OS-The Journey with the Stranger

I entered the busiest Delhi Railway station, with loads of luggage in both of my hands.

"Uff", I sighed keeping my luggage down to attend the call.

I noticed that it was from home.

I attended the call with a frown, "Yes Maa".

"Beta are you coming?",Maa asked me still having the disbelief that I might not come.

I let out a deep sigh and replied," Maa, presently I'm inside the Railway station, waiting for the train"

"Alone??You know beta, there is no safety for girls'"

I interrupted Maa's words," Maa, my class-mate Pinky and her brother, Adi are also accompanying me"

Maa said," Beta, but be careful, don't trust strangers. You cannot judge what they are up to."

"Maa, don't worry", saying so, I cut the call.

I waited for some time, standing there and then walked towards the notice board, to check the allotment of my seat.

The journey,was planned in haste because of the call, I got from home to come urgently as some boy was coming to meet me, as planned by our both families.

Though I was reluctant, I had to agree due to the pressure of my family.

I ran my fingers over the chart in the notice board checking my name.

'Geet Handa'..Geet Handa'..Geet Handa'Aah Yes Geet Handa F22 ..See..aa..t Num'ber 'is..50'

When I was about to leave towards the place where I kept my luggage, somewhere in my mind, I felt curious to see whether the person, opposite to my seat is male or female.

'Ummm ..M25"

But out of curiosity I saw the name, 'Vicky'

I thought it would not at all be a problem to have a young male getting seated opposite to me, as Adi and Pinky were also there.

They voluntarily came forward hearing about my journey, as they knew no one was there to escort me.

My chain of thoughts was disturbed by the announcement which stated the arrival of the train.

I quickly took my luggage and boarded the train.

As the journey was not pre-planned, we got our seats reserved in a cabin of four berths.

I went inside the cabin and worryingly dialed Pinky's number.

"Pinky, where are you? The train has arrived and it is announced that it will leave the station within 15 minutes. Are you near the station? Come fast", I said without even taking a breath.

"Geet, the fly over here is blocked due to traffic. We got stuck up in the traffic. Don't worry we'll try to reach on time"

But as the time proceeded, my hands and legs started shivering.

And the final announcement for the departure of the train was made, and I felt a slight movement of the train.

Panicking, I made a call to Pinky.

"Geet, we are extremely sorry. Still struck up in the traffic."

By the time I kept the mobile back in my hand-bag, I noticed that the train had already left the station.

A fear struck me, which made me shiver from head to toe.

What if that Vicky turns out to be Maa's-untrustworthy-stranger?

I was single there. What if he takes advantage of that?I regretted for not listening to Maa's advice of keeping a pepper-spray,or any other self-defensive items with me.

I noticed the wetness in my palms and soles.

When I was wiping off the tiny drops of sweat that formed on my forehead, I heard someone opening the cabin door.

I almost jumped because of that sound.

A dangerously handsome, young 'Vicky' stepped in.

He gave me a casual smile and put his luggage on the topmost berth, and got seated opposite to me.

I tried to cover up my fear, and behave normal.

But still my hands and legs were shivering.

To overcome that fear, and to prove him that I'm not travelling alone, I pretended to be waiting for someone to come from the door, looking at it now and then.

"Waiting for someone??"

I jumped again listening to his voice.

I slowly looked at him.

He was looking at me, smiling casually, waiting for my answer.

"Ye'ye'yes'Fr'friends'", somehow I threw out my answer.

"But the train has already moved?", he asked, still looking at me.

I cursed him in my mind, 'Why do u ask? What if the train has moved or if it gets accident?'.

"Wa'washroom", I somehow managed to smile.

"I see", he turned his gaze away from me and started reading some magazine.

But within few seconds, the door got opened again, and the TTE, came in.

He checked the man's ticket first and then turned towards me.

I handed over my ticket to him, after checking, he asked about Adi and Pinky, whose names were in the chart.

I didn't dare to answer.

After sometime of silence, the TTE was about to leave murmuring, 'So I can allot these seats to someone else 'and smiling; then this Vicky shouted," Wait", addressing the TTE, who turned and made a questioning face.

