Diaries : A not so mundane monday

It was a Monday I recall, Yeah! funny isn't it? How I have the most forgetful day of the week, so vividly etched in my memory. But such was the charm of that day, Let's roll back a little towards that day.

~*~

photo from shutterstock.com

      zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz Buzzed something in my ear, Must have been mommy, I checked the wall clock gloomy eyed, And I got out of the bed bolt upright!

7:30!!

I was 15 mins late into the day. I cursed myself! Then looked at mummy. She returned a grave stare.

‘No point blaming’, I remorsed in my mind.

I rushed through everything, had my breakfast on the go waving a good bye to mother, then suddenly I remembered something; I gathered my phone from the desk quickly coming back in. I looked at the screen, and grunted furthermore looking at my dead cell phone.

I was angry at myself for not putting the phone on charge.

And I let my anger felt as I charged through the gate towards the bus. I quickly got one. But when I checked my watch and did a mental calculation, I was 30 mins. off my usual schedule.

I reached the station, the platform was relatively full near the ladies compartment, I stared and gave a frail smile to a familiar auntie. I swiftly switched my gaze towards the indicator, then at the watch and then into nothing doing my math, I was surely in for a firing from my senior authority. Train was arriving, It was swelled with people commuting to their respective workplaces. I was sure I wouldn't get in, still I tried but in vain nothing flinched among anything or anyone on board.

Suddenly I felt a tap on my head and someone rushing past me. I looked over and found the same aunty getting into the general compartment, I followed without a word.

As I got in, most of them made way for us, letting us in. A gentleman got up and offered aunty a seat. Aunty quickly sat down, another man from the next bench got up. An uncle told me to be seated; I thanked him and sat down keeping the bag on my lap.

As I sat, it was an awkward moment for me. I tried looking into nothing but soon that became very daunting in itself. So I looked out the window for a change, took the phone out from the pocket and tapped it twice or thrice very anxiously. I was almost livid with myself.
What if something important came up this moment? What if I missed some text or two?

More than anything I just wanted myself to be distracted, But alas! it was not to be. Next station came; I looked out. Few more people got in hustling and shouting. All I could hear was the thudding of the bogie as it moved out of the station, now I looked around for a change.

I stared at straight eyed faces, one of them stared back, I looked away. Then I looked on to the other side and then into my dead cell phone again.

Then came the announcement for next station, suddenly everyone was war-like alert, clutching onto their belongings, biting their teeth, and as the train stopped almost all of the herd got down all at once like some mercury slipping along the floor.

Someone at the door shouted, "Khaali hai, Khaali hai, aaraam se bhai" (it's empty, take it easy)

A couple of people stepped in, and behind them a family of three. They sat opposite me; meanwhile I shifted to the window seat. Jubilant! I must say! On a Monday, that too running late, it's a consolation worth welcoming.

Suddenly I could feel a rush of positive energy around, maybe because there was ample oxygen to breathe on for now (*wink wink*). Meanwhile on outside a soaring aero plane captured my imagination. I looked up with a tinkle in my eye; I felt a rush of memories surging in! The giggles of that kid sitting opposite took me to a different track. I recalled how my father used to show them to me like spotting a unicorn on a jungle safari and I would just stare awestruck by its super powers.

I just stared at the silver lining that appeared around those bunny clouds that partially covered the rising sun. Suddenly the thudding bogie had a rhythm to it, and my grievance for my phone's MP3 player seemed hardly significant. Suddenly everything rushing behind had a meaning to it, I could recall silly little details from my times when I took to this world clasping onto papa's little finger with my tiny tiny hands. The distant buildings and little trivia that came along with it like a free tattoo with an alpenlibe or that tiny comb with my favorite Barbie doll. I could recall the horror stories my father used tell about that huge towering building kissing the skies, how it was once home to several ghosts. And I would clutch onto his arm while listening to it. I laughed at the thought of it now. The lady opposite had a smile on her face; I didn't fail to notice that. I smiled back.

For the time being at least I was sailing onto those paper boats, taking a ride on a royal chariot, listening to chimes of lullabies.

Hard to believe it was a Monday, that too a working one, my conscience felt like it was summer time from my primary days.

But, this bliss didn't last long, the announcement for my destination was made, I got up, glanced at the aunty, waved her good bye.

The joy ride, it ended, but I was in no hurry as if I had found my grail, and the quest was complete. The aroma of that morning till date graces me, like nothing ever before, the meager struggle of my smile through that difficult start of the day made me cherish it to the core.

And it was one special day I would say, And It made me believe, there is enough light around for us to shine bright, sunny and happy to the heart.

-V. V. Talavanekar