the last stop in central line, remembering those moments and smiling; Mumbai is
one stop that makes you want to halt forever, indeed a city of dreams. Now I
travel in a First class compartment I have mastered the art of getting in a
train and moving swiftly inside to find a seat, i have train buddies, no name
to remember just a hi or a hello and talks of work or life, I swear I don’t
even know these people names just their smile their faces and I am a part of
them now. Let me rewind you to a funny incident, when I took a first class pass
two years ago for the first time. As I boarded the train I saw only 3 people
sitting on the seat where as in second class there used to be 4 people on one
seat well the fourth guy would merely be sitting on his ass but at least he got
his ass to rest, so politely I asked the guy next to me to shift in the first
class compartment so that I could sit, firstly he gave me a look as I had asked
his daughter for marriage after a while when he saw me still staring and
realized I am being serious he laughed and said “Chutiye Alibaugh se aaya hai
kya” I felt a bit offended and then learnt that in first class compartment only
three people sit on a seat, so alert newbie’s don’t ask the guy to shift :P
Today as the train touched
CST station and people were rushing out of the trains there was one guy who
just stood there closing his eyes raising his arms acknowledging the moment and
smiling living that particular moment that was me. I was into the moment when I
heard someone shouting “Move forward what’s wrong with you are you mad”. Two
years in Mumbai and even I shouted back in local language “Ghai aahe ka tujha”
means are you in a rush and I could see that person murmuring and moving. As I
reached the end of platform no 3 and headed my way outside I saw these two
girls saKshi and Priyanka, I couldn’t get my eyes off saKshi the crowd
literally stopped for a moment, I could see her in front of me talking to a
friend of hers, Priyanka. The first thing I noticed were her saKshi’s eyes
which were hidden in those green specks, a chashmish, a cute one though her
hair perfectly falling on her face and troubling her, and the way she laughed
it had already made me skip a beat. She looked amazing chashmish look nerdy but
beautiful, I couldn’t see anyone except her, I somehow wanted to talk to her
that blue sleeveless top of hers, jhumka in her ears every little thing about
her was attracting me towards her, I was so engaged staring at her that I had
completely forgot about the TTE which had now for the 10th time
asked me for my ticket. Priyanka the other girl was smile yet beautiful wearing
a suit with her perfectly straight hair and a smile which I could hear from a
distance, she looked beautiful in that smile, although my eyes were stuck at
saKshi, Priyanka had a college bag on her and I thought the two of them must be
college girls, Priyanka had a charm in her eyes and she was continuously
smiling while talking to saKshi and it made me wonder what’s so funny? I even
came up with a pick up line to talk to them. It was 11th time the
TTE asked me for the ticket, looked in the direction in where I was looking saw
the girl and said “hello bhai sahib baat
kar lo Mumbai hai chali gai to dono nai milegi aur yaad rakhna Mumbai mai bus
train aur ladki k piche mat bhaagna” and I was like what the hell is he
talking about, I was in another world. So with all my guts I moved towards them
thinking of a line to talk to them, not sounding cheesy or desperate and as I
approached saKshi my jaws couldn’t open. saKshi and Priyanka stared at me like
I was some weirdo and gave me the creepy look. Wow my first impression that too
popat still with all my confidence left
in me I looked at saKshi and said “Excuse me where could I get a taxi for Cuffe
Parade, I am new here and would be happy if you helped” and that miss attitude,
didn’t even look towards me just pointed in that direction and continued with
what she was doing. Priyanka smiled and god her I felt embarrassed what the
fuck was that. As I moved towards the taxi point all I could think about was what
the hell did I do, was my breath smelling, did I pronounce correctly, was my
ascent improper am I smelling due to the sweat, what went wrong and all those
good pick up lines popped up my head after wards and I was like shit I could
have said that then she would have said this and then I would have said that
and then she would have said this and this continued in my head till I reached
the taxi point, I still couldn’t forget saKshi’s face, her smile it made Mumbai
stop, that golu eyes of hers, that chashmish look, the smell of her perfume and
how perfect she looked in that dress. I just wished I could meet her again.
