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Strangers on a Subway
Part 124
He leaned on the wall by her side, he wasnt listening to anything...
Just watched the crowd and heard the announcements, "Please stay beyond the yellow lines" "Please dont enter or exit when the doors shut" type mesages
SHE was listening to her fave playlist
"What are u listening to?" he asked😃
She didnt hear, he tapped...
"Hmm"😕
"What are u listening to?" he asked as she pulled her right one off...😃
"Ummm... just music"😛
"Cant be just music" he muttered😉
He reached for the one she held, his face almost on hers, she leaned on the wall and turned... startled...
He didnt care, he took it anyway and shoved the short corded earphone in his ear...
He literally stood inches from her, his face cms from hers☺️
"Does Amma know its not Carnatic?😆" he asked with the half smile
She reached for his ear, he shut his ear... she gave him the other one, so he would step away... she slid along the wall to put some room between them
He wore her second one and leaned by her...
Another train rolled in...they didnt have a chance
She texted Akka...
He pulled his left one off "Lets predict, I am going to say we will be able to get on the 4th one from now"😆
She just smiled...
"II" he prodded😭
"7th" she said reluctantly😃
"Whatt? That would mean we have to be here an hour?" he was not happy
"The frequency increases during rush hour" she said.. "I think"
He looked at her deeply... but didnt say anything
"U can take a cab home" she muttered😃😈
He put his hands in his pockets and stood facing her
She wondred what ppl might think, as the ear phone in his right ear went from a cord from her phone...
"I like this one" he said, handing his left one..
It was Vikram's oru paadi kadavu.😭.. "U played it that Saturday"😳
She returned the ear phone to him... She went back to her phone
They missed the next train...
"How is Shravu?" he asked😃
"Fine I think... I havent seen him" she muttered😳
"He couldnt make it last Saturday" R&B said😃
II wondered if Akka was gently distancing herself from Batras... she looked as far as her eyes could see... so many casualties
"Did u listen to the Billboard 250?" he demanded😃
"Umm... no" she just shook her head😭
She had his "How to get from a No to a yes book in her bag, but she wont take it out now and read... she didnt want him to know😉
She actually made two kinds of Rasam also... Appa ate but didnt say anything...
"How frequently do u take this?'
HE WAS FULL OF QUESTIONS TODAY... RAKSHASAN🤣
WHY CANT HE TAKE A LIMO BACK TO GURGAON OR MALCHA MARG
I CANT EVEN BE ALONE WHEN I WANT TO😭
"Once a month, or twice?"😃
"Did u go to the showroom today?" he asked😆
She nodded
Role reversal he spoke a million words and she gesticulated...😆
They missed their 3rd train...
"U shud go, the 4th one is yours as u predicted" she chuckled to herself🤣
There were too many people...
"Cant wait to get rid of me?" he asked somberly..😲
"Learnt it from an expert" she blurted😭
AYYYO II SHUT UP, SHUT UP DO NOT TAKE POT SHOTS AT HIM
DO NOT... WHY ARE U SO ADDICTED TO THIS DEVIL?
WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR U TO GET LOST II? JUST SHUT UP
He knew she took a pot shot... he acknowledged it wordlessly☺️
This was like alcohol or substance addiction...☺️
"Do u know if they are all done expanding the routes?" he asked
ENN DA? WHY? ARE U GOING TO QUIT ARGENT AND APPLY FOR A JOB AT GMR?😆
WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU😡... Ur favorite Google should answer that one...😡
"I dont think so" she said softly
He was still listening on her ear phone on his left
"Do u know when they will be done?" he asked
She looked up from her work email...
"U should go talk to an employee" she reached for her ear phone so she could free him😃
He didnt want to be freed😳
"II" he began😳
"Its Ishita" she said😭
She didnt look at him when she said that... her head bent peering at her phone, he stood two feet away bending down over her head
"What happened to your car?"
SHE GAVE UP AND ASKED FINALLY🤣
OFCOURSE SHE DID, WHY NOT? SHE IS NOT THE QUIET ONE... HE WAS ANNOYING THE CRAP OUTTA HER
He smiled his half smile...
"Ermm I didnt bring it"
She looked up at him with a "REALLY?" look
RAKSHASAN!!! CANT I SEE U DIDNT THATS WHY U ARE STANDING INCHES FROM ME IN A SUBWAY STATION AND MAKING SMALL TALK LIKE WE ARE... ERMMM.. NEVER MIND
He had a "Hey that made you look at me"
I was meeting a friend I rode with him" he said
"Couldnt he give u a ride home?" she accused😡
"No" he said SWITCHING TO ONE WORD ANSWERS NOW😆
"Well theres cabs... or asking for a car to be sent from home... or an auto" she gave him choices😃
He stood there and shrugged it all off😳
She was back to talking and he went to listening... the normal...
