Today Calls Tomorrow: A Love Story

by Prakash Hegade

Mohit turned his face around and ignored him completely.

 

  Sumit was devastated. He got down on his knees and yelled loudly, “Am sorry, Am sorry” and next moment he was unconscious. Aakash ran towards Mohit and held his shirt collar.

  Mohit was about to hit aakash and Purvi suddenly stopped him. She nodded her head indicating no for the action. There was no loud argument and there was no violence but there was the “hatred energy” in the room. Sumit was down and remaining four where looking at each other with every feeling of ignore and hatred.

  That’s it all!

  Twenty Six: To Manali

  The act went well and natural. They all clapped for themselves. They headed to hotel and had dinner. Mohit had his luggage along with him. They all had aloo parathas and headed to railway station. Mohit boarded his train and headed back home. He gifted something wrapped to Purvi before the train started. There were hand waves of bye. Emotional ones.

  Purvi was excited to see what was inside the cover. It was her favorite novel, “P.S. I love you.” They both had watched that movie together many times. She always wanted a copy to preserve. She had one in hand. She immediately texted him back with

  “Love you and Miss u thissssssssssssssssssssssssss much!”

  People got back to work. Their mail box had many mails to be resolved. It was yet again office time and usual routines. There were no many plans ahead. They all decided to work on weekends to compensate the holidays they were going to take. Their life got routinely busy and they were enjoying it. They could even hardly meet. They used to converse all the time in their group. Mohit used to send pictures and asking those suggestions on what to pick and decide. It went on for a while.

  Tick, tock, tick, tock, Purvi resigned her job, got send off, all cried, and left to her hometown.

  Tick, tock, tick, tock, the time was near, Aaaksh, Anwesha, and Sumit packed their bags, got onto train and the journey to Manali had started!

  Sumit was yet again listening to Manali Trance!

  Twenty Seven: The Stranger

  It was a long journey. The journey was from Pune to Mumbai, Mumbai to Delhi and Delhi to Manali. Mohit had planned their journey so well that they just had to follow the booked tickets.

 

  The three friends were very emotional. A very not so popular thought that “You feel sad when your best friend is getting married” was evident on Aakash, Anwesha and especially on Sumit’s face. Journey till Delhi was a quite one. Aakash and Anwesha were eventful in their own world. They both had shifted to upper birth and holding hands and chatting all day. They both were listening to songs through single head phone and were glued to each other the whole time. Aakash was literally behind Anwesha all time. Sumit was usually not normal and still was quite.

  As they got down in Delhi and boarded train to Manali, excitement just flew in. Aakash and Purvi were at upper and lower berth at one side and Sumit was at upper berth on other side of the compartment. They started pulling each other’s legs and finally the journey started to seem lively. All the three moved near the door and were waiting for the train start. As the wheels started to move, Anwesha held her head out and started howling “Yooohoooo”. Aakash was shushing her to be quite and she did more. Anwesha got louder and louder and started laughing hard.

  As the train started moving, slowly the view outside turned from people to trees, mud roads to water flows, traffic sounds to bird’s chirps. They were entering the greens and the woods.

  As they came back to their compartment, the lower berth was occupied by someone. That someone had already slept with sheets covered from face to toes. Aakash and Anwesha got into upper berth.

  Sumit stared at that someone, and got to his berth. He really wanted to see that someone who was covered in bedsheet!

  Twenty Eight: The Wow Moment

  Sumit was trying to picture the view outside the window, but there was a disturbance. The thoughts that were disturbing him were; who the stranger below his berth is!

  Who is the one? Who is that someone?

  If it’s the kid, would not be alone

  So it’s definitely not, it’s not the one.

  If it’s an elder, respect from my side,

  And the usual ride, as it’s not the one.

  If it’s a he, another friend I got,

  Another company, though not the one.

  What if, what if it’s the gorgeous?

  Like it happens in fantasies!

  It could be the one, that someone!

  Dear lord, listen to my prayers,

  For let the day be one,

  Where I have found my someone!