Repeatedly I was saying it’s ok come on today is your big day, first day at
office the famous Maker Tower that too 25th floor the look from up
there will be amazing many things were running in my head yet I couldn’t forget
her, I felt sad that I won’t be able to see her again but there was a friend of
mine who used to say Mumbai is full of fishes just be a fisherman a loyal one
:P
As I reached my office
lobby I stood there at the lift wondering how my first day will be like, one
thing I like about Mumbai is people obeying the rules and regulations placed,
be it in trains or standing in queue for taxi or autos or in case of lift. Ting
the door opened and I asked the liftman “25th floor Please”, ting
the door closed it took merely 30-40 seconds and the door opened ting, there I
was nervous yet happy after all I got what I wanted. I entered my office and
went to my manager’s cabin. He greeted me and told me I would be working under
some girl named Priyanka. My first thought Priyanka sounds modern must be
someone of my age group my boss got over the phone and asked if Priyanka was in
for the day her colleague informed sir she was yet to come, in the mean time
sir gave me a tour of the office and showed me my cubicle where I would work,
he told me Priyanka would be overseeing my work and would be guiding me for the
first month till I start grasping my project independently. I was desperately
waiting for this Priyanka I had already imagined a hot mentor in a sexy outfit
and me hitting on her making dinner plans, I got to admit sometimes I become
Uday chopra of Dhoom. The first day at office is kind of weird especially when
you are the guy who lo likes to talk, chat nonstop laugh over silly things but
on the first day you are busy creating your impression, feeling scared yet
showing attitude. I was looking at my other colleagues, all busy with their
work seemed workaholic types some of my age group some oldies at first I
noticed a guy named Vivek man he looked workaholic, he was of my same age but I
hardly noticed him smiling, or talking just working on his Pc or moving my
hands rapidly around his calculator. There were other members whom I wanted to interact
there was one Gaurank Sir He seemed jolly I had seen him at my building but he
was busy with some work. I was fiddling with my new PC and my work place when I
heard a familiar sound of bangle. It was the same sound I heard as I asked
directions to those two gals, there was a tap on my back and a voice said Rohit
yup I said and turned around to see Priyanka, it was the same gal who was there
at the station the smiling gal besides saKshi and the first word she uttered
was “Tu hai Rohit” numb and a bit embarrassed at that moment i said “Hi, aap ho
Priyanka” and with a witty smile she said so u finally made it to office. Over
the next few hours as I felt embarrassed as Priyanka gave me a small tour of
the office explaining my work and bitching about almost everyone except
Nishant, her crush. She’s a simple girl a localite with an amazing smile who
knew we would turn out to be such great friends. It was lunch time and she
asked me if I had brought Tiffin, I said no as it was my first day. “I have
dosa if you would like to join”, dosa one of my favourite dishes how could I
say no, but you know the Indian phase of first saying nai nai its ok and the
gal saying arre come join and then nai its ok and then we will manage come join
and then ok if you say so, well I ain’t one of them I said yes in a second. She
liked that about me, straightforward. So as I was having lunch with her and other
people I asked “hey Priyanka who was that girl in the morning?” there was her
witty smile and she said, I was wondering when you are going to ask about her.
I smiled and looked at her and she kept on smiling diverting the topic and
teasing me so I finally asked ”and who was she” now this part is important her
way of teasing me she said “ahem ahem some one is in love, ahem ahem shes
saKshi” “Ahhhh” I gasped “saKshi, is she single” it was at that moment she
choked on her food and laughed hard, god she had a wonderful smile that giggle
I just loved it “Waah aaj first day hai na, you come directly to the point” she
said “well that’s my speciality” I said we both laughed and I asked her more
about saKshi. So these were the things I learnt for starters I was going to see
her again and again and again as she worked in the same company but in a
different floor she worked just 6 floors above me on 32nd floor in
Human resources, like those people work (no offense HR people;)) she’s a simple
gal, a localite, a lot of guys hit on her, but she says no to all of them, of
course they would hit on her I mean look at her, those golu eyes, her perfect
lips, the smile of hers, that red lipstick her hair that jhumka, the way she
glowed the smell of her, god I just wanted to meet her once. She’s single, came
out of a long term relationship, is the guy mad, that’s what came in my head I
mean if I was her boyfriend I would never let her go, some people are worth
staying in your life and saKshi was one of them, I uttered in my head “guys
loss my gain” but I knew it would be really difficult to win her heart, but
Rohit was destined to be with saKshi, or was he?
Second half was pretty boring
I was feeling hungry and bored as well. I ate most of Priyanka’s lunch so I
pinged her on IP message pizza? “Ye bhi puchne ki baat hai kya, but my treat”
and once again the Indian me “no, no please my treat it’s my first day” an
“ahem maska laga raha meri dost se milne k liye” haha I smiled and said “Kind
of”. 30 minutes nai to free why you aren’t late dominos, there came our pizza I
called her in the cafeteria this time just the two of us. “So what are you
doing this evening” I asked as I took the first slice of pizza. “Going home,
why you want to stay at 32nd floor” Priyanka chuckled. God she was
beautiful and witty. We talked a lot over the pizza the day ended with me
rushing home early as I had to set up my new place. As I waited at the lift
fiddling with my cell, ting the lift door opened there she was saKshi busy with
her phone not even looking up moving towards my office, she looked beautiful
the same as she looked in the morning. I wanted to go back to my office I had
almost turned was about to say hi but she was busy on her cell and the liftman
asked sir are you coming, with a sad face I left hoping to see her again. I
took a taxi on my way back when my cell rang “Ahem Rohit someone from HR is
here to see you” it was Priyanka teasing me. I said I saw her but she was busy
with her cellphone couldn’t say anything she smiled and said its ok we will
complete the formalities next day. I wished I stayed in the office that day,
why did I leave early....
To be continued.... (20.07.2017)
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