...We live in different worlds!

I was about to miss the 7:04 PM fast local for Thane. And if had, I would have to wait for another fifteen minutes. It was 7:03:35 PM in the station clock. I ran. I had to reach the first class compartment. The train was about to catch on speed. That was when I jumped into the train, pushing behind the gentleman who was standing on the door, despite the compartment being decently vacant. I caught my breath and held my knees with both hands. When found myself relaxed a bit, I straightened myself up. In the process of moving up, my eyes met with another pair of eyes who were staring at me. Well it’s not a great idea if you are stared at by a man in a general compartment. But that was a different stare, the kind of those which we throw at people we think we know, but are not able to recollect who they really are. My eyes responded with the same stare.

It took a minute before I realized who that guy was. The ghost from my past was smiling at me. I walked up to him and asked, “Sainik School?”

And we both laughed. He offered me a seat beside.

“How come you are here in Mumbai?” I asked him.

“Am commissioned here for next two years. How about you?”

“Am working with TCS.”

“TCS?”

“Tata Consultancy Services? Haven’t you heard of it?”

He shook his head in a ‘NO’ and smiled. I smiled back. Probably this was the first time when I had introduced my company and had got such a response. But the kind of background he was from, I think that’s ok. We live in different worlds.

“So what rank you are at?”

“Caption.”

“Wooah! Congrats, boy!” I shook his hand.

“Thank you, bhaisaheb.” And it smelled like my school. As juniors, we used to address our seniors that way – Bhaisaheb.

We talked about our teachers, our friends, our school and our childhood; people, places, and lives common to us.

“So, does Singh House still win the Cross Country Race Trophy?”

“Hahaha…” He laughed out. “Well, not sure but I guess it must be. After you left, we won for the next two years. But don’t have such detailed information as I myself have not been to school after that. And moreover, the school has all new teachers. Those we knew have all retired. M.C. Pandey Sir… Joshi sir.. Takla… Varma sir… Dudhdhu sir you name it and most of them are gone.”

“Kapoor Sir?”

“Yes.”

“Ghoda Sir?”

“No, he is still there.”

“Bisht sir.”

“Gone.”

“And Geeta Mam?”

And we both looked at each other and sighed. “She is still there.” There was naughtiness in his response.

“So where are you headed towards?” I asked him.

“I am going to Mulund. Actually this is the first time I am traveling by local train. I have my own vehicle but had to offer that to brigadier who is in town today. I have to meet someone out there. The guy told me this was the fasted mode of transport.”

“Well, that’s true. This is the lifeline of Mumbai.”

“So you travel by local every day?”

“Yeah. My office is in Colaba.”

“So you must be having a pass or something. It paid Rs. 150 for my ticket. How much does it cost otherwise?”

“Well yaa I do have a quarterly pass. And it doesn’t cost more that 15 bucks for a general ticket from here to Mulund. So what work you are on here?”

“I will tell you some other time. Give me your number. I will call you and we will talk.” He looked around in calculated manner. I smelled Army in his behavior. I felt good that he was not carried by the emotions of meeting an old friend but was disciplined.

“9833…..” he keyed it in his phone and dialed. I received a call from his number. I wanted to save, but wasn’t sure what was his name and didn’t wish to let him know that I don’t remember his name, so just let it be. But sometimes, things are very obvious. He asked me, “Do you remember my name, bhaisaheb?”

“Varun, right?” And he smiled. I thanked god hundred times in that split second for saving me from the embarrassment. I had got it right.

“Varun Rathod... Am I typing your name right?” He showed me his phone. It read – ROH.

“If it is going to end with I and T, then yes.” I smiled. He remembered my name.

“It’s all fate, bhaisaheb. Had never thought I would meet you after nine years since your left school, here in Mumbai, in a local train that I had to take as a matter of chance. And on top of it, we both recognized each other. You don’t look much different.” He said, in his childlike smile.

I smiled back, “Yes. Neither do you.”

“So which station will you get down at?”

“I will get down at Ghatkopar.”

“Is Mulund far from there? I am going for the first time.”

“It being a fast train, it will stop at Mulund only, after Ghatkopar. So yours is the next stop after I go. Chal dude, my stop is arriving. Keep in touch.”

“Yaa… sure… bhaisaheb. We will meet someday. I will call you.”

“Sure.”

I went to the door. There was still some time before my stop would arrive. I looked back at him. He was sitting in attention; small hairs, hands closed. He appeared cautious and hesitant, the way we would be on our first day in school. Strange it was – A Caption from Army nervous in a civilian public transport! Well that’s how it is, I guess. We live in different worlds. If it would have been a mission of killing some terrorists, the same train would have been his easy battle field. But today, he was trying to make sense out of a civilian moment that was not his, an environment he was not accustomed of. I smiled to myself. I tried imagining him in the school days, but couldn’t.

My station had arrived. I moved a few steps back to him, and called out, “Varun, yours is the next stop.” I don’t know why, but I felt caring, as I would have towards my younger brother. Now when I think back, I know he would have managed without me telling him, but in that moment, I just wanted to make sure that he does. He was the same guy, I must have ragged and punished in the school. But that was then. Now we live in different worlds.