   

  Sumit looked down and the seat was empty! He was curious. He started looking at both sides. He saw an elderly woman walking towards their compartment. He went “oops!”. And told himself, “Ata boy! Next time!”.

  In seconds, the lady moved ahead to next compartment! Behind her was another girl. She came with calm and sat down. Yes, She was that someone. Sumit went “Woww!” He could feel the sweets dancing in his heart!

  Twenty Nine: The Strange Stranger

  Sumit was staring at her constantly because he was not looking at her for the first time. He had seen her somewhere already. Don’t know where, but he was certain he had. Whenever he used to get down to see her from close or to notice her, she used to utter “kaminey” in light tone and look at him with angry red face.

  Aakash and Anwesha were looking at Sumit with funny faces. Sumit called Anwesha near compartment door and said, “What Anwesha? help me a little. You know I have seen her somewhere. Isn’t she pretty? Sorry, Isn’t she hot?”

  Anwesha was, “Isn’t It? me and Aakash were discussing the same. We felt we have seen her somewhere. Or in your terms I think we have seen a little less hot version of her somewhere. But we don’t know where!”

  Sumit said, “Try to talk to her… Help me a little. What kind of friend are you? In few hours we will reach Manali. Do something; please! ”

  Anwesha agreed after Sumit convinced her lot many times. Anwesha went near her and she suddenly turned to Anwesha and said “Excuse me! I know you have come for your friend. He is staring at me since hours. I better warn you and your friend to be in your limits”

  Anwesha could not take it and more over she was not the one to be quite. She shouted back, “Idiot! What do you think of yourself?”

  The conversation went a while and finally Sumit and Aakash had to say sorry and settle things down. The remaining journey was full of “I hate you” looks. Sumit was blaming his fortune. Though it started the way he had expected, it did not end the way it was supposed to be.

 

  Stranger was now looking horribly bad and ugly. Anwesha was flaming hot with smokes of “I will kill you”. Aakash was talking to Anwesha to calm her down. Sumit as usual, like every time did not know what to do!

  They reached Manali in few hours. They got down from railway station. They had to travel a few kilometers to reach Mohit’s home. They hired an auto and made some promises on the way that they would forget the train incident and enjoy the marriage occasion to full extent. As they reached the venue, they had many surprises. Purvi and her family had already come to Mohit’s place. It looked like a preparation of one big world event. As they started walking inside, Purvi and Mohit came out to welcome.

  Bigger and unexpected surprise was the ‘train stranger’ was also walking towards them along with Mohit and Purvi!

  Thirty: Know the One

  Sumit wanted to make sure that he was not the only one seeing it. He asked Anwesha and Aakash, “Do you see that train girl coming towards us along with Mohit and Purvi? Or am I the only one to see her everywhere? She has stick to us like a ghost!” Aakash and Anwesha both said together, “Yes, I do too! Why is she here?” She suddenly dropped down her face as they came near to each other. She had expressions just like a downside up hanging bat.

  Purvi and Mohit were sup
er excited to see them, just like when a kid looks at a teddy bear. They all hugged each other and conversed about journey and took their luggage and started moving towards home. It was a huge place, just like the one covered by Great Wall of China. It looked like a palace. Mohit’s home was in like the area of 1 acre. There was a home at center surrounded by garden all over. It was a hilly area with steeps at every other place, just like the craters on the moon. It certainly did look like as if they were entering some king’s palace.

  Sumit, Aakash and Anwesha were looking at each other every now and then and then at the train girl. Just like when a prey looks at the predator during hunt. They were hardly concentrating on what Purvi was blabbering. The “Train Girl’ was not even ready to lift her face. She was just quite, just like the class with students of “finger on the lips”.

  Mohit said, a few of my other friends are already here as well. There is room arranged for all of you in guest house. Every arrangement and facility is reachable. Today evening there is special cultural program arranged, the traditional dance of Manali. It starts at 7.00 in culture hall. You all can rest and be at hall on time. The hall is to the left of your rooms.

  Sumit had his jaws down. Is it really a place or palace? You have a culture hall in your home? Really? Mohit went, it’s traditional. Both mom and dad have a lot inherited and they respect the culture here and may be the