DON'T CALL HER

Don't Call Her (DCH)

lekin yeh

Dil Chahta Hai (DCH)

Was the network weak or was my voice breaking, I had no idea. I somehow grasped my breath to say Hello. Intoxicating voice from the other side really made me feel a current moving through my body.  I don’t know what was happening to me, I was speech less and was listening to her as if; I was listening to some great secrets from Mr. Assage (Wiki Leaks Fame). When the call ended, I was feeling thirsty. I drank water as if I was in a desert for many days. When I got back to my senses, I realized that, I’ve just told her, I’ll be meeting her tomorrow in a coffee shop. Oh! My God! She is in Mumbai. Why am I meeting her? I should have denied her request. I just don’t know what to do now. I tried to sleep, but it was not successful. Even though my eyes were closed, I could visualize her in the same dress and the same way she smiled at me when we first met.

I met her in one of the most memorable train journeys of my life.  I was an Engineering student at that time. I was travelling from Kerala to Delhi. Like all my train journeys, this also started with me scanning my co-passengers’ names in the list sticked outside my compartment.  M37, M24, F51, M20. This is how the chart read. Nothing was thrilling, only hope was that M24, can be a good company till I reach Delhi. M37 and F51 would be boring and will have to read some novels for time pass. When I reached my seat, it was a pleasant surprise, it was not a F51 sitting in our compartment. We have a young lady who was so beautiful, and I almost stared at her for few seconds before I started adjusting my baggage.  The guy sitting opposite to me also doesn’t look like M37. He was well built and had a neat hair cut (Army Cut). He has to be a soldier going back to his camp after vacation. He will be a serious man with all those War stories to tell.  What the hell is wrong with this guy who sits next to me? He is so deeply involved in the book he is reading. He was my only hope to get away from boredom when I saw the list outside. Now I have a beautiful young lady sitting next to me. But why is this guy so serious.  I was trying to get friendly and asked him where he was heading even though I’ve inferred from the list that he was going to Delhi.  He just said Delhi and went back to his book. I just cannot leave him like that, if he is also not talking to me, I’ll kill myself out of boredom. Hi, I’m Vineesh an Engineering student. Are you a college student?  He lifted his head up for the first time and told, he was Sandeep and a practising Dentist in Delhi. He again went back to his book.

I wanted to ask him something, and then the Army person sitting, opposite to me, who was listening to our conversation just started introducing himself to me. Hi, I’m Hariprasad an Ex-Service Man.  Oh!, so u are retired?   Yeah served the mother India for 15 years now started a small business in Kerala. He was talking and talking many things. He was not like all other Army people, I have met. He was very enthusiastic and was talking to me as if we are class mates. He was not at all talking his age. He was talking like any engineering student would do in the hostel.  We just cannot ignore our 4^th Co-passenger, I was trying to talk to her and there was no need. She herself started to introduce herself. Hi, I’m Nancy. Before she could say anything more I told her she looks beautiful and I could see her blushing like a bride to be. We three suddenly developed a chemistry between each other and we started talking about many things.   Nancy was so bubbly and was talking about her family, her friends, her school pranks and many more. Most of the time I didn’t hear what she was talking, but was just enjoying her beauty. She was like a beautiful sculpture created by God. Her eyes were so attractive and she was as cute as a little baby. We three were enjoying the journey as if we were long lost friends. Is she flirting with me or is it me who is doing it? Our dentist was still reading. Saala aisa padh raha hai ki kal uska exam hai.

The dentist was exactly opposite of what I’ve expected him to be considering his age and this was the same case with Hariprasd the Army Man. What more to say F51 turned out to be a young beautiful flirty girl. We were enjoying our journey to the fullest till a middle aged man rushed into our compartment. He pulled the curtains away and just came in so authoritatively. We politely told him, that this space is filled and may be he has to recheck the ticket for his exact seat no. He said he is a railway employee and just wanted to sit here till next station. He just pushed his large suitcase he was carrying along with him under the seat. We tried talking to him and he was not very keen in talking to us. He told us he was Sanjay Sankla from Thane. He looked worried and was sweating even in a 2 tier AC Compartment. He walked out and moved to the door to have a fag. We stopped caring for him and got involved in our talks. We were talking something and Nancy went to use the washroom. She came back running and she looked worried and she couldn’t speak anything. What is wrong? I wrapped my hands over her shoulder and made her sit next to me.  I held her tight and I could feel her shivering. I gave her water and asked her what happened.  “That man fell off the train.” What? All three of us asked in single voice. “He was smoking near the door and the train jerked as it shifted the rail and the door closed itself. The door knocked that man off the train” We were all silent for a second.

