Karmic Konnection – Short Story Love

‘Oh Damn! It got stuck in RAC,’ Yuvi yelled while looking at the Railway reservation chart. His tickets did not get confirm for his journey from Mumbai to Delhi in the Rajdhani Express. Yuvi was annoyed by the fact that he has to now spend the night traveling sitting with his back straight. Traveling at short notices topped the chart in Yuvi’s hate list. However off late, he had to do this frequently just to find his prospective life partner.

He was traveling frequently these days, only because he had to go to see girls for his marriage. Till now the almighty was playing hide and seek with him and his match could not proceed ahead with any of the girls he had seen so far for one reason or the other.

This journey was no exception, except for the fact that he had not seen the girl’s photo unlike previous occasions. Though he had not seen her photo, he was quite certain that she would be beautiful as his mother had already approved of her. He was happy and the very thought of his life ahead, if everything goes off well, lessened his burden for travelling with his back straight.

Out of curiosity, he just glanced through the chart to see who the other fellow passenger is on his seat. His eyes glittered with sparkle when he read, ‘Nita Arora   F25     BCT   NDLS,’ on the chart. He was grinning by the very fact that his co-passenger is a female and that too till Delhi.

He boarded the compartment with anticipation. However, his co-passenger had not yet arrived. Yuvi arranged his bags beneath the seat, and went in to the thoughts of meeting a stranger with whom he was possibly going to share life long commitment.

His reverie was broken by a sweet female voice- ‘Excuse me; can you please give me some space so that I can keep my bags?’  It was Nita on the other side.

‘Yeah sure,’ Yuvi said while shuffling his legs.

‘Thanks.’

Yuvi was struck by her innocent and gentle beauty and became happy with the fact that his journey would now not be mundane. For a moment he just thought how nice it would have been if she becomes his life partner. Until now, Yuvi never believed the notion of love at first sight. But he contradicted himself when he saw Nita. He wished Nita to be his. Yuvi closed his eyes for a moment and his lips silently muttered something to the almighty.

‘Your ticket is also in RAC?’ Yuvi asked Nita a very obvious question to initiate the conversation.

‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Nita said with a hint of sarcasm. She was perhaps irritated by the fact that her ticket was in RAC and she is hearing that stupid question.

Yuvi realized what a blunder he had made, so just didn’t reply back. He was annoyed with himself that he did not make the first impression point blank and that too in front of such a beautiful girl.

Nita spoke again- ‘I am travelling on a very short notice. I must say, I luckily got RAC. The very thought of wait list ticket was baffling me because I had to travel no matter what.’

‘Must be going for some important work…,’ Yuvi spoke clearing his throat.

‘Yeah, sort of…,’ Nita plainly replied.

There were moments of silence after this.

The train started to move at its scheduled departure time and with it Yuvi’s thoughts started wandering in his mind. He was still looking at Nita with the corner of his eyes while she was taking glances outside the window.

 

Yuvi’s Uncle’s house -2 days back

Delhi

‘Yuvi Beta, get your tickets to Delhi to reach on Friday,’ his mother said on telephone.

‘Maa, it’s difficult to get tickets at such a short notice.’

‘Beta, try somehow. We have got a very good proposal for you. The family belongs to Delhi and the girl is working in Mumbai. She would also come here so we have planned a meeting in Delhi itself.’

‘Okay, I shall try. At least send me her photograph.’

‘Beta, unfortunately they only have hard copy of the photos with them. But I have seen them and the girl is very pretty. If Lord wishes, you two would look great together.’

Yuvi smiled, blushed for a moment, cut the phone saying goodbye to his mother.

 

 Nita’s house- 2 days back

Delhi

 ‘Nita, please apply leaves and come over to Delhi this Friday. We have got a very good proposal for you.’ It was Nita’s father.

‘Oh! No. Not again dad. I do not want to be show piece again and again.’

‘My Doll, I am getting an inkling that this time would be your last. We have matched your horoscopes and they are perfectly matching. Moreover the guy is earning handsomely and their family is also a reputed one.’

‘Okay Dad Okay. I got your point and it’s tough to win an argument with you. Can you please send me his photograph?’

‘Dear, his family is in Delhi right now so we couldn’t ask for photograph. And it’s a matter of two days only, when you meet him face to face.’

‘Hmm…Okay then, see you on Friday Dad. Bye and Take Care.’

 

To break the ice, Yuvi again initiated the conversation. ‘Hi, I am Yuvi.’

‘Hi, I am Nita.’ Yuvi just smiled for he already knew her name. They shook hands, and the exchange of questions how, where, why and what started.

As the train kept moving, Yuvi and Nita became friends and it seemed that they have known each other since ages. Many things- their likes, dislikes, and thoughts were either same or similar, just like made for each other! Both admired their simplicity.

However the salient and the primary reason for their journey- both going to see their future life partners was not yet revealed. It was imminent however and bound to get busted, shortly.

They kept on talking and it was 1 am now, when the train halted at Ratlam Junction.

‘Hey Nita, want to have some ice cream?’

‘Yuvi, I guess it’s something strange to have an ice cream at 1 am.’

‘Oh come on Nita! How can you say so? You live in Mumbai-the city that never sleeps. Nothing is strange or odd here. You can do whatever you want to. I have had Ice Gola at the Juhu Beach many times as late as 2am. An moreover who care what we are doing and at what time?’

‘Okay Sir, you and your Mumbai. Get me a scoop of Butter scotch,’ Nita said with a big smile.

‘Sure. I am back in 2 minutes.’

While scooping their ice creams, Nita finally revealed- ‘Yuvi, you know, I am going to Delhi to see my prospective husband.’

Yuvi was disheartened for a moment but poised his emotions- ‘Wow! That’s cool. So that’s why you seem to be so happy.’

Nita flushed crimson and just smiled.

‘In fact Nita, I am also going for the same purpose as you.’

‘Hey! Don’t tell me…That’s great! How does she look?’

‘I don’t know. I have not seen her photograph.’

‘Hmm…our case here is also same!’ exclaimed Nita.

‘What do you mean?’ asked Yuvi.

‘Simple. I have not seen the boy’s photograph either.’

Both of them had a good laugh. They kept on chit chatting whole night and it was finally 8 am when the train arrived at Delhi. They both exchanged their contacts and addresses and wished each other luck.

‘Do tell me, how the show went,’ Nita said winking.

‘Sure. And you too.’

Yuvi kept on thinking in his taxi to call up Nita and say that he likes her, but somehow could not muster enough courage. For a moment, he completely forgot that he in Delhi for a marriage proposal. It was Nita all over his mind.

At Nita’s end, she was not sure why she was fiddling with her cell phone in an anticipation of a phone call.

Finally the time had come. The Malhotras met the Aroras in the evening.  Yuvi was a bit anxious.

When Mrs. Arora came with her daughter, Yuvi gaped for a moment. She introduced her to Yuvi- ‘Beta she is our daughter Nita, a fashion designer in Mumbai. I am going to sit with your parents. You guys can chat and know each other. You can ask her any question you want.’

Yuvi was beaming with happiness, his eyes glittering. He just replied- ‘Thanks Aunty.’

Nothing else needed to be asked. Nothing else needed to be said. God had already made the Karmic Konnection…

__END__