Finding Neverland-2

Love is different to different people. For some it is a bringer of happiness, for some it is a constant state of elevated excitement, for some it is a constant pain. For me it gives an opportunity to concoct stories. Seeing people in love, makes me imagine their lows and downs, their break-ups, their deaths and their reactions. I am not a sadist; however sadness has a beauty attached to it and I cannot ignore it. I revel in beauty. I revel in emotions. For me, everything I do, I try to create a sense of beauty around it- beauty through words. Beauty is not a la carte mentioned like dishes in restaurants, I perceive beauty in ability of living beings to like, love, create, destroy, feel and die. I perceive beauty in sadness too!

Sameer and Ramya, before they were separated traveled a lot. Once in summer of May they traveled from Bandra to Delhi. Bandra to Delhi is a long trip. The journey covers 6 states and takes 30+ hours. They had the side berths in the third AC compartment of Dehradun Express.

Ramya expressed her opinion on the onset of the journey, “I don’t want the journey to finish soon. I feel I am the only person who is happy with the Indian Railways functioning. The lateness of trains makes me spend more time with you!”

Sameer was in all smiles to her opinion. They could have gone to Delhi in flight too, however that would have meant only two hours of journey with lot of sleep and less of talking. That is not what quality time is to people in eternal love. To people in eternal love, things move slowly and at their own pace. Silence marked by intermittent talks is the way they behave. Eternal love is like being with the other side of your own personality. You counsel when you need to do so, and in other moments you two just sit in silence with each other. It completes you. In trains it is the way they desire. With Ramya and Sameer, traveling was all about reveling in each others words and reveling in silence with dreams in their eyes.  

Sameer’s smile was broken by a loud thud. A five year old girl jumped in front of their berths and said loudly, “Hi, uncle. Hi aunty…” She wore a red shirt, a blue pajama and was beautiful apart from being cute.

A voice sounded from behind, “Enya, don’t disturb people.” A man in his late twenties approached the sweet girl and asked her to sit on his seat numbered 22. Enya smiled and did as she was asked.

“I am sorry if she disturbed you”, the man apologized to Sameer and Ramya.

Ramya replied with a genuine smile, “We don’t mind. She is really sweet.” She wavered towards Enya and asked her to come to her. Enya looked at the man seeking his approval and went to Ramya and sat on her lap.

A momentary sadness overcame the man’s face and before Sameer and Ramya could observe anything amiss, the man started arranging the luggage under the seats. He took out few soft toys which undoubtedly belonged to Enya and kept them on the seat. He took to his window seat and starting seeing Ramya play with Enya. After a few moments he started looking outside.

Sameer seeing Ramya play with Enya went and sat opposite to Enya’s father. “Hi, I am Sameer. We are going till Delhi. Where are you going?”

The man as if drawn out of a long beautiful thought replied back with a smile, “I am Ansh. We too are going till Delhi. Enya will be staying with her grandparents for a week.”

Ramya and Enya started talking. Enya asked in her soft and loving tone, “With whom did you play when you were small?”

Ramya tried replying in a made up childish voice, “I had friends in school, and mother at home. Where is your mother? ”

Suddenly in a swift move, Enya got up from Ramya’s lap and went up to Ansh. She stroked the cheek of Ansh softly and turned his face towards her. “Papa, Where is my mother?”

A stiffening silence crept up among the three of them. Ansh eyes had become moist and watery. Sameer and Ramya exchanged looks and understood the weirdness of the silence. Ramya beckoned Enya, to which Enya obediently followed. She took Enya back to her lap, and said, “When God created people he gave mothers to care for them and love them. However, he loved few children more. So he himself came to the earth.”

A smile returned on every one’s face. After an hour or so Enya came back to his dad and sat on his lap. She started playing with soft toys, and asking odd sorts of funny childish questions to him. “What will happen to the bear after I grow up?”

Ansh thought for a while and replied, “I will play with them.”

“You are too big to play with them.”, and she went into chuckles.

A ticket checker came to examine tickets and after examining asked Enya, “what are you doing beta?”

Enya replied in a stern way, “I am sitting on God’s lap and playing with Him.”

An innocuous smile spread across all the face of the people who heard this. Tears of joy overflowed the brim of Ansh eyes to wet his cheeks. Sameer, with a smile on his face went back to sit with Ramya. The confused ticket checker went ahead to examine the rest of the compartment.