“He was mysterious from the moment he entered” We all looked at the source of the voice and to our surprise, our dentist is talking now. He suddenly became interested and started speaking to us. He asked Nancy what did she see and asked her that is she sure that the guy fell off the train. She nodded her head in affirmation.  Suddenly he started speaking like a Don. “So guys, that man is anyway dead, so we need to really open his baggage and check it.” Hariprasad was quick and told that, we should not do that, it can be an explosive, or may be a dead body. We need to inform the RPF about the same. Our Dentist was in total control of the situation. Hey guys take it cool, I’ll handle it. You guys sit quietly and watch the show. He gave a long lecture to convince us. We were not really convinced, but we were also eager to know the mystery behind that man. Dentist took out his doctor’s equipments out. He opened lock of the suitcase so professionally that we even doubted him for a thief rather than a dentist.  Now it was time for us to see the real thing. We all stood around the suitcase. I felt as if I was not breathing, this was the same case with everyone except our dentist. He slowly opened the box and we could only see newspapers. Now he slowly removed newspapers and we couldn’t believe our eyes. It was full of fresh currency notes, Rs.500/- currency notes neatly wrapped in transparent plastic sheets. Dentist covered the suitcase and asked all of us to sit down calmly and listen to his plan.

We will have to get down before Delhi. There will be someone out there to receive this parcel. This suitcase is too big and we all four have to equally divide it between us and carry their share themselves. This will help in avoiding any fight after some time. So which station are we getting down I curiously asked Mr. Dentist. We will not get down at any station; we will pull the chain and get down somewhere as soon as possible. We started dividing the money and we were ready for our adventure trip. Hariprasad lifted his hands to pull the chain, but the train was slowing down already and stopped in between, may be for a crossing. We just looked outside and we just realized we are in the middle of Chambel forest.  This was not the time to think, but to act. We lifted our luggage and followed our new found leader in Dentist. We got down the train and went deep into the forest. 

It was getting late and we were trying hard to get out of the forest and reach some nearby village. But it looks like we will have to stay in the forest this night.  Hariprasad was quick and he made a Tent so quickly. Why are u carrying all these things along with you?  He told us, he was into this business. It was exciting and thrilling till now. I’m sure, once I’m out this thing, I can make a hit movie out of this plot. We four got inside the tent as it was getting colder outside.  Hariprasad and Dentist went to sleep quickly. I was talking to Nancy and in between, even I didn’t know, when I slept. May be half an hour or so when I opened my eyes, I noticed that Nancy was not inside the tent.  I slowly stepped out of the tent and the moon light has made the river bank so beautiful.  I could see Nancy sitting on the bank of the river and I walked towards her. What are u doing here alone?  She looked at me as smiled. It is so beautiful out here. I just don’t want to miss this feeling. What is wrong with you? Come let’s go and sleep. She told me “Sleeping is such a waste of time.” I still believe what she told was true.  I sat next to her and wrapped her under my arms. We sat there for few moments like that.  As they say, you cannot stop something from happening, if it has to happen it will happen what ever may be the circumstances.