"usually autos know the by lanes well and they can take u to CP in less than 20 minutes even in this rush hour" she informed
"Its too cold for an auto though" she shivered
The 5th train came and went
"You lost" she said smugly😈
He just looked at her, in a hugely unsettling way☺️
She looked at her phone again
"Did u ask Shravu not to talk with me?" he asked😃
She looked up at him again... and then quickly looked down... "Nahi to... kabhi bhi nahi"😈
AYYYO THAT TWERP, I HAVE TO TALK TO AKKA TO SEW HIS MOUTH TO HIS KNEES😆
"I thought it might have to do something with him missing our driving lesson"😈
"Hes NINE DA...☺️" quickly correcting herself... "I mean he is 9"😭 she said softly
"Thats what u said at first I thought?"☺️ he mocked
PEEDAI... RAKSHASAN... HE WILL CHASE U TO THE EDGE OF THE EARTH, PUSH YOU, RESCUE YOU AND THEN CHASE YOU ALL OVER AGAIN😭
"I dont think he should be learning driving" she said😡
"From ME u mean"😉
She nodded mutely looking at the 7:59, 7:58 7:57 board..
He smiled... happy... the feelings of jealousy over Shravu was intact?👏
"Paris has a bigger network" he goaded her😈
"I bet they do, ours is only the 13th largest and only 2.4 million ride it everyday" SHE BIT THE BAIT😡
YEP ITS COMPULSIVE WITH II... SHE CANT LET GO OF A GOOD FIGHT🤣
"You cant credit Delhi Metro with Delhi's population explosion" he said mockingly😛
"The same way u cant compare a 115 year old urban transportation system, with a 15 year old (Delhi Metro)"😡
"Touche!" he said softly👏
The 6th train came and went
"Can I have my ear phone back?"
"Likewise" he said
SHE HAD HIS READ BEATS AUDIO😭
"Well I dont have it with me" she muttered sheepishly
He gave back hers, she put a lot of distance between them,
The 7th one was due in 4 minutes she walked to the yellow line he followed her...
She didnt talk... he didnt either, they waited like a "couple"
The train arrived they got in with a lil jostling
"I won" she rubbed it in😈
"By a hair length" he shot back😃
HE STOOD BY HER... HOLDING THE LEATHER STRAP... the top of his head clearing the roof by a few feet
Women turned around to see how tall he was
There was no sitting room, so she wrapped an arm around a pillar/rod and went back to her phone
"II lets take a cab from CP"😳
"No" she said bluntly😡
And didnt look at him
People pushed her to pass, women started talking and muttering men acted macho...
the everyday scene at the Metro, college types giggled and gushed listening from each others' earphones...
No there was no eve teasing no bullying so no rescue was required
He wore his ear phones and listened the whole time, when Rajiv Chowk was two stations away,
"Is the Gurgaon showrrom GM outta town?' she asked
He reached and yanked his ear phone "Sorry"
"I am not getting any responses from him, I thought u might know... is the Ggaon showroom GM out of town?"
"so u want me to be involved in TransPro? he asked mockingly😆
"Dont worry I will ask Mr Ranjan's admin"😡
"He is II" R&B said😳
"Thanks"
She knew he must have resentment about being kicked out she also knew he would come back with a plan
She knew him... unfortunately she did
They got off... "Will this work on the next one?" he asked showing her his day pass😳
"It wont work for a cab, no" she shook her head🤣
The word "Unforgiving"😳 came to his mind, the word no two words... "devilish persistence" ☺️came to her mind
More on the CP-Gurgaon Metro journey later
~~~~~
Friday night
He stood in the balcony that night sipping his beer, one foot up...
he had noticed she seemed very aloof, she treated him like she would treat Mrs Sagar, or the Gurgaon GM
She walked away from him at every opportunity, her resolution irritated him...
His Thai partner called wanted to know when he would head to Dubai... he came back to the "now"
"Saturday Noonish I think" he said they talked about the Dubai project for an hour.. and he hung up well after 1 AM
Going back to bed to read... "Financial Terrorism"
He would read a couple pages...all his agent and book him a one way ticket onwards to Paris from Dubai on 😭
Tuesday.. basically three days in Dubai, Sunday and Monday and Tuesday.😲 and then returning to Paris
He went to his walk in closet and packed his stuff... emptied the smaller suitcase
and put everything in the bigger one... and zipped up the navy and black suits in the travel garment bags, sipped it up
Went back to bed at 2 AM and began to read again
~~~~~
Friday night she lay in bed thinking... suddenly got up went to the study and brought a Crosswords brown paper bag,
opened her chest of drawers, and placed all the books including the one from her purse
Rasam book
Reading between the lines
How to get from a No to a Yes
Financial Planning book with a penny jar cover
The Baguette
The Beats Audio
The pink USB with the Billboard 250
Put the baguette gift box...
And began writing a Post it, yep, the 4'* 6* one
"Please find enclosed the following:
She listed everything methodicallyThank you for the books and the crystal French bread. One more reason I cant love the bread, its too hard (Since its made of crystal)😉 (JUST unable to let go of her sharp sense of humor😭)
They were a good read. I am sorry they looked a bit used now. I am also enclosing the Rs.2,136 I owe you... 😕
I am not sure how much more I owe you so I will just add a check for Rs.15,000 to it. to cover for the cost of new books.
I havent copied the songs on to my ipod or phone so no piracy here😃 (a smiley). I only listened to 18...😭
Take care
Best Regards
II she wrote and struck it off and said "Ishita Iyer"😭
She would go to bed at 2 AM and begin crying😭😭
~~~~
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