Delhi Airport

A person wakes up from a dream to find strange things happening in real life...

The Dream

It’s Sunday, 5th December’2000 and he is at Delhi airport, eagerly waiting for Kolkata-Delhi flight IC-3601. He hasn’t eaten anything since last night. He had skipped the breakfast in the nervousness of meeting her, while dinner was aborted as the continuation of an old made promise to GOD. Finally he had decided to let her know about his feelings. Many times he had wanted to tell her that he felt different for her than for any other person in this world but had restricted himself for the fear of losing her forever. She now lived in Kolkata and he had found his job in Delhi. Only a few a days ago he had discovered that she was going to Delhi for some work ;through a social website. He has told himself that the time has come for him – to confess his feelings –to let her know that how madly he loved her –to convince her to become part of his life – to tell her that it was now impossible for him to live without her.
He had talked to her and convinced her that it would be good to share a coffee at the airport.
This was the first time he was going to meet her alone in 3 years. After college there communication had been restricted to occasional calls and chats. He was very nervous. Every now and then he was glancing towards the giant display screen which was updating the flight status. Her flight has still not arrived meanwhile his thoughts continued.
He never thought he was kind of man who could fall for some girl until he met “Ishita”. Both of them have joined Engineering College same year. She was in Electronics while he was in Mechanical engineering department. Her beauty, her smartness, her smile...Everything had moved him since the first time he saw her in first year common Physics Lab. He had instantly fallen for her. But never could gear up the courage to tell her. She was a goddess and he ... an earthy creature not a match for her in any way; at least that is what he thought.
Anyhow he remembers college life as the best time of his life. It was during that time only that his infatuation towards her has grown and has crossed the limits “infatuation” is supposed to have.
Definitely she was most beautiful girl in his eyes, but what has moved him more was her ever-understanding, caring and bubbly nature. How easily she will make all your worries go away with her smile. He knew that he can conquer the world if she was with him. He had become addicted to her.
He remembered praying to the GOD to let her in his lab group and the sacrifice he had offered for the deal was to quit dinner every Saturday for a year. GOD was good then, as he had granted his wish. Though he continued with his part of deal and since then never had his dinner on Saturdays.
Today also he had set a deal with GOD. “Don’t make me live without her” he had prayed to GOD. He knew that it was right choice as life without her would be like no life at all.
Suddenly his chain of thoughts is broken by a gentle “Hi”. Oh she was there. The flight had landed while he was submerged in his thoughts.

“I said Hiiiiii.......where are you lost? Hmmm staring at that hot chick haaaaan? Not good...Not good!”
“Arey, I was just thinking of you only”

“Haan ... Haan ...whom are you trying to fool? Anyways stop staring at her.”
“Arey... i am not”

“Come-on, be a gentle man and accept your mistake”
“God alone can argue with you, Pardon me ma’am” she giggled hearing this.

“Ok Ok...Lead the way of this lady to the coffee shop” and she burst into a laughter making him to smile too.

She hasn’t changed a bit. She was as bubbly as ever. He led the way with the entire luggage (which was one laptop, a big suitcase and a carry bag) and they entered a coffee shop. She jumped to the corner table from where one could get the view of the airstrip. He joined her.

“So how have you been?” she continued
“Good yaar, You tell how is the job going on? How do you like Kolkata? Learnt Bengali?”

“Patience man patience....one question at a time” and she gave that million dollar smile. He could have lived the entire life just by looking at her smile.

“Job is going well. I am doing a very challenging project. I love it”.
“Kolkata is very nice and accommodating city. I have made many friends there.”
And to your last question “Aami Bangla seekhing slowly” hearing which both laughed.

“Hey you tell, made any girlfriends... what I am asking; obviously you must have ...after all you are in Delhi.”
“No, I don’t have any girlfriend...actually I was waiting for someone” saying this he looked in her eyes.

