Kaali Andhi

It was pitch dark outside! I remember checking the time in my mobile screen. 6:20. Believe me on a typical summer day in Jodhpur, the dark outside was something quite unusual. All we could see around was sand rushing across the windows on the staff bus we were in and of course the faces my equally terrorized colleagues. The ones with age and experience gave their verdict. “manne ta lage sa, andhi chate chate poora ek ghanta lagega! Idhar ij rukna padega!” Well I was more than happy coz across me sat the love of my life, unknown of my love, right no searching for some reassurance in my eyes, I was more than happy to offer!

Oops sorry! Forgot the introduction!! I’m Vikram, currently a sales executive at a reputed contract manufacturing company. Our office is approximately an hour’s drive from our bus stop. Daily I board my bus looking forward to another day with my dream gal Sandhya, Sandy in short! She’s the content writer out there! We travel to office in the same bus everyday (basically coz that’s the only staff bus!), we sit in the same marketing department (the only one again)! While I’m supposed to be generating leads for the company I’ve appointed myself to another full time job lately. To steal a long refreshing gaze at her bright face between work as she’s busy in her own play of words. And then when she happens to look my side, my heart skips a beat at her sunny smile. I sheepishly smile back and pretend to focus on work…though only I know that just then everything goes out of focus. She’s been here longer than me and has ever been the darling of the department. By 6 in the evening we’re back in the bus to be taken back home. Again I leave for home from this bus stop with the smile lingering over every vein of my body kidnapping my senses and capturing my dreams till it’s the next day again…

But at that moment in that dimly lit bus of hours the smile had given war to fear. Sandy sat right across me pretending to behave brave but her eyes were giving off all the fear that was surging inside her, making her look even more endearing. (How funny can life be? Sandy was scared of sand) She searched my eyes for some reassurance. I winked back! That probably did the work. Instantly she broke into a smile, the sign of heaven for me!

My trip to heaven din’ last long. Her phone rang. “ ha maan… haan bus mein hu maan.. thik hun… … ruki hui hai bus… … han main thik hun maan… sab hain yhan… It’s okeaaay man… worry mat karo… main fir call karungi… han bye…luv u”

An elder in the bus teased, “Sandhya beta mammi ko bolna tha ki abhi der lag jayegi… jab to dhool nhi chanti ham yahan se nhi hilenge.” She almost winced. For once I thought of using my wink therapy but decided against it considering the diversity of people in the bus.

By now a good thick layer of sand had settled over all of us. Gosh I’ll have to have a bath wen I reach home! The day had been exhausting and I longed my bed for some rest and ofcourse some special dreams.

Then as if as an answer to her prayers the thick fog of sand that surrounded the bus visibly reduced and we could see the building structures and blur of vehicles rushing past. The bus started once again and she smiled back at me so relaxed and relieved that the vibrations reached me. As the sand in the air kept reducing she returned to her chirpy self discussing the storm, the fallen trees and ice cream stalls in the way. By the time we reached the bus stop it had started drizzling. We got out greeted by light shower of rain and the cool breeze hitting us. Admist the slightly chilling atmosphere I found her next to me for a moment. “Ankh marne ke liye thanks! Kafi reassuring tha” as she laughed seeming quite amused at her play of words I absorbed the warmth of her eyes and bid good bye. What a fool I was… I could have stayed longer! (BTW who says spring is the time for love. I believe rains are much more romantic!the smell of the wet soil, the refreshing rain drops sending impulses down the nerves, the mugs of hot coffee that come out…amazing!)

I looked back to check on her but she already had started her short walk to her home from the bus sop. She didn’t look back again.

But then there is always another day. I was back on the bus, glad to find her greet me with her patent everyday sunny smile; ever so lively. The hot topic at office was obviously the “Kali Aandhi” that had struck the previous evening( that’s the term the newspapers had mentioned.). A colleague of mine flaunted the video he had taken of the Kali andhi with his “high-end” digital camera. I as usual got back to by job of looking at her. One of our colleagues jeered “ Yeh jo kaali andhi ayi thi koi aisi waisi nhi thi… zaroor kisi shaitan ne janm liya hoga Jodhpur mein.” She instantly rubbished him on believing this way… “ Arrey Syed take it as a sign of nature’s waning to the harm we do o our environment with pollution.” Another person harped in “ newspaper mein tha is andhi ki speed 80 km/ hr thi!”

I smiled to myself. 80 km/hr, impressive! He he…Still you couldn’t beat me at it you Kali Andhi. Coz I that one hour I had been to heaven and back! If Kali Andhi can increase the duration I can be with my lady love in a day and reassure her of my presence, my will to keep her secure I’d ask for more such ones. What if someday she’ll be sitting right beside me in bus holding my hand for reassurance, looking directly into my eyes and I can hold her close to reassure her, to reassure myself. I’ll be eagerly waiting for that till then this is Vikram signing of with a big salute to the Kali Andhi of that day! And yes BTW do think over rains in the romantic perspective… You’ll find them much more enticing!