A Chance Encounter
A chance encounter
She looks so serene standing all by herself,
She reads her book and twirls her hair,
She knows not of what awaits,
She’s so serene standing by herself.
Ratan looked closely at the girl standing before him, waiting for the bus. She twirled a strand of her hair absently reading a paperback novel. Ah an intellectual! She seemed absorbed in her novel. Moving as inconspicuously as he could, he moved closer to her. He didn’t know what prompted that instinct.
He watches her mesmerized,
He clutches his bag tight,
He knows not of what awaits either,
He watches her mesmerized.
Sunita sneaked a look at the man standing next to her. He had been looking in her direction for the past five minutes. She prayed he wasn't a stalker. She'd had enough of the lot of them. But he looked quite different. She wondered.
She sees him watching her,
Is he watching me, she questions,
She knows not what awaits,
She knows he’s watching her.
He hears the sound, all around,
The dust is flying everywhere,
He knows not what to do,
He moves to protect her.
Suddenly they heard an explosion. The earth beneath them shook with the impact. Without thinking clearly, Ratan moved to protect the woman next to him from the debris flying in their direction. He took a deep breath and began coughing.
"What’s happening?" asked a soft voice.
Ratan looked around to make sure that the others at the bus stop were safe, and then looked down at the woman he was still holding. "I think a bomb just blasted in front of us."
She feels a barrier blocking the explosion,
He has moved to protect her,
She knows not what to do,
She’s confused and scared.
"What?" Sunita panicked. This couldn't be happening. Bombs didn't go off on the road, did they? She eased a little away from the man holding her.
"Are you all right?" he asked concerned.
"Yes. You?"
"I'm ok. Do you have a cell phone?"
Sunita shook her head. What an amazing day to be reminded of the fact that she was a perpetual cell loser. Her past was filled with multiple instances of losing cellphones. "Do you?"
"I do, but the battery just gave way a while back. If we are to inform our families of our well being we'll have to get to a pay phone before the lines get jammed." Sunita nodded.
He tells her what he knows,
She nods, still scared and confused,
He walks her ahead, quite,
His curiosity bubbles and he asks
The two strangers made their way past the half destroyed bus stop.
"I'm Ratan by the way," he said extending his hand.
"Sunita," she said.
Nodding they made their way past the debris. It was as if by an agreement they had decided to rely on each other to get past this crisis. The goal- to make contact with a family member.
"What were you reading," asked Ratan when he could no longer control his curiosity. The face he had been trying to get a peek at was now facing him, slightly pale and frightened.
"Who stole my cheese!" she said, with a slight twitch of her lips. He smiled too, realizing later in the day amidst all the madness around, that smile felt like the only normal thing.
She smiles, feeling a little amused,
She replies and trudges along,
She has a family to get to,
As is He she’s sure
"I usually wait for the 10:30 bus, but I got delayed today." said Ratan, softly. Sunita looked closely at him to check for any signs of injury. His body had saved her from any, and it was but natural that she should check if he had suffered any damage on her account. He looked fine, except for a small gash on his forehead oozing blood.
"You're bleeding," said Sunita concerned. She quickly dove into her big yellow bag, coming up with a small band aid. "This can control the bleeding for a while."
"Thanks" said Ratan, giving her another dimpled smile.
The police were on scene, redirecting the traffic. The ambulanced screeched their scary tune. People ran and cried. It was pandemonium. And amidst all this, two strangers made light conversation. Sunita was glad Ratan was accompanying her. She would've been a mess otherwise.
Ratan walked on, reassured by the fact that the woman at the bus stop was safe.
Soon they reached the pay phone booth.
"You go first, your parents must be worried about their daughter," he said.
Sunita nodded and walked into the booth. Before she could pick up the receiver to make the call though, she saw her father through the thick crowd of people waiting around the booth. She called out to him.
Ratan who had been watching her, turned too. Sunita stepped out of the booth and hugged her father sobbing loudly. He winced hearing her cry of despair. Before he could move towards the pair though, another explosion sounded nearby. Ratan crouched low, this time acting purely out of self preservation.
They don’t see it coming,
They don’t know it this time either,
He doesn’t move to protect her then,
She doesn’t act confused and scared,
As the dust settles again,
He looks around for her,
She’s gone, this time, he doesn’t know where,
He knows not what to do.
As the cloud of smoke around him cleared, he looked around for any sign of Sunita. But she wasn't around she was gone, whether with her father, or hit by the bomb he didn't know.
