Next five days it was my regular routine, I use to reach Dadar station at around 9.30AM with my two friends, run to the western lane platform no 2 as fast as we can, give a glance at the place where she was standing and then catch which ever local train arrives in that platform and move to office. Routine changed to habit, and later habit changed to need, I wanted to see her any how and talk to her. Days pass, then week passed but there was no sign where I could find her. My hopes were strong that we will definitely meet somewhere, sometime.
Seven Weeks Back:
One fine evening, when I returned home from work, my Mom came up in my room. Her health was weak and no medicine was showing positive sign on her. She treated herself with all the reputed doctors of Mumbai, but in vain. She came and stood right in front of my bed. Our conversation started with me asking her about the medications that she is taking for her health. Out of nowhere in between our conversation, she said, Marial I think you should do the Novenas on Wednesdays at Mahim church for my good health. I immediately accepted what she said with no arguments, though I know I'm not a strong believer in God. My Novenas started from the very next Wednesday at the St. Michael church in Mahim.
Present Time – Wednesday:
That day I finished my work at 7.15 PM and made my move to church with some friends from office. The journey started with some funny gags as we boarded the local train from Mahalaxmi to Mahim. Hardly had it taken 20 minutes for us to reach Mahim station. I got down in Mahim while others left for their respective homes. I always feel the walk from station to church is like a battle field. Where hundreds of people walk like as they are in some kind of race. Only God knows what is this race for? When everyone have to reach at the same place. I started walking towards the church as slow as I can, enjoying the different items kept for sell on the roadside.
Boom, I got a solid jerk on my right hand side, I turn around and saw angrily to the person who pushed me. It was a girl, she turned her half face towards me, SORRY!!! And she walked away. It was enough for me to identify her, she was the same girl, my railway station one, yes the one who's first look has impressed me so much, and that I have been crazily searching for her all throughout the week. At once the famous dialogue Of ‘Om Shanti Om’ runs in my mind, wherein Shahrukh Khan says:
“Shiddat se tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai.. Ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai..
Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko agar dil se chaho to saari kayanath tumhe usse milane ki
koshish me lag jaati hai..”
I heard a manly voice - 'A Chal Baju Hatt' I turn to see who the hell was he, a man of above six feet height with wrestler build walk by pass by me. I ignored him and try to focus on her. But by now she has gone at least 20 footsteps ahead from me. I started walking as fast as I can but to my bad luck she again got disappeared in that crowd.
In St. Michael Church Mahim:
I entered the church from left hand side entrance, and went straight to the first floor, to my favourite seat where I normally sit every week. I like sitting there because of two reasons. First I can easily do eye contact with the big Cross (Jesus crucifixion) placed in the center of the alter. Second I can observe people while the sermon is going on.
The prayers were above to start in next five minutes; I relax on my seat observing people. Suddenly I notice her entering in church from the main entrance. My eyes were fix on her, may be because this time I don’t want to miss the opportunity of talking to her. She came in straight and went to the first row in the right hand side corner of the church and sat on the third bench in the second half of the row. She did a sign of the cross and kneeled down for prayers.
Sometime she wipe her tears, sometime she looks in her cell and then tries hard to concentrate in her prayers. I kept watching her every moves from top while she pray. I didn’t hear a single word, what the priest was saying at the service that day may be because my whole attention was on her. I just kept looking her sad face, wondering when the service end and I will get a chance to talk to her.
Finally after 30 minutes the service got over. I tried hard to complete my remaining prayers as fast as I can and try to get hold of her. But it was too late, she was no more there, she was no more in my sight, she was already gone…