"I think those two are her friends", and looked at me, "right Miss?"

I looked at him and then TTE and then down, thinking what should I say truth or lie??

If I lie that there are present in the train, I would end up travelling with Vicky 'ALONE'

If I tell the truth, maybe I would have some company, thinking so I smiled.

But my smile soon faded away with the thought, 'What if the two new comers turn to be boys and these three share me equally?'

"NOOO", I shouted making the two men, who were waiting for my answer, jump from their respective places.

I looked at them both and smiled sheepishly.

"Are these two your friends? If so, where are they?", the TTE who almost lost his patience asked sternly.

"Yes and they are in washroom", I said after deciding that one is better than three.

The TTE, went away cursing me for wasting his time and shattering his dreams of extra income.

"Still in washroom??"Vicky asked with a frown.

I decided to not to show myself weak in front of him, gathered all my courage and answered with a serious face, "Why do you mind??"

He looked baffled and said, "Asked'umm'just casually."

I took out a magazine from my bag and started reading.

I knew that he was suspecting my words.

So, I took out my mobile and pretended to be making a call.

And spoke, checking him now and then from the corner of my eyes, but he seemed to be least interested,

"Maa'umm'yes'I'm in train,'aah yes,'.ok'.aah Pinky and Adi'ooh they said that they will go to washroom, but didn't return till now, don't know where they went'Aah I too think the same,'may be they had gone to visit Meera ,who is in next compart'.."

Before, I could complete the sentence; my phone rang, bursting my eardrums.

I quickly attended the call, not even looking at the caller's name.

It was Pinky, who called to apologize to me again for their inability to accompany me.

I dared not to look at him.

But before ending the call, I just looked at him once from the corner of my eyes.

He was having a tough time to suppress his smile, or might be laughter.

I, for the first time in my life thought to kill someone, and that was Pinky.
Huh.

After an hour or so, he went out and I, being bored with my magazine, took the magazine he was reading and flipped its pages.

It seemed to be some business magazine, and I kept it on my berth beside me and stretched my hands and legs in opposite directions.

After stretching, I looked at the door unintentionally and was awestruck seeing Vicky there.

But he was looking somewhere down. I quickly adjusted my top, which was lifted in the action of stretching.

He proceeded towards me and I moved backwards. I looked at him with fear-filled eyes.

He kept the newly-puchased-water-bottle on his berth and extended his hands towards me.

I slowly prayed Babaji and extended my hand to get a hold of anything, so that I can attack him with that.

My hand reached towards my bag, and when I was about to attack him, he did something, that shocked me and made me speechless.

He extended his hand and took his magazine and sat on his berth.

Noticing my gaping at him, he smiled and said, "Err'I was half-way through one important article will give you once I finish it"

A smile crept across my lips, which was purely unintentional and unnoticed by me and said to him," Aah, no problem .By the way, I'm not interested in business magazines. Just took it to see how they look."

He too smiled at me and said," Ooh OK, umm, if you are bored, then I have a novel, if you are interested, "he took a novel from his bag and handed over to me, "you can kill the time".

"Aww Thank you", I said smiling.

"My pleasure", he too smiled back and resumed his reading.

'He seems to be nice guy, everyone is not bad', I smiled, and then noticed that I was smiling when talking to him.

'When he is nice, what is the wrong in being nice to him?'

I had and have the habit of reading the views from sources, before reading the novels or stories.

So, without even reading the title of the book, I read the views which were printed on the back cover of the book.

One of the greatest news papers reviewed,

'This book truly proves that 'Never judge a book by its cover'. Though the title makes some impression in mind, the original story is totally different'

'Aww, is that so? Let me read the title then', thinking so, I turned the book.

I read, 'Danger from the Stranger'

'Wow interesting'

But suddenly, something struck my mind.

'Never judge a book by its cover, danger from the stranger, book'Cover'.stranger''..ooh'

I was profusely sweating.

I kept my left hand on my forehead and rested my left elbow on my lap.

My head was down and my eyes were closed.

'Why did I talk with him? What if he takes advantage of me, misusing that?'