She looks so serene standing all by herself,
She reads her book and twirls her hair,
She knows not of what awaits,
She’s so serene standing by herself.
Ratan looked closely at the girl standing before him, waiting for the bus. She twirled a strand of her hair absently reading a paperback novel. Ah an intellectual! She seemed absorbed in her novel. Moving as inconspicuously as he could, he moved closer to her. He didn’t know what prompted that instinct.
He watches her mesmerized,
He clutches his bag tight,
He knows not of what awaits either,
He watches her mesmerized.
Sunita sneaked a look at the man standing next to her. He had been looking in her direction for the past five minutes. She prayed he wasn't a stalker. She'd had enough of the lot of them. But he looked quite different. She wondered.
She sees him watching her,
Is he watching me, she questions,
She knows not what awaits,
She knows he’s watching her.
He hears the sound, all around,
The dust is flying everywhere,
He knows not what to do,
He moves to protect her.
Suddenly they heard an explosion. The earth beneath them shook with the impact. Without thinking clearly, Ratan moved to protect the woman next to him from the debris flying in their direction. He took a deep breath and began coughing.
"What’s happening?" asked a soft voice.
Ratan looked around to make sure that the others at the bus stop were safe, and then looked down at the woman he was still holding. "I think a bomb just blasted in front of us."
She feels a barrier blocking the explosion,
He has moved to protect her,
She knows not what to do,
She’s confused and scared.
"What?" Sunita panicked. This couldn't be happening. Bombs didn't go off on the road, did they? She eased a little away from the man holding her.
"Are you all right?" he asked concerned.
"Yes. You?"
"I'm ok. Do you have a cell phone?"
Sunita shook her head. What an amazing day to be reminded of the fact that she was a perpetual cell loser. Her past was filled with multiple instances of losing cellphones. "Do you?"
"I do, but the battery just gave way a while back. If we are to inform our families of our well being we'll have to get to a pay phone before the lines get jammed." Sunita nodded.
He tells her what he knows,
She nods, still scared and confused,
He walks her ahead, quite,
His curiosity bubbles and he asks
The two strangers made their way past the half destroyed bus stop.
"I'm Ratan by the way," he said extending his hand.
"Sunita," she said.
Nodding they made their way past the debris. It was as if by an agreement they had decided to rely on each other to get past this crisis. The goal- to make contact with a family member.
"What were you reading," asked Ratan when he could no longer control his curiosity. The face he had been trying to get a peek at was now facing him, slightly pale and frightened.
"Who stole my cheese!" she said, with a slight twitch of her lips. He smiled too, realizing later in the day amidst all the madness around, that smile felt like the only normal thing.
She smiles, feeling a little amused,
She replies and trudges along,
She has a family to get to,
As is He she’s sure
"I usually wait for the 10:30 bus, but I got delayed today." said Ratan, softly. Sunita looked closely at him to check for any signs of injury. His body had saved her from any, and it was but natural that she should check if he had suffered any damage on her account. He looked fine, except for a small gash on his forehead oozing blood.
"You're bleeding," said Sunita concerned. She quickly dove into her big yellow bag, coming up with a small band aid. "This can control the bleeding for a while."
"Thanks" said Ratan, giving her another dimpled smile.
The police were on scene, redirecting the traffic. The ambulanced screeched their scary tune. People ran and cried. It was pandemonium. And amidst all this, two strangers made light conversation. Sunita was glad Ratan was accompanying her. She would've been a mess otherwise.
Ratan walked on, reassured by the fact that the woman at the bus stop was safe.
Soon they reached the pay phone booth.
"You go first, your parents must be worried about their daughter," he said.
Sunita nodded and walked into the booth. Before she could pick up the receiver to make the call though, she saw her father through the thick crowd of people waiting around the booth. She called out to him.
Ratan who had been watching her, turned too. Sunita stepped out of the booth and hugged her father sobbing loudly. He winced hearing her cry of despair. Before he could move towards the pair though, another explosion sounded nearby. Ratan crouched low, this time acting purely out of self preservation.
They don’t see it coming,
They don’t know it this time either,
He doesn’t move to protect her then,
She doesn’t act confused and scared,
As the dust settles again,
He looks around for her,
She’s gone, this time, he doesn’t know where,
He knows not what to do.
As the cloud of smoke around him cleared, he looked around for any sign of Sunita. But she wasn't around she was gone, whether with her father, or hit by the bomb he didn't know.
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