She was looking more beautiful in the moonlight. I just could not stop adoring her. Our lips went so close to each other and stopped for a second. Then we kissed as if, we would never stop. It was cold out there but my body temperature was shooting up. We wanted to be one, and what ever came in between us was removed. I’m making out with a girl I just met hours before in a train, that too on a river bank. She tasted like honey. I didn’t want to stop, but nature has its restrictions.  I just removed myself from her, and rested my back on sandy river bank. Nancy kept her head over my left shoulder. I just don’t know how long we were in that position. It was nothing less than an adventure to be no string attached with a girl on a river bank and count stars. We somehow came back to our senses and realized, we need to get dressed and get some sleep. We went inside the tent and Nancy slept. I wanted to tell her something then I decided not to. “Sleeping may be a waste of time, but sleeping with someone is definitely not.”  I was sitting next to her and was lost in her beauty. I couldn’t get sleep even for five mins.

Next morning we started walking again and we some how found a highway. We took a lift in a Jeep and went to the nearest bus stand. Then we took a bus to Mathura and then a bus to Delhi. It was tiring but I didn’t feel it as Nancy was with me. I didn’t want to reach Delhi. I’ll have to say good bye to Nancy and continue my trip to Hamirpur. But we all had to part our ways and we decided not to call anyone. This will be our last meeting. Hariprasad and Dentist said goodbye and went in two opposite directions.  I just didn’t know, how to say good bye to Nancy. Nancy was with me for last 4 days and I was talking and flirting with her, but I never asked why she was here in Delhi. She told me she is a teacher in a missionary school. Vineesh, I’m going to be nun. I’m here to become a nun and I wanted to live my life before it. But now I think, I’m not fit for that. I should go back. I again went speechless. She kissed me and walked away into the Delhi crowd. I was standing still, even forgot to kiss her back. I took a bus to Hamirpur. I thought had lot of money with me to enjoy my college days. I realized the truth, once I reached Hamirpur that; one of them had already stolen my money. I slowly and conveniently forgot about Nancy.

Then they invited something called Orkut and we met online again. We just became online friends. Distance has a magical effect to reduce the intensity of relationship. Years passed and I did my Engineering and MBA. Mumbai was amazing at the beginning. Once when I shifted from orkut to Facebook, I added Nancy again. I started flirting with her online. One fine day on chat, she told me, she is getting married. That was the day I changed her name in phone book to “Don’t Call Her” from “Sweetheart”.  I didn’t know why I was sad that day. I had no intentions of marrying her now. I would have done that after I’ve done with my engineering. But MBA has changed me a lot. Even if I’m a changed man now, Nancy’s marriage made me feel sad.  I overcame it. I still continued flirting with her. I just started using the basic algorithm. “Married women are safe as there will be no strings attached.”  Even after her marriage, I continued flirting with her online and over phone. I even travelled all the way to Delhi to meet her.

I couldn’t sleep the whole night and I was to meet her tomorrow in a coffee House in Mumbai. I went down to a coffee house in south Mumbai which we have decided over phone. I just couldn’t believe my eyes. She was dressed in white and she was stunning. She was holding a white puppy in her hand. She was feeding her cute puppy with ‘Lays’.  This sexy lady’s dog eating chips? Wonderful! Looking into her eyes I felt as if I’m falling in love again. I still  couldn’t  stop staring at her. We were in a coffee house in South Mumbai, but I felt I was  meeting an angel in some lonely place. I was in the world created by my imagination.  I recited to myself that, I’m with a married woman, behave.

Once we were done, I went home. I was disturbed. I wanted to speak to someone. I started speaking to my roommate. Ankit, what should, I do if a married woman, wants to marry me? Ankit was confused and asked me, what is wrong with me. I told him that, I was interested in her before her marriage and she now feels she could only be happy being with me. It is not that she is not happy with her 6 months old marriage, but she wants to be with me for her entire life, not with someone else. Ankit was very clear about, what has to be done. He asked me to forget her. He also told me, my parents won’t agree to this. He insisted that I should have stopped flirting with her after her marriage. Vineesh, “Why did u go to Delhi last month?” “You just went to meet her or did u do something”. I really didn’t want to answer that. I just went out of the kitchen and sat down to listen to some music.

I understood what Ankit was trying to tell me. That is the reality of life. I’ve to do it that way only. I'll have to run away from this addiction. Beauty of the situation is not in running away from the girl, but to convince the lady that, it is practically not possible. Will I be able to crack this puzzle? Will have to wait till tomorrow’s sun rise.