She ran towards the direction in which the train was moving not knowing how to take the next step to reach it. Suddenly she heard a familiar husky voice:

“Sona, hurry! Grab my hand yaar.”

She looked up and saw Ashish stretching his long firm hands towards her. She ran but didn’t give her hand to him. She couldn’t and she will not, even if she had to die. Instead, she tried to grasp the door handle in order to get up in a moving train. The train sped up and before she could reach the handle, her hand slipped and her body flew out. Ashish was quick to anticipate Sona’s thoughts and the danger too. So, this time he didn’t ask. Rather, he grabbed her arm and pulled her entirely towards him, like a rapist forcing his victim by snatching her from the world existing outside the door!

The sudden pull of a strong man made her feverish. Her body crushed against his steel like flat chest. She felt ashamed but comfortable to be secured under his well build masculine body. He hugged her tight with his arms wrapped around her back as if he possessed his most wanted treasure.

He only asked with a voice which was concerned; cautious not to hurt her this time:

“Are you fine dear?”

She didn’t find a suitable word to express herself so she remained speechless. Only a sudden rain of tears rolled down from no where and she looked up for the first time to meet his eyes. He was warm, affectionate and full of love for her. She realized why he said he would possess his girl in a way all men in the world can’t; and she hid her face like a little squirrel in his massive chest with burning desire.

Soon both of them resumed back to their compartment where Sona’s father was worrying not to find her even after the train started. Santosh looked bewildered and Ruma was too nervous to move from her seat. On Sona’s arrival everyone took a deep breath as they had been holding it for so long in her absence. Sona pretended to be normal and simply informed she was getting fresh. Ashish appeared half an hour later and maintained his amiable disposition. By that time Sona was looking out of the window and was feeling guilty about her preconceived notions which she formed last night about this man – her man! She didn’t dare to meet the eyes that openly and humbly wanted her. Sometimes inbetween the space of time their eyes met and an instantly a magnetic field was created that attracted each other to each one.

Time flew in a blink of eyes and Sona felt light, happy and cheerful basking in Ashish’s presence. Sometimes when he left for smoking she felt lonely and deserted.

Soon the journey moved to its final end waiting for the departure. Sona realized it long ago and wanted to forget the thought of the departure. But with the advent of Chennai Station, the dragging and pulling sound of luggage in her compartment set an alarm to her heart. It pricked her so painfully that her heart began to bleed.

She wanted to reach out to him this time, talk to him and convince him to come with him. He too was waiting for that. But the conversation never happened formally although it took place in silence. She desperately wanted Ashish to ask her cell number for the last time but he remained complacent. She felt angry, anxious but didn’t want to lose his sight. Finally Ashish got up, took his luggage out, bid others a warm farewell and turned to Sona with his controlled yet casual face:

“Goodbye Sunanda, have a great trip ahead.”

“Thanks Ashish. You too have a great career ahead. All the Best!”

With the night fall, Ashish too disappeared in the darkness and Sona kept watching him go until the strong figure melted against the black night. She never found or heard about Ashish anymore from any of her next trips that followed. But that night with the parting of the day, she realized a happy yet gloomy truth that she parted with her girlhood to enter her womanhood.

Sayanti Das