Aate Jaate

Annual Vacation gifted a customary visit to my native in Kerala. The First Train Travel with families of my father’s friends’ sans my own family was something I was looking forward from the time the tickets were booked. Once I boarded the 2nd class compartment I immediately ran to catch the upper berth before my friends took it, I heard a sweet voice saying, “Hello who is this?” A fair girl with a velvet red color top and black full skirt with bluish-grey eyes looked down from the upper berth. I was standing stranded on the tri stand attached to the middle berth and fellow passengers squeezed to get past me.

He constant paused my life for a moment. Maine Pyaar Kiya had just released and the song “Aate Jaate” sung by SPB hummed in each of our minds. I halted and realized after some time I was going atop the incorrect upper berth. Her gaze was constant as she asked her mom to pass on her novel lying downstairs. She had finished her book by night and morning was sitting with her mother sort of bored when I gathered courage and offered my books. “Tinkle? which standard do you study”, she asked. Happy to strike a conversation I said “8th next year”. She laughed and said, “Me too and you read Tinkle, sorry not my taste “. I was disheartened but Salman Song humming in mind made me courageous for next question “What’s your name?” Her mother interrupted “Angel Joseph”. I smiled wryly. I again started with my next one “Where are you getting down”. Her mother again interrupted “Aluva”. My friend’s sister i.e. my father’s friend’s daughter who was watching this episode gazed at me and hinted with her eyes to buzz off. I pretended not to understand her and conversed continuously. When we played Antakshari in the evening I made sure I sang the whole song AATE JAATE. I could see a blush in Angel’s face during the song. The whole journey we had glanced at each other but just could not gather the courage to let her know my feelings. First Train Travel had resulted in Love at First Sight, one-sided at least.

After my marriage, we both were rushing to catch the Rajdhani from the Airport. We managed it somehow with the help of all relatives and support staff we Indians are privileged too. As we embarked on our honeymoon trip, I overheard a stern voice saying, “No. How stupid to buy Tinkle?” Curiosity increased as my mind sought to know why anybody would say that. As I washed my face and was walking down the aisle, I could not but notice a bluish-grey eye gazing at me as though we knew each other. Just then I heard someone getting up after a nap from the upper berth and telling her “Tinkle. How stupid is that Angel? Stop reading that”. That’s when I noticed the book in her hand. I reached my seat and was smiling when my wife got up. She asked me why you are smiling. I said nothing much I remembered a song and was singing that. She asks which one? I sang” Aate Jaate”