Walking down memory lane...

The month of October comes to peace. And I see leaves lying around the quiet side walks. The rustling sound breathes life everytime someone sets a foot on them. I walk slowly. There is a slight breeze. A little sigh. And I keep walking. The leaves now sway to the instructions of some invisible hand. They twirl. They ponder. And they glide from one end of the street to the other. Some of them are stirred. And without warning, they swirl upwards. And my intent gaze follows them. And there I see them up in the sky. From where they came. And now they go. I measure the enormous mass of light pink up above me. There is a strange glow. I observe. The sun is a beautiful red. And I am unable to figure out where the curve begins and ends. The sky is smiling as if impressed by the colors on its own canvas. My eyes cannot resist looking at the sky. The vastness of the sky only beckons me to walk down the memory lane...

It was a busy day back then. In a different country. In a different city. The railway station was at a certain level above the ground. The trains were crowded. Hundreds of people were stacked inside one compartment. One could hear every breath taken by another. Feel one's own sweat. And make no movement. Hands held on tightly to the handles. In the afternoon, these very handles sway magically just like children out from school. In the mornings, they are as taut as can be. I waited for the exact moment when the train arrived in the station. There was a big gasp. And people thronged to the exit. There was an equal force. Some wanted to get in. Some wanted to get out. I barely managed to get out. My bag was tightly bound to my left shoulder. As soon as I got out of the train, I took a moment to get some fresh air. A few seconds later, I could see fellow classmates who had just emerged from the other exits. And then, I was greeted by a pleasant banter. A few girls from my class amidst some animated discussion. One of my friends waved to a couple of the girls. And they waved back. We all walked up the bridge. And then out of the station. We just crossed the traffic lights. The short walking journey usually lasted ten to fifteen minutes. Today, it was more. My friends who were with me at that point were more at ease while talking with girls. Not me. I just listened. I always felt a certain awkardness while speaking to them. I dont know any reason. They all kept chatting with each other till we reached the college. I was about to enter the maze again I thought...

I cross the street. I see a nice young couple walk by. Hand in hand. I smile. Minutes later, a young lady comes from the opposite direction. She is doing a nice jog. Listening to her ipod. And her lovely dog struts besides her. I take a step aside. I have always been a little scared of dogs. I take a few steps. And then just sit down on the small blue bench next to the bus stop. There are a few people waiting for the bus. I am not. I am just taking a small break. I am not feeling tired. But sitting there seems a welcome notion. A lady is standing near the bus stop. She is holding a lovely baby. It is smiling at me. Then suddenly, it frowns. And now it has started crying...

So, I entered the maze. It was in the afternoon. We had a lab session on the topmost floor of the building. I had taken up the subject simply because I liked it as a kid. I was not that good in this subject. But I always knew I would make my career in that very field. We formed pairs. And we set out to do what we were asked to do. Write some program to print out the days of the week. Aaah. The guy who was my lab partner had a knack of doing things quickly. I just kept on looking as he finished the exercise assigned to us in no time. I could not offer him much support. Little would I know that a few years later, things might be completely the other way around. However, there I was staring at the blank screen in front of me. And then I heard two girls sitting next to us ask for help. My lab partner was ever eager to help out. The fact that two girls were involved here was an even greater incentive. I meanwhile just looked on. He helped them finish their work as well. Not that they needed much. And since there was a great deal of time left for the session to get over, the four of us began a small conversation. My lab partner was chirpy as usual. The two girls in frame were chattering too. I just kept wondering what I was to say. The fact that I knew much more on the topics that were being discussed than all three of them put together did not matter much. I was just mesmerized. She kept talking. For almost thirty minutes, the three of them kept talking. I was quiet. But, then I dont know what happened. All of a sudden I started speaking. Speak I did. And after that my lab partner felt quiet shut. There was only one girl and one boy doing the talking. The conversation went on from Egyptian pyramids to Monica Seles. From books we had read to our respective schools. From the languages we spoke to the food we liked in the canteen. And finally to our future careers. And we spoke. And we spoke. And we spoke. When the bell rang, I did not realize that more than an hour had gone by. My lab partner was perplexed. And he even chided me for trying to hog the limelight by talking too much. Not that I cared. It was one of the most remarkable moments of my life. I had never before that moment spoken to a girl with that kind of spirit and freedom. And I have never since then either...

The lady boarded the bus with the baby. And the bus just went by. I get up slowly. It was getting dark. And I say to myself that I better hurry home. Had to cook for dinner. And all the utensils lay there in the basin as if crying out mortally wounded. I walk up the stairs. I take out the keys from my right pocket. I turn the keys. And open the door. And then I just stand there. I turn around. I look at the sky again. The reddish glow has now given way to a silent darkness. I look forward in the northern direction. The North Star is at its place as usual. And from there it shines upon me. The twinkle of the star. And the radiance emerging from it. It reminds me of that conversation I had many years back. Both the star and the conversation are very far me now. But, I feel their warmth and affection. I smile....