This incident is to be published in three parts. To read the final part click here continued from part-2
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I stepped back by the impact to 3 or
4 feet from my original place as people made space for their entertainment
show. This is called law of conservation of energy. The energy they had applied
in pushing me was converted into the work done by my body during my backward
motion. It was purely basic Physics. Nothing else. I understood why they
emphasized on these subjects during our school days.
“ No. She is not my sister. Does it
matter?” I meeked in very low voice resulting from the cocktail of feeling of fear
and self defence.
“Then what you are? A fucking
Superman?” One of them retorted as they burst into laughter.
“A superman with his underpants
beneath his pants.” Another added.
“Actually he is the scrawny version
of Superman.” Third of them had marked his presence and they again burst into
laughter. Some of the audience also found it laughable.
“What are you doing behan****? Does
your father had taught you only all these?” A voice emerged from somewhere in
the crowd. All 200 pairs of eyes moved toward its origin. An old man, about 60
year of age, had showed up from the mob in a second. The radiant on his face
defined his confidence. He came and stood beside me. He then pats my back and
scolded those three bullies. Also, he preached the crowd. He introduced himself
as retired District Magistrate of some random district of Kerala. He must be in
any other coach during all these time. Those three bullies were started
misbehaving with him as well, but the intervention of public coerced them to
immediately apologized him and deboarded from the train there only.
I thanked him for showing up at the
right time. The time at which my bones were likely to be broken. He appreciated
my courage which was no way needs any appreciation. It was just a result of
spontaneity. In a nick of time, that girl approached us. She thanked that
radiant uncle first, and then she approached me. My hearts bloated with a
feeling mixed with fear and happiness. The happiness because a girl is
approaching me while fear of her upcoming remark. What if she tell “ Thank you
Bhaiya.”
Bhaiya? I mean what the hell…… Am I
too bad looking or I am Bhai Saheb type. Whatever it is but I didn’t deserve to
be a Bhaiya of any beautiful stranger girl. God had already blessed me with a
sweet sister. I don’t need another one. I am not an universal brother anyway.
Nevertheless, she came to me. Her
perfume fragrance hits my nostrils while she was yet few feet away. My heart
skips some pulses for the obvious reasons. My mind began to analyze the
possibilities out of compulsion. Her approach was spellbound indeed. I prayed
my lords to not let her tell this most haunting word “Bhaiya”. It is the most
lethargic word a beautiful stranger girl could ever say to a guy. Totally
unacceptable. Okay.. go judge me, call me creepy but I ain’t gonna buy it.
Bhaiya from a beautiful unknown girl sounds like back stab from your best
friend. You’d never want to accept any of them either. Totally subtle and
unanticipated indeed.
“Thank you….” She said as she
extends her hand, perhaps for a handshake. Her meaningful pause followed
by her interrogatory eyebrow movement as if asking will you going to respond or should
I take it back?, was enough to make me ensure that she was not going to
brother-zone me. Aah! Huge sigh of relief, undeniably.
“Abhishek. Abhishek Bhopali.” I
announced my name similar to James Bond style as I shook her hand. It felt so
good. Her fair, warm hand was too soft to let go.
“Thank you Abhishek.” She said with
a firm, tighter handshake and released the grip next moment. But I had to fight
with my mental voice to finally release my grasp. However, I had to leave her
indeed, and I did. “Thank you for showing the courage. God knows what would
have been happened if you weren’t intervened. I really mean it.”
Yes, I deserve that “thank you”,
that hand shake, that touch, that fragrance. Not because of showing the courage
and saving her from the public nuisance but for risking my life for this random
beautiful stranger girl whose I didn’t even knew her name.”
“I didn’t do anything. It’s this
uncleji who managed the situation.” I said this pointing towards that uncle on
the ground of morality though I don’t mean it. “There is no way I could save
even myself if this uncle hadn’t shown up here. By the way, what’s your name?”
She told her name Sneha. Few minutes
of conversation had made the things back into normal and people forget it as if
it never happened in the first place except the fact that this beautiful lady
is now sitting beside me, talking to me, which I hadn’t even think few minutes
earlier. The train too moved slowly after a while.
That day, I learnt one thing that we
don’t need any extraordinary muscular strength to stand against any
wrong-doings. We don’t need any Superman or Spiderman or Shaktimaan or anyone
else for the raising your voice against injustice. Every one of us has a
Superman in us. A Superman who likes to wears underpants beneath his pants. A
Spiderman without web or mask, for that matter.
a small typo o'er there
ReplyDeletethe second last line says, this is the second part..........!!!!!! it's the third one, isn't it !!
I had corrected the error. thanks for reminding me yatin.
ReplyDelete