Specky

Every morning when I flip through the newspaper, the world seems, as the most depressing place to be. Every morning, when I step out of my house and set off on my daily pilgrimage to the University, I encounter the overwhelming garbage can on the way to the bus stop, bus conductors exchanging exotic verbal abuses as tokens of love, the crowd on wheels, Aunty jis swiftly kicking your shins with their vanity bags, Uncle jis trying their best to touch young women all over, flying dust shamelessly settling in the eyes and the horns of every frequency, blaring from every standing vehicle at the traffic signals. The world then confirms itself, as indeed, the most depressing place to be.

But life has a knack of letting us know, that happiness can be found in the darkest of places. After the tiresome day had commenced, in their hurry to reach home, three girls had taken the wrong metro by mistake and then, they became party to a little adventure.

It was the coldest day of the year. Though the big clock at the station struck half past two, fog lurked over the tree tops. As we stepped in the train while scanning the rows of people who sat with we-are-glued-here look on their faces, I spotted him. We had managed three seats for ourselves as it was astonishingly empty for a metro. My gaze tracked him as he entered the train with us and took a seat opposite where we sat ourselves.

He was a lean guy. Tall enough to be said he was tall. Complexioned as any man of the brown race is and was dressed as every other student of our age, only a little too casually. I noticed he wore a pair of tracksuit lowers over a pair of nike sports shoes. Not something everyone prefers over denims, when its freezing outside. Over a light blue shirt he wore a beige colored pullover. I could see the blue collar and cuffs peeping out elegantly from his sweater. He had on his lap, a black canvas bag which looked as if it contained nothing. Perhaps it was suggesting, he had an exam that day. He sat slightly slouching, with an air of a bright student who had done his best in the paper out of sheer habit and who now hardly cared what the outcome might be. Such pupil eventually topped the class.

When the train arrived at the next station, he moved slightly to make room for an old man who had walked in. They politely smiled at each other and spoke. I couldn't hear them. Soon after they fell silent and the old man got busy, ducking his balding head inside the boldly lettered red and white polythene bag he was carrying.

The train rattled ahead in super speed. The passengers who had companions were busy gossiping. Others sat lost in oblivion. A mobile phone somewhere was cracking into pieces a popular bollywood number and over the mutilated tune rang the regular two language recording - a list like the ten commandments, served in public interest by the metro authorities. He turned his attention from his aged co- traveler and suddenly his eyes fell on me.

I was so engrossed in my endeavor that it didn't occur to me, I had stopped blinking. My wide eyes had been on him ever since he had entered the coach. Now when his eyes lay on my face, I felt blood flush my skin. He had caught me staring at him. A small voice in the back of my head nervously said, "Shit".

He was exceptionally good looking. His long face bore a serene look which could instantly relax anyone who cared to look at it. A tuft of black hair shadowed his forehead. Underneath were a pair of mesmerizing eyes framed in thin square rimmed silver glasses. Nor elongated like an eagle's beak, neither was it flat like a mushroom. His nose was unusually, normal. Trailing below the nose I had found a pair of, a very kissable variety of lips and they completed his face with a very manly, pointed chin. He had a stark resemblance with someone I know. Someone very close. But at the moment's pause when he held my gaze, I felt my mind go numb with the strange uncomfortable feeling, called embarrassment.

I wondered, if I should remove my eyes from his face, look around a bit and pretend as if I was looking at him just as I was looking at everybody else. But then I had held his gaze in return for a time long enough to certify that I was caught leching. I decided not to fake. This decision then led me to a greater confusion. I now knew what not to do. But what to do, was still beyond my comprehension. My brain was still fighting its numbness.

Life has its own way of springing surprises when you are least expecting them. Miraculously, his face which had hardened to stone under tremendous pressure of analysis, broke into a handsome smile. I could see blood rush under his skin, as they had been rushing under mine.

It was as if my system had an auto-pilot program installed in it without my knowledge. My lips expanded on their own and I felt air on my teeth. The small voice in the back of my head was now praying to God, to whisk away any scrap of food that might be sticking between them.

The train jolted into a halt. The doors opened, and a little mob of unfortunate people tumbled in. They were unfortunate for they found no seats and were left standing. Their misfortune then fell on me, for they now guarded my view. He had vanished behind a mass of protruding bellies and gigantic handbags. I realized I had company beside me whom I had been ignoring since.

Both my friends were now deep in conversation. When I tried to jump in with my contribution, they broke apart and mischievously smiled at me. "wassup?"
I knew, that they knew exactly what was going on.

"you too?", I asked both of them, amazed.

"who? That Specky?"

"yes"

And we giggled our guts out. Each of us had separately ogled at him and each of us were aware not to let the others know of their fancy. It was only when I flaunted the confusion on my face they had learned, we were eggs of the same basket. After all, we had taken that wrong metro together and it had not dawned on us until we hit the terminus station.

photograph courtsey : Pietersen Rahul.