4.Strangers..

 

"do I know you?"

Her soft voice collided with his ear drums, he turned his neck and again their eyes met, his dark, deep intense eyes met her light shallow eyes. In a moment he penetrated in her soul through her eyes, but she wasn't able to look through his eyes, it had a strange barrier, she was struggling to look deep, when he noticed her aims,

"I don't think so,", his voice was more deep than his eyes, and it vibrated every chord of farah's heart, she had never heard such a voice, so intense and so plain, it had no emotion apparently, but it was so layered. He started walking again, and farah sensed something amiss, "one minute", she spoke up unconsciously and he stopped again.

This time farah got confused, she didn't know why she stopped him, what would she say now, her heart was saying that she had stopped him bcz she didn't like the way he shifted his eyes, she wanted to look deep, but her mind provided her a reason to talk, question the ambiguity of his reply.

"what do u mean by u don't think", she thought she sounded clever and reasonable, he turned, "I guess I used pretty simple words from English, and looking at u gives an impression that u have a good command over the language", the stiffness was still there and farah's mouth was left open on his reply, "people don't really mean what they say in simple words", he was walking so she spoke loud enough for him to hear, and he again stopped, he knew he had walked a bit far from her , so he spoke with a calculated voice needed to cover the distance, "but I do!."

Saying this he resumed his walking and farah was surprised that she didn't get annoyed at his stiffness, she liked the way he answered him, she couldn't deny the sudden admiration she was feeling. She saw him walking to the bus stop and on reaching it, he stood outside the benches shade, very near the footpath, with his hands in his pockets. Farah started walking too; her destination was also that bus stop, so she felt nice that she didn't have to go out of way to go to him. She didn't have to argue with her mind, she was already heading there, whether he stood there or not.

She walked fast than usual and stood a few inches away from him, crossing her hands around her chest, she stole a glance at him, he was not at all affected by her arrival, he was constantly staring at the road, it was giving yellow shades due to the street light, there was mist due to cold weather, it was November so the temperature was below the 0 mark. Suddenly she realized that the road was looking so beautiful, so serene.

It was strange for her, she never thought a plain black line of road would attract her like this, "it's beautiful", as always she couldn't keep her feelings to herself, and saying this she looked at him, expecting an answer but he was lost, eyes were still fixed on the road, for a moment farah felt embarrassed on speaking because he didn't answer, but the next moment, she was lost in noticing his features.

She was looking at his side view but she had to accept that he was very handsome, his face cut was perfect, his hair were neatly set, he had narrow eyes and his height was just anyone could wish for, moreover that stern and serious look on his face made him much more worthy looking.

She was enjoying observing him, his presence was very be-witching, but then realizing that she was behaving like a flirt in the middle of the road at 12 midnight, she  turned her eyes away. Now she was looking at the road again but her mind was following all the little gestures and his movements which came after short time intervals.

She saw him moving his fingers in hair; he also blinked his eyes once or twice.

Farah didn't even realize that the bus was late; she was so busy looking and observing him but she realized it when he moved towards the timings map on the stop.

"Is time pe usually late ho jati hai", farah spoke in hindi, because looking at him clearly showed that he was an Asian and she tried to help him, he was very ardently looking at the board, but again there was no reply, "I travel almost daily at this time", she thought may be this would help enhancing her importance, "I guess it would not take much time ,", and now she started bragging about her expertise, he was still looking at the board without taking any notice of her speaking, "I am right it'", and before she could complete her sentence, she could hear the bus coming and farah felt proud that may be now he would talk to him. The bus arrived at the stop and the doors were opened by the driver, farah took steps towards it but he was still standing looking at the board, farah got confused, she thought maybe he didn't realize that the bus has arrived. She signaled the driver to wait a moment, as it was midnight and the bus was empty, so the driver agreed.

She walked to him,"uhm..Excuse me", she was nervously talking to him, he turned his neck again and farah tried to smile, "bus a gai hai, let's go", her voice was genuinely polite,

"we both don't travel on the same path.", again the same  expressionless stern voice, she couldn't figure out his meaning, when another bus arrived, he glanced at it and started walking towards it, he took out his travel card from his pocket, showed it to the driver and sat inside.

Farah felt so disappointed, but driver's horn made her go her bus quickly. She started thinking at the strange feelings of her heart and the person left to her.

And on the contrary..he was happy..although he didn't know it but he couldn't deny the strange happiness..first time he saw her in her full senses..and she looked beautiful..