A Stranger

Striking a conversation with a stranger while travelling!

Well I started a conversation with a stranger of the opposite sex while I was travelling to Chennai from Mumbai for official work.

So the story goes like this:

This happened couple of months back, when I was travelling from Mumbai to Chennai for a board meeting.

I gave a sigh of relief, as soon as I entered the AC coach of my train. One minute late and the train would have left. Well, the contentment of getting into the train was intensified as I saw an extremely good looking and well groomed boy of my age in the same compartment. My heart skipped a beat. If looks could kill then it was his!

After keeping my luggage I tried to be comfortable but the naughty me was thinking of talking to that handsome  young man. With a 'I have a cool attitude' accent, I told him, "Hello! I like the book you are reading". He gave no sign of being interested. I thought maybe he is too engrossed in reading, let me try once again. But there was no reply this time too. Then he looked up and gave me a blank look. I thought, "what crap! Leave it. I don't care if he doesn't talk".

I took up my book and started reading it. Within a minute I saw a piece of paper being pushed towards me. I lifted up my gaze to see the boy giving me a chit. I took the chit that read, ''I see that you are trying to talk to me, but I am deaf and mute. if you don't mind can we communicate via this chit.'' I was astounded, such a handsome boy deaf and mute. Why is god so brutal and why this injustice? My eyes were turning misty but I controlled myself and wrote something on the chit to make him comfortable. He told me he would be getting down one station after mine. The remaining one hour he asked me silly questions like, "what would you do if you had to jump in a well or fire?'' I replied, "I would rather jump in water. There may be chances of survival". Then he asked me '' What came before, chicken or egg?'' I patiently replied to all his stupid questions thinking his thinking process was also probably impaired. But those innocent looks left an undeniable mark on my heart.

As the train approached my station, I got up to get down, he handed me over a chit and pleaded that I read the chit after getting down. I bid adieu to the boy with a thousand unanswered questions.

The first thing I did, after getting down was to open the chit. It read, "I am sorry to say that I am neither deaf nor mute; I am doing a course on PSYCHIATRY, and wanted to have some practical experience. you have proved to be a excellent specimen to how a man reacts when faced with unusual situations.'' And his P.S. read ''I must also add that I am a graphologist and you need to improve your handwriting.''

My mouth was open for at least 2 minutes. I don't know for how much time I stood on the platform speechless, but I could distinctly hear my heart shattering into million pieces on a concrete platform. ;)