Waiter came along... “What will you like to have?”
“Hmmm ... ice tea” she said looking at the menu.

“Ok so it would be a cafe latte for me and ice tea for the lady.”
Waiter left.

“Ice tea for the lady” she repeated... “Wow Anubhav you have become very stylish haaannn... pure gentleman...hmmmmm good good ....” And gave that smile again.

“Arey yaar , don’t start again...you do love teasing me”
“Ha ha”
“You didn’t tell me your girlfriend’s name?”
“I told you na, I don’t have any girlfriend”

“Oh so that’s why you were staring at that chick at the airport”
“Only a fool would stare at her when he has you in front of his eyes” all of a sudden he had come up with a comment to match hers, but actually it was not just a remark; it was his feelings finding expression through words.

“Oh ho...You flirt”
“Arey I am serious. I have something to confess to you.”
“To me... what... taking drugs”
“Be serious for a while; will u?”
“Serious ...hmmm...you are making me suspicious”

Just when he was gearing up to say “it” waiter arrived.
“Latte for you sir and Ice tea for you ma’am”
“Thanks”
“So what you have to confess dear” she said sipping her tea.

“Look Ishita.... I have known you for almost 7 years now.”
“OK ...so?”

“Now In these years I have realized something”
“And what’s the great discovery you have made? That! I am more intelligent than you!” She giggled again.

“No...not that..arey let me complete”
“Oh ya...sorry”

“I have realized that ... there is a special corner in my heart for you”
“Ok...” she now had little tense look. Her smile had faded as if she sensed what was coming.
“I have some special feeling for you” He was now directly looking into her eyes.
“Hmmmmmm” she now knew it was coming. Her look became more tensed and she stopped sipping tea.

“And this feeling which I have for you is not there for any-other friend ...”
She gave a look as she knew what he was going to say and she just wanted him not to speak those words. But he had waited long enough ...it had to come out.
After a pause he spoke finally
“I Love You Ishita!”

The Awakening

Suddenly he wakes up. “Whoooooooooooo...hell of a dream” Wait a min...Was it a dream or it really happened?
The room is dimly lightened. Kept beside is a table with an half empty Old Monk bottle and 2 cigarettes. Also lying is a dinner plate. Looks like someone had his dinner in the room yesterday. Obviously it could not be him as it was Saturday. He looks at the wall calendar which reads 5th December. He picks up the news paper delivered at the door and reads -Delhi 25th December. What a silly mistake these news paper make, instead of 5th they have printed the date as 25th December. He chuckled. He must have got too drunk last night. That’s why he didn’t remember anything from last night. He looks at the watch...oh 09:00am...she would arrive in around 1 hour at the airport and he is still not ready.

He goes to the bathroom and within 15 min. he is all set. This is a big day as he is going to propose Ishita. She is coming to Delhi from Kolkata via IC-3601. Today he will propose her for sure he says to himself.

He goes downstairs. The security smiles “Good Morning Sir”
“Good Morning”
“Sir as usual I have arranged a taxi for you to the airport.I hope your guest arrives today”

“How did you know?” asked Anubhav completely puzzled.
“Kya saab subah subah meri le rahe hain...”and he simply smiles...

Anubhav has no time to give it any thought. He takes the taxi and reaches airport in time. The flight IC-3601 had just arrived. Thank God he was in time. He waits for her but couldn’t see her coming out. His heart is sensing some ill. He waits for an hour but in vain. There is no sign of her.
He tries her cell but it is switched off.

He goes to the airline counter...
“Ma’am can you please help me...it’s very important. I am here to inquire about a guest...”
“You again Sir? Don’t you have any other thing to do”

“What ...what are you saying ma’am!”
“Is there any problem, inquired the airline manager”

“Sir this man has been coming almost every day since last 3 weeks and enquires about some guest of his ...yeah...Someone called Ishita travelling by IC-3601”.

