The Two of Us

It was one of those lazy days in the college campus that had proceeded at it's own natural pace. A morning that began with the decision of missing classes to have chai and samosa with friends at the canteen was followed by an afternoon of more fulfilling meals and even more fulfilling time with friends. 

The afternoon too had begun to leave but we were still there, having made different spots in the campus the venue for our conversations that ranged from intense to blasé. I was happy. We were happy, having attained that happiness out of nothing but beautiful conversations that had just flowed and gathered more and more people along the way.

The light had begun to fade now and the evening was knocking on the day's door as we sat on the green grass, all tired of hours of mindless laughing yet satisfied in our hearts, a satisfaction which stemmed from having spent the day well. As the conversation halted for a moment and we sat quiet to absorb the essence of the moment and secretly calculating the time left for more conversations to continue, my eyes fell on a man in the campus. 

This man's presence felt a little odd, if not entirely, as something set him apart from the rest of the crowd that was present there as he sat aloof with a bag on his shoulders in formal clothes, which were full of creases that screamed about his struggles in the metro earlier in the day. As the conversations with friends went on, my eyes kept on noticing his presence. He didn't seem to move as he sat with his earphones plugged in. For a long time, it seemed to me he was waiting for someone to come and meet him. But never did he ever seem interested in checking his mobile phone. He sat still with his back facing us, gazing into the eternity After a point, it started to befuddle me, constantly proving to be a distraction in my conversations as my mind started wondering about the mysterious man. 

By now, I had started noticing and getting curious about him even more. Nothing about him suggested that he didn't belong here, except the way he had dressed. Must be a newbie in the corporate world, I thought. Something about his presence had me inexplicably captivated.

The mystery over why he was here, however, had yet not been solved. Was he angry? Was he meditating? Or was he just waiting for someone? Absolutely nothing in all those moments I had been noticing him suggested he had a meeting with someone fixed. Questions in my mind kept flowing as the sky started darkening and minutes before we wrapped up our day with another glass of chai, he started to get up. He neatly placed his bag on his shoulders, took his earphones out and without showing any emotion, he just headed straight out of the gate and disappeared into the distance. The whole day passed well and smooth. Yet, the inability to ascertain his purpose of visit kept bothering me for a long time before it faded away from my memory. 

It took me two years to get all my questions answered when one day, after a soul burdening day in office, I impulsively got down at the station nearest to my  college and sought some relief in the familiar surroundings of the campus I had spent some of my best time in.