My thoughts were disturbed when I heard him asking me, "Are you fine?"

I looked at him, who seemed to be more concerned about me.

"Yes'I'm fine", I said and adjusted my position.

He took out his water-bottle and offered me, which I denied saying that I had one.

But when I took out my water bottle, I noticed that it was empty.

Noticing this, he again offered me.

"Nooo", I almost shouted and then adjusted myself and said looking at him, who was shocked at my shout, "I..I mean no thank you, I'll purchase at the next station"

"Till then'"

But I didn't allow him to complete and again shouted," ooh..please.."

I didn't apologize again; as I felt no need to do so. He seemed to be least bothered about my rude behavior and went back to his magazine.

There was a knock on the door and we both at once said," Yes", and then looked at each other.

While we both were looking at each other, someone came and introduced himself to be the one taking orders for night meals, which would be supplied by pantry.

I gave order for myself and he didn't and the boy went away.

"Won't you give the order?" I asked him not even noticing that I've asked him, till he answered.

"Aah actually, my supper, will be handed over to me by my relative around 9.", he said.

"Ooh okay", I forced a smile.

After sometime, the train reached next station, and Vicky went somewhere.

Being very thirsty, I got down with some money, and was scared to see the deserted station, in that night.

But I gathered some courage and walked towards the shop and bought the bottle .

While returning ,I felt some force dragging me to the dark corner,then I noticed three men trying to take off my top .

I didn't listen to their filthy talks ,as I was busy in struggling to free my top from their grip.

I then noticed a fourth pair of hands,which were busy in smacking the owners of those three pairs of hands.

I then noticed Vicky beating them.

My mouth made a round cave out of shock.

I never saw a live fight.

It was amazing.

Then I felt like someone shaking me and I came to my senses.

It was Vicky.

He was saying' no'. shouting something

,"Train is leaving, come"

But before I could react,I felt myself getting dragged.

So,I too ran behind him,in order to help him.

Finally we boarded the train.

We both were panting,and after sometime broke into laughter.

We entered the cabin,and I said,"Tha..thank you Vicky",still panting.

"Ma..Maan",he said ,who was like me,struggling to breathe normally

"Pardon",I asked not understanding what he just said.

"Aah..I'm Maan",he said with his casual smile.

I was really shocked hearing this.

"WHAT?",I shouted at such a pitch that he had to close his ears in reflex.

Then I apologized him and asked,"Maan??If you are Maan,then Vicky?"

He chuckled and said,"He is my friend.But how do know him ?"

"I 'I saw in the chart",I said,recomposing all the thoughts by replacing Vicky with Maan.

"Ooh that one? He booked the ticket for me and gave his name instead of mine, by mistake. I too noticed it today."It seemed to me like, he was struggling to sound normal.

"Then how did you manage the TTE",I asked out of curiosity.

He said with an attitude,"In big-big countries,small small things like this always happen.",coping the famous dialogue.

I raised my eyebrow and asked,"Thinking yourself to be SRK,huh?"

"No,MSK",he said confusing me again.

"Anyways,I'm Geet",I introduced myself,ignoring his previous sentence and stretched my hand.

He blurted out taking my hand in a hand shake,"I know".

"WHAT?"

"I mean..I.."

"saw in the chart?",I completed his sentence.

"Aah yes ..yes.I saw in the chart",he smiled but not in his casual way.

He assigned himself with some files or something and,I myself with thoughts.

This journey seemed to be like those that are potrayed in films and stories, where the girl gets ill-treated by goons and rowdies, and a stranger rescues her and they catch a running train.

WOW,I never thought that such incidents take place in anyone's life.But the irony is it all happened with me.The man who I thought to be my destructer,turned out to be my savior.

Then suddenly a thought struck my mind.

'What if he is possessive about me?

What if he wants me wholly to himself?

Yes,that's why he smacked them and dragged me into the train.

If he is not Vicky,then what happened to Vicky?

From the way, he explained about Vicky, I guessed that he was lying. So, he must have assaulted Vicky too.'

My body began to shiver again.

I rushed to the washroom,immediately.

continued-below