Manager: “Sir what’s your problem”
“Please mister I don’t know what is she talking about. This is the first time I have met this lady. I have a very important guest travelling by IC-3601...I just want to know if she missed her flight or cancelled her ticket.”

The assistant: “Sir every day he comes with the same question and every day I reply him that there is no guest travelling with that name”

Anubhav pleads the manager to search for the name Ishita in the guest list.
“See...sir there is no one with that name travelling today...”
“Wait a min...But we do have one Ishita who travelled by IC-3601 on 5th December, 3 weeks ago from Kolkata to Delhi”

“Yes sir that is my guest. But what are you talking about 3 weeks ago?”
“Yes sir today is 25th she travelled on 5th: 20 days ago”
“Today is 25th?”
“Yes sir 25...25th December 2000... Either you are insane or you had too much of drink last night. You don’t remember even today’s date. Sir don’t create unnecessary disturbance here .Securities please escort him to the gate. ”

Security escorts him out of the airport.

He his confused puzzled....not knowing what is happening...he doesn’t know where to look for her. He clearly recalls coming from office on Friday. And then he had spent the whole Saturday thinking of her ; how he will tell his feelings to her.
So many questions in his mind with no answer.
Lost in his thoughts he crosses the road. Suddenly something strikes him .Blood oozes out if his head....he can’t feel anything. What he sees next is people rushing in ...next movement he hears an ambulance siren.
Next there is complete darkness.

The Reality

...two blurred faces appear sitting in some coffee shop. He hears some faint sound. Slowly faces and sound become clear. It’s Ishita sitting with him at the same corner table.

“Look Ishita.... I have known you for almost 7 years now.”
“OK ...so?”

“Now In these years I have realized something”
“And what’s the great discovery you have made? That! I am more intelligent than you!” She giggles.

“No...not that..arey let me complete”
“Oh ya...sorry”

“I have realized that ... there is a special corner in my heart for you”
“Ok...”
“I have some special feeling for you”

“And this feeling which I have for you is not there for any-other friend ...”

“I Love You Ishita!”

There was stunning silent.
He looked at her. She was done with her tea and was lost in emptiness of the tea-glass.
He continued ...
“It is almost 7 years I have waited to tell you this. It has become almost impossible for me to live without you. You are in my thoughts. I wake up every day with your smile. Whenever I am tensed I turn towards your smile. Yeah I don’t have any of your photos but I don’t need them. Your face is something which I remember with the finest of details. I don’t know how this has happened, but the fact remains that this has happened. I am telling you this only when I have realized that I can't live without you.”

He glanced at her for some response. She was constantly looking at the window to the airstrip.

Silence was only broken by waiter asking “May I clear the table sir”
“Yes...” she said... and “bring in the cheque too”
She finally began “Look Anubhav... I respect your feelings, but what you are thinking is not possible.”

“Why...? Is there anyone else in your life?”
“Actually I have been engaged to someone.”

“What!” It was like the lightening has struck him. Some glass has broken somewhere with all its pieces in his heart now.

“Do you love him?”... Looked like an absurd question but it was not.
“No... I don’t.”

“Then why?”
“I can’t answer that. I don’t know. My parents had met him through some common friends. They asked my opinion. He is a nice guy; I met him few times, and then I said yes”

“Can’t you give me a chance?”
“No...I can’t, don’t be childish Anubhav. It’s too late now. I am marrying him 3 weeks later on 25th December. He lives here and that’s why I have come here” she said

“But you don’t love the person you are engaged too.”
“Goodbye Anubhav , I don’t have answers to your questions”...“I don’t think we could meet again. Don’t think too much of me and concentrate in your work. You will get over me very soon”

She smiled and waved.

...and again slowly her face became faint ...light started to fade and in moments there was complete darkness. He remembered the deal with the GOD. “Don’t make me live without her”
GOD was good then and today also he had kept his promise.
He smiled for the last time before he closed his eyes forever.

In some other part of city preparations were in full swing for a grand wedding.