All of yesterday, Sam had spent his time pondering over those few minutes on the bus. He kept wondering when he would see her next and if he would see her at all. He counted the hours into the day, and work suffered as a result. He didn’t care.
It wasn’t surprising though, that the next morning he arrived at the stop much before Ranil did. Impeccably dressed, neatly combed and suave, both in attitude and style. It wasn’t unlike how he dressed every day, but somehow he seemed to be a man on a mission today.
“So, all set to meet her again today, eh?” asked Ranil mischievously, as he arrived at the stop.
“See, this is why I shouldn’t tell you things. You’re the one who says pessimism is overrated. I’m showing some optimism for the first time, is that so wrong?” Sam blurted.
“You still have to work on your mood though” retorted Ranil,”can’t expect to charm her with a tone like that”
“I’m sorry dude. I’m on edge today, really. I know you’ve seen me at my worst, but trust me, today I’m in a different zone. I really hope I see her today” said Sam.
“You plan to approach her and talk to her??” asked a surprised Ranil. He had known Sam for so many years, it seemed very unlikely that Sam would go up to a girl and make conversation.
“I’m hoping I will. But you know I can get” he said.
Ranil smiled. Yep, he knew.
“Here’s the bus now. Good luck buddy boy” said Ranil, walking upto the bus.
Sam took a deep breath and followed suit. He got in at the center door behind Ranil, and hurried up the steps to where Ranil was standing.
For a good minute, Sam looked at everyone in the bus, trying to see if she was there. He kept playing back the memories of the day before, hoping that they aid him remembering her.
“Do you see her?” he asked Ranil.
“See her?” Ranil asked with a quizzical look, “I didn’t even see the girl yesterday. If it wasn’t for your confession on the way back, I’d not have even known about it“
“Utter waste you are!” he muttered to Ranil, moving from side to side, trying to see if she was there. Today his luck had run out on him.
“Maybe she took another bus. It is a public bus. It’s not like she goes by the same bus everyday like we do” reassured Ranil.
“That’s what we’re doing wrong!” exclaimed Sam. “We must start traveling in different buses from now. All in the same direction but different bus numbers. That should do it, I should be able to see her then”
“Whoa Romeo! Relax. You have a better chance of meeting her if you stick to one bus, trust me” said Ranil.
He had a point there. It made more sense once he thought of it. Besides, Ranil was an ace at statistics. It is quite unlikely that he was wrong about these things.
Assured about the plan for the next month or so, Sam still was restless. At every traffic signal, he peeked out the window as any bus pulled up by the side, trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of her.
“Would you stop it? They’ll ban us from public buses if you behave like this” mocked Ranil.
“Yes, yes. I just don’t know how I can get through the day without seeing her” sighed Sam.
“You’re nuts! You get through it just like you did the day before you met her. You whine through the day, work your ass off and get back to the room and whine some more. Nothing has changed. Stop making a big deal of it” said Ranil, now getting a little irritated with Sam.
“It’s like a reflection in the water dude. When its calm, it’s all the same, unchanged. But once a pebble falls in, the whole surface is disturbed. Ripple effect, you know?” said Sam, almost philosophically.
Ranil fell silent. He had known Sam for a long time now. Always a dreamer, and always restless, Sam lived in a world that very few others seemed to understand. It was why he always struggled with the commonalities of the world around him. He could never remain bogged down by them. Smiling at his friend, and the understanding that their friendship had brought to each other’s lives, Ranil was silent for the rest of the journey. He knew that Sam had now crossed the point of return.
…
(To be contd.)
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