Stranger Again

From far, he was just a man,

When you went little ahead, you will find an old man,

little further and you will see white hair and white beard, a little closer and you can see the man, who spend awful lots of time to regret and being sad,

 Yes the man who is sited near the window seat of that bus,

Looking far away in the world but thinking far behind,

Well, that's not me.

 

“Uncle I told you it was reserved seat”

He replied.

“I didn't see anyone sit here and honestly, I puke a lot in the bus so you are lucky that you’re sitting there, he said smiling.

 

Here I am, sitting uncomfortably with an 80-year-old uncle, worried, sad, and angry, cause the person I have been waiting for, didn't show up. And I was going somewhere with her or running away, to our happy life and now, I think apart from the smell and Weight and age, I and this uncle are same, filled with regret.

 

 

 

Drinking an expensive tea at Taj hotel in Mumbai, surrounded by beautiful woman, when I see an old man, I remember those moments which happened five years ago on that bus. And when I look around, my eyes stop at someone, what? I said inside and hurried to that table.

 

Yes, it was her, the same girl who ditch me at that Jurassic bus with the alien figure uncle and now look at her, Gucci bag on the table, I phone in hand, shorts with low cut top, smiling and giggling while chatting.  

 

YOU, I wanted to say all those bad words and slap her like I did in my imagination for five years, but when she looks back at me and smile, I was helpless like that teenager who fallen love with her long ago.

 

“Hey, hi, how are you?” She stands up on her pencil heel and hugs me. For one moment I was like flying and then I realized no.

“Where the hell have you been? “

“Chill honey, please sit.”

Honey, I am not your honey for five years.

I sit there controlling my anger.

“First of all let me tell you, you look amazing.”

Yeah right! I was always handsome, I said to myself

“Why didn't you show up?” I demand.

“It's not you, it's me dear.”

Yes, classic breakup line, little late for that don't you think? My subtitles voice said.

“Why?” I said with little anger and sadness, although I never get the right answer for that from any woman I ever dated.

“I was young and confused.”

Oh she was confused, she was never confused when she goes out with me and drinking all that fancy expensive stuff at CCD, making out with me, getting gift, talking all night, man she didn't show up next day at college and sleep whole day after those night talk and I wait for her at college. Again my subtitles voice.

 

“You see, I had loved you like all those normal girls do, but I was special you know? It was never meant to last long.”

 

Well, that's new, that's the best you can do? Make me feel bad for your mistakes, but then all I said was OK.

“You remember that girl, my best friend at college, Priya?”

“Yes, that weird girl, who doesn’t talk to me much.”

“No, she was not weird, she was always true to herself and she was always there for me.”

“Yes like you spend nights at her home after you hit me because I didn't show up at the party.”

“Yes, whenever I was sad and lonely I go to her place and we talk whole night.”

But I was your boyfriend, didn't it make me that person who suffer that kind of thing, my inner voice pushing words in my mouth but I didn't speak.

“Then I realized, I love you, but you are not the right person for me.”

“Okay”, I was waiting for the grand mystery.

“It's because I loved..”

“Hi”, someone interrupted us. I look back and see, it's Priya.

They hug and smooch like those girls in English movies.

“You see, I loved her and she was the right person for me. Meet my fiancé and she shows her ring.”

“Wait, what?” Yes, I said that.

“Yes I love her, when we plan to run away, I run away with her, but I couldn’t say that to my parents because running away with you makes them mad, becoming lesbian will kill them.”

All those angry phone calls from her father, try to kill me for her, I didn't even go home for last five years, just because she runs away with that girl and planted blame at me.

“We are going to the USA to get married.”

I stood up, congratulations I said.

And walk away.

Finally, one woman who left me for valid reasons. I can live with that.