Love is in the air…

This is a chain love story as a part of CBC (Chennai Bloggers Club) chain story relay. In this we write a love story as this month is for love. 17 Bloggers will write one chapter of a love story to make a beautiful love story. How do you know it will be a beautiful story? Nevermind, Love stories are beautiful. Now over to the story.

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Chennai was still in its winter’s hangover. Its February already but in early morning people can be seen in their mufflers and pullovers. True these midnights are chillier than usual, but nothing to cover the ears with mufflers and monkey caps. He was in his cab. he next day is going to be a sleepless one. One of his colleagues got job in a government bank. He had to go buy some gifts on behalf of the team.

The cab driver was very close to him. After the drop before him, they had a good four kilometers ride together to his home. They always chat, chit chat and grew closer over a period of time. This also helped him to smoke inside the car when no one was there. Sometimes the cab driver would join him. Then after the usual tea break at tea shop the driver would drop him at home. Today it was so easy. Very few people work on weekends. On Sundays the office would be literally empty except for him staring away analyzing GBs of data. His favorite driver was waiting him to drop home. He lighted his cigarette as he got in the vehicle.

It was three’ O clock in the morning. The roads were empty. He was staring aimlessly at the road when a Hyundai Santro whizzed past him taking away the flame in his cigarette. That was very close. Had he put his hand outside the window as he usually does, that would have been in the Santro dashboard. The driver didn’t waste a second to get into the top gear. The driver of the other vehicle was skillful or is it because of the empty roads? They were racing to catch that car.

At a left turn the cab overtook the Santro and the window was down. It was a girl. A girl at her middle twenties with her hair make over by the evening. She had done her eyebrow too. Should be a girl who is going to get married or her is sister to going to get married soon. She didn’t tie her hair. For most of the jiffy they overtook the vehicle her face was not visible. Only her eyes and eyebrows were to be seen. She had this nose piercing done but there was no nose stud. That was all he could see. Some unknown horsepower again pulled the Santro much ahead of them.

The driver got pissed off. The drivers get pissed off even if the government bus overtakes them. For some reason, they are OK with cool dudes with swanky bikes and cars over take them. But when a woman overtakes them they are rubbed in the wrong side. The cab gained its speed too and it was at this moment they were reaching a narrow road hardly any space for two cars to go together. He can see her face in her rearview mirror. Again the eyes were all he could see. She was not terrified. She was enjoying this. And the next moment what they saw in their side was the divider concrete had fallen off. The driver did his best to stop the vehicle but because of the sudden brake the vehicle skid and slammed at the divider. The Santro seemed to slow a bit and she peeped out of the window to see what happened. He slowly got down and lighted another cigarette. Assuming that he is OK, the Santro flew off into the darkness.

He was home a bit late than usual that day. They had given the vehicle in the service station and took a bike from there to home. For some reason those eyes kept disturbing him. After a not so peaceful sleep he woke up at 1 PM and went to the gift shop to but some gifts for his colleague. He was looking at the coffee mug section and suddenly felt someone watching him. He ignored this and kept looking and when he turned to get to the other side, he met those eyes. Those eyes that almost killed him in the morning and the reason for less sleep was staring at his tired eyes. And it smiled.

“I am sorry about morning” she said.

“That is Ok. But this kind of driving will land you in some kind of trouble some day. Be Careful” He said.

“No worries. I rarely take car out though I have a license”

He smiled and walked looking for the gift. He was clueless.

“What are you looking for?”

“I don’t know. My colleague is getting relieved today. Have to buy something.”

“You know, you can buy a journal and pen so that the person can get slam book kind of thing from all you people in office”

Seemed to be a good idea. He picked up a journal and a pen.

“ He or She?”

“Whatever! The shopping is done. I am leaving.”

“Come on tell me”

“Ok it is a girl”

“Do you know her birthday?”

“Yes! Why?”

“Then lets go to the coffee mug section. They have this cool collection with sun signs”

They went and collected a coffee mug. And then she insisted that he buy a wrist watch.

“Now this is way beyond the contribution money. How do you know that she will like all such stuff?”

“Because I liked it when my friends gave it to me! It won’t hurt to make someone’s day”

There was something about that girl. She was so happy. There was something inside her screaming “freedom”. They paid the bill and walked to the road. She was waving for an auto.

“Hey! I wanted to ask. What is happening with your life? Are you getting married or something like that?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, you have cut your hair and treated it yesterday and your eyebrows too. You were driving early in the morning like there is no tomorrow. And you are unusually happy.  So?”

“How long do you know me? You saw me a few seconds in the morning and ten minutes now and you arrive into conclusions?”

“Tell me, Am I right?”

“You were right most of the part. But one thing was wrong”

“Well what is that?”

“I am not getting married. But I am leaving the country”

He didn’t know why he felt sad. And he had no idea why he said that.

“I liked you when I saw you first time”

“Excuse me!”

“I liked you when I first saw you in the morning. Those eyes, they captivated me. I didn’t think I will meet you again. But now we have met. I thought it would be nice to know each other better.”

“These things don’t happen again and again”

“My favorite author wrote “If something happens once, it wouldn’t happen the second time. If the second time it happens, then it will happen for the third time for sure” and I will be waiting for the third time”

“Paulo Coelho eh? But I will be leaving the country on Feb 14. And I will have to visit lot of relatives before I go. And there is only one weekend left in between. So how do you think we will know each other better?”

“Today is February 4^th and I have 10 days more. Lot of things can happen in ten days.”

“All the best” she said and stopped the next auto which came on their way.

He was hoping that she would say bye. But the auto started. He was standing in the road, with all the gifts in his hand and staring at the auto which carried the woman he saw in the morning and lost his mind a few mins before. He hoped she would look back. When he was about to give up, the auto stopped and she came out and shouted at him.

“Hey! At least tell me your name”

“You will come to know. Soon” He shouted back and started walking to the bus stop. He heard the auto start again.

To be continued by Arthi Krishnakumar who is interested in reading, music, food, travelling, sending out post card and so much more.   Watch her link and the link she is going to suggest, you are in for a ride.

Episodes 

Meant to be by Aarti Krishnakumar

Love is sweeter the second time around by Rajiv

Days Go by… by Vid Dev

Turning Point by Gitanjali Naidu