The Rendezvous

It was a late chilly winter evening when Varun’s car zoomed on the Mumbai-Nashik highway. The moon had descended and the stars danced in its glory. Varun was behind the wheel humming “main tumhara”, as Sushant Singh Rajput’s everlasting memories filled his car with harmonious melody. Suddenly the beep of his cellphone caught his attention. He lowered the volume to attend his mom’s call.

“Yes mom, am on the way. Don’t worry, I will call you once I reach Nashik”.

 

“That’s the reason I called you Varun. I don’t think it would be feasible to drive on such a foggy night. Why don’t you stay over at some hotel for the night and start tomorrow early morning”, his mom said.

 

It’s just an hour’s drive mom, will reach Nashik and call you. You please have dinner and take a rest”, Varun tried convincing his mom.

 

“Varun, I want you to halt for the night and get some rest”, his mom said commandingly.

 

Varun knew he could not convince her anymore, so gave in to her request. His mom had been very possessive and extra careful since she had lost her elder son in a road accident.

 

Varun started hunting for a good hotel to stopover for the night, and after a drive of another fifteen minutes, he finally parked his car in the lobby of “Hotel Sai Krishna”.

 

A middle-edged man with glasses perched on his nose sat behind the reception desk. Varun walked up to him and enquired about room availability. A little while later, handing the keys to Varun, the man gestured towards the right, “the elevator is that way, sir”.

 

Varun unlocked his room, freshened up, and ordered room service. Once done with dinner, he retired to the bed, turning off the lights and set the alarm for 5 AM in the morning. But when, even after turning and tossing in the bed for half an hour, sleep evaded him, he decided to watch something. Switching on the lights, as he was taking out his laptop, suddenly his eyes fell on a girl sitting in front of a small bonfire on the hotel’s lawn. Intrigued with this, Varun thought of going down and enjoying the warm fire on that cold night.

 

When Varun reached the lawn, there were hardly any guests, except for that girl. Dressed in a sweatshirt and capris, she sat near the bonfire, rubbing her hands to generate heat and lip-syncing the light music that played in the background. The yellow and orange flames from the fire danced as thick grey smoke billowed into the air and gold streaks burst into the dark black sky. Varun pulled another chair and sat. A simple gaze at her and Varun seemed to be losing himself. She looked ethereal. Her face had a childish innocence with almond-shaped eyes and long lush eyelashes. An elegantly straight nose and baby pink lips added to her charm. Trying to initiate a conversation, Varun uttered, “nice song! One of my favorites’.

 

When she acknowledged his comment with a smile, Varun continued, “Hi, I am Varun”.

 

“Tanya!”, she replied.

 

Varun added, “so, are you traveling to Nashik or from Nashik?”

 

“Actually I was supposed to drive back to Mumbai tonight, but the fog posed a hindrance and I ended up here”, she smiled.

 

“Seems like we are sailing in the same boat”, Varun said with a broad grin. “Even I have an important meeting to attend in Nashik, but am stuck here”.

 

The more they talked, Varun felt as if turning the pages of a book, and a mystery unfolding on each page.

 

Varun looked at her in awe when she talked, the expression on her face and the way her lips and hands moved in sync. Tanya went on with her chatting, “You know I always wanted to fly in the air and equally was crazy about going places, so being a flight stewardess served both”, she said smiling at him.

 

They were lost in discovering each other as night fell. A new love story brimmed on that beautiful starry night.

 

Finally, when they bid goodbye, they exchanged numbers and planned to catch up in Mumbai.

 

Varun had always read about “love at first sight”, but never believed. But today, a chance meeting with Tanya made him think about those “fairytale romances”.

The morning sun marked a new day and Varun was back on the highway, eager to wind up his meeting and go back to Mumbai so that he could meet Tanya.

 

Late that evening, Varun’s mom was more than relieved to see her son back.

 

Done with dinner, Varun thought of messaging Tanya but was upset when the message did not get delivered. Bored of waiting for her reply, he then turned on the TV and started scrolling his Facebook feeds too.

 

Suddenly, Varun’s jaw dropped with the news headlines, “Tanya Sharma, who was heading the cabin crew in the ill-fated Mumbai bound flight too died in this crash yesterday morning”!! said the reporter and flashed her picture.

 

Varun’s face turned pale with horror and he started sweating profusely when someone tapped his shoulder and aghast when he turned, he saw his mom.

 

“Get up Varun!, it is already 7:30”, his mom shouted.

 

Varun hurriedly got up rubbing his eyes, only to realize, all that was a phantasm- a horrifying spine-chilling rendezvous with a beautiful ghost in a starlit scary night!.