the SWEET stranger

 Strangers. It’s always fun to meet strangers, to be strangers. people who have no idea who we are, people who never know our flaws, our good, bad, highs. people who have no idea that would they meet us again? Trust me, it’s fun to meet strangers. There are some strangers, who we long to meet again at least once. There could be any reason for it, they would have made us happy, would’ve made an impact, would’ve made us think……. I met a stranger, who gave me all these ingredients at once.

I was waiting to board my train. It was really hot outside, I guess the temperature was around 35 degrees, I was drenched with sweat. My shirt already started to smell. The waiting area was full of people around. It made it even harder to breathe. I was looking up to know when my train would arrive – Train arriving in 2 mins – the board said, at least now I could breathe. Some 50 people ahead, my eyes got stuck on a little girl surrounded by a group of working men. I didn’t know why my eyes got stuck there, but I felt she was not feeling comfortable. Maybe because of the crowd, or maybe because of the men? A longhorn broke my thoughts away. The train arrived. I got into the little girl’s compartment. Yes, now I could see her reaction close, She was uncomfortable. I wanted to know was it because of the men around. But wait! maybe they were someone she already knew. The balded guy’s face who was next to him resembled her face. maybe it’s her father. I stopped back . A lot of confusion with me, should I go to her? What if they were their family? I would be busted! But my eyes and mind were still on the girl. Now near the girl, I saw a middle-aged woman. She approached her and said“Honey! I’m searching you all around, where were you so long? come hold mommy’s hand“ saying so she took her hand and was hushing and saying something to the girl which was even harder for the men over there to hear. At the next stop, she got down, and as the train moved she got up in my compartment. I yelled all of a sudden “Hey! you forgot your child “. Suddenly some 200 eyes met me. Yes her eyes were among them. She approached me and smiled at all others (which was probably a sign to tell others to carry on their work). “She’s not my child“ she whispered slowly. “You said so there!“ pointing to her old compartment I said. Her eyes beamed. “You watched me from there?“.
“No actually I was looking over the girl, thought she was uncomfortable but got relieved when you picked her up,“ I said.
A broad smile came over her face(the smile was like “now I understand everything”). She did not reply, still smiling at me. After some 50 buildings crossed away from the window, she said “She’s fine, I dropped her to her mommy” Then who are you ? was my question to her, but I dare not to ask her. I could not even wait for 25 buildings- I paced “Who are you?“
“I am a writer “ was her reply.
Though I’ve asked who was she to the little girl, she was telling me about her profession. But this was interesting, how often would I get a chance to meet a writer. I curiously asked “Your works?“
“I’m working on a book. Would get it published in few months“ she said
“Cool,“ I continued “What’s it about ?“
“It’s about a girl’s chase to find a stranger“ she said emotionless.
I was confused, why would someone chase a stranger, and who cares about a stranger. Maybe my emotions conveyed my thoughts.
She came up saying
“I’ll tell you the start or call it a synopsis of the story!“
“Yea! Go on“ I said
She started narrating the story:
“A girl is stuck in a compartment of 200 people. It is even hard for her to breathe. Some 5 men were sitting with her. As the train moved, one guy in the group of men started to dash her. She did not say anything. Again she experienced a dash. Still, she was dumb. Other men turned towards her and moved closer to her, still, she did not say anything. Suddenly a voice came from a guy standing back of her seat -“Honey! you are here, I am searching you all around. I got a place over there for us, come ” saying so he gave her his hand. she hesitated but looking around the guys, she gave her hand. He picked her up and got her to another compartment. There he left her hand and apologized “sorry for calling you- HONEY!. I thought you felt uncomfortable over there, I just wanted to help you!” Now the girl relaxed. The boy continued to talk”But why didn’t you shout or say anything when they were doing so?” The girl went back to her remorseful expression. “ok! ok, chill! now everything is fine” the guy said. The guy turned away. Some seconds passed. The train halted. Someone tapped on his shoulder and gave him a letter. He looked up and saw that it was the girl who handed him the letter by holding a smile and she got out of the train. The guy opened the letter, it said – “Sorry! for not even saying thanks. I feel bad for not saying so, but the truth is I can’t. I’m dumb. I can’t speak, which is why I can’t shout or speak up when the guys touched me. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you haven’t come there. Thanks for helping me. I’ll not forget you in my life. THANKS!“
The guy smiled and kept the letter in his pocket”.

This is how the story starts. Now the girl gets her voice back and unfortunately lost her hearing sense. She could only hear with a hearing aid. God was rude to her. But now she was happy that she could speak. The first thing that came to her mind after getting back her speech was that she wants to meet the stranger back and say Thanks! She wanted to thank the stranger who helped a girl just because he was a man, not because he was her lover, boyfriend, friend, brother, father, or anything. Just because he was a man.
That’s it” the writer said.
I was speechless. It was something more than a story to me. I looked up at her. She was still smiling at me knowing the things that would be running in my mind.
“Some fail to be a man” I said ,knowing what I mean.
She smiled back. Her smile meant “Yes!”
There was complete silence for nearly a minute. She broke it“Okay! My station came. bye-bye, hope to see you soon man! ” saying she was about to get off the train. When the train halted, a severe wind blew, which blew up her hair. Something strange was visible to my eyes. she was wearing something on her ears. I bet it’s a hearing aid. My heart got frozen as I looked up at my sweet stranger getting away. Now things made up sense to me. The little girl. The working men. The stranger. The story. The MAN. Everything made sense…….

Your’s sweetly,
Mr.nothing