Thursday, August 4, 2011

Mandira,iPad and Bus ride

An urgent work cropped up at Bangalore and I did not have time to make any reservation. Luckily I could get a seat In the AC bus that was to leave in the next hour. I was hungry and tired. Grabbing some snack and a can of coke, I settled in a chair in the lounge. As I was finishing the coke, I heard “Bus for Bangalore now boarding.” I hurriedly dumped the bag in the receptacle over the allotted seat and settled in the window seat. The bus was to depart in the next five minutes and I was happy that my adjacent seat was unoccupied. There was no trace of any passenger. My happiness was however short lived when a young lady came and occupied the seat next to me. She was about 25, very charming in Jeans and a Khurta like top.


“Are you proceeding for Bangalore?” she asked softly


I nodded and asked “What about you? Do you live In Bangalore?”


“Yes” she said with a smile
After some pleasantries, I came to know that she was working In Bangalore and that she had come to Chennai on some official work. She did not give much detail about her. She was a bit reticent and answered in monosyllables.


I started playing Sudoku In my iPad to while away the time while the video in the bus was showing some Rajni film. She was watching it for a while and then closed her eyes possibly to catch some sleep. After some time I took my lappy and started working on some report I was to send.


“It is boring. Can I use your iPad to play some games if you are going to be busy with lappy?”I heard her ask me


“Why not? By all means play to your hearts content till the power lasts” I said as I gave her the iPad


She started playing Hangman, Mahjongg and various other games. I got busy with my work and after an hour put the lappy in the bag when the eyelids became heavy. Having had a busy day, I fell into sleep immediately


It was only at Krishnagiri that I got up and went to the rest room. She was holding the iPad tightly in her hands and was seen dozing with her eyes closed. Not wanting to disturb her I went back to sleep in an empty seat on the other side.


It was after the bus had left Hosur that I woke up with a start to find the lady missing from the seat. I panicked and asked the conductor where the lady was. He said she got down at Hosur hurriedly at the last moment as if on second thought. It was a new iPad and I cursed myself for leaving it in her custody and sleeping. I had not got even the name of the company where she worked while I had foolishly parted with the name of my company and my mobile number in the hope we may become friends. If she were working at Bangalore, why should she get down at Hosur? I was certain that she was a well dressed petty thief possibly filching things like this from unwary passengers.


The conductor and a few passengers commiserated with me at my plight and expressed their doubts whether any complaint with police would help. The bus was moving at great speed leaving me with no other option than to stay put. It was then my mobile rang. It was the lady who spoke.


“Sorry, Sir.I had to get down at Hosur as my parents live there. I work in Bangalore. You were fast asleep when the bus stopped at Hosur.I waited for sometime hoping you would wake up in the noise of the bus stand. When you did not, I left the iPad in your laptop bag. Forgive me for this liberty. Please open the lappy bag and see whether the iPad is there while I am on line. Lucky I had your number” she said.


I quickly checked to find my iPad safely in the bag and was struck with remorse at my hasty assumptions
“Thank you Miss….er I was a bit worried when I did not see you. It is a new iPad and I was very much upset. I am extremely sorry for some uncharitable assumptions ‘I said


“Mandira…..Miss Mandira. So you thought I was a thief” she replied as she laughed loudly and continued “Let us meet at Bangalore in the coming week. You owe me an apology.”


It is a different matter that this fortuitous incident developed into a friendship culminating eventually in our happy marriage.

16 comments:

  1. You just gave out an idea for free to our movie makers... KP!

    Good one.

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  2. lol...as the story ends and when i saw NRI comment.. yeah ..sure..that was a nice narration..
    enna theriyuma.. yest I had come to chennai..and the auto drivers are the same.. i remembered your story.. hmm..it happens only in fiction maybe.

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  3. jab they met haha...

    this is nice one...
    i almost gussed the out come except that i thought she would get off with the ipad not wanting to disturb him and she would contact with some explanation following which they will meet again :)
    she had better plans ;)

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  4. Good Thinking. Liked the happy ending, all is well that ends well.

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  5. Nice one.. it did happen in real to some one I knew but on a flight.. crazy how destiny brings people together!

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  6. Nice, happy story! Enjoyed reading it! Thank you!

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  7. Oh.. this was so sweet!! I like your stories. They are very interesting and short.

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  8. One of your readers said: 'interesting and short'. That's good. And the action is fast-paced, no unnecessary details hindering the progress of the story. I enjoyed reading this. Thanks for the pleasure.

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  9. Great story
    with a romantic end :-)

    Keep writing
    you are very good Sir !!

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  10. Namaste......
    hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....definitely interesting....

    keep up the good work

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