Smile please

A very insignificant, yet strangely cute incident happened with me yesterday in the train.

I was coming back home pretty early at noon and the trains at that time were empty. At Chembur, every-one else in my coach apart from me chose to depart and for one moment, I got uncertain whether or not to change my compartment. Well, this girl boarded the train the very next station, so I had company :-)

Now,
Yesterday was first day of navratra and for people who don't know, all the days of navratra are colour coded :-P As in, there is this pre-decieded colour of clothing, Amba-ma is made to wear a saree of that colour and all females are expected to wear that colour. I found it initially very amusing, but mum absolutely insisted that I wear "RED" and no other colour yesterday.

And [not so surprizingly], the girl who boarded my coach was wearing blood red too.

Vashi bridge came next and I, who needs to be as close to the sea as possible, chose to stand at the doors. And well, I had my music with me and the sea near me, bliss. Just then, I noticed that the girl was staring at me out of intrest. I gave her a stern look and she,
returned me the most wide-genuine smile ever!
Her entire face brightened, eyes twinkled; It was one, complete-friendly smile!

I couldn't help but smile back!
Just to strike a conversation, I went towards her and said,
"Do I know you through anything?"
She: [bemused] You do?
Me: I don't know. You look familiar.
She: [Takes a while, thinks, makes some faces, does some countings and finally with a confused look] Maybe through the train-travel..
Me: Huh? Oh...OK. Thats my station, Bye.
She: [another killer smile] Bye.

Thoughts started racing,
I guess I know her from classes, she was reading some bio book! Maybe through junior college! Market, boutique, friend's friend, or maybe she smiled because we wore Amba-ma's colour. How did it matter, maybe it was train!

And after I got off from the train, realization struck me!

Why has smiling become a formality?
Why can we literally count the number of times we smile each day?
And if some-one is being sweet enough to smile,
Why do we get appalled for a moment?

What is humanity heading towards?

Late comer's manual

Continued from Amchya mumbaichya local trains

As I said, I am usually 10-15 minutes late for each morning’s 1 hour toxic dose of studies called “lectures”. My teachers are co-operative nice people, so they understand. But like friends ask me, how can you expect it “every single day?” So questions come my way, “Oh! Shatabdi! Why late?!”

And then you have this millisecond to come up with a convincing reply. Sometimes when I know it for sure that I shall arrive long after the teacher, I call up my friends and give them a bana-banaya bahana. So, no spanking as such for being late, they already know :-D But, you can’t do this every-ruddy-day man! So, here are my tried-tested-best-working-universal-lies for being a regularly irregular student :-D

*~* Ma’am, I am not keeping well. [weak face coupled with a cough :-D]

*~* I am sooo sorry ma’am! Alarm clock ka batteries discharge ho gaya tha! I got up at 6:45 and I am here at 7:45; that is something ma’am! :-P

*~* While coming to the station my car broke down! Abhi high-way pe lift kaha se milta ma’am! [worried face, ruffled hair :-P]

*~* I was studying late night sir, aap hi ka chapter ;-)

*~* Watchman didn’t let me in! I-card nahi laya :-D

*~* It was raining in vashi :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

*~* I fell on the station and hurt my leg! [with a little sad face, sympathy follows instantly]

*~* I forgot something important at home and traced my way back, so, late [usually saying journals or home-assignment helps :-P and do NOT mention lunch-box here :-P]

*~* What!!! I am LATE??? Oh! My watch! My watch!!

And the reason that almost always saves my very sorry ass is……..

*~* Trains late!
[which they usually are not]

So, there you go. Ready made explanations for your delay. Also, talk as much as possible, so that the teacher takes you in just to shut you up :-P

And I really hope my teachers don’t find the way to get to my blog ;-)

P.S. Update. Campusjunkie has been kind. They have finally acknowledged my hard work and awarded me with tools to show-off :-D Visiting cards provided to all core-writers! Have a dekho on Jiggs's blog. Mine reads,
Shatabdi Roychowdhury
Core writer.